Project Materials GmbH
A flexible approach
Project Materials specialises in providing companies in the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors with pipes and associated steel products.
Supplying projects across the energy industry forms the core of Project Materials’ business. Line pipes are available individually in a range of sizes or as part of a complete package, which contains numerous items used in the construction of a refinery, for example. In addition to pipes, the packages can include flanges, stud bolts, gaskets, fittings and valves.
Project Materials was established in January 2007, but as managing director Harald Stübben explains, the experience of the people within the business dates back much further: “Although the company itself is relatively new to the industry, we have been working in this business for the last decades and so we have a strong background in the energy sector. Our employees have years of experience assisting international projects for the energy sector. Under the umbrella organisation of Project Materials (PM) Piping, we aim to make the best use of our employees’ experience to the customers’ benefit.”
Angelika Gluch, director for human resources and financial affairs, adds: “We invest quite some time in finding high qualified and experienced employees worldwide. Our staff are one of our main assets as they are responsible for the service towards the client and offer the maximum assistance on a client’s project.” She also points out that due to the strong relationship with banking partners Project Materials is able to offer customised project finance, for letters of credits, guarantees, credit insurance and finance facilities for example.
Harald goes on to elaborate on the company’s main services: “We operate as a go between, involved in the construction of a project through the supply of the appropriate materials, as well as the arrangement of transportation to the drop-site. Based on the submitted design specification from the engineering company, we put the materials in the package together, always searching for the best quality and value items from around the world.”
Mario Voigtländer, sales director with special ties to Middle East, adds: “We also supply smaller quantities and top ups later on. The advantage here is our long-term relationship with the partners worldwide and also the strength of our group network. From our offices across the globe, we have the power to buy and sell everywhere in the world. So if there is a project in the Middle East, we can obtain enquiries with pipeline details, including fittings, flanges and other components. We price these and present a quote to the customer. If we are then awarded the contract, we ensure that everything has been assigned to the mills, which demonstrate the best quality and the suitable delivery times. We also try to find a mill that is as close to the job site as possible, so that shipment times can be reduced. We then take care of the necessary paperwork, and make sure that the customs clearance has been carried out, and we follow these areas up from day one until the final day when the project is commissioned.”
In terms of structural steel for offshore and construction projects, Project Materials supplies seamless and welded tubulars, beams and profiles, conductor pipes and guides, cones, piles, plates and gratings for offshore and construction projects. It also offers a wide range of line pipes for pipeline projects, including seamless pipes, HFI (ERW) pipes, SAW line pipes, induction bends, corrosion coating and lining, roll-bonded clad pipes and buckle arrestors.
Harald explains how its employees are key to maintaining efficiency and quality within the business: “Providing a good level of service is vital to Project Materials’ continued success, and as such we have recently employed Dr. Andreas Kreutz, as quality manager with special experience in the piping business, who is responsible for auditing all the mills that we use and ensures that the quality we offer remains consistently high. He is also in charge of making sure that our procedures are correct and that we keep to the specifications of our ISO accreditations. The long-term relationship with the mills is also a key factor in providing quality, as we need to know that they will help support us in providing this high level of service.”
As a number of projects in the energy sector are being delayed and cancelled at present, many businesses are currently experiencing a slowdown. Harald explains that the downturn is not having a negative impact on Project Materials: “The postponement of a number of key projects is a disadvantage to us, but we remain present and active in the market, aiming to pick up some of the smaller projects that are still ongoing. As we can also supply top ups and small quantities of materials, there is still plenty of work for us and the financial crisis has not affected us as badly as it has others. In fact there are a lot of opportunities in the marketplace at present. There are still projects out there, and next year we are positive that business will progress and postponed projects will restart. We are optimistic that although times are tough at the moment, there will be growth in the market in the near future.”
Philip Myburgh, managing director and main shareholder of Project Materials states his plans for the company’s future development: “We would like to increase our market share steadily. We’ve been expanding our staff to ensure that the projects are being dealt with in the right way, and our customers get the service they require for such projects, in terms of handling and shipping. In the future we aim to remaining flexible and efficient, as that is our main strength.”
Project Materials GmbH
Products: Pipes, steel structures and offshore project materials