Gulf Construction Online - Comfort counts

The Big 5 Special

Comfort counts

01 November 2015

Portacool, a leading manufacturer of portable evaporative coolers, will be displaying its full range of products that provide cooling solutions to the construction industry as well as for residential and commercial applications, at this year’s Big 5 show.

This will be the fifth year the company will be participating at the event. “The Big 5 show is one of the largest and the most influential construction exhibitions in the Middle East,” says Bob Mangiaforte, vice-president, sales, Portacool.

“From our standpoint, this is our most important show in the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region. It serves as the ideal platform to showcase our latest range of products and solutions. It also gives us a chance to further build brand awareness and engage closely with our customers in the region.”

He says the company’s focus is to keep workers safe, comfortable and performing at their best, adding that at the exhibition Portacool will also be highlighting products for residential and hospitality applications.

This year, the firm is looking to further developing its product lines to better serve its core customer base.

Portacool offers portable evaporative cooling solutions that assist in providing comfort in large, open industrial environments and smaller residential spaces. It manufactures and sells Portacool portable evaporative coolers and Kuul evaporative media. The evaporative coolers are particularly suitable for outdoor areas where traditional air-conditioning is impractical or cost prohibitive.

“Our products are extremely versatile with applications in the agriculture, aviation, automotive, industrial, military, hospitality sectors as well as homes and patios, and sports and athletics sectors,” says Mangiaforte.

“Worker comfort and safety is a growing concern in this region on construction and industrial sites. Portacool is committed to providing cooling solutions to keep workers safe, comfortable and performing at their best.

“In industrial settings, growing awareness of health and safety practices in workplaces has led to the increased use of advanced and innovative technologies in the region. Portacool supplies products that cool work places across the region including to companies such as Kuwait Steel and Agility to ensure both worker productivity and safety,” he adds.

Portacool is witnessing another exceptional year of growth in 2015 with increased sales as the company continues to expand its presence in the region and worldwide. The company has this year partnered with UPS on a distribution centre located in Dubai, UAE.

The sales growth is again in the double-digits so far, according to Mangiaforte. “The record-high temperatures in the region this summer have positively impacted our sales figures. According to consumer sales and rental numbers of a retailer in Dubai, Portacool products have seen an increase of 11.75 per cent each year in sales for the past three years,” he says.

Earlier in January, the US-based company launched a revitalised corporate identity that signifies the transformation of a company driven by innovation. Additionally, it continues to invest heavily in research and development, listening to customer feedback to meet market demands.

At the start of summer this year, Portacool opened a new 3,050-sq-m warehouse facility in Spain to meet the rising demand in Europe for its products. The new facility in Barcelona provides a strategic link between Portacool’s manufacturing capabilities in the US and customer demand, providing rapid deployment of cooling solutions to customers across Europe.

Headquartered in Center, Texas, since 1990, the company is celebrating its 25-year anniversary this year with a new tagline, ‘When Comfort Counts’, encapsulating the benefits of using the products to protect against heat stress and discomfort.

Portacool products are sold via distributors and retailers across the US and in 56 countries abroad. It currently employs 300 people worldwide.

Commenting on the company’s future plans, Mangiaforte says: “Portacool continues to increase its global footprint through distributor networks to meet its international growth strategy.”

He says the region holds many opportunities for the company and it is actively looking to expand its presence through new distribution channels in areas where it aims to bolster operations to serve its customers.

“We believe that infrastructure development to build airports, hotels and transportation systems will continue in order to meet the needs of both residents and tourists in the Middle East. Recently we have also witnessed a renaissance in the construction industry with an increased focus on worker safety and welfare,” he concludes.

Portacool will be exhibiting its products at Stand PMV C44 at The Big 5.