DANUBE Buildmart will embark on an expansion plan in the coming years with the support of its Dh50-million ($13 million) manufacturing facility located in Techno Park, Dubai. Spanning 1.3 million sq ft, the new facility will be completed in phases and is expected to start operations soon.

The company, which is also eyeing the opening of more than seven new Danube Buildmart outlets, has reiterated its leadership in the Middle East region’s home interiors retail segment with an impressive 46 per cent growth recorded in 2010 – continuing with a year-on-year growth that has prompted the leading building material chain of stores to expect a 30 to 40 per cent increase before the end of this year.

Following the growth report, the company has also revealed that it has added 10,000 new products to the current Buildmart portfolio – bringing the total product portfolio to more than 25,000 products.

Danube aims to unveil new concepts from Europe and the US, including products from a host of reputed international and regional vendors. It is set to offer exciting new products like chandeliers, wall paper collections, curtains, carpets, luxury sanitary ware, Venetian blinds, wooden flooring, garden accessories, home décor and soft furnishings such as quilts, mattresses, towels, and pillow covers, among others. The store also has a ‘Design Centre’, where customers can take floor plans of their houses and benefit from expert advice from consultants on which products suit their needs, as well as from consultation and after-sales services dispensed by Danube’s interior design experts.

“This is truly a banner year for us – not only are we looking to strengthen our market leadership in the region but we have also embarked on a strategic expansion move that will allow us to serve and provide our customers better. We have also added more products to our portfolio including household and building materials that come from leading US and European brands,” says Rizwan Sajan, chairman, Danube Building Materials.

“Moreover, our current 25,000 product portfolio affirms our aim to become a premier one-stop shop for the Middle East region,” he adds.

Danube, which started as a building materials supplier 17 years ago, has found success in the introduction of its Buildmart one-stop-shop concept, opening a series of retail-based outlets that targets a diverse segment that ranges from developers, architects, interior designers to home owners wishing to redesign or decorate their household.

Buildmart stores have earned a strong consumer following and acceptance due to their reputation of providing customers with high quality, world-class products for the home and commercial use. To date, there are 24 global Danube retail facilities – 17 in the UAE, two each in Bahrain, Oman and India and one in Saudi Arabia. The company also maintains key procurement offices in Canada and China.

Looking towards more growth and development as an integral business in the region, Danube has announced that it is also mulling on the idea of an Initial Public Offering (IPO) listing in Saudi Arabia or the UAE over the next five years.