First overseas plant opens in Egypt
Saturday, 1st May 1999
Saudi-based Zamil Steel has commenced trial production in its new pre-engineered steel buildings (PEBs) factory in 6th October City in Egypt.
"Our plant will have a monthly capacity of 100,000 sq. m of pre-engineered steel buildings and will target the Egyptian, African and European markets," said Atef Ibrahim, general manager.
"Zamil Steel has been actively marketing its PEBs in many countries worldwide and we are pleased and excited to commission our first factory outside Saudi Arabia. The new plant will significantly enhance our ability to meet customer's demands and specifications, giving us an additional competitive edge in the international market," says Ibrahim.
"The new production facility is one of the most advanced of its kind in the world. State-of-the-art technology in machinery and material handling have been adopted to speed up the production process and to reduce the delivery of PEBs to six weeks, from the current international average of eight weeks," adds Ibrahim.
Zamil Steel is currently the largest manufacturer of pre-engineered buildings in Asia and Africa, with sales reaching $150 million in 1998. Its main plant in Saudi Arabia currently produces 250,000 sq. m of pre-engineered steel buildings a month. The company is building another PEB factory in Hanoi, Vietnam, that will be commissioned in June 1999.
Besides its pre-engineered buildings factories, the company has two other factories in Saudi Arabia - one dedicated to the manufacture of heavy structural steel for projects such as steel mills, power plants and petrochemical facilities and other involved in the design and fabrication of galvanized lattice towers.
"In 1991, the company initiated its 'Vision 2000' programme, an ambitious plan to transform the company from a regional manufacturer of PEBs to the world's leading exporter of these buildings by the end of the century. Then it ranked 68th in the world in terms of size. Today, it is the sixth largest manufacturer of PEBs and the largest exporter worldwide. We have exported our buildings to 50 countries," says Muayyad Al Khudairi, vice president of Pre-Engineered Building Division.
"We have worked hard over the last few years to provide our customers the highest quality and best after-sales service and engineering support which have become associated with Zamil Steel. The company has the most advanced engineered capabilities in the industry." explains Al Khudairi.
Zamil Steel is part of Zamil Industrial Investment Company (ZIIC), a closed joint-stock company owned 60 per cent by the Al Zamil Group and 40 per cent by private and institutional GCC investors. ZIIC is also the holding company of Zamil Air Conditioners and Zamil Glass Industries.
