Honeywell’s (NYSE:HON) electrical devices and systems division – part of ECC business’s flagship brand MK, a manufacturer of premium wiring devices and cable management systems, has announced the launch of its premium range products, Arctic, in the Middle East region.
Announcing the launch, MK officials revealed that the company’s year on year sales had grown by 50 per cent, which is 20 per cent in excess of the plan in the UAE market. The unprecedented volume of the company’s business in the Middle East – MK enjoys a leading position in the premium segment of over 40% of the industry share, in the British Standards market in the region - has contributed immensely to the company’s overall financial results, which the officials described as excellent.
Attributing the growth to the construction boom in the region, Mike Southgate, Managing Director, Honeywell, said that the deal the company won for supplying wiring accessories for the $5 billion Palm Island project alone was worth more than $3.3m. This lucrative deal is the largest single order for wiring devices in MK’s 90-year history, Southgate disclosed.
Describing the Palm Island deal as a huge boost to the company’s standing, Southgate said it had also underlined MK’s ability to tailor its products to the requirements of the customers, as the deal required a different format data plate to the European version currently listed within the Aspect range.
“The deal also highlighted MK’s high production capacity. Once we secured the order, we had the challenge of delivering within a short 5-month time frame. The manufacturing team at our South End plant in the UK, had to produce more of certain Aspect products than had been sold in the whole year of 2005. In addition to increasing production efficiency, we also had to improve our supply chain many folds to ensure raw material and component delivery from our suppliers,” Southgate pointed out, hoping that the deal would lead to more future contracts in the rapidly developing region.
Commenting on the level of infrastructural development in the region, which he felt was comparable to the best anywhere in the world, Dilip Sinha, General Manager of Electrical Devices and Systems (ED&S Business - Honeywell), Middle East region, said, “Dubai is especially advanced and the rest of the region is fast catching up. Through out our presence in the region which goes back 35 years, we have always tried to innovate and improvise. Our contribution to infrastructural development in the region has been substantial.”
Having been the trend-setter and standard-bearer in the UK in electrical wiring accessories and other products for 90 years, MK has a long history. MK has been in the Middle East for well over 35 years now. MK has strong long-lasting partnerships with leading companies in the region, such as its alliance SMKA, an Al Naboodah Group company, for wiring accessories business and Bahri Mazroui Trading for cable management business which is now almost three decades old in the UAE. In 2005, MK business grew by over 50% per cent in the UAE.
MK caters to all the business segments, ranging from the high end segment to the low end segment in residential, commercial and industrial spheres, by offering a variety of time-tested products, which have been globally recognized for their high quality, reliability, superior safety standards, durability, and aesthetic finesse.
With the introduction of Arctic range, MK is hitting another significant milestone, reinforcing its stature as an innovator and partner in development in the Middle East.
The Arctic range of switches and sockets come in striking frosted glass translucent surrounds with contrasting yet complementary brushed satin chrome inserts. Brilliantly versatile and stylish, the range is designed to melt into any design scheme.
Talking about outlook on the range’s success, Sinha said: “We are very confident about the success of the Artic range in the region. Our customers will benefit from the range’s stylish aesthetics and functionality along with the recognised reliability and durability the MK brand offers.”
In the region, some key projects featuring MK products include the Palm Island Jumeirah, Madinat Jumeirah, Emaar Business Park, Emirates HQ, Old Town Development to name a few.
