Print this page
Email this to a friend
Discuss this article (0 Comments)Engineering excellence
by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Sunday, 12 October 2008
zoom
Infrastructure and engineering firm Septech has been providing precast infrastructure solutions for over a decade, and can now offer mobile water units that can provide water treatment facilities in emergencies and while permenant facilities are being constructed. James Boley finds out more from Ashruf Kamel, Septech's chief strategy officer.
What is the history behind Septech in the middle east?
Septech started in 1997. It was primarily focused on a pre-cast infrastructure, so the origins of the company at the time, they regarded the Middle East market as having a lack of preliminary infrastructure.
About six years ago we started evolving and developing on our precast capabilities and looking at how we could focus more on the water and wastewater side of the business.
Both the owners at the time and a lot of the management team had extensive skills in working for large water companies in the UK, USA and Australia, so we utilised some of the pre-cast technology, again with basic water infrastructure and we started looking at how we could supply.
At the time it was more wastewater, and that's involved into basic water.
Three years ago we looked at expanding the business more, by taking our precast infrastructure and water, and looking at how we can expand on some of the region's burgeoning nursery and golf course construction opportunities.
What services does Septech offer to its clients?
The company is a water infrastructure and specialised engineering company. We're not trying to get involved in mega-infrastructure. There are companies here that are very good at that. Our focus is more on decentralised communities.
We can supply our packaged treatment with smaller plants. It's easier to manage, requires less focus for the consumables. We offer 24 hour service for most of our facilities. It's not just one product for one end solution.
Septech has a diverse portfolio which caters to four major submarkets; water and wastewater, mobile water, marine and precast infrastructure.
What types of things are you working on at the moment?
We're doing a fairly large water facility for one of the islands in Abu Dhabi. We're also doing a mobile solution.
We're completing the second and third phase of the Dubai Marina expansion - Marina Mall and West Marina. We've just provided a temporary mobile water solution to the Tiger Woods nursery.
Despite the remote location and very bad water conditions, Septech mobile water units have been used to convert impure water into a reliable and useable source of high quality water product. We have ongoing projects in other divisions. With precast, we're always moving out hundreds of water tanks.
What challenges are you finding in the middle east?
We're hearing a lot about the challenges. The UAE's become a very demand-sensitive environment in terms of contracting.
Years ago things had a very straightforward timeline, there were basic economics behind each project, you had your job and the client would pay you for that.
Now everyone is very focused on delivering a solution. They want companies to come in and not just sell a story, they want someone who can take ownership on those projects.
In terms of our marine division, we've captured about 75% of the market share, and we continue to experience year-on-year growth that far exceeds industry standards.
With 200% growth experienced in the past two years it is fair to say that I don't think we are facing many challenges there, other than keeping up with demand.
It's a case of getting our name out and making sure people identify us as THE solution provider. There are standard challenges for every company here - retention, there's a lot of people filtering through the UAE, commodity prices have shot up.
Mobile
EMIRATES ID DOWNLOAD
