Saudi Industrial Paint Company (Sipco) - one of the largest manufacturers of high-quality paints, sealants, adhesives and construction chemicals in Saudi Arabia - has embarked upon strategies that will further consolidate its position in the market.

The Saudi-owned company has been built on a solid foundation and remains firm in its resolve to be constantly at the forefront of the industry, supplying technologically advanced surface coatings and treatments, says Sipco general manager Dr Ahmed Jomha, who indicates that the company expects to witness further growth this year.
'We are optimistic about business prospects for 2004.  We are becoming ever more customer-oriented and are analyzing ways in which to enhance our service and appeal to customers,' he says. 'We have new strategies in place to increase our market penetration through expanding our dealer network.'
Over the last couple of years, Sipco has been successful in penetrating new regional markets.
Sipco manages its kingdom-wide operations from its head office and factory in Dammam, with branch offices and distribution warehouses in Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, Kuwait and Dubai.
Sipco has appointed agents in Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan  - which are strongly supported from the Dammam head office - ensuring immediate local access to Sipco products and technical advice.
'We are also looking at expanding our business in Syria, Jordan and further exploiting the business opportunities already activated in Libya and the Congo,' says Dr  Jomha.
To create greater market awareness of the company and its products, Sipco has launched a new highly interactive website, says Dr Jomha.
The company also intends to relaunch some of its upgraded products during the course of this year. Sipco recently relaunched Tilex, tile adhesive - one of its top-selling product - on the construction chemicals market.
Late last year, Sipco received accreditation to the ISO9001:2000 standards, upgrading its quality management systems from the previous ISO9001:1994. The company has posted the new quality management procedures on its internal website to enable employees to familiarise themselves with the system and their role in achieving and continually improving it.
Sipco has in place a very experienced team of managers, technicians and chemists and an extensive factory and warehousing facility, incorporating a new automated production plant, supported by high-tech quality control and research and development laboratories, to effectively cater to the growth in the industry, he says.
Sipco has a production capacity of 20 million litres per eight-hour shift, annually.
A continuing programme of expansion and modernisation has ensured that the production, material handling and storage facilities at Sipco benefit from up-to-date equipment and systems.
New bulk storage facilities are linked to fully-automated filling equipment with optimised product flow. A state-of-the-art computer system is linked to production storage using a PLC (process logic control) system that incorporates the ordering and stock control of finished goods. The satellite warehouses in Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, Kuwait and Dubai in the UAE will also be linked to the same system, he says.
Sipco has also paid great deal of attention to improve aspects of health and safety within the factory to a large extent. Zoned electrical areas, extraction systems, and fire safety measures all contribute to an environment conforming to ISO standards.
A new, world-class, tinting system allows the production of over 100,000 colour options in most products, with a facility for specific matching to customer's samples of ceramics, fabrics, or even carpets. With a product range of almost 400 items customers can rest assured that Sipco can offer a product that suits their needs, says Dr Jomha.
Sipco, formed in 1982 as a joint venture between Saudi Arabian investors and Akzo Nobel of Holland, specialises in the development, manufacture and marketing of decorative, protective and industrial coatings, and construction chemicals, to the highest international technological standards for performance, safety and protection of the environment.
Akzo Nobel is one of the largest producers of paint, coatings and chemicals in the world, and through its association with the firm, the company has benefited greatly from technology and product development, and also from the skills and expertise of Akzo's management, says Dr Jomha.
'During its formative years, Sipco also built close relationships with US-based ICI-Devoe Coatings, number two in the world, culminating in licensing agreements to manufacture specialised products for the protective coatings market, and in particular for Aramco.
The company has four divisions:

Decorative paints
'Already ahead of its rivals in product presentation, Sipco has a wide network of showrooms covering the major cities and remote areas of the kingdom,' says the spokesman. 'All of these are equipped with a corporate identity and point of sale designed by Sipco, allowing customers to select from a wide choice of products including eight designer finishes unique to the Middle East, a premium range of long-life exterior and interior coating, under the brand name of Ultrashield, and an advanced computerised tinting system Colortec, offering over 100,000 colours.'
Sipco also introduced a new concept in paint selection late last year, enabling end-users to obtain a colour of their choice more easily. The concept, introduced at a recently-opened showroom in Jeddah, allows the end-user to choose a product and colour in a unique and lavish setting, where there are more than 360 combinations of colours and products on diplay
In addition, Sipco offers a wide range of high-performance floor coatings under the brand name of Color-Dek, which range from single-pack polyurethane and two-pack epoxies to solvent-free self-levelling epoxies and screeds providing the highest performance level for chemical and mechanical abrasion resistance, along with necessary primers and repairing mortars.

Protective coatings
'Sipco maintains its hard-won reputation as a major supplier of protective coating to the petrochemical and downstream industries, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic). Sipco has approval, and provides technical and application advice, along with products, to a number of customers, prominent among which are Saudi Aramco and ABV Rock - two of the largest users of protective coatings in the region. The division continues to develop into new areas, tackling new problems and technologies to provide protection in one of the harshest environments on the planet.

Industrial finishes
This division has been established to focus on providing industrial wood and metal finishes, and adhesive products to major manufacturing outlets. Industrial wood finishes include stains, polyurethanes, acrylics, nitrocellulose, polyesters, special effects and the latest addition 'UV' curing finishes. Metal finishes include coil coatings, standard and quick-drying finishes, stoving enamels and technologically advanced coil coatings -  which will withstand temperatures up to 80 deg C on metal cladding. Very few manufacturers have such technology, he says.

Construction chemicals
The latest addition to the company's activities is a range of construction chemicals and building products, branded under the name of Finex. Manufactured in accordance with Sipco's ISO 9001 quality assurance scheme, the Finex range includes Brimo sealants and Stiktite adhesives, plus a whole new range of items including concrete and mortar admixtures, surface treatments, repair compounds, tile adhesives, grouts, general adhesives, bonding agents, cementitious coatings and waterproofing agents.

Inks & can coating
The company continues to develop its inks and can coatings division catering to the needs of Middle East's printing and packaging industry. 

Sales and technical support
Sipco has specialist sales teams in each operating division actively selling throughout Saudi Arabia and its neighboring countries.
In addition a training school is available to teach its customers' staff painting skills ranging from brush and roller work, through airless spraying, spatulas and sponges. The Dammam head office is also home to Sipco's quality control and development laboratories.
'Using state-of-the-art equipment, Sipco's facilities ensure that all their products are produced to the highest consistent standards and that development of new products, with ever-higher specifications, is given high priority. It is this dedication to quality, through the laboratory management and staff, which has gained Sipco, the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (Saso) certificate of approval,' says Dr Jomha.