Jotun's vision to develop, manufacture and market cost-effective and environmentally-compliant products and services of high quality has helped the company attain its current status in the market, says Tor Johansen, managing director, Jotun Saudia Company Limited, who has led the company to the topmost level in the region.

'The secret behind Jotun's success is its innovative approach to dealing with the growing market requirements,' he adds.
The company has launched several innovative products that have given a new look to surfaces. Being the pioneers in paint technology, Jotun has a remarkable track record of introducing a variety of paints to suit different aspects of life. The recently-introduced Jotashield Heritage is one such example of the superior technology, expertise and quality of the company.
'Heritage, as the name suggests, is a coating that gives an old-world charm to any surface,' says Shafique Siddiqui, national sales manager. ''True to the past, made to last', as its caption says; Jotashield Heritage is a traditional paint yet modern in its characteristics.'
'A new residential project in Riyadh known as Al Battal - which showcases the Jotashield Heritage Traditional Tex paint with special techniques using Heritage glaze - is one classy treat to the eye. The project, which covers over 20,000 sq m in area, is a remarkable piece of work completed using Jotun paints and speaks of quality, richness and tradition,' he adds.
Jotun Metallic that was also launched recently, is yet another example of Jotun's unique features (see facing page).
'Metallic guarantees a vibrant and dynamic look to any surface that needs a creative effect,' says Deepak Pai, marketing manager.
Taking into consideration the growing environmental concerns, Jotun's innovations are free from environmental or health hazards. A research and development team at Jotun's facility is spending millions of dollars on this aspect alone to come up with 100 per cent eco-friendly products.
Jotun Saudia Company Limited was among the first to set up a paint-manufacturing unit in Saudi Arabia in the early 80s in Yanbu to cater to the Saudi market, which was witnessing a flurry of activity in the construction sector, with several new-building and massive expansion projects coming up.
An offshoot of the Norwegian giant Jotun Paints, Jotun Saudia is the leading paint manufacturing and marketing company in the Middle East. The company has a number of impressive projects in its portfolio including Chevron, Petrokemya and Kingdom Towers to name a few.
Jotun was the first paint company in the Middle East to be equipped with water treatment plants and other safety-related facilities, says Johansen. The company now produces the highest quantity of paints in the kingdom - a combined production capacity of 45 million litres of paint annually - at its plants located in Yanbu and Jeddah. Jotun has further acquired an additional 5,000 sq m of land in Yanbu recently, to add to the existing production capacity and warehousing.
The company has reached a commanding position in the market by implementing impressive quality control through an Integral Quality Management System. It has helped Jotun to have a control over its products and processes and has earned the company ISO 9001: 2000 certification - the first paint company in the Middle East to be honoured with such recognition, Johansen says.
Jotun Saudia is one of the first companies in the kingdom to have developed and implemented a Safety Management System incorporating all major requirements of Health and Safety related to work environment.
'The new system is a step forward to maintain high safety standards that not only help employees to deal with emergency situations but also to avoid any mishaps,' he says.
To improve staff efficiency, the company has been conducting periodical training programmes in the latest in technical as well as marketing aspects. Jotun also has a considerable number of Saudis on its rolls, thereby bringing it closer to the local market. The company, which has promoted Saudisation since the beginning, is now building a stronger local employee base in order to have effective control over the highly volatile local market conditions.
'Today, Jotun Saudia is the leader in paints in the kingdom surpassing all the other international brands. Our ability to maintain profit and growth, while at the same time exceeding customer expectations, has given Jotun not only the potential to excel but also to maintain its tag line - Number One in paints,' Johansen concludes.