Saudi Vitrified Clay Pipe (SVCP), a Saudi-German-Belgian manufacturer of vitrified clay pipes, is optimistic of repeating the strong performance it has shown in the past three years.

"Business at SVCP has increased continuously over the last three years and is expected to continue during the coming years," says Mahmoud Abu Jebara, sales manager. "We achieved a 50 per cent growth in 2003 over 2002 figures and expect to continue improving on our performance with a reasonable percentage in 2004."
SVCP designs, produces and sells vitrified clay pipes to contractors, providing a quality product and offering design services and static calculations for the network upon request, free of charge, as part of its responsibility to ensure, good, economic and long-lasting sewer networks.
SVCP believes that a sewer network is never permanent unless it is clay. The company serves the clay pipe market in the  Gulf and also exports to international markets from Taiwan in Southeast Asia to Spain in Europe.
Established in Riyadh in 1977 to produce vitrified clay pipes with annual capacity of 24,000 tonnes, the company saw its first expansion in 1984 which increased its capacity to 45,000 tonnes per year (tpy) and expanded the range of diameters to up to DN 600 of pipes and fittings.
In 1986, it continued to increase the range of diameters it offers, starting with DN 700 upto DN 1200. The annual production in the same period increased to 50,000 tonnes. In 2002 SVCP embarked on its biggest expansion ever to increase its production capacity to 100,000 tonnes. In the same year, a special rotary kiln was also set up to produce 30,000 tpy of schamotte, an essential ingredient in the production of clay pipes. The expansion was finally completed by the end of 2003.
Given its new capacity, SVCP is now determined to maintain a foothold on its export markets which are expected to absorb at least 30 per cent of its output.
SVCP works through a network of qualified agents/distributors all over the world to ensure best service and immediate response to the daily needs of the markets, says Abu Jebara.
Currently, SVCP has more than 300 employees on its rolls and enjoys an annual turnover of more than $50 million. The company has engaged the services of engineers in the sales department to follow up its sales activities and services in the Saudi as well as international markets. This team of professionals provides immediate advice, solutions and necessary back-up for any unforeseen needs of the projects, he says.
The company was quick to grab an opportunity for growth when it came by. "In 2000, the Saudi market witnessed a surge in activity in the drainage sector and SVCP exerted all efforts to ensure that it offered its best in its home market. Since then, we became involved directly in supplying a huge quantity of pipes to the largest projects in the kingdom," he says.
It has also provided sewer pipes for some of the major projects in the kingdom. It currently has six orders in hand to supply of 1,438 km of pipes in Makkah. SVCP is also supplying 214 km of pipes to projects in Madinah; 2,471.5 km of pipes to Riyadh; 129.7 km of pipes to Jeddah and 737.5 km of pipes in Qassim.
"As part of our service to customers, we offer the chance to return any surplus quantities at the end of the project. To minimise costs for the contractor, we guarantee immediate delivery within hours all over the kingdom. We accept changes in sizes, quantities and delivery schedules, without any additional charges," he adds.