People of LMS: Ertan Ertem
This week, in our traditional People of LMS section, we are talking with one of the founders, a member of the Board of Directors of LMS Group of Companies, Ertan Ertem, about what it feels like to be a civil engineer and devote the whole life to work.
First of all, tell us about yourself: where did you study? Where did you start your career? Your position and managed activity?
In 1990, I graduated from the State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering in Ankara and got a job within my specialty, civil engineering, in the Turkish company Ekintash, which was building a metallurgical plant in Iskenderun. This was the time when I acquired important experience, which has helped me more than once in the implementation of projects of varying degrees of complexity on large sites around the world.
Now I have 30 years of professional experience in the construction industry, I am a shareholder of LMS Group of Companies and I manage the construction direction, that is, all issues related to the main activity of LMS on the construction sites.
How was the idea of creating LMS (LMS Group of Companies) born? Who did you create the company with?
In 2015, Marashstroy Company and the Turkish holding Limak decided to combine their capabilities, strengths and prospects for fruitful work in Russia.
The company Marashstroy, which we founded in 2004 with my friend and respected colleague Selchuk Karadzha, has implemented 37 projects by 2015.
By that time, the Turkish holding Limak had a 45-year history and about 160 completed projects in 15 countries, including extensive experience in airport construction.
Serdar Bajaksiz and Sinan Atalay Gulseren became our business partners in LMS Board of Directors. There was a merger, and large-scale tasks were not long in coming: we won the contract for the construction of Platov airport in Rostov-on-Don and implemented the largest infrastructure facility project in the south of Russia. This project is rightfully our pride and achievement. The airport has become the largest airport facility in the country, winning one prestigious award after another, at the 5-star level.
Today, LMS is an authoritative team of internationally recognized professionals. The material and technical base includes modern equipment and a fleet of construction equipment that allows us to implement multifunctional projects. We are a reliable general contractor in Russia.
What is the main mission of LMS, in your opinion? What are its values?
Our mission is to create, improving the world for the benefit of people, making their lives more comfortable; we implement large-scale socially significant projects, creating modern and comfortable buildings.
What do you consider to be the most important events in the company's activities? Tell us about the important projects that have been implemented.
We have built international airports in Khabarovsk, Chelyabinsk; we successfully completed a significant project of Kemerovo Airport named after A.A. Leonov a month ago.
The construction of the Multifunctional Sports Complex Arena in Omsk, which is being implemented, is especially important for us, because the ice arena will become not only a long-awaited facility for athletes, but also a venue for the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. I constantly come to the construction site as a supervisor, I accompany and monitor the project implementation process on a daily basis. I am proud that I can help my colleagues — young engineers who are sincerely devoted to their profession — grow professionally from project to project.
What are the three determining factors for doing a successful business?
Work, work and work again! Honestly, selflessly and completely devoting yourself to work. I guess so.
Is it true that during the crisis the company was able not only to stay afloat, but also to develop?
Despite some difficulties, including the pandemic, changes in economic conditions (metals became more expensive, for example), we continue to build. Now we have several large facilities and, I think there will be even more in six months. That's my forecast. Construction industry in Russia is a fast-developing one.
What principle did you use to recruit a team?
The team consists of time proved employees and colleagues. We know how these people work and we trust their professionalism, loyalty to their profession and willingness to constantly develop together with the company.
What are the company's plans for the near future?
LMS is always ready to participate in new projects. It would be interesting for us to invest our abilities and professionalism in the areas of healthcare, road and industrial construction. In general, LMS's plans have not changed, this means, to build more, while adhering to our values: quality and accuracy in the implementation of each project. The result of this strategy is the impeccable reputation of LMS as a general contractor among customers who trust us again and again to implement their infrastructure projects.
