Having recently completed the expansion of its facility in Bahrain, Al Yusuf Thermoglass is looking forward to continue its drive further with the aim of establishing itself as one of the major manufacturers of insulated glass units (IGU) in the kingdom and beyond.

The company’s recent expansion of its Tubli facility, which was completed last May, has allowed it to increase its production capabilities by a big margin and also manufacture a wide range of high-quality thermoglass units that have already found its way on some of the prestigious projects in the kingdom.
The BD1.8 million ($4.79 million) facility, now has a 5,000 sq m working area and a warehouse of 2,000 sq m, and allows Al Yusuf to produce 800 sq m of glazed units on an average shift, giving it a maximum capacity of up to 2,400 sq m of glass on an average day.
At the facility, the company has invested in state-of-the-art machinery from Germany, Austria, Italy and Greece, says company managing director Basim Al Yusuf. “Currently, the Lisec cutting line that we have is the Jumbo size, which can cut glass sheets in sizes of up to 6 m by 3.7 m.”
Apart from this, the company has also invested in a 4800 by 2440 glass tempering line from Tamglass Finland, an insulating glass unit production line, vertical washing machines, bi-component sealant machines, spacer fabrication machines, abrasive belt grinding machines, sand blaster machines, flat bed staining plotter, straight line bevelling machines, a variable-angle 10-wheel polishing machine and a double-head automatic drilling machine, among others.
“Besides installing the latest in machinery, we have also been focusing on improving on our human resources through hiring the right people for the job,” says Al Yusuf. “Today, we have people with the right expertise on our team and this will help us achieve ISO certification standards much faster. We are looking towards getting the ISO 9000 certification by this month.
“Also we are eagerly awaiting the certification from ISO that will help us qualify the quality of our product range. Once the certification is done, we will be able to tell our clients how serious we are at delivering insulated glass units that meet international certification standards,” he adds.
“In addition, we are one of the few companies to have an engineer in charge of each department and a technical manager to oversee the quality aspects,” he says.
The company has also developed its own customised software to allow faster production schedules. Based on Microsoft Great Plains as the front-end, the software facilitates the handling of glass processing projects and optimises the production capacity through a PCPS (production capacity planning system) and a fleet management system for deliveries, says Al Yusuf.
Al Yusuf says that the company is on a four-year plan that will involve the expansion of its manufacturing capacities.
As part of the development plan, the company will be inaugurating its fully-automated robotic insulated glass manufacturing line in the first quarter of this year (2008).
The company sources the glass for its products from some of the leading manufacturers in the US, Europe and Asia. “Depending on the requirement of the client we do source out glass from companies such as St Gobain Glass, Guardian Glass, Asahi Glass and Pilkington, among other top manufacturers,” he says.
He adds: “We have the capability to meet close to 30 per cent of the local demand, which is about 5,000 sq m a day.”
The company offers a wide variety of glass products that includes: float, tinted and patterned glass, laminated safety glass, bullet-proof glass, fireguard – fire-rated safety glass, tempered glass, structural bonded glazing, double glazing units, architectural low-e glass, shower enclosures, automatic and manual sliding doors, frameless glass doors and shopfronts, glass office partitions, acid-etched glass, glass accessories and patch fittings, decorative glass panels, lead-stained glass panels, curved and bended glass, antique and decorative mirrors and glass skylights, among others.
Al Yusuf Thermoglass has also recently introduced two new IGU ranges that are expected to have a wide demand in high-end projects that are to shape up on the island. The company claims to have achieved certification to be the authorised and approved processor for Cool-Lite ST from St Gobain and Sunguard HP from Guardian Glass.
Cool-Lite ST from St Gobain is a solar control glass, which blocks up to two-thirds of heat by reflecting it to the outside. The product that can be used in conservatory roofs or south-facing patio doors helps keep the interior considerably cooler during the summer. The glass has a thin coating on one face which provides an attractive appearance and reduces glare from direct sunlight, says Al Yusuf.  This product is described as being ideal for building facades and comes in different shades of green (ST408, ST420, ST436), silver (ST108, ST120, ST136), and blue (STB420, ST708, ST740). It is a high-performance product that exceeds thermal energy norms requirements in the kingdom.
The SunGuard High Performance series delivers medium to high visible light transmission and moderate reflectivity along with maximum energy savings that meet or exceed thermal energy norms requirements, says Al Yusuf. The glass is available in seven low-emissivity coatings to choose from in both clear and green substrates: Light Blue 63, Neutral 61, Neutral 50, Neutral 40, AG 50, AG 43, and Royal Blue 40.
Commenting on expanding into markets elsewhere in the Gulf, he says: “We are planning to make an entry into the Qatari market. One of the reasons is that the country offers enormous scope for growth, especially with several new projects and new towers being announced in Qatar, as well as the planned new causeway between the two countries. Also there are only three manufacturers in that country, which allows manufacturers such as us enough room to expand. 
Speaking on the challenges faced in the local markets, Al Yusuf elaborates: “The biggest challenge is meeting the tight project schedules. Most of the projects that we have been involved with are big, which mean that the delivery schedules are tight. But so far, we have managed to keep with our schedules.
“In addition, there are other challenges such as meeting the specifications of the company, and obtaining the right glass from overseas manufacturers at the right time.”
Established in 2003 as part of the Al Yusuf Group with a small team of 17 employees, Al Yusuf Thermoglass has grown over the years from being a dealer in glass and mirrors to a leading processor and manufacturer of insulating and tempered glass in Bahrain.
With a staff-strength of 78 employees, the company says that it is continually looking forward to improving on its core strengths – that of manufacturing quality IGUs – which will help it, remain at the sharp end of competition.