[HCE People] Interview with Jong-mok Jeon, Mechanic for HCE’s Production Technology Department

“People are the gems in production. We aim to build a cheerful workplace culture for everyone.”

People nowadays switch jobs on average of four to five times in just 10 years. They move to new jobs where they can perform better and further develop their expertise.

At Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) though, a company that was started under Hyundai Heavy Industries, there are some people who have worked there for over 30 years. This means that HCE has been their lifelong job. Jong-mok Jeon, who joined the company in 1986 and has been working for 35 years without wavering, is also one of the lifelong employees at HCE that people dream of. I met Jeon and listened to the story of half his life.

“I have never had any regrets in my life as a production engineer. I think what I’m doing is my true vocation. I can’t say I’m well-to-do, but I’m proud that I have a family and bought my own home. All this was possible because of my company, which has given me this job for 35 years now, and the support from many of my colleagues.”

― Jong-mok Jeon, Mechanic for HCE’s Production Technology Department

“I am proud to have dedicated half of my life to HCE”

Jeon joined HCE through open recruitment in 1986, a year after Hyundai Heavy Industries formed its construction equipment division. Jeon, who was a student at Cheong Ju Mechanical ＆ Technical High School (now Cheong Ju Technical High School) at the time, was recognized for his diligence and competence during the probationary period and became a full-time employee at HCE in just three months, and still works there today.

“My father passed away when I was in middle school. We were not well-off, so I had to give up college and get a job right away. Thankfully, I was getting good grades, actually within the top 3% in my class, so this helped me to get this job,” said Jeon.

After joining HHI, Jeon got married in 1993 and is also a proud father of a son and a daughter who are now all grown up. He met his wife while working at HHI in Ulsan, which was a big turning point in his life, but what drove him this far to buy the apartment he is currently living in was his hard work and persistence.

It shows you can get a sense of accomplishment when you are not only recognized at work, but also live a happy life at home. Jeon says, “If you don’t have gratitude for your company, you’ll never be satisfied.”

“After all, it’s people who make products.

Talent with the spirit of craftsmanship is the driving force behind the huge growth of HCE.”

HCE first began business in Korea in 1988 and recorded a production volume of a whopping 50,000 in 2000. This was the shortest period of time for the company to reach this milestone in the country. Fast forward fifteen years to 2015, and we see that the company had further escalated production and made another breakthrough of manufacturing 500,000 units.

What led to such great success? Jeon pointed out, “In the 1980s, we didn’t have advanced technologies like we do today, and we were also latecomers to the field. For me, it was the passion and fierce determination of the employees to make the best products, which resulted in such rapid growth. Years of toiling by production management and technicians were the driving force behind the company’s success in just a short period of time.”

He added, “The gem of production is R&D investment as well as a man’s passion for the development of new equipment. The invincible spirit of Hyundai gave birth to the best technological capabilities and even being named as having the best construction equipment in the world with our 7 Series excavators in 2003.”

What built the leading position of HCE, the key factor that will drive future growth is, in the end, talent with a strong sense of ownership.

“People are the most essential element in competitiveness.”

Today, Jeon is in charge of the manufacturing and assembly of new models. He handles the overall operations, starting from production, assembly, testing, and verification of prototypes for new products through to the initial stages of mass production. He is also involved in a national R&D project. Regarding this project, Jeon said, “I’d like to strengthen cooperation with our R&D team to provide new innovative technologies to our customers.”

In fact, his department of 20 members is currently working on such next-generation models. “One of the new equipment we are making is a hydrogen excavator. The eco-friendly energy sources will replace oil and fossil fuels and become our future growth engine. The hydrogen excavator has now been fully assembled and we are testing it jointly with Hyundai Mobis. This will help to create an enormous amount of synergy.” The market response is already good with European dealers having already contacted us to sign a supply contract for that model,” said Jeon, boasting of the accomplishment.

Again, he emphasizes that people are of the utmost importance when it comes to the development of new models for the market to admire and for production competitiveness. “People are the most essential element in competitiveness. When developing new models and in the production process, people put their heads together to create a powerful sense of drive. Machines have limits because they only work according to preset values ​​as set by humans. What will determine whether you’re likely to bring about the innovation that customers want is how much pride and dedication all the employees have and how they work together,” said Jeon.

The second factor is the system. He emphasized, “Building a system for across-the-board cooperation among all departments for development, production, and shipment is a prerequisite to delivering perfect products without any flaws to our customers.”

Lastly, he mentioned the mindset of team members. “You would have to develop a sense of responsibility and learn new technologies and grow all while accumulating work experience,” he says.

“I want to pass on a work culture that my successors will love.”

Jeon and his long-time colleagues have built a company culture based on friendship. Jeon said, “Long-term employees will remember the culture of affection. We call each other brothers and have become close friends. We have a strong bond.”

Jeon also played in soccer games that used to be held against other divisions and was the president of the company soccer club. This brought excitement to his life and helped build the friendships he has with his colleagues.

Regarding the legacy he will leave to his juniors, he said, “There are many people approaching retirement age at HCE. My division consists of people aged between 27 through to those in their late 50s, and the average age is 47. Two of our members are about to retire next year. I want to leave an exciting workplace for all employees of all ages. I want to build a culture where anyone can work and where everyone wants to work.”

“Dive into something only you are able to do, and no one else can.”

In the Production Technology Department, which Jeon leads, there are members who are older than him as well as younger members in their 20s and 40s as well. When asked about how he demonstrates leadership, he replied, “That is the most difficult task. ‘Do what you have to do yourself.’ is our department slogan. I try to get closer to our members and stress that we take responsibility when we work. Work skills and self-improvement both depend on your mindset. So, I try to set an example. I come to work at 6:30 every morning and do management and inspection work until 8:00. This is something you have to do as a given because the safety of the department members is more important than anything else.”

As a piece of advice for young people who have a hard time finding what they want to do at a time when it is exceedingly difficult to find any kind of life-long job, he emphasizes, “It is important to jump into something that no one else can do, not just something that anyone can do, through self-development.” In fact, Jeon has almost every possible kind of certification related to heavy machinery, including forklifts, excavators, wheel loaders, and hydro cranes.

“The employees are the building blocks of a company. If you do your best at a given task and demonstrate passion, responsibility, and a spirit of challenge, the very place where you are doing the work will become your lifelong workplace. We at HCE will always try to become a company where young people love to come and work,” said Jeon with a message of encouragement to the young people of today.