Dar Metal Industries is going through a very successful year, having achieved its 2010 turnover in the first three quarter of this year alone and putting it in place to register possibly its best season.

The company reported that its sales turnover for 2010 was SR40 million ($10.6 million) against SR30 million in the previous year and that the first nine months of the current year produced the encouraging figure of SR40 million.

“That’s because demand for the type of work we do is not declining but, on the contrary, moving up,” said Dar Metal production-in-charge Bong Briones.

What Dar Metal specialises in is the fabrication and installation of architectural and structural steel products; composite cladding; and curtain wall and skylights, for each of which it has a factory. Some 60 per cent of the turnover came from curtain wall façade and cladding.

The company does not cater to the overseas market but exports are very much on its radar and it is possible that at some time in the future, sooner than later, it will ship its products to foreign markets.

Recession impact minimal
Recalling the global recession of a couple of years ago, Briones says the impact on the company’s fortunes was minimal and related only to a small quantity of imported raw materials. “Whereas other companies’ finances are dictated by banks and affected by the stock market, our company is backed by its liquid assets which are very stable and free of any outside influence,” he observed.

Dar Metal is owned by two individuals, namely Ayman Tuwaijri, a Saudi, and Mohammed Salman, a US national.

The company has several projects ongoing including the Toyota-Lexus showroom, Al Qassar Mall, Intercontinental Hotel, Platinum Building, IPA Building and the Toyota-Lexus showroom, all in Riyadh; Platini Tower at Dar Al Falak and Haaifa Mall in Falesteen Street, both in Jeddah, Al Rashid Mall in Jizzan and Al Noor Mall in Makkah plus various Ministry of Education projects across the kingdom in places such as Hail, Jizzan, Hafar Al Baten, Haremala and Muzzamiah.

Other projects on which work recently started are IPA Jeddah, Olaya Towers and New Dohain Buildings. Most of the work Dar Metals is currently undertaking is being done in its factories and has not yet advanced to the project sites.

The company is in the process of expanding its facilities and renovating its offices. Last year it requisitioned a new CNC Router machine and a milling machine. Dar Metal now has 20 suspended platforms for site duty and 25 company vehicles for the transportation of material and personnel.

“Pursuant to Dar Metal’s vision of acquiring a considerable percentage of the market, we are still hiring skilled workers to augment our current capacity. We are expected to grow rapidly this year and the next, which should double turnover,” said Briones.

The company sources all its steel requirements locally and buys in bulk quantities, especially such fast moving materials as tubes and sheets to enhance cost-effectiveness. “Standard aluminium profiles are ordered locally and should the need arise we purchase from abroad. As for composite cladding we import them directly from our suppliers abroad,” said Briones.

One-package deals
To create additional revenues and cut inconvenience and delays to customers, Dar Metal is offering what it describes as “one-package deals.” “The procedure alleviates and solves coordination issues among different subcontractors because we do the work under one highly skilled team. And because of our general manager’s vast insights, broad outlook and mentality on cooperation and team-work within the company we can conveniently say that the only way Dar Metal can move in the future is forward.”