Al Huraiz Establishment for Industry will be at the Big 5 (stand 5E 240) show as part of a drive to boost its business in the Middle East.

Well known as the manufacturer of Everhot water heaters, the UAE company will later this year diversify into the field of air-conditioners - manufacturing and marketing window and split air-conditioners under the brand of Evertemp.

These air-conditioners will be launched on the UAE market at the Big 5 show.

Commenting on the reasons behind exhibiting at the show, general manager P S Philip says: The Big 5 show brings its target customers such as contractors, suppliers and building owners all under one roof, and gives the firm the exposure it desires to potential clients from the GCC and other countries.

"At previous Big 5 shows we have attracted a reasonable number of orders."

Launched in 1975 to manufacture water heaters, Al Huraiz has grown over the years into a large enterprise with a wider range of activities.

"We constantly strive to create better water heaters with enhanced performance values," says general manager P S Philip. "Our latest products - Everhot Deluxe water heaters - are manufactured using high-quality galvanised steel sheets and a special heating element for extra life. The various features of these water heaters ensure trouble-free performance. The products have been designed to ensure total safety and are tested using stringent quality procedures on each and every part of the unit."

He continues: "Everhot Deluxe is available in a wide range of models. The inner tank is made from high-quality galvanised steel sheet. It has a highly corrosion-resistant, long-life heating element and high-tech Italian thermostat.

"Other features include PUF (polyurethane foam) insulation for excellent heat retention; twin-function valve for additional safety, magnesium anode protection against corrosion of the inner tank from dissolved salts; anti-splash mechanism which ensures a continuous supply of hot water; and superior earthing to eliminate the risk of electric shock. The material used for the outer body is precoated on the inner and outer surfaces for double protection against corrosion, thereby giving a long-lasting protection and superior finish."

Al Huraiz's manufacturing facility is fully equipped with automatic machinery imported from Italy, the US and India. Some of the machines are programmable logic controlled (PLC) and are specially designed for water heater components manufacturing. Automatic slitting shearing systems for cutting blank sheets from sheet metal coils are imported from the US and are among the most sophisticated machinery installed in the plant.

The company also employs high-precision computer-controlled systems for metal cutting, welding and painting. All these installations have helped the company to achieve international quality standards, says Philip.

The company attributes its long-standing popularity in the water heater industry to its quality of selecting the best raw materials, efficient manufacturing process and prompt customer service.

There are two other models of water heaters manufactured by Al Huraiz and marketed under the brand names Excel and Centour.

Philip elaborates: "The essential difference between them is the thickness of the galvanised steel sheet used for making the inner tank - 1.5 mm thick for Excel and 1.2 mm thick for Centour.

The latter is an economy model for the low-budget sector. However, the quality of these two models have been steadily maintained over the past 27 years."

"We are proud to mention that ours was the first water heater manufacturing company to be certified to ISO 9001 for quality and ISO 14001 for environment management system in the whole of the GCC. We decided to acquire these certifications essentially to confirm that our quality is the same as that of our European competitors."

The company manufactures approximately 90,000 water heaters a year and plans to manufacture 1,25,000 units by next year to meet the increasing demand. Currently, Everhot water heaters are exported to Africa, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the Far East.

Besides galvanised iron water heaters, the company also imports glass-lined water heaters from France and Spain under the brand names Everhot Super and Everhot Edsea.

Depending on customer requirements, the company is capable of manufacturing copper tank types and also supplies large capacities of water heaters.

The company also has a dedicated website -Êwww.everhotuae.com - which provides details of its products and services. Al Huraiz says it has always kept abreast with the latest technology. The company is presently computerising at all levels of administration.

Also under the Al Huraiz group are other products such as aluminium cookware - Everbright, LPG cylinders - Universal Gases and LPG bottling plant.

The aluminium cookware division is also certified for ISO 9001 quality and ISO 14001 for environment management system, says Philip. These products are also exported to the GCC and other countries. The LPG cylinders are manufactured as per international standards and currently the company is also adopting the ISO 9000 quality system in these divisions.