Issue 12
Falcon Aviation Services LLC
At the Leading-Edge of Aviation InnovationWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Kane Weller Defined by its high level of customer support and a refined business strategy, Falcon Aviation has built a name synonymous with safety, quality and aviation excellence among the Middle East’s industry elite.Placing particular emphasis on helicopter transport for the oil & gas sector - both offshore and inland - which represents just under half of its core business today, Falcon Aviation has continued to grow its market share at a time when others are consolidating due to the oil price drop.“Our longstanding partners have appreciated our efforts to keep up with the latest safety and technology trends, and subsequently awarded us with additional contracts that have strengthened the backbone of Falcon Aviation,” says Captain Ramandeep Oberoi, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). “By listening to the customer to find and provide an accurate, tailored approach to their needs, we are proud to deliver a world-class service. This is what differentiates us from the competition.” With 2016 marking the luxury highflier’s 10-year anniversary operating out of the UAE’s premier VIP-orientated Al Bateen Executive Airport, Falcon Aviation plans to utilise its already extensive local knowledge of the industry – comprising oil & gas aviation support, private jet and helicopter chargers, and MRO and aircraft management – to become an FBO (fixed-base operations) at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai; further extending its geographic reach and capacity with a new hangar, as well as establishing an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility.“We are proud to have built and maintained a very good…
Kooiman Marine Group
A Complete ServiceWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Ben Foster Kooiman Marine Group has evolved and developed for more than a century as one of The Netherlands’ leading ship designers, builders and repairers, and continues to leverage such experience to this day across a plethora of innovative and bespoke projects.Existing as a group of qualified companies in the marine sector, the Group’s primary activities are based in its native Netherlands; stemming from the Shipyard Gebr. Kooiman is situated at its headquarters in Zwijndrecht, and is complemented by Shipyard Kooiman Hoebee in Dordrecht where new building, repairs and renovations are conducted.Both have an open connection to Rotterdam Harbour, and are supported further by operations at Shipyard Kooiman van Os, the design office at Kooiman Engineering, and the electrical facility of Kooiman Marine Electric.All-told, and as a consequence of subsequent acquisitions and integrations, the overall Group is able to rely on a series of dedicated and customised entities geared up to cater for all potential customer requirements.“The Kooiman Marine Group was founded more than 130 years ago as a family-owned Company, which she still is. Currently, two Kooiman brothers each own 50 percent of the shares,” adds the Company’s Business Development Director, Jos Blom. “Within the Group, in-house capabilities and facilities include ship design using the latest 3D software; hull new builds; outfitting; ship repair; fabrication and installation of piping systems; carpentry and furniture manufacturing; design, fabrication and installation of marine electricals; design and fabrications of mooring systems; fabrication of anchor and coupling winches; spare part supply; and ship operations.“Being able to carry…
Aquatic Engineering & Construction
Strength in DepthWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Ben FosterConsidered the market-leading independent operator of carousels, modular drive systems and tensioner solutions for the global oil & gas, telecommunications and energy industries, Aquatic Engineering & Construction Ltd, an Acteon Company, has spent more than four decades refining its products and services to emerge with unrivalled reliability and an impressive safety record. Today, this progressive outlook represents the Company’s drive to continuously improve and seek new and smarter ways of working and set the industry standard-bar high.David Tibbetts, VP Technology at Aquatic recalls: “When I joined the Company in 2007 following the takeover by Acteon Group, my strategy was to begin developing Aquatic beyond the North Sea and transform the organisation into a reputable international operation. Moving with our customers has always been something we like to do - ever since establishing a second office here in Aberdeen at the request of one of our US customers back in 1974 - and this has formed a key part of our expansion strategy over the years.”The boost from Acteon was profitable from both a revenue generation and capacity perspective, allowing the Company to operate around the world as and when required, an investment that included establishing an Asia-Pacific subsidiary Company in Singapore; a welcome addition to its existing offices in US and the UK.“Since the takeover in 2006, revenues have, at their peak, increased five-fold and what was once a small family-run Company is now an international organisation equipped with a vast-reaching reputation for excellence across a whole host of market segments;…
Avaya Middle East
