This year’s Big 5 exhibition will mark a milestone for Union Architectural Hardware as it unveils a plan for greater growth in the region, in conjunction with its sole distributor for the UAE, Abdulaziz & Sa’ad M Almoajil Company.

“At this year’s show, we plan to take the next step of getting closer to the professionals in the building construction markets who make the decisions,” promises a company spokesman, without revealing further details.
“Over the last 12 months, Union Architectural Hardware has changed considerably and today the company offers integrated door locking and hardware solutions for professionals throughout the Middle East.
“Union and Almoajil will offer something unique to the Emirates, which will change the way Union Architectural Hardware specification is managed in the region,” he adds.
Union Architectural Hardware had started off the year with the launch of three Union design centres (UDC) in the region – at Oman, Kuwait and Cairo, Egypt – in a bid to consolidate its position in the region.
Last year, the company had invested heavily in the region by opening UDCs at Bahrain and Qatar and appointing its own regional manager based out of Dubai with a core objective of building partnerships with the company’s customer partners.
Through the year the company has also introduced several new Union products, which have been developed to suit the special specification needs in the Middle East.
“These products will be of major benefit to the contractor in the Middle East, with the right specification, the right standards and at the right price,” says the spokesman.
“The UDCs have been set up in the same fashion as the operational facilities elsewhere. Plenty of show boards with the latest products and a spacious meeting area to hold seminars for the architects, consultants and contractors,” he explains.
The success of the concept can be gauged from the amount of specifications won for Union Architectural Hardware, he adds.
He continues: “The UDC concept in the GCC has been well introduced and it has enabled Union to be positioned as a brand that can fill a complete specification. In addition, the UDCs are known for the after-sales service they provide and they have the support from the Jebel Ali-based Union Middle East office. Here Union carries a strong inventory with its GCC partners, Abdulaziz and Sa’ad Almoajil in Jebel Ali.
“The UDC concept is a fantastic initiative giving architects, contractors, developers and clients a local point of contact and the ability to speak to experts about anything in the process of specifying and supplying integrated door hardware solutions.”
The UDC will be materially the same throughout the region with consistent Union branding and standardised equipment including audio-visual computer equipment to facilitate customer and client training on Union’s products and its proprietary ‘U-Schedule’ door scheduling and specification software.
The UDC concept came about as the result of Union’s takeover by Assa Abloy – a world leader in locks and door security solutions – in 2000 when Union was established as an architectural “driver” brand.
Following extensive branding, packaging and product development, Union then focused on how to bring the new range to the market. The result is the UDC concept whereby Union is moving from the classic manufacturer-distributor-customer model to a partnership and consultancy relationship model, delivering integrated service and solutions to professionals in the project sector.