Gulf Construction Online - Byrne builds on strength as single-source supplier

Riyadh/The Big 5 Saudi

Byrne Equipment’s generators have been engaged on the Riyadh Metro project.

Byrne builds on strength as single-source supplier

01 March 2022

The Riyadh Metro is one of the most notable projects in Byrne Equipment Rental’s Saudi portfolio and is a great example of the company’s equipment diversity and its offer of a single-source solution, according to James Dodgson, General Manager of Byrne Investments Saudi Arabia Limited (Bisal).

In an exclusive interview, Dodgson tells Gulf Construction: “We have been present on the Riyadh Metro project for the best part of eight years and although it is almost completed, we are still very much heavily involved and are supplying many products and services across all the lines where our clients are in the commissioning and testing phase. Our full suite of equipment has been utilised across all sites from sanitation and climate control to power, hoist and access and temporary buildings.”

Bisal, a leading equipment rental firm and the Saudi arm of the Byrne Equipment Rental group of companies, has had in excess of 500 assets on hire to multiple site locations of the metro project, where it has been present since its inception.

Apart from the Riyadh Metro, Byrne is also supporting clients on other major projects in and around Riyadh such as Qiddiya, King Salman Park, Misk and Diriyah Gate projects where it has a good mix of products such as generators, mast climbers, compressors, tower lights, access platforms, temporary buildings and ablutions.

Dogdson took charge at the start of one of the busiest events periods.

Also in Riyadh, it had great success supporting the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) project.

Among other projects in Saudi Arabia, Byrne has played a pivotal role in supplying a major part of the equipment and services for the construction of the Jeddah Grand Prix track and pavilions – with over 500 assets on site at the peak – a project where it also supplied event services and equipment solutions for the front and back of house, he adds.

Dodgson took charge as General Manager of Bisal in November last year at the start of one of the busiest events periods the company has experienced since the onset of the pandemic.

“We have kick started 2022 with some great wins in our events division in Riyadh and Jeddah and we are seeing some promising movement in the construction sector such as the Red Sea Project and Neom,” he adds.

Over the past couple of years, Byrne has gone through its fair share of changes and challenges, welcoming new senior level management onboard and has drawn an energised and aggressive growth plan and released new product lines such as powered access and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) solutions into the market.

Commenting about the company’s growth, he states: “We are in a state of consolidation and our main focus is to get our growth strategy back on track. The market now seems to be bouncing back stronger than ever and the level of investment within the kingdom is unmatched compared to our other operating territories; it is a key area of projected growth for us for many years to come.”

Saudi Arabia is witnessing massive growth and, as a result, is going to play a pivotal role in Byrne’s strategy and growth over the next decade, Dodgson remarks. “Increased government spending on infrastructure, construction, events and oil and gas production is bolstering the pace of activities in the country. We foresee that the country is fast becoming a hub for the Arab world and with the level of investment and diversification into events and attractions for the public, we predict that it will become a global hub for travel and tourism. This will bring a wealth of opportunities for Byrne – every development and project in this area will need support in some way or another in terms of services and equipment solutions. Byrne is already geared up to support in any way and will continue its investment strategy to support this.

“Construction, events and the oil and gas sector will play a huge part in Byrne’s growth in the coming years. The Red Sea and Neom developments have presented a need for us to expand our bases to new territories in the North West regions of the country. This area is also showing promising signs of a big upturn in events and construction, for which we anticipate opportunities that will come our way,” he says.

Since launching its Saudi operations over 20 years ago, Byrne has expanded its footprint across the entire kingdom. Headquartered in Jubail, with offices and depots in Dammam, Riyadh, Turaif, Jeddah and Yanbu, the company has wide coverage across the kingdom to service its clients effectively and efficiently.

Today, Byrne is one of the largest single sources of plant and equipment rental in Saudi Arabia with an extensive rental fleet of more than 5,000 units of equipment which is growing rapidly to meet the current and anticipated future demand.

Byrne’s power division has historically been the strongest in the Saudi market; the company has a wide range of generators and alternative power solutions which can be tailored to meet any requirement, Dodgson points out.

“In more recent years, with the deployment of new product lines in powered access, hoist and mast climbers and HVAC solutions, we are witnessing a more diversified demand, reinforcing Byrne’s key strength of being the largest single source supplier for plant and equipment rental in the kingdom,” he remarks.

“When it comes to construction projects, we have a wealth of experience and product diversity to become the preferred equipment supplier from the moment that you break ground and require office space for the project team, to the final commissioning and testing where power and HVAC solutions are required. Construction has always played an important part in Byrne’s historic growth in the region and although it has been volatile in recent years, we see a huge amount of potential here and we will continue to invest where we can add the most value to our customers and shareholders. We have exciting plans to expand our fleet and product lines that reinforce this strategy,” he adds.

Dodgson says the equipment rental market in the GCC is maturing at a considerable rate; end-users are increasingly becoming more reliant on rental as an alternative to purchasing with heavy upfront costs.

“The flexibility that renting equipment offers versus buying is appealing to companies as renting means no upfront cash expenditure, no periodic maintenance and overhead costs. Furthermore, the flexibility to on/off-hire as a projects timeline permits, and the ability to access the newest equipment with the latest technology with the peace of mind the equipment is being well maintained, is a major advantage to companies across all industries.

“Demand for equipment rental is increasing with many new players entering the market; however, Byrne has been in this industry for over 30 years now, so we know what it takes to be at the forefront and excel in our service offering. We are able to provide packaged solutions for our clients and that is enabling us to lead the way in this field,” he emphasises.

Dodgson points out that equipment monitoring and maintenance is key to success in the equipment rental industry, and having robust systems that ensure maximum uptime of machines is a must. Byrne has a wealth of experience managing machinery and plant and has built a strong foundation around its maintenance programme.

“Every asset is different and requires specific skills to maintain; our team of over 500 technical staff have the required expertise to ensure that our assets operate at peak performance. Also, technology over the last decade has influenced how we manage our equipment, from having the right ERP solutions which help manage our workflows to having the latest telemetry and remote monitoring solutions fitted to our assets. Given the vast territory we are operating in, remote monitoring is often non-negotiable as it enables us to manage data from our assets in a much more efficient manner than in the past where we would have to drive 500 km to diagnose a fault or problem. Now we can do this remotely and send our engineers with the right tools and spare parts for the specific problem, ultimately saving time and money for both the company and our clients,” Dodgson concludes.