Zamil Ladder hopes to step up its competitiveness and bottom line with the introduction of a new line later this year of “European-type” ladders which have seen growing demand in recent years.

A company spokesman said equipment had been ordered to make ladders using rectangular profiles with square rungs as against traditional Zamil offerings that use C-shaped profiles with O rungs.

The new line will have a production capacity of 300 ladders per day in various sizes. The launch will take place in the third quarter of the year.

“We have learned that companies in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE have been importing these ladders and we thought of replacing them with our own-Saudi-made production,” said the spokesman.

Zamil Ladder’s output in 2011 was 156,000 in 2011 and total sales were SR33 million ($8.7 million) against SR28.4 million in the previous year.

The company, a member of Zamil Architectural Holding Co (Zamil Group),  also reported an increase in exports to SR14.5 million against SR12.8 million. More than half the exports go to the UAE. Qatar is the next biggest market followed by Bahrain.

The company also makes manhole covers that contribute only a small portion of total sales. All its ladders and manhole covers use extruded aluminium alloys: 6063 and 6351. 

“Our products afford support access in all kinds of new and existing industries, projects and maintenance and domestic jobs,” said the spokesman. The Saudi Ministry of Defence and Saudi Aramco are among its clients.

One of the challenges is the presence of “counterfeit” products imported cheaply from the Far East, said the spokesman.