The award recognises Bechtel’s systematic approach to tackling diversity and inclusion on multiple levels within its organization. “Bechtel now employs more than twice the number of women engineers than the UK average, almost 40% of Bechtel’s engineers on Crossrail are women, and more importantly we have agreed what success looks like in regards to the diversity of our teams going forward,” said Ailie MacAdam, regional manager for infrastructure, Europe and Africa at Bechtel. “We are pleased with our progress but will not be satisfied until diversity and inclusion is no longer an issue.”

In 2013, Bechtel launched Women@Bechtel, a global collaborative forum for both men and women to share perspectives and experiences as well as learn about tools for success. The group has carried out a Six Sigma data analysis of all its gender data and led a number of strategic initiatives to share learning and good practice; to retain and develop women; and to sponsor female talent and increase the transparency of opportunities for progression. Recent events have included speed mentoring, the ’10 lunch’ initiative in which senior managers have lunch with small groups of employees to share ideas and concerns, and a ‘Family Matters’ event to tackle the challenges of women returning to work.

“The judges chose Bechtel due to the way they have really embedded their business case and targets for change right through their organization,” said Sarah Shaw, communications director, WISE. “The team has clear goals and measures, all employees have accountability and they are also pushing out their aims to their supply chain. We hope that by winning this award they inspire their industry peers to achieve similar success.”

With a family heritage of more than 100 years, Bechtel is guided by firmly-held values that encourage an inclusive culture based on diverse backgrounds, experience, and views. The WISE ‘Employer of the Year’ Award follows previous diversity awards won by Bechtel, including ‘Best Diversity Company’, awarded by Engineering & Information Technology magazine in 2011 for the third consecutive year.

Luka Koper has been a customer of Konecranes for over 10 years. The port already operates Konecranes grab unloaders, RTGs, STS cranes and reach stackers. With the delivery of these cranes at the end of 2016, Koper’s fleet of Konecranes RTGs will expand to twenty.

Slovenia’s Port of Koper was established in 1957. It has grown steadily over the years, and now comprises 12 specialized terminals employing around 1,000 people. It has the leading container terminal in the Adriatic, handling 674,033 TEU in 2014.

Koper’s existing Konecranes RTG and STS cranes are very popular with the port’s crane operators — of whom Mitja ?ikovin is one. The Konecranes RTG is Mitja’s favorite crane to operate: “It has the best cameras and is the most fun to drive,” he explains.

“This order shows that our business relationship with Luka Koper is strong — it’s now ten years old andcounting. Their decision to purchase our RMGs is a further vote of confidence in our technology and support. Koper is a very environmentally aware organization: they were shortlisted for the most environmentally friendly European port award
2014 from the European Sea Ports Organization. Koper is also a respected employer in Slovenia. Koper will continue to push the boundaries of eco-efficiency, and I look forward to assisting them,” says Antti Halonen, Sales Manager, Konecranes, Port Cranes.

The electric RTGs and RMGs on order will be equipped with Konecranes’ Active Load Control system, an integrated sway prevention and fine positioning system that provides maximum
container handling productivity. The RTGs will also be equipped with the operator-assistance features Auto-steering, which keeps the crane on a pre-programmed, straight path, and Auto-positioning, which assists the operator by automatically stopping the crane in the correct position for the target container or slot.

“Konecranes has regularly proved to be much more than just a terminal equipment supplier for our company, Port of Koper. They are always proactive and listen to our needs, and help us to find the most suitable technologies for our environment and terminal characteristics. The recently ordered electric RTGs are just one example of a high-level partnership, where many technical things had to be considered together and even developed together. We really look forward to future development and common projects,” said Marko Babi?, Director, Container Terminal.