Dongbu's plant sales surge 54.5% in first half on semiconductor facility work

Dongbu's plant business is growing rapidly, with first-half sales rising more than 50 percent from a year earlier to reach 78 percent of last year's full-year total.

Plant sales on a separate basis came to 153.5 billion won ($111 million) in the first half of this year, up 54.5 percent from 99.3 billion won in the same period last year, the company said Thursday. That was the highest sales growth rate among all major construction categories, including civil engineering and building.

Full-year plant sales stood at 196.7 billion won last year, meaning Dongbu has already achieved roughly 78 percent of that annual figure in the first half alone. Construction activity picking up in earnest at major industrial facility sites accelerated revenue recognition in the plant segment.

Growth was particularly pronounced in the second quarter. Plant sales reached approximately 82.8 billion won, more than double the 37.1 billion won recorded in the same period last year. The first quarter also posted approximately 70.7 billion won in plant sales.

The expansion of advanced industrial facility projects — particularly in semiconductors — is driving the plant division's growth. Dongbu is currently carrying out the expansion of the Amkor Technology Korea factory in Songdo and the construction of a mutual-cooperation facility at SK hynix's Yongin cluster.

The plant segment's momentum has also lifted the company's overall top line. Dongbu's consolidated sales for the first half of this year reached 1.03 trillion won, up 24.3 percent from the same period last year.

To keep pace with its expanding workload, Dongbu plans to hire additional plant specialists. A recruitment drive running from Tuesday through Sunday will add personnel in plant construction, administration, cost estimation, design and project management.

Looking ahead, the company intends to broaden its project scope beyond semiconductor production and support facilities to include advanced materials and components, logistics and manufacturing facilities. It also plans to expand its overall portfolio by adding advanced industrial facility work alongside its existing public infrastructure and housing businesses.

"The rapid sales growth in the plant segment this year is significant because it shows that the industrial facility projects we have been expanding are now translating into tangible earnings," a Dongbu official said. "We will proactively build up our specialist workforce and execution capabilities in line with our business expansion, and will continue to strengthen our competitiveness in advanced industrial facilities, including semiconductors, to develop the plant division into a key growth pillar for the company."

Meanwhile, Dongbu has secured a string of large public projects this year, including the Gyeyang-Ganghwa Expressway, the South Inland Railway and the Goyang Changneung public housing development. The company has also continued to win orders in the private sector, including Seoul urban renewal and street-block redevelopment projects.