Conmix Limited, one of the Gulf's leading providers of construction material for more than 30 years, is the first investor to start construction at the largest integrated industrial hub in the Middle East: the Dubai Industrial City.
Two factories, for pre mix plaster and construction chemicals, are being developed at an investment of US$ 11.4 million within the City's mineral zone. Spread over 200,000 sq ft, the factories will have a combined annual production capacity of 200,000 tons. Both units are scheduled for completion by June 2007.
Jayakumar Menon, Business Development Manager, Conmix said; 'Currently, we export to North & East Africa apart from GCC and South Asia. We are also looking at other markets. The vantage location of our two new factories at Dubai Industrial City will help boost exports, besides serving the two largest construction material markets in the UAE - Dubai and Abu Dhabi.'
Conmix also will gain from Dubai Industrial City's close proximity to the Jebel Ali Port and the upcoming Jebel Ali Airport.
Lothar Hellenkamp, CEO, Conmix, had charted out a well thought-out strategy when we interviewed him two years ago. He was then preparing to enter the construction chemicals market. Jayakumar says that that foresight has been vindicated. " Our projections in the construction chemicals market are being achieved".
Foresight indeed. Certainly, if not for this foresight, Conmix Ltd. would not have been the market leader. Established in 1975, Sharjah-based Conmix Limited is a joint venture comprising Bukhatir Investments Ltd. and German Gulf Enterprises.
The company's plants are located at Sharjah, Dubai, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. Its production facilities include seven fully computerised ready mix concrete batching plants and two dry plaster plants. Conmix also has a warehousing facility to store up to 2,000 tonnes of its bagged products. With more than 50 types of pre-mixed plasters and mortar for both internal and external use, Conmix has a distribution network in more than 20 countries within the GCC , Africa, and Asia.
Jayakumar further revealed that his company planned to expand in the Northern Emirates by putting up plants in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. He feels that the growth is a result of the spillover from the boom in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Commenting on prices of cement and concrete, he stated that he was constrained to pass on the price hikes to the customers and although they were facing resistance, their customers knew that it was a the result of a shortfall in supply.
© Construction World 2007
