Austrian giant Voest-Alpine Stahl has found Dubai Airport Free Zone (Dafz) the ideal location to increase its presence in the Middle East.
Set up in November 1998, Voest-Alpine Steel Middle East FZE, has been very successful in bringing itself closer to its customers and meet their expectations.
Voest-Alpine Steel Middle East FZE is a member of Voest-Alpine Stahl group, which is one of the biggest industrial enterprises in Austria manufacturing about 5 million tonnes of steel per year.
The core business of the group is the production, processing and sale of sophisticated steel products including the respective service in the long products and flat products business sectors.
The Dafz-based company's activities include marketing and sales of steel products manufactured by Voest-Alpine in Austria. Geographical areas covered from Dubai office are the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Central Africa. The main products sold in the above regions include seamless tubing and casing for the oil and gas industry.
Managing director Reinhold Steiner says locating the company in DAFZ has provided it with many advantages including 100 per cent ownership (a must as per company policy of many multinational European companies); and excellent support in administrational matter through skilled staff (like employment visa, visit visas, governmental registrations, telecommunication, etc.).
Steiner also points out that many representatives of the company's customers are regular visitors to Dubai. Since Dafz is situated in a very convenient location in the city, many meetings can be held easily during these visits.
Steiner is upbeat about the achievements of the office in Dafz. The company has been able to increase sales figures in the regions it serves and establish new customers. It has also enabled the company to get closer contact with customers on a regular basis and customers feel much better taken care of, he continues.
In a further boost to the group's presence in the region, the company's sister concern Grant Prideco was registered in May 2000 within Dafz.
On future plans, Steiner says Voest-Alpine Steel Middle East is looking to expand further the customer base/business, get even closer with customers up to "partnering" on projects.
