Rubber World Industries signs USD 4 million contract with Lanxess AG
Leading rubber insulation manufacturer to use top quality
Nitrile Rubber for its industry-leading ‘Gulf-O-Flex’ products
Rubber World Industries (RWI), the leading manufacturer of closed-cell rubber insulation 'Gulf-O-Flex' in the Gulf and South-East Asia, and part of the international business conglomerate, the Memon Group of Companies, announced that it has signed a contract worth USD 4 million for the supply of Nitrile Rubber (NBR) and speciality chemicals from German-based Lanxess AG, the largest manufacturer of NBR in the world and one of the leaders in specialty chemicals. The order was placed to ensure that only top quality NBR will be used for the manufacturer’s industry-leading 'Gulf-O-Flex' products. Dr. Andreas Roos, Manager - Technical Services, EMEA - Lanxess AG, signed the contract during a recent visit to the manufacturing plant of Rubber World Industries in Ajman.
While touring the plant, Dr. Roos praised the quality of ‘Gulf-O-Flex’ and emphasized on the procedures Lanxess AG maintained to produce a high quality product to meet the unique requirements of the Middle East market. With a temperature range of -40C to +125C, high performance NBR can withstand most of the severe applications and is therefore used in a wide variety of application areas requiring oil, fuel, and chemical resistance, such as the industrial sector, which heavily relies on this chemical. In the construction industry, it is used to seal all kinds of plumbing, air-conditioning, refrigeration and heating applications, making it a primary component of RWI’s ‘Gulf-O-Flex’. Designed for professional MEP contractors, the non-toxic, lightweight rubber insulation products are the only one in the market to meet clients’ unique requirements in terms of preventing condensation or frost formation on refrigerant lines, cold water plumbing and chilled water systems.
“Our leading position in the region is being driven by our commitment to quality, which is the most important factor we consider when manufacturing our products,” said Abu Baker Shaikhani, Managing Director, Rubber World Industries, and Chairman of the Memon Group. “We have identified the quality of Lanxess’ high performance specialty chemicals to be at par with the world standards we have set for our own products, thereby prompting us to invest heavily in their offerings. Our uncompromising stance towards maintaining the superior quality of our rubber insulation products amidst rising production costs is what fuels our growth and draws in more customers who seek to benefit from our top-of-the-line products that incorporate the best raw materials in the world.”
The contract with Lanxess AG is also in line with the company’s AED 30 million expansion plan for 2008, which is aimed at increasing its production capacity to over 3,600 containers per year by 2013. As the largest producer of the widest range of rubber insulation pipes and sheets that meets almost 75 per cent requirements of the local and regional markets, RWI currently holds 86 per cent of the rubber market share in the Middle East and aims to further extend its stronghold of the region’s rubber industry towards the rest of the globe. With the demand for rubber products expected to grow substantially - particularly in the Middle East where demand has soared - the prospects for Rubber World Industries look good.
“Our success in the Middle East has led us to explore new foreign markets, which are also in the face of increased demand for top grade rubber insulation products as a result of heightened construction activities. We have strengthened our production capabilities to manufacture a wider range of rubber insulation products under the strictest quality control and safety standards to produce a multi-purpose product that facilitates energy and maintenance costs savings. This has earned us the confidence of the largest UAE-based real estate developers,” concluded Shaikhani.
‘Gulf-O-Flex’ is ASTM certified and has also received the ISO-9002 Certification from BSI (British Standard Institute), which proves the company’s commitment towards excellent international quality standards. With modern plants located in the Ajman Industrial Area in the UAE, RWI is the only producer of rubber insulation in the Middle East region, producing a versatile range of rubber insulation products to meet the requirements of the oil and gas fields, construction, shipping and automobile industries. Since its inception in 1993, the company has delivered high quality products to major property developments by real estate leaders in the UAE, such as Emaar and Nakheel. The company’s UAE plant is among the few that not only meet local demand but also earn foreign exchange by exporting rubber insulation products to other countries, including the US, Germany, Russia, Canada, South Africa, Germany and Singapore.
