Dubai, UAE, 17 January 2019: “When you compromise on quality, you always have a problem,” said Sven Haag, Managing Director, Asia, Middle East and Africa, Fischer, on the sidelines of a media event, held at the company’s Jebel Ali Freezone warehouse, on January 16, in Dubai. This was the take-off point to Haag’s comprehensive overview of Fischer Group of Companies’ five divisions: fischer fixing systems, fischer automotive systems, fischertechnik, fischer consulting and LNT Automation.

Highlighting the company’s commitment towards providing innovative MEP technology solutions, Haag said the 2025 strategy of the family-owned enterprise, which exports to more than 100 countries, is to invest further in Asia, Middle East and Africa, which, he said, “is responsible for 55% of global construction growth”. He emphasised, “Either you invest [in the region] or you will be out of the market right away.”

Jayanta Mukherjee, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Fischer, echoed this, elaborating further on the company’s presence in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Pakistan, before providing a historic perspective on the company’s role in iconic projects in the United Arab Emirates. Mukherjee also facilitated a live telecast from the EXPO 2020 job site, where the company’s products are being installed in the Nakheel Harbour metro station, along with colleagues on the site discussing MEP services offered by the company. Mukherjee also facilitated a live telecast from colleagues in Saudi Arabia, working on the Riyadh Metro project.

Mostafa El Hosseiny, Head of Technical Services MEA, subsequently held a tour of the JAFZA facility, which housed the products used in the EXPO 2020 project, as well as those in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Pakistan, Kuwait and East Africa. The tour revealed that the facility houses 2,886 pallet positions in the warehouse for the full product range, except for chemical products, which are located on another site. The tour also shed light on the business philosophy at the heart of the company and the day-to-day activities of the company’s 150 employees across the GCC region. El Hosseiny also showcased the Fischer Regional Training Center, which, he said, serves as a venue for both training and demonstrating MEP product capabilities to potential customers, pointing to the display of fire-rated sealants, part of the company’s range of fire protection products, which, he said, had been tested and approved in compliance with international standards. Haag also highlighted the company’s commitment to training, stressing that “employees are the most important factor for success”.

In discussing how MEP is a critical part of the company’s business, Mukherjee said, as the company is involved in a number of key infrastructure projects, “safety is the first, second and third most-important thing”. As such, Jayanta highlighted how the training centre exemplifies how the company’s layer of engineering knowledge serves as a strong competitive advantage, pointing to the importance of having a strong knowledge of BIM as one example.

El Hosseiny also elaborated on the value of BIM in a presentation, stressing that “BIM is a software but also a process” and that communication is vital for proper execution and delivery of projects. “BIM can control resources, communication, documentation approval and maintenance,” he said. “If a client has a BIM model, he knows when to make maintenance for HVAC, change lamps, etc.”

For Haag, this is an example of how Industry 4.0 is enhancing operating efficiencies; a trend he stressed is prevalent in Germany, as well as globally. “As the region is developing, expectation of quality from customers is [also] developing,” he said. “We will, for sure, always have price discussions. It’s case by case; on-site there will be decisions from our customers, which are not supported by us to go lower [in price]. As Jayanta and I say, we serve security, we will not sacrifice quality to be price competitive – this will not do.” Haag also highlighted the company’s commitment to training, stressing that “employees are the most important factor for success”.

Outlining company initiatives for 2019, Mukherjee said, Fischer Middle East is set to open an experience center in Abu Dhabi for its range of products in the construction sector. “The objective is not just to sell,” he said. “The objective is show them what we can do and advise on the right products. Because we work with consultants and contractors, there are many questions so when they come, they can see the product.”

Mukherjee said this is complemented by plans to roll out engineering support vehicles that will assist engineers on-site. Mukherjee added that the company is in the process of signing an MOU with management and engineering schools, as part of efforts to extend an award to recognise outstanding students in the field of engineering and management. He added there are also plans to hold an award that will recognise contractors for their outstanding engineering products. Lastly, Mukherjee said the company will introduce a new product range for the Middle East within the year.