A UAE trader of industrial machinery will be putting on a live show at SaudiBuild 2001.

The Sharjah-based industrial machinery specialist Simco will demonstrate the capabilities of its line of CNC machines and presses at the show.

Simco, which is represented in Saudi Arabia by the Riyadh-based Fauzia Ahmed Flayeh Saher Establishment, was established in 1993 with its headquarters in Sharjah. The company markets a wide range of CNC and industrial and automotive machinery and tools, powder coating equipment and forklifts, from leading European, Asian and American manufacturers.

These include machinery for the fabrication of glass, steel, aluminium and wood, says its Riyadh-based branch manager Monther Saher. The firms it represents are Vereco (automotive), Emmegi (aluminium), Euromac (CNC), Yang (forklifts), Asse Technologies (powder coating), Edwards Manufacturing Company (steel), Sicar (wood), and Intermac (glass).

Simco has a large 2,200 sq m showroom and warehouse, supported by 47 staff and the company's turnover last year was Dh25 million ($6.8 million).

Simco will be participating at this year's event with an eye to building on its success at the previous event. "We had a very good response from customers at the previous exhibition, there were a lot of deals negotiated and finalised," says Saher.

Simco will be showing off new lines of CNC machinery aimed at the upper end of the market. "We will also be putting on live demonstrations of our CNC routers, steel punching machines and membrane presses," he says.

Business for Simco has been "comparatively better" than last year but there is much scope for improvement, according to Saher. "The region offers vast opportunities with new industries being set up in the Gulf."

Simco recently acquired the agency for Amada, one of the world's top manufacturers of metal fabrication machinery and the company is looking at extending its range of aluminium and automotive (garage) machinery. Plans are also under way to open a new branch office in Dammam. Simco puts great emphasis on after-sales service and all its engineers and technicians are directly trained by its suppliers, Saher adds.

Simco will be on show at stand 30.