Sam Arrives in Las Vegas

Continuation from previous post…

In 1979, Cambodia was invaded by its neighbor, Vietnam, and the Khmer Rouge government soon collapsed.  Pol Pot fled into the jungle and the prisoners were released.

Sam and his family left Cambodia, ending up in a Thai refugee camp.  His older brother, Seila, had emigrated to the United States four years earlier.  He sponsored Sam, his mother, and 3 siblings and in 1980, they headed for the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

At that time, the population of Las Vegas was only 165,000; in all of Clark County, it was 463,000. Howard Hughes was one of the most powerful men in the city with a financial empire that included significant holdings of Las Vegas real estate.    Later that year, a devastating fire at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino killed 85 and injured 785.  It was the worst disaster in Nevada history.    The construction of the Mirage, which was to kick off the era of the megaresorts, was still nine years away.

Sam wanted to arrive at his new home in proper style.   He wore what he had seen so many actors in American movies wear.   As he stepped off the plane in a 3 piece suit and top hat, he was hit with the searing heat of a 120 degree August day in the desert.   His brother Seila, greeted him, laughing at the sight of Sam in his fancy suit making his way into the hot dust bowl known as Las Vegas.

But laughter was a welcome sound after the years of anguish, misery, and tears.  It was a great way to start a new life.  Sam came into his new surroundings with determination, faith, persistence and strength of mind gained from living through events that most of us could never imagine.

Determination, faith, and persistence would be the core strengths that he would call upon to start and build his company, SEMCO.

Next:  SEMCO formulates and produces its first products for cleaning concrete.

The Early Years of Samel (Sam) Sem, Founder of SEMCO

The young man had seen many others called away from the work site.    None of them ever returned.  And now, it was his turn.  He felt the cold steel of a Soviet made AK-47 assault rifle against his neck.  He recognized the all too familiar sound of a loaded magazine being inserted into the rifle.  It was 1976 and he was only 17 years old.

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Three decades later in a small windowless office that he shares with his son Chris, Samel (Sam) Sem, can be found working tirelessly to grow the business that he began from scratch in humble circumstances.  The headquarters of his company, SEMCO, is located in a small, nondescript commercial warehouse off of one of the busiest arterial roadways in Las Vegas.   The twenty year old company currently does business in 17 states of the U.S. and in 9 countries around the globe. 

Sam attributes his success to determination, persistence and faith.  Upon meeting him, one would never guess that that determination and faith was born in the infamous “killing fields” of Cambodia in the late 1970s.

Cambodia lies in Southeast Asia, bordering Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.  Two thirds of the country is covered by forests.  The Mekong River, the 12^th largest river in the world, travels the length of the country from north to south.  Cambodia’s climate is characterized by high temperatures and high humidity that last throughout most of the year.

Pol Pot, a Cambodian Chinese revolutionary, came to power in 1975 as the leader of the Khmer Rouge.  He imposed an extreme version of an agricultural based socialism that involved the forced movement of city residents into the countryside to work in collective farms and other  ventures.  His rule was ruthless and violent – during his four years in power, it is estimated that approximately 21% of the Cambodian population died from the effects of the harsh forced labor, widespread starvation, nonexistent medical care, and executions.  In all, almost 3 million people died while Pol Pot was in power.  The mass graves in Cambodia became known as the “killing fields.”

Sam, at the age of 16, was uprooted from his life in the capital city of Phnom Penh and forced to move, along with his family, to a work camp in the jungle.  The camp leader was a brutal Khmer official named Choun, known as “heart eater.”  Under Choun, Sam and his fellow workers witnessed horrific violence and endured a life of hardship and danger.

There was never enough to eat.  Sam had managed to obtain some extra fish to help feed his family.  When the extra food was discovered in his jungle tree house, he was called away and taken to the side of the road to be executed.  Ironically, Choun walked by at that very moment and casually said. “Let him go.”  And just like that, from a man whose word could mean life or death, Sam was spared.

To be continued…

Remodel without Removal: The Future of Surface Remodeling

Conventional surface remodeling requires the elimination of the present surface. These conventional methods are no longer effective in staying competitive in a market where products are manufactured outside of the United States at a fraction of the cost. Other than trying to compete on a product to product level, SEMCO Modern Seamless Surface has a proven method of being highly competitive, while still producing high quality products.  

SEMCO Modern Seamless Surface is presenting its proven system of Remodel without Removal. This system eliminates the need to remove an existing solid surface, and enables the creation of a new seamless cement surface. SEMCO’s X-Bond System is the key to this revolutionary method of surfacing. In eliminating the need for demolition the total surface cost can be reduced up to 30% of conventional high grade surfacing.

The X-Bond System is a surfacing material that creates a true seamless cement surface. SEMCO’s X-Bond System is manufactured in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has been used on every major hospitality facility in Las Vegas. The X-Bond System has been in use, worldwide, for over 20 years, most notably in Japan, Germany, and Australia.

The finishes created with the SEMCO’s X-Bond System combines the benefits of flexibility, performance value, green/sustainable materials, cost value, and modern design.

Take a look at the website www.semcoremodeling.com; and see the benefits for you.