German manufacturer of door technology systems and allied products Dorma is embarking on aggressive expansion plans in the region to further reinforce its market position.

“Over the past two years, the region’s construction spending has risen tremendously and the next decade suggests even more growth in most of the markets,” observes Ben Shaw, managing director, GCC, Middle East and North Africa. 
With this in mind, Dorma has plans for further investments in its production capabilities within the region.  It also intends to start a new specification support service through a project management team, which is to be set up, he says.
Initially starting in the UAE, this service will also be extended over the next 12 months to cover Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, among other countries in the region.
Further product innovations will also follow in the short term, some of which were displayed at the recent Big 5 Show 2003 from the five Dorma divisions: automatic, door controls, glass, STA (security time and access) and movable walls.
“Our STA division in particular is working hard on some revolutionary products using the latest technology and these will be shown at the next show later in the year,” says Shaw.
Since the foundation of its subsidiary Dorma Gulf in 1997 in the Jebel Ali Free Zone and the establishment of a production site, Dorma Arabia, in Dammam in 2000, (under a joint venture with the AH Al Zamil Group), Dorma has witnessed a tremendous growth in recent years.
Within this short time span, Dorma has become the market leader in the region for offering complete solutions, accessories and systems for all types of openings.
“Through the investments we have made in the region we have fulfilled one of the Dorma Group’s strategic goals of  ‘Thinking global acting local’,” says Shaw.
The German manufacturer, considered a global leader in the door hardware and room partition sectors and the international number two in automatic door systems, has several production centres in Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, China and North and South America.