Turkey-based Te Metal, which opened an office in Dubai last November, has plans start an expansion drive in the emirate involving an investment of $50 million, staggered over the next five years.

The investment will cover the costs of infrastructure, including the land, necessary buildings, equipment and manpower.
The expansion drive, according to the company, will involve the setting up of an aluminium and steel assembly workshop along with depots over a 200,000 sq ft area, and a glass factory covering an area of 500,000 sq ft over an area of one million sq ft it intends to lease for the purpose. Manpower for the projects, including the potential installation jobs on the sites, would involve as many as 5,000 jobs, says a spokesman for the company.

Te Metal is entering the Dubai market with a small assembly workshop in a rented warehouse at Al Quoz Industrial area with a covered area of 32,000 sq ft. The unit will start operations with a technical staff of 20 architects and engineers, 10 administrational and up to 350 labour. More staff will be employed on the site during the installation phase. The investments made to date exceed $5 million, which includes the existing trading office and future industrial company. Te Metal is a self-financing company and all necessary investment has been and will be transferred by Te Metal Turkey, says the spokesman.

Te Metal has been in the architectural aluminium business since 1980s and has been closely matching the market leaders in its segment in terms of yearly volumes. Says the spokesman: 'The company is certainly a leader in terms of investments into the business, adopting new technologies and hiring a technically sound man power. The tremendous power achieved through this policy over the years has allowed Te Metal to invest in other countries as well.'

'Dubai, which has a huge potential in the construction segment, as well as an established position as a portal to the global markets, is the best choice to set up the huge investment project planned by Te Metal. The strong competition in the Dubai market has been regarded as a healthy development of the market segment by Te Metal and after six months of market analysis in Dubai and other Emirates, the company set up an office in Dubai - Te Aluminium Works - in November last year.

The aluminium assembly workshop of Te Metal has the same basic structure as its existing competitors, according to the company. 'Te Metal's difference lies in the use of state-of-the-art technology equipment. The CNC machines in the workshop are manufactured by world leader Elumatec-Germany and they are the most advanced models. Some of the heavy machinery will be imported from Turkish producers with the best possible qualifications. Hand tools and other minor items will be the best of their range. The automated production line at the workshop will enable the company to compete in this market strongly because of the pace and quality these computer-controlled machines will provide,' he says.

According to the basic market research figures arrived at by Te Metal, appointed projects on aluminium and glazing business in Dubai alone will exceed 3 million sq m in the next two years. The estimated total is 2.2 million sq m per year in the UAE and over 3.5 million sq m in the GCC countries. Te Metal is expecting to achieve a good market share of this potential by guaranteeing superb quality, best possible professional approach and a know-how accumulated in 24 years of job experience the world over.

'Te Metal believes that getting into competition with existing market leaders will create higher standards in the business and will benefit the country in the long run. The company launch its foray into the region starting with Dubai and the neighbouring emirates. The GCC countries will be the next step, and will be followed by Pan-Arab countries, North Africa and beyond,' he concludes.
Te Metal will be participating in this year's Big 5 show.