When it comes to ceramics, one name certainly stands out, and that is RAK Ceramics. The company manufactures ceramic tiles, gres porcellanato and sanitaryware. It is a public limited company with H.H. Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, the Crown Prince & Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, as the Chairman and Dr Khater Massad as the Chief Executive officer. By solid perseverance, the company has fulfilled the founders' vision to create a successful ceramic tile and sanitaryware company that would meet world standards for quality and beauty.
Since 1991, when the company was founded, it has taken giant strides to become among to top ceramic manufacturing organisations in the world, with sales reaching the AED 1 billion mark in 2005 from its U.A.E. operations alone. A jewel in the manufacturing sector of the Middle East, RAK Ceramics recently received the prestigious Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MRM) Business Award for Industry sponsored by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The company is also ISO 9001:2000 BVQ1 certified.
The Ras Al Khaimah plants of the company alone currently produce 150,000 sq. m. of tiles per day and over 7,000 pieces of sanitary ware per day. Considering the company's overseas plants in several countries like China, Sudan, Bangladesh, India, and Iran, the global production of tiles will reach 300,000 sq. m. soon this year, making it one of the largest multinationals in the field. At present, the company exports to more than 135 countries across five continents, which is a tribute to its excellent reputation in the ceramics industry.
Considering global sales from various production locations, RAK Ceramics is now a US $ 400 million plus group.
Among its projects for 2006 are the starting of five overseas tiles projects in India the first plant is scheduled to start production soon, with a capacity of 20,000 sq. m. per day. It also plans its second overseas sanitary ware plant in India, with a capacity of 1,000 pieces per day. At the same time, the 10th tile plant will commence production at Ras Al Khaimah soon, with a capacity of 45,000 sq. m. per day.
The guiding principles of RAK ceramics, what it likes to term as its 'organisational DNA', is three-fold: a) Emphasis on quality and latest technology; b) A strong resolve and astute leadership from the top; c) To convert the above two objectives into achieved goals.
Of the three, the one of leadership from the top has definitely become the most vital contributing factor to the growth of RAK Ceramics. Right from its inception, the promoters of the company, H.H. Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi and Dr. Khater Massad, a techno manager, have taken an active interest in every aspect of the operations. The passion to excel in every area, whether it is the market at large, or the interests of its shareholders, or its employees, is what has made the company a market leader in a short span of 14 years.
This vision has translated into the induction of the latest equipments and technologies, resulting in unmatched quality products that truly deliver value for money. The company has been flexible enough to adapt to market shifts and continues to remain steadfast to its tenets of being focused and aligned to market trends. This attitude gives the company a forward looking and self correcting type of organization that accepts changes in the market as routine, and addresses such issues proactively.
Among the company's other strengths is a very aggressive approach in entering and capturing regional and overseas markets, with a focus on some of the largest but toughest markets in the world. Moreover, it does not restrict itself to manufacturing in the region, but is going far into foreign lands to set up manufacturing units. And it re-invests a large portion of profits back into technical upgrading on a regular basis.
With all this, it is little wonder that RAK Ceramics is perceived in the international trade community as a task and achievement oriented organization, with a high degree of transparency and a coordinated approach to all aspects of business.
Construction World 2006
