Saudi Readymix is enhancing its accomplishments of the past few years and looks set to mark another major milestone this year.

The company had crossed the 3 million cu m level in 2006 and this year it could celebrate the 4-million mark, having already produced 1.8 million cu m in the first six months.
In a single month last March, Saudi Readymix produced 300,000 tonnes of cement, which was enough to cover 60 football piches with a 1 m thick layer.
Saudi Readymix is not resting on its laurels.
Strong volumes have impacted revenues. The sales figure for 2005 was more than SR486 million ($129 million), which grew to SR640 million in 2006, up 32 per cent.
“We hope to continue this rate of growth in the coming few years and have a massive five-year plan in place to achieve ambitious goals,” a company spokesman said. “The plan’s objectives,” he reveals, “include expanding our plant network by setting up new plants in new regions within the kingdom and acquiring existing readymix concrete companies, updating and increasing the size of our fleet and adding more top-industry professionals and young local talent to our team.”
In pursuance of its drive to expand volume and income, the company has allocated SR320 million as investment for this year alone.
Saudi Readymix, a wholly owned subsidiary of Khalid AliAlturki & Sons Company (Kaasco), owns readymixed concrete, asphalt and concrete block production units. Within the readymixed concrete category it operates 19 commercial plants and six onsite plants covering the eastern, central and western regions. It operates two block operations in Jubail and Dammam. A third block operation will be set up soon.
The company plans to expand its presence to the northern and southern regions and is looking for suitable locations to set up new plants.  It says it will also welcome the merging of some companies within its fold.
As the availability of raw materials is crucial for any manufacturer, Saudi Readymix does not take chances. It maintains a good working relationship with local cement suppliers and works closely with them to anticipate market needs.
For its aggregates needs, the company owns three quarries that supply its plants in the eastern and central region. With concrete enjoying high demand, the supply from quarries is sufficient to cover 30 to 40 per cent of the company’s demand. It is currently studying plans to open new quarries.
The latest of the quarries, located in Al-Nu’airiyah, was acquired in the first quarter of this year. The other two quarries are in Abu Hadriyah and Al Summan.
Saudi Readymix president Rami Alturki commented: “In addition to ensuring a steady supply of raw materials for operations, owning our own quarries allows us to impose and maintain our stringent quality control policy over our entire supply chain. Hence we plan to commission yet another quarry in the Western Province in the near future to supply our network of plants there and are also looking to acquire more quarries in various other regions in Saudi Arabia.” The combined daily production rate for the three quarries is expected to be around 4,000 to 5,000 cu m of aggregates in all sizes.
As regards water, the third raw material, the company has installed water chillers and ice plants
Most of its plants are approved by major Saudi companies and government institutions including Saudi Aramco, Sabic, SEC and the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu. Each plant has its own fully equipped concrete testing laboratory, shaded stock bays, an ice plant, a weather station and many other facilities to guarantee that only the highest quality of concrete is produced, the spokesman says.
As an extension of its professionalism, the company maintains close ties with national and international concrete institutions such as the Saudi Society of Civil Engineers, American Concrete Institute, British Standards Institute, International Concrete Society, Institute of Concrete Technology and the American Standards for Testing and Materials.
Another aspect of its professional approach is its practice of sponsoring seminars and workshops relating to concrete and the construction industry in general, both for professionals and university students. Last June the company shared its expertise at the third Middle East Cement Conference in Dubai. Fadi Mujahed, Saudi Readymix marketing and development director, provided an overview of the readymix concrete industry in Saudi Arabia.
Mujahed indicated that cement supply would double within the next two to three years to reach 55 million tonnes annually.
“As far as quality control measures are concerned, the company is widely regarded as the industry’s benchmark,” says the spokesman. “Saudi Readymix operates under the most stringent self-imposed quality standards in the industry and has full quality control measures for raw materials and concrete as well as regular maintenance schedules for all its vehicles.”
The company believes in innovation in a changing world and has been researching the latest concrete technologies to find better and more economical products.
It has developed its own inhouse concrete mixes and its central laboratory in Dammam.
“Recently the company introduced self-compacting concrete to the market on a small and limited scale to some of its clients and is aiming to expand its usage through increasing awareness among the local construction industry to the many benefits of this product,” said the spokesman
It is also among a few with the capability and technical expertise to supply concrete using the slipforming technique. The shaft of the 90 m tall Al Ma’lam Water Tower on the Khobar Corniche is a good example of the application. “The company supplied concrete continuously to the tower for a 56-day period and this requires precise concrete mix design and expert technical knowhow,” says the spokesman.
While the company has supplied to a myriad projects in Saudi Arabia, it does not export. That limitation will be neutralised when in the next few years it begins to send consignments abroad, first to neighbouring markets in the region.
In Saudi Arabia, though, it has seen spectacular developments. Earlier this year it completed pouring the top floor of Al Zoeba Towers in Al Khobar. The 32-storey tower stands at 136 m and is said to be the tallest building in the Eastern Province. “During construction, Saudi Readymix demonstrated its high-rise concreting capabilities by developing special high-strength mixes and utilising advanced pumping techniques to achieve that height,” explained the spokesman.  “In addition, Al Zoebi Tower’s elevator shaft was constructed using ‘slipforming,’ which requires a high level of precision in concrete mix design and delivery timings along with a continuous concrete supply.”  The building is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of next year.
One of the major projects Saudi Readymix has supplied to in recent months was the Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical joint venture between Saudi Aramco and the Japanese Sumitomo Chemical Company also known as PetroRabigh. Saudi Readymix, which was contracted to supply the bulk of the concrete needed, set up a dedicated on-site station to support its existing station in Rabigh city. Each station had a production capacity of 400 cu m per hour and 35,000 cu m per month.