Tokyo DisneySea Special Update - March 9, 2001
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A Titanic Sound
On March 6th there were several very loud blasts from Columbia's horn. It's resonating tones could be heard from miles away.
Shimizu Saves the Day, with Heart and Style
Shimizu is the giant construction company overseeing the construction of DisneySea for Oriental Land Company. They are also performing the actual construction duties of Area 3, the largest of the park's four construction zones. Despite their size, Shimizu has managed to maintain the spirit of a small company, in numerous cases going to bat for workers in smaller companies who are not being treated fairly.
Their executives also have a talent for telling heart warming stories at the morning assemblies, putting the scale of what everyone is building into perspective. The tough guy construction workers won't admit it, but the stories also draws them together, creating a feeling of family.
Here is a little bit of what a high ranking Shimizu executive announced to a group of over 500 Area 3 workers who were gathered together for a special assembly on the afternoon of March 6th. They may not seem like much, but they're powerful words.
"Shimizu has been in business for 200 years. OLC trusts us. We must give them a perfect park. We have a responsibility. We are going to help Area 2."
Area 2, which consists mainly of Hotel MiraCosta and most of the New York portion of American Waterfront, is at least two months behind schedule. With less than six months to go before DisneySea's September 1st opening date, Keitai, the contractor heading the projects in Area 2, doesn't have a chance of finishing on time. Penalties which would likely put them out of business will kick in after September 1st.
Shimizu and the army of workers under their supervision are stepping in and not only getting DisneySea open on time, they're preventing their competitor, Keitai, from going out of business.
My admiration of Shimizu grows larger every day.
As I've said before - DisneySea WILL open on time. And Shimizu will deserve most the credit for that... and much more.
Some of the massive and still very incomplete Hotel MiraCosta.
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Related Links
- Tokyo DisneySea Preview (Marc Borrelli's site)
- List of all LaughingPlace.com Tokyo DisneySea Updates
-- Posted March 9, 2001
-- Story and pictures by Marc Borrelli