Heo Kiyeong CEO: "Creating the Best Life-Saving Products"
16 Years of Continuous Research and Development on Fire Escape Devices
Apartment and Office Sites Nationwide Lining Up with Inquiries
His ears perked up when he heard about making machine parts through press (compression) processing. A firefighter who had visited Japan casually suggested the idea of a "fire escape ladder" business to him.
When a firefighter he knew hinted at the usefulness of an evacuation device he saw during a 2009 inspection in Japan, he had a eureka moment.
It was natural for disaster evacuation systems to be advanced in Japan, a country highly sensitive to earthquakes, but his intuition focused on developing emergency evacuation devices for fires. He envisioned the many high-rise apartments and buildings that would soon be built nationwide.
In 2010, as laws and regulations related to evacuation devices for high-rise structures like apartments were being introduced, he decided to embark on a new business: the downward fire escape ladder project. Fifteen years have passed since then. His company has grown to become one of the top in the country.
CEO Kiyoung Heo of SJ Techwin is inspecting the production line of the evacuation ladder storage box.
"To launch the fire escape ladder business, we set up an additional production line and continuously conducted research and development. While we took hints from Japanese products, we spent a lot of time on our own research to control the ladder's descent speed and prevent tilting."
Heo Kiyeong, CEO of SJ Techwin Co., Ltd., poured his sweat and passion into the products he personally developed.
Looking back at older apartments, the only devices for survival during a fire were escape facilities that allowed you to break through the balcony wall into the neighboring unit or narrow evacuation spaces accessible through fire doors.
However, most residents filled their balconies with all sorts of belongings or even placed wardrobes against the escape route, rendering the evacuation function useless. Moreover, in today’s tower-style apartments, it’s impossible to secure an escape route to the neighboring unit. The evacuation space protected by fire doors must also be constructed as a room-like structure, which increases construction costs. If a downward fire escape device can be installed according to building and fire safety laws for just a few hundred thousand won in equipment and installation costs, the choice for construction companies becomes clear.
CEO Heo explained, "When a fire breaks out, the flames rise, so the evacuation direction should be downward. Installing fire escape ladders on balconies or in evacuation spaces of apartments and office buildings has become the mainstream in modern construction."
A construction site in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, equipped with a sliding evacuation ladder developed by SJ Techwin.
CEO Heo Kiyeong added, "As regulatory agencies are also recommending ladders as evacuation devices, it’s safe to say that all newly built high-rise homes and offices will need to install downward fire escape ladders."
He focused on developing a deceleration device to prevent injuries to people on lower floors when the ladder is rapidly deployed from upper balconies during a fire. The typical height from the upper floor to the lower floor is about 3.1 to 3.4 meters. He invented a type of brake at each rung of the folding or sliding ladder to prevent the device from dropping all at once. Another challenge was to ensure that the ladder, suspended in midair, would not tilt excessively under a person’s weight during descent.
SJ Techwin is known as the only company in the fire escape ladder industry to develop an aluminum ladder. The company claims its product is lighter and more corrosion-resistant than others. The storage box for the folded ladder is also produced in-house using CEO Heo’s expertise in press mold manufacturing, giving the company a competitive edge in production costs.
After discovering the fire escape ladder concept in 2009 and years of R&D, the company began supplying products in 2015 and is now the top seller among domestic companies. The company also reports continued interest from major construction firms.
When sales first began, only about 5 to 6 units were supplied per month, but now the company supplies an average of 5,000 units monthly and about 60,000 units annually. If production keeps up at the headquarters factory in Seogimhae Industrial Complex, Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, sales are expected to grow further.
Last year, SJ Techwin’s main business, mold manufacturing, generated about 5 billion KRW in annual sales, while sales from fire escape ladders reached about 13 billion KRW, making the ladder the company’s main item.
CEO Heo emphasized, "We are making a product that, ideally, should never be used. It may never be needed in a lifetime, but we are committed to developing the best product that must never fail when it comes to saving lives."
The personnel structure at SJ Techwin, led by CEO Heo, is also noteworthy. Of the 60 employees, about 30 work in each of the two business divisions. Excluding about 20 foreign production workers in the fire escape ladder division, all 5 to 6 marketing, sales, and management staff are members of the same sports club.
These employees joined the company through connections made while playing sports. But why would a business, not a sports club, hire this way?
CEO Heo Giyeong (left) and Executive Director Kim Muncheol are talking on the evacuation ladder production line.
"People who are good at Jokgu are also good at their jobs!"
Executive Director Kim Mooncheol explained the reason with a big laugh. Kim, who previously worked in another air conditioning system business, was recruited by CEO Heo Kiyeong, whom he met through the Jokgu club "Chosimhwe." About ten years ago, he left his previous job to join SJ Techwin. Four or five other Jokgu members were also recruited, either targeted by CEO Heo or recommended for their Jokgu skills.
Park Samcheol, CEO of a partner company responsible for installing the fire escape ladders, is also a member of the Chosimhwe Jokgu club. He travels nationwide, handling the installation of evacuation devices at large residential construction sites. While construction often continues on weekends, the fire escape ladder team shuts down, as weekends are reserved for Jokgu. Park is currently the president of the Busan Jokgu Association.
Other young Jokgu "rising stars" are almost guaranteed to be hired if there is a labor shortage at a site. The dedication and physical fitness demonstrated through sports have become valuable assets in employment.
CEO Heo Kiyeong runs a paradoxical business, hoping the fire escape ladders he supplies will never actually be used. However, he remains focused on developing the "best" product that can instantly save lives in a single moment of crisis.
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