SEOUL, Republic of Korea — The Sixth Local Construction Materials Conference was held at the War Memorial of Korea May 17. The conference was co-hosted by the Korea Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District.
MND wants more local manufacturers to participate in the Yongsan Relocation and Land Partnership Plans. The Local Construction Materials Conference provides a platform to help manufacturers to understand and meet the standards for local materials usage.
“We believe it is in everyone’s best interest to maximize the use of local materials since it reduces procurement time as well as provide cost savings and results in greater ease of repair and maintenance of our facilities,” said Col. Donald E. Degidio, Jr., FED Commander.
When first assessed in 2006, less than half of materials used were manufactured locally. Today, that figure is up to 75 percent. Previous Local Construction Materials Conferences have been helpful in increasing that figure and resulted in the localization of over 80 items including elevators, ceiling tiles, boilers, and electrical panel boards.
Use of local material is also essential in having a building Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, something that FED strives for in every project. LEED calls for materials to be manufactured no further than 500 miles from the building site.
Manufacturers who improve their products to fit federal standards will not only be able to provide better products for YRP and LPP but will also become more competitive globally with higher standard construction materials.