Gulf Construction Online - Ceramics firm presses ahead with expansion

Bathrooms, Fittings & Water Heaters

RAK sanitary ware has a ÔperfectÕ finish.

Ceramics firm presses ahead with expansion

01 December 2001

RAK Ceramics (Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics) continues to expand its production lines as it seeks to increase its market share within the UAE and overseas.

The manufacturer of ceramics tiles and sanitary ware is poised to open its seventh factory this month and expects to start work on its eighth early next year, according to general manager Dr Khater Massaad.

"We will commission our seventh factory by end of this year," says Dr Massaad. "This factory will produce both glued tiles and hi-tech gres porcelanato tiles and have a capacity of 2,000 sq m a day."

"Construction of our eighth factory will start in February 2002 keeping in mind the growing demand for gres porcelanato tiles," he adds. "This factory will have an output of 30,000 sq m a day and will be equipped with most sophisticated machinery."

Construction of its 14,630 sq ft new headquarters is also under way. This includes 5,454 sq ft exclusive showroom, RAK Gallery, to be opened by the year-end, where the company will display its wide range of products.

RAK Ceramics was incorporated in 1989 and started production of floor and wall tiles in June 1991. Its sanitary ware division started production in 1993.

"Within a short span of just 10 years, RAK Ceramics has firmly consolidated its position as one of the leading producers of ceramic and gres porcelanato wall and floor tiles and sanitary ware products. The company has continuously expanded with the installation of sophisticated machineries from best machinery suppliers such as Sacmi, Barbieri and Tarrozzi.

Headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah, the company has offices and showrooms in Sharjah and Dubai. It presently has six tile and two sanitary ware factories spread over an area of 1 million sq m. Two of the six tile factories are devoted to the production of high-quality gres porcelanato tiles. It also has factories in Bangladesh and Slovakia.

The company has a total workforce of 2,300 employees and its turnover last year was US$175 million.

RAK Ceramics complements its line of tiles with a range of decorative accessories and listellos. "We have a computerised numerically controlled (CNC) machine and water jets to produce mosaic incrustations, vanity tops and other items in various colours and intricate designs," says Dr Massaad.

"Our sanitary ware division produces complete bathroom suites in different colours, acrylic shower trays and bath tubs and bathroom furniture."

The company has its own clay and sand quarries in Ras Al Khaimah, but it also imports raw materials from the UK, France, Spain and Egypt.

The six tiles factories together produce 110,000 sq m a day of ceramic and gres porcelanato wall and floor tiles in sizes ranging from 10 x 10 to 120 x 180 cm and in thicknesses of up to 2 cm. Production capacity will rise to 112,000 sq m a day after the commissioning of its seventh factory. "We started the production with a single line back in 1991 and today we have 18

production lines with 14 kilns and 18 large presses including the world's largest hydraulic press - a pH 7200 from Sacmi - that can produce the biggest slabs in the world," comments Dr Massaad. "Apart from this, two presses and three kilns are used exclusively to produce listellos and skirtings."

RAK Ceramics' two sanitary ware factories produce a total of 1.8 million pieces per annum. "We have 10 pressure casting plants for the production of wash basins, pedestals, cisterns, lids and accessories," Massaad says.

"Robot-spraying is used to give each piece of sanitary ware a perfect finish. We plan to install a new Sacmi tunnel kiln next year, which will enable us to reach a production capacity of 2.4 million pieces per year."

Dr Massaad says the company's mission is to provide its customers high-quality products through technology and innovation. "Being equipped with the most modern and state-of-the-art machinery in our factories, we come up with many new models quite regularly," he says. "Our in-house designers - with the assistance of famous Italian and European designers -

produce breath-taking models that will have a mass appeal in any environment. In fact, we closely watch the trends and fashions in the ceramic world and incorporate them in our product development. Our new Al Hambra and Calacatta series are good example of this. In addition, we have developed many new artificial stone and marble collections such as Elegant Stone, Belgian Stone, Coral Stone, Silex Stone and Bottocino."

Dr Massaad says that RAK Ceramics currently covers 75 per cent of the UAE market and expects this to further rise to 80 per cent in the near future, on the back of a buoyant construction industry and an upsurge in new projects.

"We see a bright future here," he says. "Quite frankly, we do not face any competition here. People here are very cautious and you cannot fool them with cheap products. If you buy a cheap product at the end of the day you will lose out because of poor quality. We give our customers the latest in designs and concepts using the latest technology, that too at a very reasonable price."

RAK Ceramics' main market is the UAE, followed by the rest of the Middle East, Europe, UK and US. "We export our products to 128 countries and last year exports rose by 20 per cent," he says. "And the acceptance of our products in European and American markets - where stringent specifications are applied - is testimony to our quality."

Prestigious buildings which have used products from RAK Ceramics include the Sheraton Abu Dhabi in the UAE capital; the Al Bustan Hotel and Al Ghurair Centre, both in Dubai; Sharjah Rotana hotel, Ahmed Al Attar Towers, Khalid Al Attar Towers, Al Mahar resort, Khalifa Al Abbar building and the Carrefour hypermarket, all in Sharjah; and the Manar Mall, Ras Al Khaimah among many others. The company is presently busy with an order for the Grand Hyatt hotel in Dubai, which is nearing completion.