Pan Gulf Welding Solutions (PGWS), part of Saudi-based Pan Gulf Holding, presented to business visitors its new products and was successful in striking deals worth more than 1.5 million euros at the Gulf Industry Fair (GIF 2009) in mid-January in Bahrain, the company said.
PGWS sales and marketing manager Lukasz Chudzik said he expected sales from contacts made at the fair to double as the company was following up on the inquiries received.
The company showcased Hitachi power tools for which it has exclusive distribution rights in Saudi Arabia.
The company also presented Hypertherm plasma cutting machines, which it has started to distribute in Bahrain along with Abicor Binzel welding and cutting torches.
PGWS describes itself as a one-stop shop for all welding solutions.
The deals struck during the fair including the sale of two Esab-made CNC Ergostar EXA 4500 cutting machines with plasma carriages 400A, maximum plate thickness 70 mm piercing, 150 mm edge for plate size 3 m x 12 m with two oxy fuel cutting stations and one plasma station. The equipment was purchased by Saudi customers.
PGWS also sold Hypertherm manual plasma items such as two Powermax 1250 with maximum quality cut up to 29 mm and three Powermax 1650 with maximum quality cut 38 mm as well as other equipment which the company had displayed at its stand mainly for customers in Bahrain.
“There were big inquiries for personal protection equipment offered by one of the world leaders, Jackson Safety, for whom PGWS is agent for the Middle East. Jackson Safety’s sales manager Florin Oroso was present at the stand.
Chudzik said the inquiries demonstrated that safety was an important issue in the Middle East market and companies were keen on providing better protection for their workers. The main interest areas in this sector were specs, goggles, gloves, coveralls, hard huts and welding shields.
“Thanks to our supplier Abicor Binzel from Germany who offers the best welding torches available and the presence of Dieter Platen, its service and after-sales service manager, we witnessed huge interest from big Saudi customers who wanted to change their existing welding torches and replace them with the newest models from Abicor Binzel,” said Chudzik.  PGWS is the exclusive agent for that company in Saudi Arabia.
“We have planned follow-ups of those inquires through direct visits together with  Binzel’s Middle East sales manager Manfred Stoer,” said Chudzik.
PGWS general manager Andy Leigh announced that PGWS had already booked space for Gulf Industry Fair 2010, taking 252 sq m of space, the same as what it occupied this year.
“Generally, for Pan Gulf Welding Solutions, GIF 2009 was very successful – both from the PR and commercial points of view,” said Chudzik.
 “We are still waiting for additional responses from the market and potential customers as during the show we made a huge number of offers due to customer requests. Then, for sure, the sales value we mentioned will be at least doubled.”
PGWS provides products and services to a range of markets including oil and gas, water and power, general steel fabrication and manufacturing and has clients including Saudi Aramco, Bapco, Sabic, SWCC and Seco as well as all top contractors.
The division boasts of strategically located warehouses in Al-Khobar, Jeddah and Riyadh, stocking an extensive range of welding and cutting machines, consumables and spare parts right through to personal safety and protective equipment.
PGWS has an extensive rental fleet ranging from portable electric welders to 1000-tonne roll-beds in stock ready to be dispatched to the customer’s site, the company said.
It has developed its own brand named Metweld. Some principals that PGWS represents are Abicor Binzel, A&N Plant, Brobo, Callington Haven, FastCAM, Flexovit, Magnatech Europe BV and Tri Tool.
Pan Gulf Technical Services (PGTS), a branch of PGWS, has established a strong presence in Saudi Arabia and also operates in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
PGTS meets upcoming requirements of the oil and gas industry and expansion projects that need massive heat application services.
PGWS’ head office and regional offices are located in Saudi Arabia with an additional local office in Bahrain. It has representation in Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar, Jubail, Riyadh, Jeddah, Yanbu), Bahrain, India, the UK and China.