OGN: How long has IPC been operating in Saudi Arabia?
INTERNATIONAL: International has been present in the Middle East since the early 1970's and strengthened its operations in Saudi Arabia by commissioning its modern factory in 1983.
OGN: What are the key strengths of the company in Saudi Arabia?
INTERNATIONAL: Number one is caring for our customers' standards furthermore our global Group has a 'no compromise' policy on the highest standards of health and safety, environmental protection, product quality, best practice manufacturing, training people and local employment.
OGN: What are the particular opportunities (technical or otherwise) in operating in Saudi Arabia?
INTERNATIONAL: We must respect, understand and ''fit in'' to the local culture and environment.
We continue to research and develop our global product range to meet our customers' needs whilst adding value to their assets.
OGN: Do you develop products and technologies in Saudi Arabia for application in the Kingdom? Do you manufacture in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Gulf?
INTERNATIONAL: All the products and technologies are developed to global standards at a number of research laboratories throughout the world. Saudi Arabia is an important part of this function.
Our Middle East operations carry out all practical suitability tests for high temperature application in our local environment and this work is coordinated centrally at our main laboratory in the UK. Only when all tests and performance measurements have been sanctioned by them is the formulation released to the Group for global manufacture. We manufacture in Saudi Arabia for domestic and export markets.
OGN: Describe IPC's facilities in the Kingdom, office locations in the country, staff numbers etc.
INTERNATIONAL: The company has the facility to manufacture and sell to a range of specialist markets as defined below:
The factory and office administration is based on the New Dammam 2nd Industrial City, Abqaiq Road, Dammam. There is also a sales office and warehouse based in Jeddah to service the Western Province.
IPC Saudi Arabia has ISO 9002 Quality and ISO 14001 Environmental Certification and is currently going through recertification to ISO 9001/2000.
OGN: Has IPC recently introduced any new products to the Saudi/Gulf market? If not, are there any new products currently being developed/tested for this market?
INTERNATIONAL: We continually introduce new products from our global range, which have recently included leading edge technologies in:
OGN: Approximately what percentage of your business is oil and gasrelated?
INTERNATIONAL: We focus on defined markets.
We are market leaders in the Gulf and throughout the world.
OGN: What are the main driving forces for technological change in the protective coatings industry? How do you see the nature of the industry changing in the next 10 years?
INTERNATIONAL:
Technical Change
Change in the Industry
