Gulf Construction Online - MK wired for success in the Middle East

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MK wired for success in the Middle East

01 November 2006

Supplying wiring devices and cable management systems to prestigious projects such hotels and luxury villas is a challenge that calls for a very high safety standard of the products and MK has been doing just that.

MK is a trend-setter and standard bearer in the UK in electrical wiring accessories and other products for 90 years and part of Honeywell’s electrical devices and systems division.
“Undoubtedly the challenge in this segment is not to sacrifice safety in the name of design and aesthetics,” says Mike Southgate, managing director of Honeywell, in an exclusive interview with Gulf Construction.
“So even for high-end wiring devices such as our designer range of switches and sockets you’ll find our unique safety shutter system, which inhibits access to the electrical supply. Safety is an integral part of the MK brand value and features heavily across our entire portfolio. For example, on cable management products, you’ll find anti-tamper fixings that stop unauthorised access to cables and terminals. British Standards (BS) have been heralded as the most stringent in the world and there is no exception when it comes to safety. We like to think that at MK we go beyond the requirements of BS and that’s why we offer a comprehensive 20-year guarantee on wiring devices and a 10-year guarantee on cable management systems,” he adds.
The company recently won a $3.3 million order to supply wiring accessories for the $5 billion Palm Island project. It was the largest single order for wiring devices in MK’s history. The order also meant that the firm had to manufacture the wiring devices to the client’s specifications as the deal required a different format data plate to the European version.
“At MK, we pride ourselves on our ability to offer bespoke solutions for individual project requirements. All the new products developed each year are as a direct result of customer feedback – at least 15 per cent of our annual sales come from new products. And, as we still manufacture our wiring devices in our award-winning factory in Southend, UK, we are able to adapt our design and manufacturing facilities quickly and easily to suit customer demand.
“Due to the scale and complexity of The Palm Island development, we made the decision to project manage the operation. We worked closely with the designers and specifiers from project inception through to final delivery. This way, we were able to advise on product selection by application, product finish and schedule our production facilities within the UK accordingly.
“Such was the scale of this project that bespoke products and finishes were required on some parts of the development. In these cases, MK was able to develop a number of different finishes to client specification. Samples of the recommended finishes were developed in our technical laboratory in the UK and shipped to Dubai for final approval. Our technical expertise in bespoke manufacturing resulted in MK also producing lighting and dimming front plates on behalf of Quantran Systems – a UK-based manufacturer of environmental, lighting and dimming control systems – for each apartment. This ensured that lighting and electrical finishes were a perfect match,” says Southgate.
The Palm Island is an iconic man-made island development by Nakheel, adding about 40 km to the Dubai shoreline. MK won the prestigious 1,400 super luxury villas project, including the Signature Villas, Garden Homes and Canal Cove Villas. The clientele was offered a choice of selection of MK’s traditional, classical and modern styles of finishes for the villas. MK offered its Aspect Polish Brass for the traditional and classical styles and Polish Chrome for the modern style. The total number of individual wiring accessories to be supplied was in excess of 240,000 and it was completed in a record time of six months from the date of receipt of the purchase order.
“At Palm Island, we have supplied our top-of-the-line range Aspect with different finishes for 1,400 villas to suit different themes and interior design of the project. Our team, comprising of product managers, technical and salesmen, worked with the interior designers and consultants to develop and provide the required finishes,” he adds.
According to Southgate, the MK range of products has been designed and manufactured with every application in mind. “Our cable management products,” he says, “are used extensively on hospital and school projects across the world. Our decorative range of wiring devices – Edge, Aspect and the new Arctic range of glass products – have been specified and installed on such prestigious projects as the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London; Tower One, Madinat Jumeirah, ShangriLa Hotel, Emirates headquarters (under construction), Emaar Business Park, Etisalat telecommunications and Administration building in Dubai, in addition to The Palm Island. Other significant projects in the region are Dokaae (Development of King Abdul Aziz Endowment) project in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Hamad Medical City in Qatar, Zayed University Dubai, Bahrain Financial Harbour in Bahrain, to name a few.”
MK is also actively involved in supplying decorative wiring accessories for upmarket residential projects in London and Dublin. Hotels and residential apartments are a key market segment for these products.
The short timelines to manufacture and supply is a major challenge and with MK’s expertise in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), lean manufacturing techniques, use of Six Sigma processes and international logistics expertise, “we like to think that we are ready for whatever demands are made of the business when it comes to supplying projects wherever they may be in the world. Our in-house design teams and manufacturing facilities in the UK give MK the flexibility to suit customer requirements. With respect to the Palm Island project, we were able to discuss the product requirements with the client and plan our manufacturing schedule accordingly. This ensured all products were delivered to the customer on time, every time,” says Southgate.
MK has been operating in the region for more than 30 years with exceptional results.
“During our tenure, we have been proud to contribute to some landmark and iconic developments within the region, most notably the magnificent Palm Island and Tower One projects. Our contribution has been borne out of creating and nurturing relationships with key clients and specifiers within the region,” says Southgate.
“I also believe that our in-house design, award-winning UK manufacturing plants and our long-standing reputation for quality, safety and reliability have made a significant contribution to our success in the region. In the cable management business, we are able to provide design solutions to customers to suit their needs as we have done for the Emaar Business Park, Emirates Headquarters building, Jafza (Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority) project, and many other landmark developments.
“We are also able to create finishes in wiring accessories with our major ranges like Aspect, Insignia to match the interior theme. Classic examples are creation of Antique bronze finish for Madinat Jumeirah and other required finishes for Palm Island Project.
Southgate believes that the most complicated element in manufacturing and supplying the region has been the speed at which the area has developed and the sheer range and volume of product ordered. “Fortunately our relationships in the region and our in-house design and manufacturing facilities have enabled us to adapt to this dynamic environment. We also understand that the specifiers and designers in the region are highly audacious in their outlook and are willing to take a risk in order to achieve design excellence. It is a testament to their entrepreneurial spirit that MK is so proud to be associated with some of the magnificent structures that have been developed in recent years.”
So how does one marry good design with functional innovation to create products that are reliable, durable and above all safe?
“Start with the basic premise that all products must be inherently safe and function as they should do, using tried-and-tested mechanisms and production systems that provide durability and reliability,” he says. “Good design, whether it be the introduction of new materials, shapes, colours is then overlaid to produce a product that ‘raises the bar’ in that sector. Testing and inspection of products plays an enormous role in our manufacturing process and we pride ourselves on 100 per cent end-of-line inspection, which ensures all products arrive with the customer on time and more importantly operating safely.”
MK has hit a significant milestone with the introduction of its Arctic range of switches and sockets that come in striking frosted glass translucent surrounds with contrasting yet complementary brushed satin chrome inserts. It’s been designed to melt into almost any design scheme. Says Southgate, “it is still early days for Arctic but initial feedback from the target market of designers and specifiers has been highly encouraging. The look and feel of the product has drawn extensive praise from the design community and is encouraging us to extend the offering even further.”