A testament to Bahrain Atomisers International’s high-quality production of aluminium powders and pellets is its ability to withstand tough competition in developed markets.

The company, one of the oldest non-oil establishments in Bahrain having been set up in 1972 shortly after the Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) plant was erected, exports its entire output, with its major markets being the developed world.
A major element in Bahrain Atomisers’ creditable performance in demanding overseas markets has been its links to Ecka Granules, which has provided it the process technology, the quality system, production and R & D backup and marketing expertise.
 Germany-based Ecka Granules is an international leader with its three high-performance sectors comprising alloying, metal powders and application technology.  Established nearly 130 years ago, it has a global network with more than 15 production plants and 20 sales offices with technical service.
“Bahrain Atomisers is responsible for its own markets but uses the resources of the Ecka Granules’ network to accomplish this,” said Leon Fabrikanov, the general manager, just before his appointment to a new position within the Ecka Granules Group. The combination of local know-how and Ecka Granules’ expertise in production and marketing makes the Bahrain plant a truly significant force in its field.
Current production capacity is around 8,000 tonnes, and Bahrain Atomisers has been close to capacity during 2004, expecting to touch 7,900 tonnes for the full year and overtake the 2003 level of approximately 7,000 tonnes. The output comes from two atomisers, two powder-processing facilities and one pellet-manufacturing unit. The purity of its primary-grade aluminium goes as high as 99.9 per cent and the size of the aluminium particles ranges from 3 micron to 20 mm in diameter. Bahrain Atomisers’ production goes into TV screens, laptops, cars and rust proofing paints, among other things. It is among a handful of producers that take liquid metal from Alba.
The company is rated to ISO 9000-2000, the first aluminium producer in Bahrain to achieve the accreditation. Two years ago it installed a state-of-the-art gas cleaning system, bringing it in line with EU standards on dust emissions.
Growth at Bahrain Atomisers was achieved with constant improvements in the marketing network as well as its ability to produce top-quality international products with the backup of a high standard of services, said Fabrikanov.
One of the key elements in its advancement has been its response to customer needs. “We’ve been able to develop or tailor our production to existing needs as well as evolving ones,” Fabrikanov said. “You need to demonstrate your willingness and technical abilities to go with your customers, and that is what we’ve done. We’ve been flexible and customer-friendly and we supply our products and services at competitive international prices. We have adapted to changing trends and fashions, showing flexibility in alloys, purity, size and shape.”
Confident its products had ready acceptance, the company undertook debottlenecking a few years ago, which helped raise production capacity. “A lot of capacity locked within the plant was unlocked through some capital expenditure that brought cost benefits overall. There’s a board-backed commitment to allow projects that pay back over a period of time,” commented Fabrikanov. 
With that approach in mind, the company has been debottlenecking since the last major expansion in 1996 when it installed its second atomiser.
The strategy will take on a new shape in a year or two with the likelihood of a brownfield expansion that Fabrikanov describes as a larger form of debottlenecking. This would involve a capacity increase of 20 to 30 per cent and a substantial investment in equipment and technology.
“Most of our competition is in the developed and industrialised countries of the US, the UK, France Germany and Japan. Which means that as we have to compete on a level playing field, the focus is really on quality and customer service; otherwise we would not survive,” said Fabrikanov.
Bahrain Atomisers is elated over the strong growth it registered in the US and Australia-New Zealand in recent years. On top of that, the large India sector looks promising, and already some consignments have gone there. “India’s a good export market and it’s growing as the Indian government is reducing import tariffs,” said Fabrikanov.  Another area of growth potential is Iran.
Success in international markets has not come easy, Fabrikanov observed. “There are price pressures for anyone in a competitive business and to battle those pressures we’ve a simple strategy. It is to sell commodity grade and specialty grade. For competing in the field we have to minimise costs through the production of commodity-grade items, such as those required for the steel and chemical markets, for example. These sell in larger volumes but earn lower revenues. Our specialty-grade or niche markets such as plastics and car parts, generate higher revenues but require a very high level of specialised technical and commercial expertise.
“The challenge for us is really to sell to a very competitive international market against competition that’s well developed. We’re doing that with good staff and good technology. We have the talent to do it successfully,
“All this is being done in a plant with a staff that is 95 per cent Bahraini. In a highly Bahrainised situation you can be competitive.” Fabrikanov was among just three expatriates in a roster of 59. 
“Our workforce is incredibly stable, registering a very low labour turnover. The production manager has been here for 25 years and many others have long experience. We retain our expertise and see the high level of Bahrainisation as a competitive advantage,” said the official.
The company has won an award from the Bahraini government for achieving a high Bahrainisation staff level. It is also the recipient of an award for safety and transport from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.