THE kaleidoscope of colours on its chequered floor will draw visitors to Alyusuf Group’s stand at this year’s gulfBID.

The distinctive 49 sq m stand will feature a rainbow of glass panels, showcasing the group’s newly-acquired capability to produce glass in a spectrum of 18,000 colours at its glass factory in Bahrain.
“We are the first in Bahrain to offer this type of coated glass, which can be produced in any shade and colour as required by the client,” says Basim Alyusuf, managing director of Alyusuf Group.
The product known as Paintcote is one of two innovations that the company intends to launch on the market this year.  The panels, which are sprayed with a special coating, can be made of annealed or tempered glass and can be supplied single-glazed or laminated in lengths of up to 3.2 m. The product is suitable for interior and exterior applications and comes with a 10-year warranty for fade resistance. 
The equipment for the new coating line was installed at Alyusuf’s Tubli facility in January.
Details of the second innovation – an insulated glazing unit (IGU) — will be announced at gulfBID, Basim promises.
The Alyusuf group enfolds two companies specialising in glass products – Alyusuf Glass and Mirror, and Alyusuf Thermo Glass, both of which are leaders in their fields. While Alyusuf Glass and Mirror deals in glass panels for a variety of interior and decorative applications, Alyusuf Thermo Glass specialises in the manufacture of insulating glazing units for applications such as high-rises, malls and residential projects.
It was at gulfBID last year that Alyusuf Group launched a major marketing drive to promote the services of Alyusuf Thermo Glass’ glass processing factory. “We exhibited at gulfBID last year primarily to promote our new factory,” says Basim. “During the exhibition, we were busy handling numerous enquiries on all three days and also conducted a seminar on ‘Glass processing perfection’.”
Besides creating awareness of its products, Alyusuf also managed to walk away with a prestigious project – the Riffa Views, a luxury residential gated community in Bahrain. The project has involved the supply and installation of glass panels for the staircase handrails and balustrades, mirrors and shower enclosures, and supply of the external window glass fittings.
Alyusuf Thermo Glass’ high-tech glass factory in Tubli, which was inaugurated in June 2007, manufactures a wide range of high-quality IGUs that have been used in many of the prestigious projects in the kingdom. The IGUs are manufactured in a range of thicknesses, with the 32-mm units currently being the most popular in the Bahrain market.
A new robotic line for the manufacture of IGUs – the only one of its kind in Bahrain – was installed at the glass processing factory last August. The facility has a 5,000-sq-m working area and a warehouse of 2,000 sq m, and allows Alyusuf to produce 800 sq m of glazed units on an average shift, giving it a maximum capacity of up to 2,400 sq m of glass on an average day.
Commenting on the market response to its IGUs, Basim says: “Our sales have been very good since we launched production and have exceeded our targets.  We have been running at two shifts. This is thanks to our sound reputation and a long list of loyal customers in the market, which ensures our continued success. In addition, our group companies complement each other, thus enabling Alyusuf to offer a package of services to clients.”
Plans have been drawn up for further expansion of its glass factory; however, a decision to proceed with these plans will depend on how the market unfolds over the next few months, according to Basim.
Alyusuf Thermo Glass and Alyusuf Glass and Mirror are targeting the entire Gulf market, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia being their main markets.  The company is currently supplying some 11,000 sq m of external glazing for a major project in Dammam and is quoting for projects as far afield as Riyadh and Jeddah.
Speaking on its projects in Bahrain, Basim indicates that work on Riffa Views has now picked up after a slight delay and Alyusuf will soon be making delivery on its contracts as and when the glazing material is required on site. This apart, the company has also secured further orders for mirrors and shower cubicles from its existing client contractors, who have won further contracts at the Riffa Views development.
Apart from Alyusuf Thermo Glass and Alyusuf Glass and Mirror, the group comprises Alyusuf Décor, Alyusuf Aluminium, Alyusuf Building Materials and Alyusuf Globart Gallery. Alyusuf Group will be exhibiting at Stand No 1D39 at gulfBID.