CORYS, the new holding company for Hepworth PME – a leading manufacturer and supplier of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes and fittings in the Middle East, was launched at The Big 5 Show 2008, Dubai last month.
The change in structure is part of the company's regional and international expansion strategy. Corys expects to double its production capabilities when it opens its new manufacturing plant in Dubai Industrial City at the end of 2010.
Commenting on the rebranding, Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar Hussain, the vice-chairman of Corys, says: “The name Corys is taken from a mythical Arabian river that Herodotus, the father of history, wrote of more than 2000 years ago. In his work, ‘The Histories’ he described how an ancient king created a pipeline made of animal skins to carry water deep into the desert. It is that innovative and pioneering spirit that we celebrate with our new name.”
Hepworth has been operating in the region for more than 35 years under the ownership and management of the Abdul Ghaffar Hussein family and has built a leadership position within the sector, manufacturing and distributing the biggest range of PVC pipes and fittings in the Arabian Gulf.
Hepworth PME manufactures a wide range of imperial and metric-sized uPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride) pressure pipes and non-pressure pipes and fittings, PVC and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene) fittings as well as PP (polypropylene), PPR (polypropylene pandom), ABS and PE (polyethylene) pipes for use in the water supply system, district cooling, sewage, soil and waste, drainage and irrigation sectors. Hepworth PME also fabricates GRP (glass-reinforced plastics), PE and uPVC fittings for installation on sewerage, water supply, irrigation, fire-mains, and soil and waste projects. In total, Hepworth PME offers more than 25,000 products to its customers.
“We have enjoyed unprecedented growth across the region with significant operations in the UAE as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Jordan. We are very confident about the demand for the high quality pipes and fittings that we manufacture locally in addition to sourcing from our principal agents. We are investing in our future through this change in structure that allows for further expansion,” Hussain adds.
During this year’s Big 5 show, Corys shared the latest technology, techniques and capabilities of Hepworth PME products and those of the other principals it represents, including world leader Georg Fischer with whom it will shortly start a joint venture.
“The Hepworth PME brand will continue to be the mainstay of the Corys portfolio, and our core commitment to durability and precision, as well as the comprehensive support we provide for our products and services, will remain unchanged,” he says. Hepworth PME products conform to the highest international standards. The company has been awarded 13 Kitemark certificates and was the first company to achieve the standard over 15 years ago. The product quality is supported by the region’s most sophisticated testing laboratory, which monitors product 24 hours a day,” Hussain concludes.
