@KENTZ - May 2008

Issue Number: 17	Previous @Kentz Issues			May 2008
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Abu Dhabi Retirement Party


L-R: Pat Leahy, Das Nambiar, Mohd Masood and Willy Balbastro		L-R: Das Nambiar and Vic Ramones Senior

Mr Wilfredo "Willy" Balbastro joined Kentz Abu Dhabi on 21st May 1987. He retired at the end of March 2008 after 21 years of service. Willy was the storeman in Abu Dhabi and has contributed significantly to the success of projects undertaken in the United Arab Emirates during his time with Kentz.

Mr Vincent "Vic" Ramones Senior joined Kentz Abu Dhabi on 13th March 1992. He retired in March 2008 after 16 years of service. During this time Vic worked on both on-shore and off-shore projects in various roles, primarily working as an Electrical Foreman. Vic was instrumental in the successful delivery of projects during this time with Kentz.

A farewell retirement party for both men was held in the Sheraton, Abu Dhabi, which was attended by friends and colleagues. Harry D'Souza spoke very highly of both Willy and Vic. Willy and Vic then thanked their superiors and colleagues for the co-operation and support afforded to them during their time with Kentz.

The Balbastro/Ramones association with Kentz is continued through their sons Christopher and Vincent Junior, both of whom are currently employed with Kentz in Abu Dhabi.

Employees Support Panthers

Some Thiess Kentz employees based at the Lake Lindsay Alliance Project in Queensland celebrated time off by turning out to a rugby match to support their local team, the Middlemount Panthers. On Saturday, 12th April the fans arrived at the Norm Blanche Oval to see their team face the Emerald Tigers.

Panthers supporters from Lake Lindsay

It was a great night, although the Panthers were defeated 28-26 by their competitors. The spectators' disappointment was short-lived as Middlemount thrashed their next competitors Blackwater and District on Saturday, 19th April by 44-22. Good luck to the Middlemount team as all eyes will be on them on Saturday, 26th April when they face Clermont.

Qatar Kentz Sponsors Ladies' Golf Tournament

Donna Gray with the winning ladies

On Tuesday, 1st April 2008, Qatar Kentz sponsored the ladies' golf tournament at the Doha Golf Club in Qatar. Some may call this April Fool's Day, but this tournament was no joke!

Tee-off times began at 7.30 am and the 19 teams were ready to take on their peers. With the fantastic prizes that Kentz put up for grabs, everyone was giving it their best shot!
Prizes were awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th as well as "longest drive" and "closest to the rope".

With the heat of the day bearing down, the ladies came in and then enjoyed a much deserved lunch in the Golf Club which was provided by Kentz. A prize-giving ceremony was held after lunch and the Vice President of the ladies' golf section thanked Qatar Kentz for its kind and generous sponsorship.

Well done to all the ladies. Hopefully, next year Qatar Kentz will have a few competitors of their own playing in the tournament!

Farewell to Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy

Pat holding gifts from his colleagues

On 5th April both management and staff of Kentz Abu Dhabi gathered in the Sheraton Hotel, Abu Dhabi, to bid farewell to Pat Leahy. Pat was Country Manager of the UAE. He joined Kentz in Abu Dhabi on 21st June 1994 and was the General Manager until recently when he was then installed as the Country Manager through the Middle Eastern Regionalisation project. Pat has now taken up a new role with Kentz Corporate in Clonmel, Ireland.

A great night was had by all and Richard Leonard, the MC for the evening, began by summarising Pat's time in Abu Dhabi and the various international experiences they both shared. Other speakers on the night (and Kentz staff from Abu Dhabi) were: Paul Loughnane, Senior EPC Manager, Arshad Mahmood, HR Manager, Patrick Loftus, Commissioning Manager Habshan 3 Project, Denis Crotty, Manager of Construction, Narendra Likhe, Engineering Manager, Mehboob Ahmed, Proposals and BD Secretary, Harold D'Souza, Procurement Officer, and Shirwina Sequeira, Receptionist. They all thanked Pat for the support that they received throughout his tenure there.

Pat expressed his appreciation in return and hoped that Shane Dooley-Cullinane, the new Country Manager, would receive the same support that he had during his time in Abu Dhabi.

