Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries
Tanit dawned over the shpyards and facilities of Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries' home facilities in Dar Es Salaam, bathing the already busy place with golden light. Gideon Kirwa watched thoughtfully from his office window, and sipped his tea, a gift from Jin Ning's merchant association. The company was stable, and its owners, the Nkoma and Liu families were, for once, in agreement with him. Military money was good, but the shift to military development and manufacturing would have been catastrophic. The hours of meetings and endless slides had finally shown them that they could poach the civilian markets left behind by their competitors, and that's exactly what had happened. Now they were overseeing an expansion in Dar Es Salaam, and laying groundwork for manufacturing in New Kowloon. Deliveries from orbital industry were on time, and... An explosion interupted his train of thought, followed by the blare of energency alarms. Gideon calmly returned to his seat as the blast/storm season shutters slid into place and the interior lights got brighter. his devices were already communicating to him that this was likely a terroist attack by far right agitators who had branded the company as "traitors" for refusing to take on military work. Monitors up, he watched as workers took cover in the storm bunkers, and as company security met the threat. 34 minutes later, it was all done. The terrorists had been killed or captured, and there were only three fatalities. Eager to maintain their company's good reputation, Gideon activated a call to HR and informed them at all three slain employees' families would receive full compensation and an additional 3 months of pay on top of that. Hanging up, he then contacted the owners, it was time to be aggressive and stop this before it got worse.
There's few companies as well thought of or well received as Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries. And this is because for the last two generations of ownership, the company has been carefully kept out of direct military sales and manufacturing. Not because those areas aren't profitable, but because they're dedicated to becoming the main subaquatic exploration, construction, transport, resource extraction, sport, and ultility vehicle manufacturer in the system. They're willing to licence designs and patents to other manufacturers who ar einvolve din military sales, but their primary market is outside that limited one.
There's few companies as well thought of or well received as Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries. And this is because for the last two generations of ownership, the company has been carefully kept out of direct military sales and manufacturing. Not because those areas aren't profitable, but because they're dedicated to becoming the main subaquatic exploration, construction, transport, resource extraction, sport, and ultility vehicle manufacturer in the system. They're willing to licence designs and patents to other manufacturers who ar einvolve din military sales, but their primary market is outside that limited one.
Structure
Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries is a privately held company, with ownership evenly divided between the Liu and Nkoma families. As part of their split ownership, they select the president of the company, who actually oversees the running of the company. Below that is a fairly standard corporate structure with a notably light middle management class. The corporation is divided into several sectors:
- Manufacturing - the largest sector, employing the most people.
- Research & Development - the most expensive sector, constantly pushing the edges of technology.
- Communications - recently broken away from Sales, they focus on maintaining the company's positive public footprint.
- Sales - it's in the name, they take care of sales on the local, international, and system levels.
- Logistics & Maintenance - specializing in support to end users on planet and off.
- Delivery - after several mishaps, planetary delivery is handled internally. They also package units of off planet shipping.
- Security - being a non-military manufacturer and a top end technology developer means security is needed.
- Operations & Sport - provides the training for use on all systems from the recreational to the industrial.
Culture
Positive corporate culture is hard ot come by, and as much as some of the members of the owning family dislike it, the numbers don't lie. Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries is an employee forward, largely transparent company that places great value in worker satisfaction as a method of protecting their interests. As a company, they're always in the top five best employers lists, and they've actively supported union efforts. Critics have noted that this has limited their short term profit margins, but their long term numbers have made the company highly resistant to market fluctuations and economic downturns.
Public Agenda
To provide the best subaquatic and surface tender and support vessels in system at the best price. Quality and safety are their hallmarks, and as a result they are highly trusted.
Assets
Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries assests are divided into three spaces, Dar es Salaam, New Kowloon, and orbit.
Dar Es Salaam
This is the home of Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries, and where its main facilities are. Located on the southern edge of the megalopolis, the NLSI Industrial Park is a sprawling affair that includes office buildings, hangers, its own port, and manufanturing facilities.New Kowloon
The new industrial park going up in New Kowloon is the result of decades of work. The area has already been secured, and the first buildings are already occupied. The plan is to make it a smaller version of the Dar Es Salaam industrial park. Its primary advantage is being closer to an orbital elevator than Dar Es Salaam, giving it easier access to material coming back down from orbit.Orbit
Per law, most heavy manufacturing is done in orbit to limit pollution on Tanit II. Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries follows these laws to the letter and does all of its heavy processing and fabricating in three orbital factories.History
Formed 68 standard years ago, Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries has had a transformational development arc. The first 26 years of the company's existance was "corporate standard", chasing short term goals and profits at the expense of long-term planning and preparedness. After a brutal recession nearly sank the company and with creditors looking to carve it up for its component parts, the families came together and decided to step back from direct control and move to a guiding role, assigning the running of the company to a president elected by both groups. The first president was Francis Nkoma, son of one of the original founders, and possibly one of the planet's best businessmen. Under his 12 year tenure, he reformed the company, bringing its business practices into alignment with somehting that would bring long-term success. His fights with the families were famous, but when he reired, the foundation of the modern Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries had be laid.
More recently, Nkoma-Liu Subaquatic Industries has been under heavy pressure by nationalist groups and pundits for not turning its prodigious capabilities at military work. Tensions on and offworld since reconnection have been serious, and some believe that they need to "pull their weight". This has increased attempts at corporate espionage and direct attacks on the company. Ironically, these attacks have only increased their standing in public for taking a stand against the pressure.
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