Gulf Construction Online - Decorative range sets the pace for Sigmac

Regional News

One of Sigma’s projects within the Criminal Court Complex in Riyadh.

Decorative range sets the pace for Sigmac

01 June 2010

RECENT breakthrough technologies and product innovations have put Sigma Middle East in a commanding position in the paints market, with its decorative paints having set the pace for the company’s growth in the first half of this year.

While major decorative projects in Saudi Arabia contributed to a superb overall performance over the past year, Sigma marked key milestones of progress this year by regularly landing prestigious projects and acquiring new dealer territories, thereby strengthening not only its project markets but also its distribution network.
In the Western Province, Sigma has won the contract to supply its products for a huge military camp for the Saudi Arabia National Guard in Jeddah and Taif. This follows the major deal for the massive underground car-parking facilities at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, work on which is in progress.
The National Guard’s administration and housing buildings project, which caters to more than 1,000 military staff, involves a total paint area of 350,000 sq m, and will be coated, internally and externally by the year-end with beige water-based texture systems.
Hesham Hassan, project sales manager, Sigma Western region, credited the order worth SR500,000 ($133,330) to Sigma’s Decorative Technical Service department’s advice and samples on site, in addition to Sigma’s regional R&D (research and development) assurance.
“Our regional R&D laboratory’s extensive testing procedures – including field testing and accelerated weathering, and intensive exposure to salt water and UV (ultraviolet) light – ensure that our products can withstand the region’s harsh environmental conditions and surpass client expectations,” he says.
“Sigma has provided us quality. In addition, it has enabled the National Guard project to be executed in a precise and professional manner throughout every phase – providing superior protection, durability and UV resistance, which is particularly important in exterior applications,” says Hisham El Hashmy, a spokesman for Dar Al Andalus Consultants, the consultant on the project.
Essam Al Tellawi, project manager for Al Saad General Contracting, says: “Our experience with Sigma is characterised by multiple aspects – high-quality, accurate service, and above all reliable technical support, which includes their advice on and supervision of surface preparation that is the basis for heavy-duty painting.
“These qualities, along with the right prices, give the best value for money and contribute to the success of contracting.”
In the Central Province, Sigma’s flagship Guardian range secured another major project – the Criminal Court Complex in Riyadh. Consultant Saud Consult and contractor Salmoc decided on Sigma’s ‘supreme coating system’ for a total paint area of 150,000 sq m.
Another significant project in the Central Province involves protection of two huge power plants with a paint area of 425,000 sq m – the PP-10 (250,000 sq m) and Qassim Power Plant (175,000 sq m). For this project, Sigma has signed a contract with main contractor Binladin Bemco, which has been endorsed by consultant Saud Consult and owner Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).
Meanwhile, painting work is under way at the $10-billion King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), where the Sigma Guardian range – including Sigma Guardian primer and filler and two coats of Sigma Guardian Flex – is being used for a huge three-level basement at one of the buildings within the project.
In the Eastern Province, Sigma is engaged in contracts at KFUPM’s (King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals) premises, which involves multiple tasks in this huge complex.
Sigma is coordinating with three contractors – Al Qahtani Establishment, Abdulla Mutawa and Sons and Issam Kabbani & Partners. The company is currently supplying its products for a repainting job, valued at more than SR2 million ($533,290) for 64 different-sized villas over a period lasting a year.
Sigma is also providing protection for the new-build computer science building, with a three-storey car-park in a project worth SR1 million ($266,645), in addition to a new housing complex.
According to Syed Mohammed Shaukat, consultancy and direct sales manager, Sigma Eastern Province, the current year is a prosperous one for Sigma. “Business is better than last year, which itself was a good year,” he says.
In the Eastern Province, Sigma Guardian Shell has been making a mark in the interior decoration field, combining a touch of traditional warmth and contemporary appearance. While the primary role of this latest innovation is to enhance façade beauty and provide superior protection, the multifaceted Guardian Shell has been imaginatively used for office buildings in Dammam in order to animate to the long corridors. Awad Hag Ali, project manager for Al Rouf Contracting, a contractor involved in one of the office building projects, says: “The impact is sheer elegance – the decorative finish in shining yellow matches the doors and window frames, turning the dull corridors into beautiful hallways and enhancing the beauty of the entire building.
“The appeal of the paint lies in its quality and its colour accuracy. When we previously tried to use other texture products in innovative ways, the colours became inconsistent and changed tone after drying. Shell has proved itself over the 4,000 sq m that we have coated,” says the architectural engineer, who has a decade of experience in the field.