DAMMAM: US-based Cooper Industries opened its first manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia on Saturday at the Dammam Second Industrial City.
The company, which has eight business units, will make industrial electrical materials at the site. Cooper B-Line manufactures support systems and enclosures used in the installation and retrofitting of electrical, mechanical and telecommunications applications. Cooper Crouse-Hinds makes electrical products designed to protect electrical systems in harsh commercial and industrial environments.
Saudi businessmen, Cooper senior executives and clients from all over the Kingdom and US Consul General Joseph A. Kenny attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new facility, where Cooper’s CEO, Kirk S. Hachigian, spoke about the company’s expansion plans.
Hachigian said the 176-year-old company was one of the oldest traded on the New York Stock Exchange and noted that the Fortune 500-ranked manufacturer had revenues of $6.5 billion in 2008 with 37 percent of that figure coming from outside the United States. “This entire region — Saudi Arabia and the entire Middle East — are extremely important to us,” he said. “Cooper has had a presence in Saudi Arabia for over 50 years with Cooper Crouse-Hinds and Cooper Power Systems and has actively participated in the development of Saudi Arabia’s energy industry.”
Hachigian said the 9,000 square-meter plant in Dammam is a beginning of the corporation’s manufacturing plans for the Kingdom. “This new facility is an important start for us in what we identify as one of the world’s premier growth regions,” he said. “Our presence is, at this point, modest — but this is only the start. We have an outstanding local team, the majority of which are Saudi nationals, and we look forward to investing in them and their careers, while we make additional progress in growing our business.” When the plant reaches its capacity, about 100 employees will work there. “Many of them are still being trained,” Hachigian said. “Some of them were sent to the US for training. Of the 55 percent Saudi employees, some are in management positions and some of them are supervisors. We expect the number of Saudis to increase. Wherever we go, we prefer locals to do the job. That is our philosophy.”
Hachigian said the facility would be a boon for the Kingdom’s industrial expansion. “Having local content reduces the lead time,” he told Arab News. “It gives our customers, such as Saudi Aramco, SABIC and others, a place to go and see for themselves while their product is being made. They can look at the technology, and they can certify the product.”
Cooper Industries is considering more expansion in Saudi Arabia. “We are going to visit Riyadh and Jeddah in the next two days, and we may extend the size of this facility as well,” Hachigian said.
