Gulf Construction Online - Reynaers gears for thrust into Lebanon

Events

Shalimar Villa ... a key Reynaers project in Lebanon.

Reynaers gears for thrust into Lebanon

01 May 2013

FOLLOWING its success at last year’s event, Reynaers Middle East will be returning toProject Lebanon 2013 next month (June 4 to 7) as part of strategic plans to strengthen its presence throughout the region.

The company will look at maximising opportunities at the premier international construction trade exhibition for Lebanon and the Middle East, which will be held at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Centre (BEIL), following its participation in the event last year, where it successfully networked with industry leaders and suppliers.

“Our participation at last year’s edition helped us understand the dynamics of the market and evaluate how fruitful this event could be for business development,” said Ali Khalaf, managing director of Reynaers Middle East, the regional office for the Belgian aluminium systems provider.

“Reynaers Middle East is currently studying the market to apply the most practical business model to cater to this new market that we are trying to penetrate more aggressively since our initial entry.

“The company is also contemplating a tie-up with a prominent business group that has a strong foothold in the Lebanese market,” he revealed.

Khalaf indicated that the systems that are most popular in the market are those designed for large-sized sliding doors as well as folding doors, driven primarily by demand in the commercial and residential projects sector.

In response to market demands, Reynaers plans to exhibit a range of its doors and window systems including the new ES 45Pa series which, it said, are well-suited for the market. “The ES 45Pa will benefit fabricators, architects, investors and end-users,” said Khalaf. “For fabricators, the ES 45Pa rationalises articles, the frame profile, gaskets and corner cleats, and simplifies logistics. The system is designed to be less tolerance-sensitive, hence making fabrication economical.”

Sliding systems ... part of the Taraboulsi project.

The ES 45Pa has been designed and developed in Europe and is supported by a 10-year company guarantee. It can be utilised for both windows and window doors with an inward or outward opening based on the same frame and double casement profiles.

Both the outward and inward opening profiles have the same outer frame, and a glazing bead height of 22 mm that can be reused, thus making the ES 45Pa economical, Khalaf explained. Both types have an optimised wall thickness, with the inward opening system having a 7-mm gap in the window frame to make fabrication less tolerance-sensitive. The systems come with the Euro groove for hardware, allowing a free choice of gear, even for the outward opening window. The building in depth for both types is 45 mm.

“The outward opening type has a central gasket for good class performance, while the inward system has a gasket outside to minimise water infiltration. Thanks to different gasket options available, three different performance levels are offered for up to 600 Pa of water-tightness,” he pointed out.

The opening specifications for both outward and inward types vary. For the outward opening system, they include side hung with hinges or with friction stays; top hung with hinges or with friction stays; and double casement, with a maximum vent weight of 90 kg, vent height of 1,700 mm and width of 1,350 mm.

The inward opening type is offered as side hung (turn), tilt and turn, bottom hung (tilt) and double casement with tilt-and-turn or side hung system, with a maximum vent weight being 110 kg, and height and width of 2,000 mm and 1,500 mm respectively.

Despite the problems faced by the country, Khalaf said the Lebanese market is on the move and Reynaers is expecting to tap its growing business potential. Some of the company’s recent projects in Lebanon include the Majestic Tower, Shalimar Villa, Talleh, Taraboulsi and Al Waha projects.

Meanwhile, in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Reynaers last month organised the second in its series of seminars aimed at facilitating interaction among its partners including a select group of fabricators, consultants and architects.

‘Shaping Your Imagination’, as the series of seminars is called, aims to strengthen relationships between Reynaers’ partners and was previously held in Bahrain in October, 2012.

The guest speaker for the Cairo event was Michel Van Put, head of the group product strategy department at Reynaers headquarters in Belgium.

“Our target is to be recognised as a reliable aluminium systems supplier who can provide diverse solutions to achieve the dreams and ambitions of architects and fabricators,” said Khalaf.

The company’s high-quality products and services were also showcased at the event.

Reynaers Aluminium is one of Europe’s leading specialists in the development and marketing of innovative and sustainable architectural aluminium solutions for windows, doors, curtain-walling, sliding systems, sunscreening and conservatories.

The firm has acquired a strong market position in the 30 countries where it has its own sites. It exports to more than 60 countries in five continents.