Legrand, a global specialist in products and systems for electrical installations and data networks, unveiled Synergy, a new British Standard (BS) range of switches and sockets in Dubai recently.

Synergy is now available throughout the Middle East markets.
“Recognising the need for change within the BS offering worldwide, Legrand embarked on a plan to introduce a set of BS ranges that was in line with progressive market expectations,” says Gilles Schnepp, vice-chairman and chief executive officer.
The Synergy range will have about 2,000 product references.
“Synergy is the biggest launch for the company since 1999,” he says. “We see a new era in development in the Gulf from this side of the world,” he told a group of journalists visiting the company’s headquarters in Lemoges in France. “The market is very positive and attractive.”
The Middle East market was worth about 70 million euros ($90 million) last year for the company and it is expected to grow to 80 million euros this year.
“Legrand’s vision is to become a market leader and a benchmark player in the electrical intelligence market,” he adds. “We continuously add value, this is a way of differentiating with competition.”
Legrand enjoys a six per cent share of the world market for electrical installations, a very decent position in a highly fragmented market, says Schnepp.
“The players in this market are typically local. But Legrand has a worldwide scope with manufacturing units in 60 countries and sales presence in 160 states,” he says.
“Legrand is investing in both organic development (new products) as well as acquisitions and the company is talking to potential companies in the Middle East for acquisition,” he revealed.
The Synergy range comprises switches and sockets in three lines: economy, high and luxury. With traditional and modern influences, the range showcases a host of new designs, with evolved features – such as the white plastic cover plates with new rounded edges, LED display, laser marking, and the patented three-pin safety shutter protection mechanism.
The timeless elegance of the rope-edged designed cover plate, which combines traditional charm with contemporary technology, is another example of the unique style the range exhibits, says Mohammed Ahmed-Yahia, general manager, Legrand Middle East.
While earlier interior designers have been compelled to specify different ranges in each area of the house, the consistency Synergy offers in terms of design in all finishes will now make it easier for planners to maintain uniformity in the look of individual rooms, he says.
All Synergy products have been tested in Legrand laboratories in France during the development stage to check their conformity with the highest international standards, he says.
Legrand also launched its home automation product In One Legrand during the Middle East Electricity Exhibition last month. The system offers comfort at optimised energy cost, says Ahmed-Yahia.
Discussing the reasons behind the selection of Dubai as the venue for the launch of Synergy in the Middle East, Ahmed-Yahia says: “Over recent years, Dubai has become symbolic of the growth and development within the GCC. Legrand’s sales in the Gulf countries have risen 75 per cent over the last two years.”
The company, which has a 25-year history in the region, is now looking to consolidate its position through the creation of a technical hub in Dubai and through the reorganising of its regional operations, he says.
Al Hathboor Electricals is the company’s sole distributor in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, while Electra Abu Dhabi is the company’s distributor in Abu Dhabi.
The technical hub will bring together core specialist services, which will be provided to any of the five areas within the Middle East zone, whenever required. Among the specialisations available through the hub are power, wiring devices, specifications, a dedicated marketing department, VDI, and training.
Legrand offers a total of 130,000 items, grouped into 80 product families.
The products are supplied directly from the huge warehouse in France. “We are selling almost 5,000 items in the Middle East through our distributors network,” he says.
The company is presently studying the possibility of maintaining local stock in Jebel Ali. This, along with initiatives already under way, underscores Legrand’s deep commitment to the region. The company is planning more new offices in the region during 2005 and is on-course for far greater growth, says Ahmed-Yahia.
“The Middle East is an extremely important market to us and we have products matching the needs of the market. We want to be a part of the construction boom taking place in the region and towards this end we are communicating more with our customers,” adds Ahmed-Yahia.
Meanwhile, Legrand’s Bahrain partner Hameed & A Rasool K Halwachi has opened a state-of-the-art customer centre in the Kingdom.