

AT the Big 5 show this month, Ubifrance will regroup 40 different companies within the French pavilion, representing a total of 600 sq m of exhibition space.
This is a tremendous increase compared with last year, says spokesman Jean-François Le Borgne.
“As a result of their participation at the Big 5 Show, several French manufacturers have developed strong contacts within the region and have been working on a very regular basis in the Gulf area, and now many new entrants have shown an eagerness to join them,” he says.
“Approximately a third of our exhibitors this year are newcomers, which means that visitors will have the pleasure of viewing lots of brand new products, always with a very high standard of quality,” he adds.
Although a majority of the exhibitors will be present in Halls 3 and 4 as last year, the French pavilion will have also four new exhibitors this time, in Hall 8, he explains.
The range of products that will be showcased at the expo ranges from scaffoldings and software for concrete calculations to electricity and air-conditioning equipment, as well as metal products, automatic doors for hotels and buildings, bathroom accessories, tiles, decorative products, and much more,” he adds.
The French contingent will include a number of leaders in their sectors including Legrand, Arma Plus, Atlantic, Ariadis, Dextra, Dirickx, Euroslot and Eurovent Certification, among others.
Legrand
Leading electrical accessories manufacturer Legrand will display the latest it has to offer at one of the largest stands within the French pavilion. Occupying 48 sq m of stall space, the company – which is a specialist in products and systems for electrical installations and information networks in residential and commercial buildings and in industry – will put on display an array of electrical systems and innovations.
With subsidiaries and offices in more than 60 countries staffed by approximately 26,000 employees and sales in more than 160 countries, Legrand has achieved an impressive sales figure of 2.9 billion euros ($3.45 billion).
From the distribution of electric power and data to control and connection, safety systems for people and property and solutions for industrial buildings and process in the main world markets, Legrand proposes innovating and compatible products and systems, easy to supply, install and use, for friendlier, safer and more communicating buildings, says a company spokesman.
The company claims to have an unrivalled worldwide leadership for key components of systems for electrical installation and information networks that include: 18 per cent of the world market for switches and sockets and 15 per cent for wire management products.
Portalp
Leading French manufacturer of pedestrian automatic doors, deals in an assortment of door systems that include: sliding, telescopic, full breakout, V-shaped, round sliding, curved sliding, fireproof, Hermetic doors, radiation protection and soundproof doors, as well as swing doors operators, among others.
Established in 1962, the company’s sales network today covers many countries in Europe and all over the world.
“The reputation of Portalp became truly international in 1998 when our first subsidiary was opened abroad,” says a company spokesman.
Portalp has its head office and factory located in Fontaine (Grenoble-France) in the centre of the Rhone-Alps area.
Arma-Plus
Arma-Plus, which has recently been involved with some of the larger construction projects in the UAE including the $2.35 billion, 1.27 million Dubai International Airport expansion is looking forward to improve its ties in the region.
“To manage the 400,000 tonnes of steel for the future terminal 3, the project manager chose Arma-Plus technology, and the A+ 2004 software, the latest computing solution of Arma-Plus, creator of the more worldly-used software for concrete framework,” says a spokesman for the company.
The company has set up an office in Dubai to undertake site follow-ups and at the same time, work towards the company’s growth in the Middle East.
Established in 1984, Arma-Plus is a group of civil engineers and computer experts who claim to have created the first fully-integrated software solution for the concrete reinforcement industry.
“Today Arma-Plus has more than 500 references in more than 30 countries for factories producing from 50 to 25,000 tonnes per month,” the spokesman says.
“Our expansion and innovations over the years have been based on three fundamental principles – development of software solutions and services to ensure the rebar processing plant’s better efficiency and quality; normalising procedures in order to define standards of management and organisation, which will in turn rationalise production and simplify operations; and analysing the specific needs of the worldwide markets,” says the spokesman.
By direct participation at the start of the projects in all process of production, Arma-Plus brings constructive intelligence to the more ambitious projects, he adds.
Ariadis
Also participating is French software manufacturer Ariadis, which has established its presence in the Gulf since 1994. The company has been specialising in developing and selling modular software for the management of cut-and-bent rebar factories as well as precast factories.
The software, known as Armaor, allows the detailing of construction drawings, thereby facilitating optimum cutting from the raw material, claims the company.
Armaor, a complete modular solution for integrated reinforcement production, has been equipping steel reinforcement’s professionals for over a decade, he adds.
The software manages functions such as: detailing, production with cutting optimisation, downloading to the machine, delivery, invoicing and stock management. The comfortable graphical interface of Armaor software is extremely user- friendly and easy to learn. This simplicity has made the software one of the most efficient and effective tools in the rebar processing market and reduced the volume of scrap created, says a spokesman for the company.
Dextra
Producer and supplier of mechanical rebar splicing, fibre-reinforced polymer products, stressing and anchoring bars, and construction accessories, Dextra Group will participate at this year’s show with its range of products and solutions that have, over the years, carved out a market in the construction sector, worldwide.
Established as a trading company of industrial and construction products primarily in the Thai construction industry, the company has grown to become one of the biggest and preferred suppliers of most main contractors, says a spokesman.
Dextra gradually developed in Asia into a manufacturer of innovative and high quality construction steel engineered products and systems, the Dextra Group now employs over 400 professionals worldwide.
Atlantic
Leading manufacturer of electrical water heaters Atlantic will also make its presence at the show with its latest range of water heaters and systems. Exhibiting at Stand 4C151, the company is optimistic of increasing its sales volumes in the regional markets.
Centaure
Ladder specialist Centaure, will bring along with it a wide range of ladders and access systems at this year’s Big 5 show. At its 20,000 sq m facility in Normandy – equipped with 10 automatic lines – the company produces 500,000 ladders annually and has a permanent stock of 400 tonnes of aluminium, says a company spokesman.
Over the years, the company has developed markets for its products in as many as 20 countries, across the globe. Its range of products includes a wide variety of ladders, scaffolding platforms, made from aluminium or fibreglass and can be used for a host of applications both in the domestic and construction sectors.
Euroslot
Originally a manufacturer of filtration systems, Euroslot has during the 1990s developed a programme of architectural and decoration surfaces with the help of famous architects.
The company – which deals in a range of products that include: gratings, stair treads, railing infills, facades, sunscreens, ceilings, columns, and furniture – will showcase its latest products and innovations at this year’s show.
Sea
This ISO-certified company has more than four decades of experience in the manufacture of coated abrasive products and has a high-performance automated manufacturing line equipped with a computerised system for grain and glue coatings.
A flexible packaging line enables it to handle specific requests from its customers, says a company spokesman.
Sea manufactures a list of products that include: sheets, cut sheets, discs, rolls, endless belts, sanding, cutting, diamond blades and sponges.