The Fehmarn construction site has a new consortium – with a new three-letter abbreviation. The new kid on the block will be called Femern Systems Contractors and will go by the acronym FSC. The consortium is a joint venture between two Spanish companies, Grupo Cobra and SICE. Earlier this year, they were awarded the so-called TEM contract, which includes electrical installations, ventilation, telecommunications, security systems, and more.
Must have the organization in place
International Production Manager José Manuel Olivares Villafranca from Grupo Cobra, who represents the consortium, was one of the speakers at the Femern Business Conference in Rødby on Thursday. Femern Report met him for a short talk about what FSC has thought about how they should solve the task:
– We must first have our organization in place. In a few months, we will be established in Denmark. Initially, there will be an office in Copenhagen, where we must have the administrative aspects in place. We need an HR function, communication, and other administrative functions. Altogether, it will be approximately 30-40 people, says José Villafranca.
Base of operations in Maribo
Once the organization is established, the plan is for FSC to be based on Lolland, most likely in Maribo. Then people will be hired to complete the work. It will primarily be electricians and plumbers who can manage the work with the technical installations, and the plan is that at least half will be recruited locally:
– In two years from today, we will need around 300 men for four to five years. It should preferably be people from the region, if at all possible. I believe that the reason why there are relatively many foreign employees in the other consortia is that it has been challenging to get the right people with the right qualifications locally, says José Villafranca.
Cartel case in Spain
Grupo Cobra, which forms one-half of the FSC consortium, has previously been in hot water in connection with a cartel case in Spain. Here, the competition authority CNMC imposed a double-digit million euro fine on the company. The case has been appealed and has not been finally decided and thus cannot influence Femern A/S’ treatment of the consortium’s offer.
– No conclusion has been made in that case, and the employees involved in it no longer work for the company, José Villafranca tells Femern Report.
