Bahrain-based United Stainless Steel Company (Usco), which claims to be the first cold rolling stainless steel mill in the Middle East, recently launched operations with the despatch of its first consignment of steel worth $115,000 to Armetal Metal Industries Company.

“We see our first completed order for Armetal, a manufacturer of stainless steel pipes, tubes and sheets in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a major step forward for Usco. We thank Armetal for its trust in Usco and we are confident that this is only the start of a long-lasting business association. I would also like to thank all the staff at Usco in achieving this first milestone,” says Peter Wildbore, chief executive officer of Usco who witnessed the first dispatch with Ali Abu Salma, manufacturing division general manager of Armetal.
 'Usco is very proud and honoured that the first order was placed by Armetal and is delighted to work with the firm so closely,” he adds.
“Usco takes great care to offer products of the highest quality, according to the most demanding international standards and hence we at Armetal are pleased to be in business with them,” adds Salma.
Usco was established in Bahrain in 2005 with a $232 million project spend and is the first of its kind within the Gulf to manufacture and provide high-quality stainless steel flat products. It is owned by GCC investors with GIC (Gulf Investment Group of Kuwait) holding 50 per cent of the shares. It aims to cater to the regional demand of stainless steel with a yearly output of 90,000 tonnes and achieve an annual turnover at current prices of $400 million.
The company has also set its eyes on becoming a world-class, internationally-accredited mill and stimulating growth in downstream stainless steel manufacturing in the region.
Usco policies reflect the commitment of the company to Bahrain and the region. It has now achieved a level of 78 per cent Bahrainisation of the current 118 employees – a figure that is expected to rise to 210 shortly, according to Wildbore.