Gulf Construction Online - Al Huraiz sets sights on global markets

Bathrooms, Fittings & Water Heaters

Al Huraiz sets sights on global markets

01 December 2001

A UAE manufacturer of water heaters has embarked on a drive to boost its exports in a bid to make its presence felt around the world.

"We have been taking part in major trade exhibitions as part of a drive to enhance our profile in the export market and our participation at the two recent shows - the Big 5 2001 in Dubai and as well as the East African Trade Expo 2001 in Tanzania - has indicated a positive sign of success," says P S Philip, the general manager of Al Huraiz Establishment for Industry. "We presently export to Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman in the Gulf, Africa and the Far East."

The Dubai-based manufacturer is also encouraging clients to go online - at www.everhotuae.com - for quicker and faster service. "Our website is designed to be user friendly where customers can place enquiries and make orders on line," he says. "We have always been in step with the latest technology and the company is presently undergoing a complete transformation with computerisation at all levels of administration."

Al Huraiz, which is well known for its Everhot water heaters, started operations in 1975 and over the years, the company has grown into a larger enterprise with a wider range of activities.

"For the past 26 years Everhot water heaters have always been a perfect solution to contractors and builders looking for reliable and economical water heaters," says Philip. "The company has constantly strived to manufacture water heaters with enhanced performance values."

Everhot SS (stainless steel) water heaters are available in a range of models and come with a 10-year warranty in the UAE. The heaters are produced using high-quality non-corrosive stainless steel tanks and a special heating element for extra life. The heaters are designed to ensure trouble-free performance, total safety and are tested using stringent quality procedures on each part of the unit.

Philip elaborates: "The inner tank is made from premium quality 316 grade stainless steel sheets. It has a highly corrosion-resistant, long-life Incoloy heating element and hi-tech Italian thermostat.

''Other features include PUF (polyurethane foam) insulation for excellent retention, a twin function valve for additional safety, a magnesium anode to protect the inner tank against corrosion from dissolved salts; an anti-splash mechanism which ensures a continuous supply of hot water and superior earthing to eliminate the risk of electric shock. The material used for the outer body is pre-coated on the inner and outer surfaces for double protection against corrosion, thereby giving a long lasting protection and superior finish."

Al Huraiz's manufacturing facility is equipped with automatic machinery imported from Italy, the US and India. Some of the machines are programmable logic controlled (PLC) and are specially designed for water heaters. Automatic slitting shearing systems for cutting blank sheets from sheet metal coils are imported from the US and are among the most sophisticated machinery installed in the plant.

The company also employs high-precision computer-controlled systems for metal cutting, welding and painting. All these installations have helped the company achieve international quality standards. The company attributes its long-standing popularity in the water heater industry to its commitment to select the best raw materials, its manufacturing process and prompt customer service.

"The quality of water heaters depends to a large extent on the quality of the metal used to make the inner tank," says Philip. "The thicker this metal, the longer it takes to corrode given that the joints are properly welded. The Everhot range is made of uniform standard thickness."

Al Huraiz manufactures two other brands of water heaters, Excel and Centour. "The essential difference between them is the thickness of the galvanised iron sheet used for making the inner tank: 1.5 mm in Excel and 1.2 mm in Centour," says Philip. "Centour is an economy model targeted at the lower end of the market, but the quality of these two models have been steadily maintained over the last 25 years."

Al Huraiz says it was the first water heater manufacturing company to achieve the ISO 9002 quality management and ISO 14001 environment management systems in the GCC. "We decided to acquire these certifications essentially to confirm that our quality is the same as that of our European competitors," says Philip.

The company presently manufactures 90,000 water heaters a year and Philip expects this figure to rise on the back of demand to 125,000 by next year.

Besides GI (galvanised iron) and stainless steel water heaters the company also markets glass-lined water heaters from France and Spain under the brands Everhot Super and Everhot Edesa. Depending on customer requirements, the company is capable of supplying copper tank models was well as large-capacity water 64