Juma Natursteinwerke, one of Germany’s largest manufacturers of Bavarian natural stone and marble, is entering the Middle East market and targeting annual exports to the region of 200,000 sq m within three years.

The Bavaria-headquartered firm projects the Middle East will account for five per cent of its global revenues by 2010 – up from its current 0.1 per cent.
“With major development projects now under way in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, these countries have become very hot markets that provide excellent opportunities for future expansion,” says Alois Schoepfel, the company’s president.
Juma, which currently produces 10,000 cu m of stone annually from its quarries in Altmuehltal, Germany, is looking to spearhead its drive into the region by making its debut in the specialised carpets and floor coverings show Domotex Middle East, which runs at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) this month.
“Our products are exclusively sold by specialist suppliers and we hope to meet a number of these at Domotex to build a cross-regional sales network,” says Schoepfel. “New business links generated at Domotex will directly influence our decision to open new offices across the GCC.”
As the region’s only dedicated flooring show, Domotex Middle East has attracted a host of first-time exhibitors including: Lazy Express, representing Norway’s Alloc, the company that has revolutionised the flooring industry with the introduction of mechanical locking systems for glue free installation and whose main product is high pressure laminate flooring; the UK’s commercial flooring provider, Polyflor Limited; Canada’s largest manufacturer of high quality hardwood products, Foresbec; and the UAE’s largest manufacturer of tufted wall-to-wall carpets, Standard Carpets.