China Construction America building bridges in the U.S.

Reporters: Yang Yong and Wang Xiaoyu

China Construction America, also known as CCA, is a Chinese invested company. This firm has acclimated  the contruction industry in America. Its secret to success is localization. Listen to the show and find out more. 

The Pulaski Skyway in New Jersey [Photo: Bing.com]

The Pulaski Skyway is a landmark in New Jersey, northwestern state of United States. Opened in 1932, this skyway was known as one of the most unreliable roads in United States because the traffic congestion and the functionally flawed, obsolete design. In 2013, as one of the contractors in Pulaski Skyway rehabilitation program, China Construction American, also called CCA, started to replace the deck on northbound and southbound roads of skyway.

It is not the first time that CCA garnered public attention as a construction contractor; they played an important role in the construction of the Fulton Center in New York, the Yankee Stadium train station and other awarded projects in the United States.

The Pulaski program is not an easy job because the state government of New Jersey required that protection protocal be put into place for the historical features of the 85 years old skyway. In addition, daily transportation is also not allowed to be disrupted. Monica Lopez, project engineer from CCA, says the environment around the skyway is very complicated.

"You are building a deck on the old bridge, on old steel, so you have careful with these steels, so you have to come up with methods, to make sure you don't damage these steels. You know, you have to mind of where you are, there are a lot of coble arch around you, you have to make sure you have come up with laying, to not to hurt public and doing it. It is just not an easy job."

The Fulton Center in New York City [Photo: Xinhua]

CCA has been in the American construction industry for over 32 years. It is clear that industry needs investment, and as an experienced contractor, its business volume has now already hit 2 billion US dollars. It ranks No. 32 among construction contractors operating in the United States. Its financial resources gave the firm a crucial advantage when it competed for the contract of the Pulaski program.

James Simpson from CCA's board of directors says besides the huge financial resources, the strongest feature of CCA is localization.

"We made this huge investment here, we are buying local, we are hiring local, we are making the market more efficient, because of this true competition, those all benefits the United States. And addition to that, probably, all the money that makes here stays here, because you are returning it in terms of salaries to employees, and if you have a little bit of profit, you probably will reinvest it. So in terms of instruction, it is good for America."

Over the past decade, the company has witnessed more than 40 percent annual growth rate. It benefits hundreds of sub-contractors and construction materials suppliers, pays more than ten millions taxes to US government, and has created thousands of jobs in US throughout its development.

Project engineer Monica says CCA is just like any other American company.

"I like working for Chinese Construction company, I don't see any difference than working in a US company, they have the same goals, they want to build quality products, with quality people, and efficiently and safely."

The construction industry in the US is famous for strict specification, and fierce competition. To survive in this market, CCA bonds itself with the whole industry and has built an ecosystem to benefit all party members in this system. These mutual benefits have motivated the firm to continue to strive for success.