Taking IT to the Next LevelWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Donovan Smith As economies in the Gulf struggle with lowered oil prices and wider regional conflicts, the average CEO or CIO could be forgiven for feeling uncertain about their company’s prospects and be reluctant to invest. Avaya, a global leader in business communications software, systems and services, sees the current environment as an opportunity.“Organisations today are revising and consolidating their priorities to identify ways to do more, with less. This plays to Avaya’s strengths, helping customers to boost productivity and efficiency with the ultimate aim to achieve sustainable business results,” says Mohammed Areff, Vice President of Middle East, Africa and Turkey, Avaya. “Companies are looking closely at what will really differentiate their services, drive business growth and attract and retain customers, all while achieving return on investment and lowering their total cost of ownership.”Topping corporate agendas today is the subject of digital transformation, as consumers increasingly expect a reliable and secure digital experience, and businesses of all sizes are trying to figure out how to predict consumer demands to stay ahead of this transformation curve.However, while enterprise CXOs are increasingly placing digital transformation at the centre of their corporate strategies, they face significant obstacles. According to IDC, as many as 78 percent of these siloed digital transformation initiatives will fail due to insufficient collaboration, integration, sourcing or project management by 2017.Further, the biggest challenge facing CIOs today is talent shortages, according to the Gartner 2016 CIO Survey. With 89 percent of companies now competing primarily on customer experience, industry leaders…
Dorad Energy Ltd
Dorad Energy Ltd’s operation of the Dorad Independent Power Producer (IPP) Project has included sustained periods of plant enhancements and modernisation to ensure the most flexible product possible, and Dorad expects to continue with this mission 25 years on, with an expansion already on the horizon.
Butec Utility Services
Driving Lebanon’s Distribution Reformation Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Josh Hyland BUTEC Utility Services (BUS) is embracing the responsibility of driving a much needed infrastructural evolution in Lebanon, as its electricity distribution services continue to spread more prominently across the country. Established in 2011 as a privately-owned Company tasked with carrying out utility services and environmental projects, the BUTEC-Group subsidiary’s defining moment took place in 2012 upon the attainment of a contract from Electricté du Liban (EDL) to provide its services across nearly a third of the entire country; subsequently catering for as many as 530,000 customers. The meter reading, bill collection, customer services, asset management, network maintenance, construction and installation projects that have been undertaken ever since represent the first PPP experience in Lebanon and wider region – having been initiated by the Government themselves – and continue to address a pressing need for electricity reform in the nation. “This sector was suffering from major flaws and the losses incurred on the Government represented a large portion of the Lebanese national deficit,” explains the Company’s General Manager (GM), Fady Aboujaoude. “The electricity distribution sector in particular was suffering from huge technical losses reaching more than 15 percent due to poor maintenance on the network, and a total lack of any network development projects in many years despite the growing demand on the network. “In addition, commercial losses were reaching more than 25 percent due to increased illegal connections on the network and non-payment of electricity bills by the customers. Reducing these losses became a priority for…
Matrix Composites and Engineering
Global Engineering Innovators Writer: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Ben FosterHaving gained significant brand awareness and global market share following a period of business consolidation in 2008 and subsequent listing on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in 2009, Matrix Composites & Engineering (Matrix) has since been presented with an array of opportunities to secure the Company’s longevity.With a core product range comprising the supply and manufacture of drilling riser buoyancy, subsea umbilical, risers and flowline (SURF) buoyancy products, offshore services and Well Construction products, Matrix has achieved a leading position in the energy sector through the continued refinement and innovation of polymer and composite materials technology.One portion of the business that has been rapidly expanding in recent years is Well Construction, consisting of a range of composite drilling and completion centralisers, primary cementing shoes and casing reamer shoes for the oil & gas industry around the world.“Being a relatively new player in this market, our initial strategy was always to focus on improvements that would help the business develop quickly and efficiently. Leveraging our network of existing industry contacts and strategic operating locations, we were able to make an informed decision on which regions were best suited as our initial entry points. We therefore primarily directed our attention to Asia-Pacific and North America, where we have experienced tremendous success with our range of low friction polymer centralisers, with more than 166,000 products sold including a current world record installation,” explains Jason Kent, Product Line Manager, Well Construction.Following on from this success, Matrix has now turned its attention towards the lucrative opportunities…
Citi PAK : A Brand Loyalty Success Story
Citi PAK has built its brand loyalty over the past eight years based on strong and continuing international relationships which are directly contributing to the Company’s newfound growth strategy.
