Established in 1977, Al-Tuwairqi Group (ATG) has emerged as a significant industrial organisation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ATG started as a trading house and later entered into manufacturing activities. Currently, the group's manufacturing capabilities are focused on hot rolled steel products, electrical switchgear assembly and other related electrical products. ATG's main trading activities cover industrial supplies, medical devices, and building materials whereas contracting activities provide solution to a large customer base covering public and private sector.
Located at Dammam's second industrial city, Al-Ittefaq Steel Products Factory (ISPF), a flagship company of the group, is a regional leader producing best quality hot rolled steel rebar using the Thermex quenching process. Shortly, wire rod production will also come on line.
Acquired from SIDF in 1989, ISPF was a sick unit with production capability of 1,000 tonnes per month. Afterwards, through an amalgam of targeted investment, focused and proactive management, rigorous quality control, and an able and motivated workforce, ISPF has dramatically accelerated its production to register one of the highest growth rates in the steel industry.
In a recent interview, M Imran Agha, group general manager informed that ISPF produced about 400,000 tonnes in 2001 with steel production peaking last month (December) to a record level of above 50,000 tonnes.
"We are proud of our in-house technical expertise and our people who helped ISPF grow fast in a highly competitive market and always meet and sometimes exceed our expectations. Currently, our production facility at ISPF is running 24 hours all seven days and moving fast to roll 2,500 tonnes of steel per day.
"We are planning significant upgrades and enhancements to all existing facilities. Planned investment of SR50 million in manufacturing facilities, equipment and other value additions will raise our steel producing capacity to 700,000 tonnes per year and also add new products to other manufacturing capabilities," he said.
Four years ago, ISPF's capacity was around 26,000 tonnes per year but if our current growth rate continues, we anticipate that our production capacity will be in excess of one million tonnes in coming years," added Agha.
ISPF will expand its product range by value addition in both segments, that is, rebar and wire rod with rebar taking up about 400,000 tonnes and wire rod about 200,000 tonnes. According to Agha, ISPF intends to become a complete solution provider in steel products and as its activities will cover from billets production to value-added downstream industries thereby completing the loop from scrap to end product. ISPF will shortly install a billets manufacturing plant and best-in-class manufacturing facility for value-added down stream industrial products which will include cut and bend, wire mesh, epoxy coating facilities.
The corporate philosophy of the group is based upon proactive relationship marketing, over its existence, various divisions were developed to be responsive to the market needs providing prompt service and solutions to a large customer base covering consultants, contractors and individual clients. This is backed by market surveys to maintain and increase market penetration and deliver according customer expectations.
"Our customer network of stockists and distributors are increasing as we target more remote areas in the Kingdom as well as developing our export markets within the GCC," emphasised Agha.
The group's success story is based upon a proactive management team having unique blend of vision dynamism and intelligent implementation. The driving force is Hilal Hussein Al-Tuwairqi as a chairman of the croup with M Tariq Barlas at the helm as the vice chairman who shares his vision with his management team from time to time. Besides being the group general manager, Agha is also a member of the board of directors. Sudarshan Singh, general manager technical has shown outstanding technical abilities and led his technical team which contributed significantly in ISPF growth and in other projects, Agha added.
