Contractors rise in int’l list despite crisis

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

The number of Turkish contractors on a list of the world’s largest 225 international contractors, published annually by industry magazine Engineering News Record (ENR), has increased to 33 this year from 31 last year, said Turkey Contractors Union President Emin Sazak in written statement on Aug. 24.

In 2011 Turkish contractors accounted for 3.5 percent of the total turnover of the 225 contractors on the list, Sazak said. Turkish contractors came in second after China in 2009, and Sazak said that despite the global economic crisis, Turkish contractors continue to hold onto second place.

In compiling the list, ENR compares international contractors on the basis of their total turnover outside of their countries. Revenues received the previous year for all international contracts are used as a benchmark.

While some markets for contractors shrank in 2011, some actually saw impressive growth, including the Asian region, which registered a 46.3 percent expansion, Sazak said. However, other regions, such as Africa, saw 4.2 percent less contractor turnover. Unfortunately, Turkish contractors saw a drop in their market share in Asia despite the overall expansion. Similarly, in Africa Turkish contractors experienced both a reduction in their market share and in the volume of construction activity, Sazak said. He attributes the drop to the effects of the Arab Spring .