A new blinds manufacturing company is set to start up operations next month (February).

Bahrain Blinds Manufacturer (BBM) is poised to start production of Venetian, vertical and roller blinds at its production facility in the Industrial Area of Sitra.

The company is essentially an offshoot of flooring systems specialist MH Baluchi and Sons which had a blinds manufacturing division.

"This new facility is the first of its kind in Bahrain. We have installed the latest machinery to produce blinds more efficiently and a lower cost," says Hassan Al Balooshi, president.

"Customers in Bahrain now have a local outlet to obtain their requirement of blinds, backed by prompt after-sales service," he adds.

"We can now supply large quantities of blinds and at a better price. We hope consultants and contractors will specify us for their projects and give us an opportunity of serve them.

The new factory has an annual production capacity of 50,000 sq m. It will produce standard ranges of blinds which can partially or totally (30 up to 100 per cent) block sunlight. BBM will stock all standard colours and will produce special colours upon request. It will also be able to offer all the standard sizes.

Raw materials will be procured both locally and from abroad.

"The tracks for the vertical blinds are a 100 per cent Bahraini product manufactured by Bahrain Aluminium Extrusion Company (Balexco), the fabrics and other raw materials are imported from all over the world.

''We are studying the possibility of obtaining some of the accessories from the Bahrain market and are looking for a local manufacturer which can produce these for us in the near future," he says.

"We insist on buying our materials only from well-known sources to ensure high quality, which ultimately reflects positively on locally manufactured products," Balooshi points outs.

The machines for the manufacture of Venetian blinds have been procured from Taiwan while those for the vertical and roller blinds have come from the UK.

Initially, Balooshi plans on marketing the blinds in Bahrain, with his sights set on exporting to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the longer term in view of the new, more flexible customs regulations in place within the GCC.

Balooshi believes the Bahrain market offers good potential for growth.

"Let's look at it this way: Every office needs a blind. And we aim to provide the best at a very cost-effective price. We looked at the recent statistics for Bahrain and saw that imports have been increasing with a large percentage now coming from the GCC," he says.

Compared to imports from the GCC, Balooshi believes that BBM will be competitive both in terms of quality and price.

"For instance with Venetian blinds, imported material comes with a slat thickness of 0.18 mm while we will produce a thickness of 0.21 m.

"Customers should however, look at other factors besides unit cost to ensure they get value for money in the long run.

"As BBM is based in Bahrain, communications and follow-up is much easier and we can offer same day or next day delivery.

"We undertake measurements and take responsibility for ensuring a right fit for the blinds. When blinds are imported from abroad, there is a risk that they may not fit accurately, thus wasting time, labour and material as the slats would have to be cut to the right size. In addition, BBM backs its products with a one-year free maintenance service."

The current production line is the first phase of the factory and Balooshi is looking at producing pleated and wooden blinds in the second phase, depending on market demand.