Lucky Group : Celebrating a Remarkable Journey
With a policy of Kaizen in place across all of its frontiers, Lucky Group, one of the largest secondary metal recyclers in the Middle East, continues to preserve its home-grown values of credibility, quality and personal service, while delivering products and services that surpass the industry norm.
Lessebo Paper AB
Flexible on Paper and in Practice Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Joshua Mann Lessebo Paper AB has diversified, expanded and streamlined its production capabilities in recent years to complement a lean internal manufacturing process which forms a resultant offering that continues to surpass larger competitors. Under the guidance of Managing Director; Terje Haglund; Chairman, Bo Möller; and Lessebo’s Göran Johansson and Vigo Edberg, the Company has evolved over the course of a rich history to now lead the way in innovation and efficiencies, in order to lead the paper production market across both quality and product variation parameters. Driving such recent refinements is Lessebo’s continuous commitment to adhering to the most relevant of industry and consumer trends. Business Development & Strategy Director, Lars Forsberg explains: “The most significant change in industry trends has been the rapid development of digital media and the digital print market. “As equipment improves to accept a wider range of printing substrates, Lessebo has concentrated on niche areas where superior print results are called for. Lessebo never has, nor ever will be in competition in the commodity market and therefore needs to concentrate in areas where the Company can offer value-add in the premium market.” This does not preclude having to stay ahead of the industry curve but does ensure the business maintains a product offering tailor-made to complement the volume market with high-end products fit for the embryonic stages of trend changes. Lessebo Paper’s three paper machines subsequently cater for a range of substances spanning from 70 gsm (grams per square metre)…
Pearl Dairy
Stronger Bones Smarter MindsWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Sammy Wilkinson Pearl Dairy is contributing to a healthier and stronger Uganda as it leverages huge amounts of scientific expertise and innovation to expand the distribution of its infamous LATO Milk branded products across the country and wider region.Established with the aim of applying the best in science and sector expertise to its milk products, the Company’s goal is to provide families with an enhanced nutritional option across its range, optimising a series of technologies and facilities able to process as much as 500,000 litres a day.“Pearl Dairy Farms Ltd. (PDFL) is the Dairy arm of the MiDCOM Group of Companies. With a manufacturing unit based in the Mbarara District of Uganda in East Africa, the intent of the setup was to help the local dairy farmers by generating a constant demand for milk in the region and educate them to adapt to cleaner and more hygienic milk production techniques, and to contribute towards the growth of the dairy industry as a whole,” the Company explains.“With the use of latest milk processing equipment and ultra-modern technology, we strive to serve the society with various milk products such as milk powder, ghee and butter oil, all sold under the brand name - LATO.“The team behind the brand is constantly striving to provide the consumer with an alternative to expensive western brands.”Evolving and developing in line with the latest industry trends since its inception in 1937, there was an immediate vision of the wider Group to become the market leader across the provision of…
Transveritas
The GCC’s Trusted Food PartnerWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Sammy Wilkinson Adapting to the growing regional demand for a more extensive range of value-add food products, Saudi Arabian-based Transveritas has benefitted from a diversification strategy which has seen the Company expand its basket of products to remain competitive in an increasingly saturated market.Managing Director, KRC Menon recalls: “When I took interest in the bulk commodity trading of food & drink goods in the late 1980s, the processing industry was beginning to show huge scope for future development. Monitoring the growth in mechanical and technical expertise coming from the food industry in Europe, combined with the rapid economic and infrastructural growth of the GCC region, Transveritas was borne from precognitive thinking and a desire to grow the local economy.”Since securing a reputation as a reliable long-term business partner – not only to its customers, but also suppliers – Transveritas has been able to take stock of its skills and market expertise to create a sustainable business that represents some of the biggest names in the region’s food industry today.“We have an internal policy where we represent only one company for one product,” explains Menon. “This refinement is so that we become more focused in what we do and avoid any conflict of interests. We are proud to deliver not only a high quality product range, but also to be associated with the majority of our principals for more than a decade. This reaffirms that we must be conducting business in the right way.”Common taste patternAfter an initial move into the trading…
