Kanoo Automotive and Industrial Equipment (KAIE), which has been supporting growth in the construction sector by offering top-of-the-range products, attributes its success to meeting customer requirements.

“Construction is Bahrain’s second largest industry after manufacturing, and in 2017 has added BD218.05 million ($576 million) to the country’s GDP – and KAIE, a leading distributor for high-quality automotive and industrial equipment, has directly influenced this growth,” says a key company official.

“The key to our success is that KAIE is amongst a few that really understands every customer’s needs,” said KAIE sales manager, Sudhindra Kalibhat. “With every client – whether working on a large- or small-scale project – we first try to understand the full requirements and then begin building a customised solution for them.”

Amongst KAIE’s partner brands, SPX Flow, SPX Power Team and  Industrial Hydraulic Services (IHS) stand out within the construction and infrastructure support sector of Bahrain. These best-in-class partners are helping it set new benchmarks in quality in various industries, ranging from construction, infrastructure, post-tensioning, plant maintenance, manufacturing processes, and oil and gas.

SPX Flow Bolting Systems

SPX Flow is a global Fortune 500 multi-industry company based in the US, offering market solutions across five broad-based categories: Power and energy, vehicle and transit, infrastructure, food and beverage and industrial processes.

Its SPX Flow Bolting Systems is a full-service global manufacturer of controlled bolting solutions, including hydraulic torque and tensioning systems. It was formed when SPX Flow Hydraulic Technologies (a division of SPX Flow) acquired Torque Tension Systems (TTS) of Ashington, UK.

“The new partnership combined the best high-pressure (10,000 psi) hydraulic power pack manufacturer, Power Team, with one of the industry’s best torque and tensioning tool manufacturers, resulting in a best-in-class bolting system,” said Kalibhat.

He added that TTS personnel combined their experience to develop a company dedicated to furthering the bolting industry, introducing new technologies and utilising advancements in material technology, enabling them to introduce innovative products that reduced the size, but increased durability and productivity.

Also from KAIE, SPX Power Team high-force tools and equipment – ranging from inflatable jacks, hydraulic pumps, cylinders and valves to clamping components and hydraulic accessories – are used wherever strong, concentrated force is required, in a wide area of applications including construction sites, power plants, rail lines, shipyards, and mining operations.

Meanwhile, IHS, another KAIE partner brand, offers products ranging from hydraulic equipment to precision engineering and specialised welding. Part of the renowned McMillan Engineering Group, IHS was officially registered in 1973. It set up a purpose-built factory in 1979 to streamline its operations.

Kalibhat said McMillan Engineering Group has the expertise and qualified personnel to meet any hydraulic need and manufactures a large range of IHS stressing equipment to suit all pre-stressing and post-tensioning needs.

Over the years, KAIE has built up an extensive list of satisfied clients.  Among them is SF MGC, a leading post-tensioning partner in the region. Pattis Naidu, managing director of SF MGC, commented: “We have been in business with KAIE since 2015, especially in Power Team hydraulic pumps and IHS stressing jack and accessories. We are extremely happy with the support from them on both the stock and spares, available at any time to meet our requirements.”

Furthermore, KAIE has a full-fledged after-sales service department and a dedicated application engineer, whose sole role is to provide end-to-end solutions for customers to ensure all their needs are met. The application engineer has the expertise to understand a project, beginning with a full overview of the site, and is involved from inception to delivery.

Kalibhat said KAIE enjoys a 60 per cent market share in Bahrain, supplying top-of-the-line equipment and solutions to five out of eight main post-tensioning contractors in Bahrain.

He said the company continuously explores new ideas, introducing the latest technology for automotive and industrial equipment to help accelerate the customer’s business growth.