Gulf Construction Online - Al Gurg group marks key milestones

Dubai

Showrooms of the ESAG Building Materials Division.

Al Gurg group marks key milestones

01 April 2020

Two companies under the umbrella of the Dubai-based Easa Saleh Al Gurg (ESAG) Building Materials Division are celebrating key milestones this year: Mac Al Gurg is marking 45 years of successful operations, while Al Semsam Building Materials commemorates 25 years of service, both in the UAE building and construction industry.

ESAG Building Materials Division (BMD) is part of the diverse corporation Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, a well-respected UAE conglomerate comprising 27 companies with proven competencies in the building and construction, real estate, retail and industrial sectors and in joint ventures; with a portfolio of over 370 international brands.

The dedicated division for building materials was formed just a year ago – in March 2019 – to streamline and promote the sales of the growing business lines offered by the three companies under its fold, namely Mac Al Gurg, Al Semsam and Bath & More.

“ESAG Building Materials Division will manage and develop the building and infrastructure business of ESAG Group, through a proactive distribution business model that reflects the dynamic environment of the UAE,” Nicholas Papadopoulos, General Manager of the division, tells Gulf Construction.

Papadopoulos ... looking to expand in the GCC.

“We aim to become a sustainable division with profitable entities on board, through a distribution network comprising premium brands. We are also looking to expand our business in key GCC markets in the near future,” he adds.

As the trusted supplier of innovative, reliable and sustainable building solutions in the region, the division is building on ESAG’s 60 years of expert industry experience. BMD’s services include consultancy and professional supply of building materials covering sanitary ware, piping, metering and drainage solutions, gas fittings and distribution systems, shelving and racking products and passive fire protection.

BMD aims to be the preferred supplier in the construction industry, offering value-added and sustainable solutions for a safer and healthier environment. “Driven by a passionate, skilled team, our mission is to offer a wide variety of building solutions of consistent quality and the highest level of service. As a company partnering in the growth of the UAE, our focus has always been to create value for our shareholders, clients and, most importantly, the communities we operate in,” says Papadopoulos.

Mac Al Gurg

The veteran in the division, Mac Al Gurg, has been active in the UAE building and construction industry since 1975. Today, Mac Al Gurg has established itself as one of the most reliable solutions providers for the building and construction industry. It has gained a formidable reputation for bringing the most cutting-edge products to the UAE.

Some of the landmarks to which it has contributed are Golden Mile, Fairmont Hotel and Kingdom of Sheba at Palm Jumeirah; Park Place Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road; Cayan Tower (Infinity Tower) at Dubai Marina; and Safa Tower at Business Bay.

“We have never compromised on the quality of our products,” Papadopoulos stresses. “Partnering with renowned European and American brands, we pride ourselves on the ability to supply clients with technologically advanced, high-quality products. We ensure our product recommendations don’t just meet our client’s requirements, but exceed them.”

“With 45 years of success, Mac Al Gurg has established a strong footprint in the market,” Papadopoulos comments. “Mac Al Gurg has established a key role in the trading business of the UAE with a strong portfolio of premium brands.”

The product range covers bathrooms, building products and infrastructure products.

The bathroom line includes sanitary ware from Armitage Shanks (exclusive distributor), Brizo, Delta, Sanco, Lovair and Franke; toilet cubicles from Venesta; shower enclosures from Roman; and Tristone surfaces.

“We were recognised as the Distributor of the Year 2019 for Franke bathroom accessories,” he remarks.

In terms of building products, Mac Al Gurg offers copper pipes and fittings from Pegler Yorkshire; smart metering systems from Diehl; drainage systems from Blucher, Purus and Wade US; water heaters from National Heaters of Oman and Pacific; radiant heating and cooling systems from Kantherm and Rehau; and domestic gas pipes and fittings from WASK, Sperryn, Rehau and Enolgas.

