EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 12/24 www.petpla.net 14 Service and sales of injection moulding systems and moulds Close to customers in the Middle East and beyond by Kay Barton The Canadian injection moulding system manufacturer Husky Technologies operates its sales and service office directly at Dubai Airport within the DAFZA (Dubai Airport Free Zone) office complex. We were able to make an appointment with the team around Mr Wassim F. Labban, Vice President, Systems & Tooling, EEMEIA, SEA, ANZ. The GM Middle East Mr Abdallah El Kharboutly, GM of Business Development Mr Philip Parubets, and Regional Manager Mr Zaher Azzam welcomed us for a brief insight into the local market and the company activities in principle, managed from this strategic hub. Interview with Husky Technologies December 8, 2023 We met: Mr Abdallah El Kharboutly, General Manager, Middle East Mr Philip Parubets, General Manager, Business Development Mr Zaher Azzam, Regional Manager, Middle East The Husky base here in Dubai has existed since 2004. Evolving from a modest start with only two employees, the machine manufacturer has grown significantly since and is currently serving as a pivotal hub in the Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Australia and New Zealand regions. Abdallah El Kharboutly is the General Manager of Middle East including Egypt, Turkey, the Gulf Countries and beyond. He has been with Husky since 2007 and has been instrumental in growing the business in the region. Philip Parubets has been part of the company since 2006 and brings a wealth of experience, having previously served in various technical and managerial capacities across multiple global locations. Prior to his tenure in Dubai starting in 2020, he held roles in Husky’s Shanghai and Bangkok offices as well as at the company’s global headquarters located in Bolton, Ontario, Canada. Husky is a frontrunner in injection moulding across the Middle East, but what is the secret of its success? “One key factor contributing to our success in the region is our comprehensive system offerings encompassing machines, moulds, and hot runners, all available directly from us without intermediary agents,” says Mr El Kharboutly. “Moreover, our commitment to innovation drives the continuous introduction of new solutions for preform and cap production, coupled with the proactive approach of our Advantage+Elite remote, proactive monitoring program, wherein we analyse real-time equipment performance and efficiency, promptly addressing any potential risks or concerns,” he adds. And there are also many legacy Husky systems in the market that are still running and being maintained by the local service teams, which is clearly being well received by customers. In the local UAE market, the company estimates that its own market share for preform systems is around 80% in the high-output space, with the rest being accounted for by machines from competitors Netstal and Sipa. In the UAE, there is approximately 160 kt of Husky PET processing capacity. Mr El Kharboutly anticipates an annual addition of 8 to 12 kt of additional capacity is being added to the market each year. The bestseller for preforms in the UAE is the HyPET HPP platform and for closures the HyCAP 4. The growth rate of Husky’s throughput capacity in the Middle East region has averaged 6.5% CAGR annually over the last ten years, while the PET preform unit has grown by an average of 6.2%. Due to the Covid situation, investment in new capacity fell significantly for the entire region in 2020 and 2021, but has since recovered, particularly evident in good investment growth in 2023. www.husky.co EDITOUR Interview meeting with Abdallah El Kharboutly (left), Philip Parubets (right) and Kay Barton
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