The Construction Products Association has helped hundreds of UK manufacturers win business worldwide including the region, with the industry notching up exports worth more than $8 billion per annum.

The Construction Products Association (CPA), representing the UK’s manufacturers and distributors of construction products and materials, has been spearheading efforts by its members to reach out to markets in the Middle East.

The association is the leading voice in the UK that promotes and campaigns for British construction product manufacturers and distributors and is committed to raising the profile of its industry and members’ businesses, helping grow the market and reducing regulatory risk.

It represents members across industry-wide organisations and alliances, whilst monitoring, supporting and lobbying government and public bodies in the UK and EU to develop effective, evidence-based policies and solutions.

“We’ve helped more than 200 companies in the construction products sector – particularly SME (small and medium enterprises) companies – to start exporting,” Dr Diana Montgomery, CPA chief executive tells Gulf Construction.

“Support to our members and partners including the UK Trade and Industry (UKTI) in major markets such as the Middle East and Gulf has contributed to our industry exporting £6 billion ($8.64 billion) per annum, about 12 per cent of all construction products manufactured.”

With the global construction market forecast to grow by over 85 per cent by 2030, she believes significant further opportunities exist for UK firms and represent an attractive option, particularly for some which may perhaps be too narrowly focused and exposed to their domestic market.

The UK’s construction products industry provides jobs for 313,000 people across 21,000 companies in the country.

“Ultimately, the CPA is about more than simply politics and regulations; it is about providing its members with the real value and insight to ensure their businesses can achieve sustainable, long-term success,” says a spokesman for the association.

He says the CPA aims to provide its members with unequalled value and benefits. “Whether its tracking and assessing government policies, interpreting those policies and regulations and providing expert advice, leading work with members and the wider construction supply chain to create consensus on issues, producing authoritative economic, technical and sustainability publications, or advocating on its members’ behalf in London, Brussels and the devolved regions, the CPA seeks to protect members and support their success.”

Montgomery ... export focus.

As a result of its efforts, CPA members enjoy increased sales in the Middle East. One such member is Polypipe, which recently received a prestigious award and was invited to join in the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations.

Headquartered in Doncaster, Polypipe was recognised by the Queen’s Award team for its work in driving increased sales across the globe, not least in the Middle East, where Polypipe recently solidified several years of growth in the region with the opening of its first overseas dedicated technical centre in October 2015.

The annual Queen’s Awards for Enterprise reward excellence by businesses in a number of fields, with Polypipe hailed for its exceptional work in increasing export activity.

Following the successful take-up of Polypipe products and design expertise in a number of the UAE’s most prestigious projects, the company is pursuing further growth in the Middle East while expanding into markets in southern Asia and Africa, as well as continuing growth in continental Europe.

The company recorded revenues of £15 million ($21.56 million) in 2015 in the Middle East.

Commenting on the Queen’s Award win, Vince Fenson, business development director at Polypipe, says: “It’s truly an honour to be recognised by The Queen and the Queen’s Award team for the excellent work that Polypipe staff have put into increasing our export activity.

“We were keen to grow during the recession and recognised the opportunities that exporting offers. The combination of our sector experience, design expertise, 20,000-strong product line and innate understanding of the needs of our customers means that we’re ideally placed to continue this growth in the years to come.”

A large part of Polypipe’s success has come through challenging traditional piping systems, made from materials such as clay, cast iron and concrete. In creating a range of innovative products that perform better than their alternatives, Polypipe systems have been able to provide customers a host of environmental benefits whether dealing with flooding or providing a sustainable source of heat and ventilation.

The company continues to develop its business in the Middle East. Its water management specification (WMS) has gained broad acceptance across the region, driving project demand for WMS solutions.

Polypipe’s Polystorm Soakaway tanks were specified for the prestigious Zabeel Palace project in Dubai.

It is currently commissioning a plant in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone to produce Polystorm water attenuation systems. The plant, which will be 100 per cent owned by Polypipe, will start production from Q3 2016. Machines and tooling worth £1.9 million ($2.73 million) were purchased in 2015 for the plant. Currently, all tooling for the Gulf region is being produced in the UK.