Petro Middle East in 2011: Staying the Course of Success

Strength to strength

“Petro Middle East (PME), in 2011, continues along its proven path of success,” states Jamal Zaher, managing partner of PME. “Collaborating with the type of high end manufacturers that offer standard setting products and engineering firms offering specialised skills, PME aims to be a one-stopshop operation.”

Known throughout the market as a company that provides quality services, ensures promptdeliveries and offers worry free after sales support, PME was established in 1995 as a U.A.E. national company. Supplying equipment and support services to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries in the Gulf States, PME has achieved its success by boasting a wide rangeof modern, clean and environmentally friendly products. PME’s customers include major oil companies, such as ADNOC Group, KOC and Saudi Aramco, as well as local and international EPC’s such as NPCC, PetroFac, Belleli, ALSA, Toledo and IMECO.

PME is managed by a professional and experienced team of qualified engineers and technical staff, trained to market and promote the company’s products, provide front line services and expert after sales support. PME’s core business is divided into two distinct yet fundamental areas, engineering products and engineering services. The former provides clients the supplies and support they require in the fields of instrumentation and control, electrical and power, mechanical and flow control and laboratory and analytical procedures. The company’s engineering services division undertakes the supply of corrosion, integrity and marine inspection services to its major onshore and offshore clients.

“The key strengths that set PME apart from its competition are its engineering expertise, it has product groups specialists heading every division, its development departments where market intelligence is utilised to create products for future market needs and the close relationships it creates with end users and local EPC’s, both large and small,” Jamal explains. “These relationships allow the company to be a problem solver, which clients call on to brainstorm ideas that will accommodate the various challenges they face in the field.”

2010 was a good year for the company as it continued to experience high levels of growth through its expanding supplier base: “PME’s operations are all about quality not quantityand this makes all its processes very selective,” Jamal says. “The company must maintain its reputation in the market in such a way that it compliments its product portfolio. As is the case with any successful business, growth can not be attained if you lose focus of your core product groups.

“Furthermore, our smart investments in joint ventures, as they continue to expand, have paid off. PME’s facilities in Mussafah, housing these JV’s, were born out of the belief in the long term demand from the UAE in particular and the GCC market as a whole. In one year, TSS4U Middle East, a JV with a Dutch company that provides industrial solar solutions, has more than doubled its staff and was recently awarded a contract for 26 solar systems at ADCO’s ASR project.”

PME’s group of companies includes ACIS, its automation and control arm, Rohr Rein Chemie Middle East, a South African industrial cleaning company and Pressbolt Middle East, an Italian studbolt and fastener manufacturer. In addition to these joint ventures, PME operates an Automation and Control Service centre managed by internationally certified technicians and qualified staff.

The year also saw PME participate at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference, the biggest oil and gas exhibition in the Middle East. Here it was supported by almost half of its partners, all of which have experienced first-hand the value of working with the company and the positive impact the relationship with PME has had on their short and long term prospects. 2011 will see PME make more visits to local and international exhibitions, allowing it to stay abreast of the latest industry developments and products while interacting with potential suppliers. PME, as a company, always has its eye on future possibilities by having an in-house business development team whose task is to study the latest market needs and opportunities and search for the solutions that can meet these demands.

There have been a number of recent developments and additions to the company’s portfolio that highlight the growing reach of PME: “Additions include partnerships with BONO Energia, a producer of industrial steam, thermal fluid, hot oil and biomass boilers, Sandvik Kathnal, manufacturers of electric process heaters, and MES, which provides integrity services. These services are very important at present as it becomes an increasingly critical issue for end users to maintain their aging facilities,” Jamal comments. “PME also continues to expand its consultancy services, from training to software developments, to build on the engineering expertise within the company.”

After such a successful period of growth, it gives Jamal great enthusiasm that 2011 has thus far shown the same positive signs that business is continuing to move forward: “The level of investment in the oil and gas industry is most definitely not waning, new projects are shifting from onshore to offshore at great speed and there is an increase in downstream activities involving petrochemicals. Together these factors create excellent prospects for PME in the years to come, where it will continue to operate in the same vein, building on its chosen tie-ins, providing more local after sales support and embarking on more local engineering projects through partnership with local EPC’s. This process will allow PME to gain leverage through its close customer relationships, further spreading its impeccable reputation throughout the market.”

Petro Middle East
Services: Equipment and support services