Abu Dhabi-based Gulf Manufacturing Company (GMC), which manufactures adhesives, glue, thinners and paint-related products, has added 10 new products to its portfolio over the past 18 months and plans to introduce five new products by the end of this year.

It has recently signed an agreement with Vantico to refill its product called Araldite and market it in the GCC countries. The product is expected to be launched this month and will be sold in the region.

GMC was established in 1996 under a contract with Akzo Nobel to manufacture contact adhesives under its licence and know how. "The aim was to support the development in Abu Dhabi in construction, packaging, furniture and other related industries," says a company spokesman.

He continues: "GMC's contact adhesive, based on Akzo Nobel technology and formulation, is a pride product specially formulated for the hot climate of Gulf countries. It has very strong bonding and keeps intact even if it is exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time, unlike other adhesive which lose their bonding capability in the sun.

"The company has grown very fast and is today one of the leading manufacturers in the UAE with strong technology and human resources.

''GMC's modem facility in Abu Dhabi has the capacity to produce 2,000 tonnes of contact adhesives, 6,000 tonnes of wood glue and 6,000 tonnes of thinner.

"It started production of Sadofoss in 1998 which has been well accepted by the market and has a leading share of the market in Bahrain and Qatar.

''In 1999, a new product called Sado Kit was introduced. This product, which was specially formulated for the region's hot climate, has high heat resistance. This gives it a high-quality bonding, which does not separate even if the bonded lamination is placed in direct sunlight for a long time."

GMC introduced a new product called GMC White Glue in June last year. This high-quality product is a water-based glue used by the joinery and carpentry sector for lamination purposes and has taken a reasonable share of the market within a short time, says the spokesman.

In the following month, yet another product was introduced called GMC Thinner which is a nitrocellulose thinner used for auto refinish and wood finishes by spray and dip application.

''This product has also been well received by the market. After the success of GMC thinner, the company introduced acrylic thinner, epoxy thinner and polyurethane thinner. All of these products are now selling well due to their high quality and competitive prices,'' he says.

In February this year, GMC signed an agreement with Vantico (formerly known as Ciba) to refill and sell its product Araldite, which is one of the leading epoxy adhesive (two-pack system) in the world. New machines and equipment were bought by GMC to enable it to refill Araldite into tubes.

This move was followed in March by the opening a new sales and marketing office in Sharjah in a bid to enhance services to its customers in Dubai and Sharjah. During the same month, GMC introduced another new product called GMC Copal Varnish, a polyurethane-based varnish which offers exceptional water resistance and gives an excellent finish to wood, the spokesman points out.

Now, GMC plans to introduce its silicone sealant on the GCC market next month. This high-performance sealant is expected to give a boost to the company's sales.

GMC has a strong sales and marketing network throughout the Gulf. Highly-qualified and experienced team of sales and marketing personals gives an efficient and professional service to its valued customers in its day to day business.

All these developments have been taking place under the guidance of GMC's general manager Shad Ali who has been in the region for the last 27 years and has served in multinational companies like Shell and Bayer for more than 20 years.

GMC works with worldwide leaders in chemicals to bring in a wide range of technological skills and know-how to strengthen its presence in the region.

Another area in which the company excels in is its quality, the spokesman says.

GMC is committed to strengthening its marketing department so as to offer quality products and good services to customers. Being an environmentally-conscious company, it ensures the safety of its plant and processes in order to protect the environment and health of its employees, he adds.