Awal Plastics, a leader in signage solutions in Bahrain for over five decades, is an active player in the hospitality market having completed many prestigious projects across the kingdom as well as in the other Gulf states.

Among such hotel projects are assignments for local, regional and global brands such as Four Seasons Hotel, The Merchant House, Westin, Hilton Garden Inn, Fraser Suites, Vida Hotel, Sofitel Bahrain, Mövenpick Bahrain, Park Inn by Radisson and others.

The company provides fit-for-purpose solutions to the hospitality sector – a segment of the market that demands meticulous attention to design, functionality with top quality materials and excellent finish. 

Its designing and manufacturing expertise is backed by state-of-the-art facilities, and Awal Plastics has always been keen to invest in the most modern technology that would give its customers the confidence that it can provide them with best-in-class, fit-for-purpose products, says Ronnie Surty, Group CEO of the company.

In carrying out projects for this sector, Awal Plastics can design wayfinding solutions and manufacture and install the various signage, providing these services either separately or together. The company is generally invited at the tendering stage to provide a wayfinding solution as a separate package, with the manufacturing and installation aspect considered as a separate package.

Explaining the company’s modus operandi, Surty says: “We initiate meetings to understand greenfield projects that entail site evaluation for wayfinding solutions that would give us an insight into the customers’ requirements in relation to design and materials and then create a product that would be considered fit-for-purpose and cost-effective, considering the customer’s brand guidelines.”

“In greenfield projects, our project team considers various safety factors including the local regulations required by the construction company or the hotel management to follow in relation to wayfinding solutions. Our project team, in conjunction with the customer’s team, then clearly maps out the wayfinding solution, giving emphasis and focus to the customer’s brand guidelines and gets it approved by the project owner.”

In implementing such projects, Surty points out that it is important to understand the customer’s brand guidelines. 

Awal Plastics has completed many prestigious projects in the region.

The project then enters the prototyping stage from a technical design and signage construction perspective, which involves selecting fit-for-purpose materials based on the brand guidelines and on the location (whether internal or external) of the signage. This prototype is done on a one-is-to-one scale or as a mock-up to get a better idea of the final product.

“Awal Plastics’ in-house design department creates multiple options for customers to choose from. Furthermore, the project team, in conjunction with the customers, jointly discuss various material options that form the concept whilst selecting and finalising designs and materials, all while keeping in mind that the cost should be in line with the customer’s budget,” he adds.

Awal Plastics can also provide digital interactive wayfinding solutions in association with its joint venture partners.

“There are various options to design digital interactive wayfinding software programs that can be tailor-made through our joint venture partners; and when it comes to accessories like video walls, touch screens, LED screens etc, we buy those directly from the manufacturers with warranties after understanding the environment and suggesting the fit-for-purpose solution to the customers by designing the required software through our joint venture partners as well,” Surty explains.

With a manufacturing facility measuring over 27,000 sq m and a workforce of close to 300 personnel, Awal Plastics has always looked for opportunities that could support the vision of the founders, Mohamed Ahmed Ali Bucheeri and Abdulla Abdulrahim Hasan Bucheeri, who have always focused on ways to enhance the organic growth of the company on a year-on-year basis that ensures sustainability, coupled with innovation that enables it to enjoy a market leader status.

“Continuous improvement is the only way the organisation can pave its way into the future, factoring people-process-technology as the main drivers of the business; the reward and recognition culture has held the company in good stead over the years. Opportunities to expand to other geographical locations are seriously being pursued by Awal Plastics in order to utilise the factory’s capacity 24 hours a day,” he concludes.