The management and staff of Kentz in Abu Dhabi would like to wish Pat well in his future endeavours and thank him for his guidance over the past 14 years.

Employees Earn Top Awards

Sean Cocup, Max Demellweek, Electrical Superintendent, Lake Lindsay, and Jeremy Lange

L-R: Sean Cocup, Max Demellweek, Electrical Superintendent, Lake Lindsay, and Jeremy Lange

Sean Cocup, Phillip MacDonald and Jeremy Lange

L-R: Sean Cocup, Phillip MacDonald and Jeremy Lange

Members of the Thiess Kentz team based at the Lake Lindsay Alliance Project in Queensland, Australia were present at the Annual TORGAS Apprentice of the Year Awards Ceremony, which was held on 8th March at the Whitsunday Hotel in Mackay, Queensland. Sean Cocup, Jeremy Lange and Phillip MacDonald represented Thiess Kentz on the night.

Phillip was awarded the Most Outstanding Electrical/Plumbing Apprentice in Construction, while Jeremy and Sean were runners-up. Sean also picked up the prestigious award of TORGAS Apprentice of the Year and all at Thiess Kentz would like to congratulate him on this magnificent achievement.

All three apprentices have worked on various construction sites in central Queensland including: Dawson, Hail Creek and Lake Lindsay. Sean and Jeremy have since finished their apprenticeships.

Thiess Kentz would like to acknowledge the hard work put in by all three guys and to congratulate them on the awards they received as a result.

KEGS Golf Society
Kentz Ireland Golf Society had its first outing of the year on Friday 18th April. There was a great turnout considering the very blustery conditions. The wind was strong throughout the afternoon which made playing conditions difficult for all, especially those who hadn't swung a golf club for nearly a year!

In the "19th hole" the winners of the competition were announced. There was controversy for first place as both Mike Naughton and Pat O'Shea finished on 33 points. On the count-back, however, Pat was declared the winner.

There was also a prize for "best newcomer", which was won by Ronan O'Brien who attributed his victory to his University College Dublin (UCD) Women's Rugby windbreaker jacket, for which he received a lot of jeering before play commenced!

Finally there were spot prizes given out to some of the other participants. The next round takes place in Dundrum Golf Club, Co. Tipperary on 23rd May. It is still not too late to join KEGS Golf Society. Please inform club captain Ray Murphy if you are interested in joining.


	Referrals have proven to be a great source for getting the right people into Kentz. If you know of somebody that you can recommend to Kentz, why not forward their CV by clicking on the link here: https://tbe.taleo.net/NA6/ats/external/SubmitReferral.jsp?org=KENTZ

Gert and Suzelle Grashoff

Congratulations to Gert and Suzelle Grashoff who were married on 11th April at Stonehaven on Vaal, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. Gert has worked as an Instrument Designer for Kentz Integrated Solutions in Vanderbijlpark since September 2007. The staff in the Vanderbijlparkoffice would like to extend their best wishes to the happy couple.

Theresa and Jaco van Heerden
Congratulations to Theresa and Jaco van Heerden who were married on Saturday 26th April 2008 at the Egoli River Castle in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. Theresa was recently employed as an Expeditor for Kentz Integrated Solution. The staff in the Vanderbijlpark office would like to extend their best wishes to the happy couple.


Mylex Ramos Congratulations to Alexander Ramos, Electrical Technician for Kentz Russia, and his wife, Mylene Rondon Ramos on the birth of their daughter Mylex Rondon Ramos. Mylex was born on 18th February 2008, weighing 7lbs 10ozs. Alexander, who works on the Lunskoye OPF project on Sakhalin Island, was desperate to see his little daughter born. He scheduled his departure from site for 15th February to be home to support his wife, but a severe snowstorm kept him from travelling for 3 days. He only managed to leave site on 18th February and saw his baby a couple of days later.

Gautam Hareesh Kumar The staff in the Qatar Kentz office would like to congratulate Hareesh Kumar, Proposals Manager for Qatar Kentz, and his wife Vaishnavi, on the birth of their first child. Gautam Hareesh Kumar was born on 6th March 2008 in Penang, Malaysia and weighed 3.55 kgs. Best wishes as you start your lives with your new addition!

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