Beginning of 2023 Middle East Consultant spoke to Sarmad Fakhri, Managing Director, Kingspan Insulation Middle East, about the ambitions, challenges and opportunities facing the well-known solutions specialist, and his vision and goals for the coming 12 months. “First things first”, says Sarmad. “Kingspan Insulation has achieved a profitable year by focusing on our four key strategic pillars: increased penetration of our existing product suite; competitive advantage driven by innovation; the continued evolution of our geographic footprint and implementing our new Planet Passionate goals. “Our Insulation sales have increased, showing strong demand in key markets. We are persistent in our commitment to offer an unparalleled spectrum of insulation solutions. There is a solid development activity during the year, progressing our global footprint by Kingspan Group’s acquisition of Logstor Group, a leading global supplier of pre-insulated pipe systems, with a focus on improving energy efficiency, particularly for the district cooling market in the region. “What’s more, I’m proud to say we are culturally diverse, and strive to nurture equality and diversity across our business. What has been achieved would not be possible without the people that work hard to drive the company forward.” The Sustainability quotient What about your overall mission, Sarmad? “Well, Kingspan Insulation’s mission is to accelerate progress towards net-zero carbon emissions from the built environment. We contribute to this with our wide-ranging product portfolio of Building, Ductwork & Pipe insulation which includes FM-approved Therma solutions, UL181 Listed phenolic ducts and pre-insulated pipes for district cooling; all in line with International Building Codes. “What’s more, our ambitious Planet Passionate programme is Kingspan’s 10-year sustainability programme which aims to impact three big global issues - climate change, circularity and protection of our natural world. We are fully committed to doing all that we can within our business in response to these issues. Climate change is the single most important issue facing the world today and our most urgent priority. Energy conservation has always been at the core of our products and how we run our business. Our Planet Passionate goals include reducing and decarbonising the energy used in our manufacturing processes, with clear targets to strive in 2030. In parallel, we will continue our relentless pursuit of low-carbon buildings that deliver more performance and value.” Opportunities in KSA What about current interest in Saudi Arabia’s many projects? “We see many consultants and contractors supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 development program. This is one of the major factors which have influenced our decision to invest in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia in 2023, to support the ever-growing local demand for our Therma product range. “As our goal is to maximise the use of renewable energy, we will be installing a rooftop photo-voltaic array that will supply nearly 50% of the total power requirement of the new KSA factory and another that will supply 25% of the total power requirement of our existing Dubai manufacturing site, reducing the carbon footprint of the business.” International benchmarking “Our Dubai Manufacturing facility is ISO certified and complies with Management System standards: ISO 9001: 2015 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001: 2015 (Environmental Management Systems) and ISO 45001: 2018 (Health and Safety Management Systems). And we are set to introduce ISO 37301 (Compliance Management System) this year. “All in all, I would say that as we start 2023, the business is in a very strong position to build upon its four strategic pillars, under the leadership of its exceptional management team, and with the benefit of its strong balance sheet. The business we have built is well-placed to address whatever new challenges and opportunities 2023 may present. Our emphasis remain on continued growth both organically and through a disciplined expansion strategy. This is supported by investment in research and development to ensure we have a product suite that outperforms that of our competition, and a business model that is responding to society’s climate challenges through our Planet Passionate goals.” Check out the interview at Middle East Consultant Magazine January 2023 Issue here. |