WHILE group company Ashco, a specialist in cable management systems, was the focus of its growth strategy last year, Al Ashoury Trading Industry and Contracting Company is now shifting its attention to another affiliate Ash Power in an attempt to tap the various segments of the electromechanical sector and diversify its revenue streams.

“During the past year, we have equipped Ashco with state-of-the-art CNC machines to meet growing demand in the market for its products,” says Dr Nabil Al Ashoury, president and chairman of the Riyadh-based company, which also introduced a new type of cable tray in 2011.

“This year we are planning to focus on Ash Power, which offers steel structures, and telecommunications and power towers. We will be adding new production lines and upgrading existing ones to deliver first-class products and ensure customer satisfaction,” adds Dr Nabil.

Al Ashoury has supplied tonnes of products from its facilities to major projects in Saudi Arabia as well as other countries in the region. One of the key projects it was involved in was the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, where it supplied its products to a number of contractors, including a 128.6-tonne steel structure, which has been mounted on the rooftop of Towers A and B in Parcel 2.07, being carried out by Saudi Constructioneers Establishment; 1,100 tonnes of cable trays, ladders, trunking and accessories to ETA Star Electro Mechanical Company; a 89-tonne steel structure to Permasteelisa Gartner; and 218 tonnes of cable trays, ladders, trunking and accessories to Saudi Binladin Group.

This follows the supply of 325 tonnes of cable trays, ladders, trunking and accessories to El Seif Engineering for the project in 2010.

Other projects to which it has contributed are Dhurma Electric Company’s Riyadh PP11 independent power plant, which called for the supply of 700 tonnes of 380-kV steel gantry structure to Siemens and Hyundai Heavy Industry; a 26-tonne steel structure to ABB Contracting Company for a power factor correction project in Riyadh; and the Saudi Carpet facilities in Riyadh, for which it supplied a 185-tonne steel structure for the machinery plant to the contractor Al Abdullatif Industrial Investment.

Elsewhere in the region, it has also provided a 982-tonne steel structure for the machinery plant to SwissTex Winterthur for Oriental Weavers facility in Ramdan City, Egypt.

During 2010, it had supplied 1,000 tonnes and 814 tonnes of cable trays, ladders, trunking, supports and accessories to Advance Vision Company and to CCC, respectively, for the Princess Nora University project in Riyadh; 443 tonnes of cable trays, ladders, trunking and accessories to Nesma Partners for Olaya Towers; and steel structures to at least seven power projects to ABB Contracting Company.

According to deputy general manager Eid Al Ashoury, business was “great” last year and is gaining momentum. Saudi companies were isolated from the impact of the global financial turndown, thanks to their sound foundations and robust infrastructure, he adds.

Al Ashoury Industry was established over two decades ago as an electromechanical supporting systems manufacturer in Riyadh. Today, it is a highly diversified group of companies committed to providing high-quality products and services utilising decades of specialisation, advanced machinery, and the technical ability of its employees.

The company is backed with a robust infrastructure including the latest manufacturing facilities, an in-house testing unit and a warehousing facility. The group comprises:

• Ashco, a pioneer in cable management and electromechanical support systems. It specialises in the manufacture of cable trays, ladders and trunking, floor boxes, channels and all types of cable management products. The ISO-certified company uses the latest CNC machinery to manufacture high-quality products as per international standards and client requirements. Its 5,000-sq-m facility in Riyadh’s Second Industrial City has a production capacity of more than 6,000 tonnes annually. Ashco is an approved vendor to Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and Saudi Aramco.

• Ash-Power, which specialises in heavy steel structures, power and telecommunication towers, has a 16,000-sq-m facility in Riyadh, equipped with the latest CNC machinery. It has the capacity to produce 15,000 tonnes a year of water and fuel tanks, crane girders (single/double) machinery frames, walkways, access and spider ladders, sunshades, pre–engineering sections, greenfield towers, rooftop and self-supporting towers, tower gantries, monopoles,  camera poles and towers with all types of antenna-mounting systems. The ISO-certified company is approved by STC, Mobily and Zain.

• Galvatec, equipped with a huge galvanisation plant, specialises in hot-dip galvanising services. Set up in 2009 on a total area of 17,000 sq m in Riyadh’s Second Industrial City, it has an advanced galvanising bath measuring 14.5 m by 1.6 m with a depth of 2.8 m and a capacity of 36,000 tonnes per year.

Al Ashoury is also looking at establishing sales offices in Qatar and other GCC countries over the next two years, according to Ashraf Al Ashoury, deputy executive manager of the firm. The new offices are expected to enable the company to increase its market penetration and exports, which have been growing steadily, he adds. Al Ashoury products are well tested under the guidance of expert quality control inspectors before final dispatch. These products are available in varied dimensions and designs and enjoy a high demand in sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, offices, residential buildings, educational institutions, electric power stations, petrochemical plants, carpet and telecommunication industries.

Its manufacturing units are also well equipped with design software such as Staad Pro 2004, SAP2000, Guy Mast, Autocad 2005, Bocad, X-Steel, Win-Steel and TS-Tower, which facilitate in carrying out 3D modelling and 2D drafting of the products.