Salumco, a leading manufac- turer and applicator of architectural aluminium systems, has recorded strong performance this year overtaking the 2010 turnover in less than five months.

The Saudi Aluminium Industries Company, the full form of the acronym Salumco, has worked on some of the most iconic Saudi projects and currently has its hands full implementing a long list of contracts from across the kingdom.

Turnover this year but before the end of May amounted to SR122.53 million ($32.6 million), well ahead of what the company achieved during the whole of last year (SR87.91 million) and in 2009 (SR85.6 million).

The company fabricates and installs aluminium doors, windows, rolling shutters and curtain walls among other architectural items required by the construction industry. As much as 60 per cent of its projects are located in Riyadh with the remainder coming from other parts of the kingdom. The company does not export any of its creations, preferring to work on local projects that are substantial in number thanks to the construction boom that has gone on for some time.

Assisting the surge in turnover has been an expansion to the main aluminium factory in Riyadh’s Industrial Area 1 and the opening of a new factory in October of last year in Aziziya which is engaged in aluminium cutting, machining and assembly.

The company had already expanded the production capacity of its main factory by installing a CNC production line. The new factory in Aziziya is equipped with another CNC production line – a 6 axis Quadra CNC line machine.

The new factory will increase its production capacity by 20 to 25 per cent in 2011.

A facility for composite panels

Salumco has three other factories, one in Al Karj for aluminium and composite panels, another in Sulai for structural bonding, glazing and steel and a third in Riyadh Industrial Area 2 for fabricating glass for the company’s own projects and where the work of glass cutting, washing, doubling, tempering and lamination are undertaken.

The latter four factories – Aziziya, Al Karj, Sulai and Riyadh Industrial Area 2 glass plant – support the main factory at Riyadh Industrial Area 1 which is equipped with a four-axis CNC machining centre, a double head CNC saw, four-way CNC crimping machines and computerised aluminium bending machines.

These tools are in addition to the normal double and single head saws, crimping machines, lathe machines, a rolling shutter division and hydraulic pressure notching machines.

The five factories, all of which are located in different areas of the capital, facilitate an integrated operation, making it possible to pool in skills and equipment for fabricating qualitative final products to the satisfaction of customers.

For example, when it is fabricating a free standing curtain wall structure, it works on steel reinforcement and galvanised sheets for the shadow box at the Sulai factory, does related glass work in the glass factory and performs aluminium cutting, machining and assembly in the main factory.

Salumco boasts a stellar list of suppliers including (for aluminium) Alupco and Altaiseer (both Saudi Arabia); Technal Middle East and Balexco (both in Bahrain); Aluk Group (Italy); Schuco Middle East and Gulf Extrusions (both in the UAE), and Kalexco (Kuwait).

Glass suppliers to Salumco are Pilkington Glass, Cardinal Glass, Viracon Glass (all in the US); Saint Gobain Glass Group (France), Guardian Industries Rayong Co (Thailand), AGC Flat Glass Europe (Belgium); Saudi Guardian International Float Glass (Saudi Arabia); Emirates Float Glass (UAE) and Gujarat Guardian (India).

'Salumco’s success and continuous growth is based on a unique combination of professional managerial strategy, experienced human resources, high technology and comprehensive network of production plants and equipment,' a company statement says.

'We are proud to provide our clients a complete approved and tested range of Salumco aluminum systems of curtain walls, hinged and sliding doors and windows.

'Salumco aluminium systems were applied and successfully tested in 90 per cent of our major projects over the years.' The company was established in 1970.

The King Road Tower project which is in the handing over stage

In mid-May, the King Road Tower project in Jeddah was in the handing over phase. Systems used in the project were Technal unitised curtain wall, Salumco SG-55T Series and ACP wall cladding. The project value was SR50 million. Faden Trading and Contracting is the project’s main contractor, Kling Consultants, Germany, the consultant and Abdullah Dugaither & Company the architect.

Other projects in various stages of completion are Princess Nora University; King Saud University – 320 residential villas, 12 residential towers and a preparatory college; Movenpic Hotel, Prestige Centre, Medical Tower 2, National Hospital, Sabic Learning Building (all in Riyadh); Border Security Housing in various areas; Jezan Immigrant Housing-2,300 villas; Saudi Investment Bank-32 branches;

The Princess Nora University project has the highest project value at SR60 million.