Nando’s UAE
Try Something NewWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Nick Norris Long before the Burj Khalifa was built in the UAE, Nando’s was introduced to the region; a move that has proved resoundingly successful ever since and that continues to tantalise the taste buds of a nation 14 years on.Owner, Suhail Gidwani is the man to thank for bringing the globally-renowned brand to the country following his own experience of PERi-PERi perfection in South Africa, and he did so with one very clear goal in mind: “to bring PERi-PERI flame-grilled chicken to the region and offer great tasting, healthy value to consumers”.Chief Operating Officer (COO), Richard Dening-Smitherman continues: “Our focus was to make our flagship restaurant a unique destination and over the past 15 years we have grown the business to 20 restaurants with a delivery service that now reaches customers throughout the UAE. “The business has also become the highest performing franchised market in terms of sales turnover and second largest in terms of scale. Within 20 years we will have become a $50 million turnover food business.”The UAE franchise was launched as a consequence of a global restructuring of the wider Group – an initiative which now comprises more than 1,000 restaurants worldwide, a number set to double within the decade – and the challenge remains to maintain national growth at a pace that will keep the Company at the top of the market.“We have seen a particular shift in the modernisation of our business over the past five years and an evolution of both our menus and restaurant design, while…
ESHIPS
Always On CourseWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Kane Weller Upon celebrating the 20th anniversary of leading UAE shipowner and operator, ESHIPS, the Company claims its commemorations have largely been “business as usual”. However, for this pragmatic and aspirational enterprise, “usual business” means success and continuous development.Established in 1996 as an offset Company in conjunction with Norway’s Klaveness Group as a dry bulk shipping Company, ESHIPS has grown under numerous different guises and ownerships in the intervening years; especially following its move into the tanker shipping industry in the early 2000s.Further ownership inputs from the likes of Oman & Emirates Investment Holding, Mubadala Development Company and Invest AD led up to 2008, where Chief Executive Officer, Capt. Roberto Zanca recalls a pivotal rebranding and restructuring.“In 2008, management proposed a new business of transhipment in the Arabian Gulf servicing Emirates Steel and other GCC steel companies,” he notes. “This involved significant investment at which point the two UAE shareholders bought out the Oman Company, and at this point ESHIPS became a UAE Government Company.”Further name changes, acquisitions and sales from the likes of Mubadala and the once sole-owner, Oldendorff eventually culminated in 2016 when the latter extracted all of the dry bulk business from ESHIPS to leave the Company as a purely tanker-oriented entity sold to Tristar Transportation LLC.“ESHIPS’ fleet at the time of acquisition consisted of four 13,000 dwt (deadweight tonne) chemical tankers and two LPG 6,500 cubic metre vessels,” Zanca explains. “This complemented the existing bunker barge and crew boat fleet of Tristar who also have six newbuilding medium range…
Consolidated Shipping Services
20 Years of Freight Forwarding ExcellenceWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Kane Weller Consolidated Shipping Services LLC (CSS) has bolstered its already renowned name in the freight forwarding industry, having recently identified ways to diversify its core activities to create new opportunities for its cross-section of business partners globally.Headquartered in Dubai, the regional shipping and logistics giant has become one of the most sought-after names in its field, backed by a loyal team of highly skilled professionals with a substantial number of years’ experience shared between them. From NVOCC (non-vessel operating common carrier) activities to lucrative projects, and relocations to heavy equipment logistics, the Company is led by its own strategic blueprint that encompasses a total shipping and logistics solution for the client.