Mac Al Gurg also offers stormwater and sewage systems from PAM St Gobain and Hauraton; access covers from Gatic and Howegreen; and water transmission systems from FAF, Viking Johnson and Straub as part of its infrastructure range.

As the market is evolving, Mac Al Gurg has been refining its business model to align with current and future market requirements.

“Introducing brand management with a strategic business development plan, tailored to the geographical coverage, is the way forward. With strong inputs and support from the trade marketing and media communication platforms, Mac Al Gurg is in the transformation stage to become an essential partner of the building and infrastructure industry,” Papadopoulos remarks.

Al Semsam

Al Semsam Building Materials was established in 1995 to address the need for value engineering on projects with premium products, according to Papadopoulos.

“It was also set up to address a new and promising sector – passive fire protection (PFP) for the building and construction market in the UAE,” he adds.

Passive fire protection is a “must” for all the buildings and hence Al Semsam has been focusing aggressively on fire-rated products, he emphasises. Among its latest projects are the Expo Link-Route 2020 of the Dubai Metro, for which it supplied and installed bullet-resistant glazing systems for the station ticket office; the Royal Atlantis in Dubai; and the Mall of Oman in Muscat, Oman.

“Dubai Civil Defence authorities, in alignment with the rest of the UAE, have strict guidelines on fire-rated products. Al Semsam has taken this opportunity to develop a strong premium portfolio of relevant fire-rated products from elite brands in this category. Working closely with our principals and in line with the authorities, we are addressing market needs, by also setting up a manufacturing facility to offer fire-rated and bulletproof glazing products for premium projects in the UAE,” Papadopoulos continues.

“Our latest passive fire protection solutions offer up to four hours of fire protection for structures. Among our partners in this business are Promat, Bach, Stalprofil, Vetrotech and Trespa,” he says. Other brands it represents in the PFP sector include Georgia Pacific, Stalprofil and Navair.

Today, Al Semsam is an industry expert in high-quality building products and works with leading providers to supply solutions for passive fire protection, warehouse shelving and racks, pipes and fittings, building infrastructure, drainage and access. It has built long-standing relationships with clients with a high level of professionalism and efficiency, having supplied a wide range of products for numerous prestigious projects in the region.

The company offers drainage and access solutions from ACO; manholes from RBA; pipes and fittings from Mueller and Conex Banninger; warehouse shelving and racks from Kingmore Racking and Dalian Eastfound; and building infrastructure products from Amorim Insulation, and Prima.

Bath & More

The new entrant at ESAG Building Materials Division is Bath & More, which was set up in September 2019 to supply affordable, luxurious bathroom and kitchen solutions from European and American brands.

“With marquee brands, we are able to support our clients with a full range of services – from design advice to specification recommendations,” says Papadopoulos. “Whether our clients require premium shower enclosures, faucets, bathroom mixers or heating systems, we can create bespoke solutions, regardless of the design, project size, requirement or budget.”

Bath & More was established to address the needs in the refurbishment segment of the market.

“End users are moving towards retail and/or B2B for refurbishments, mainly for bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, painting and furniture,” he says. “Bath & More addresses the needs of end users and professionals in the sanitary ware sector with an emporium of premium brands – and much more.”

The product range comprises bathroom fittings, sanitary ware and accessories from Grohe, Conti+, Laufen, Jika, Huppe, Hoesch, Bette, Blanco, Kaja and Inda; kitchen fittings from Grohe, Blanco and Practic; heating systems from Ariston; and coatings from Viero.

In line with its vision to be a sustainable division, ESAG Building Materials Division now offers under “one roof” a premium range of products and services from Mac Al Gurg, Al Semsam and group companies Al Gurg Paints and Al Mashrabia Furniture which offers bespoke kitchen solutions.

“We are in the process of establishing our first showroom at a prime location on the junction of Sheikh Zayed Road with Umm Suqeim, to better serve our business partners, address the needs of end-users and more,” Papadopoulos concludes.