Caparol, the developer and producer of high-quality exterior and interior paints, enamels, glazes and structural coatings, is projecting a healthy outlook for its business in 2009 despite the ongoing worldwide financial crisis.
The organisation’s Middle East headquarters in Dubai works closely with its head office in Germany on planning and strategy. With new product launches and plenty of orders, Caparol is anticipating continued success in the GCC area.
Caparol’s general manager in the ME, Gary Seabrook, is positive the company will be able to ride through the financial storm.
“It is early in the financial crisis and I believe the full picture will only become clearer during the first half of this year,” he said.
“We foresee some difficult times ahead and we have to adapt ourselves to the situation. Fortunately we have a strong order base for 2009 and are confident that we can sustain our growth during this year. In addition, we have a dynamic and flexible team, which I know will meet the challenges and, more importantly, service and create value for our customers,” the official observed.
“Some regions in the world will have negative growth. The GCC region as a whole is forecasted to have positive growth in 2009 and 2010, albeit not at the same levels as in the past five years. Consequently, we need to remain positive and proactive in securing our proportion of this growth by being innovative, competitive, flexible and service-orientated.”
2008 was a successful year for Caparol. The company has established itself with impressive projects including Beijing’s Olympic ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium in addition to more localised projects such as the Khalidiya Mall in Abu Dhabi.
“We have continued our exceptional growth with a double-digit increase in sales and profitability. This has been due to a number of factors including tremendous support from our customers, the prolific market conditions, the introduction of new products, for example our thermal insulation products Capatect, and excellent performance from the UAE Caparol team, ably supported by our mother company in Germany,” says Seabrook.
Part of Caparol’s competitive advantage within its niche market is its ability to innovate and bring new technologically advanced products to market. During 2008, Caparol internationally launched its nano-technology Nano Quartz Gitter in two products, Amphisilan and Thermosan. The technology combines a number of benefits including low-dust retention and excellent pigment retention for UV protection.  
In addition it launched internationally Premium Colour, a new non-marking paint for bright colours. This technology reduces scratch and marking in strong colours, which has been an intrinsic problem in the paint industry. It will give interior designers a lot more opportunities to use these colours especially in high-traffic areas. The company is also introducing a range of solvent-based and solvent-free floor coatings, CapaFloor, for car parks and warehouses.
”This focus on colour extends through to how professionals and consumers select colour plus the special-effects products used on interior surfaces where colour choice is central. Our focus here will extend to new products and services in this segment,” says Seabrook.
Seabrook adds that these products will be available in the Middle East including the GCC region this year.
In the meantime, Caparol is engaged in a number of projects in the region and it is this momentum that will continue to grow the business in the coming years. Caparol is currently working on Al Nakheel Jumeirah Village and Waterfront projects, Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dubai, the Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi, a number of Emaar projects including the impressive Dubai Polo Club and various projects for Dubai Properties including Mirdiff and Mudon.