“Last year, our offices in the Middle East and the subcontinent joined hands to celebrate the Group’s 20th anniversary, which was a proud moment for me,” recalls Group Chairman, T.S. Kaladharan. “Starting as a small firm with minimum staff strength to cater for the logistics requirements in Dubai, the Company has grown to a size of more than 800 staff across 20 offices in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.”CSS Group’s efforts to adapt to the latest industry trends and find the most efficient and feasible solutions to meet today’s freight forwarding needs has undoubtedly set it apart from the competition. Taking this one step further, the Company created an 11-point Business Development Dashboard in 2014 with the aim of driving growth across new business verticals and geographies.“Given the effects of the global economic climate on industry in general…
Arctech Helsinki Shipyard
Breaking the IceWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Kane Weller Operating within such a niche area of industry can often present challenges across competition and differentiation but the icebreaker and shipbuilding specialist, Arctech Helsinki’s reputation and pedigree has ensured that it remains the frontrunner in a sector currently booming.Initiating as a joint venture between STX Finland Oy and United Shipbuilding Corporation, the concept surrounded establishing a Company that could respond to the crowning demand for icebreaking capacity in the Arctic region; a narrow business segment decided upon as a consequence of Helsinki shipyard’s century of tradition in the icebreaker business previously.“Overall, ships have been built in the same location for more than 150 years,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Esko Mustamäki elaborates. “During the past five years Arctech has delivered four icebreaking vessels and six vessels are in the Company’s order book.“Arctech has a mission to develop and deliver the best solutions for Arctic ship operations and the vision is to be the leading brand in Arctic shipbuilding.”For the past two of those five years, Arctech has been 100 percent owned by Russian United Building Corporation, the largest shipbuilding Company in Russia; emphasising not only the potential that Arctech has shown in the years leading up to the acquisition, but the potential and scope that the Company now has moving forward.Mustamäki continues: “Arctech is the only foreign Company in the Corporation and is able to offer full service from concept development to design and construction and commissioning of the vessel.“Arctech is a forerunner in the development and application of technical innovations.”Highest quality…
Let the Sustainability Games Begin
With the Rio De Janeiro Olympics less than three months away, the Brazilian city is putting its final adjustments and last minute completions in place in order to make it the most organised, extravagant, welcoming, thrilling and prepared Games ever.
Brother Creates Printer out of LEGO® Bricks for New Marketing Campaign
Brother International Europe’s UK-based marketing team has collaborated with the UK’s only LEGO Certified Professional, Bright Bricks to celebrate the launch of its new mono laser series by creating life-size models of two of the Company’s newest printers. Almost 3,500 LEGO bricks were used to create the to-scale model of the flagship HL-L6400DW printer. It took 40 hours to put together and was captured block-by-block in a time-lapse film. A second life-size model - of Brother mono laser all-in-one, the MFC-L6900DW – was also created in a build that took 35 hours and 9,500 bricks.The new range is Brother’s first mono laser series tailored for large businesses and features four printers and five all-in-ones.Antony Peart, European Marketing and Communications Manager at Brother International Europe, commented: “We wanted to position our new mono laser series as a way for professional resellers to build more business. Our marketing campaign is designed to engage them in a creative way and illustrate that Brother offers ‘possibilities you didn’t expect’. The new range is robust, reliable and customisable for enterprise customers, so showcasing this using LEGO bricks is a nice fit.”Bright Bricks also created the Brother mono laser series collectors kits featuring mini LEGO models of the L6400DW printer as part of a direct mail campaign targeting professional resellers across Europe. Peart added: “The limited edition kits push the point that these new products aren’t just another mono laser printer; they are the perfect way for professional resellers to build their own business as they seek to underline the business value of…