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Division
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PO Box 7970
Madison, WI 53707-7970
USA
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Vol.
7 #6, July 2008
Wisconsin Contribution to the World’s Tallest Building
 When
the Burj Dubai is completed sometime next year, the skyscraper in the
United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) will be the world’s tallest
man-made structure. Developers are keeping its ultimate height a
secret, but as of June 19, 2008, the skyscraper had already reached a
height of 663 m (2,175 ft), with more than 160 completed floors.
The tower will include offices, commercial space, a 40,000 sq. meter
Armani Hotel, and 144 luxury residences.
Several Wisconsin firms have been working on this prestigious
project. The structure will include 1500 washbasins and 2000
faucets from Kohler Co. of Kohler, plus smaller numbers of specialty
toilets and bidets. Marshfield DoorSystems of Marshfield has been
supplying high-end doors and Felker Bros. Corp., also of Marshfield,
has supplied stainless steel piping.
Joe Baierl, director of sales and marketing for Marshfield DoorSystems,
was quoted in the June 20 issue of the Marshfield News-Herald as saying
"When you're in the building business, you see this building all over
and it's a real icon, and to say Marshfield Doors is part of that kind
of construction project speaks volumes to who we are and what we do in
terms of the quality of reputation we have, not only in the United
States but worldwide."
High performance butterfly valves were the product that brought
Milwaukee Valve Company of New Berlin to the attention of designers of
the Burj Dubai. While in competition with two other potential
suppliers, the firm hosted engineers on a visit to Wisconsin including
an inspection of the firm’s Prairie du Sac factory. In
addition to the butterfly valves, Milwaukee Valve won contracts to
supply the large quantities of gate valves, globe valves, check valves,
and ball valves required of a project of this size. As
construction of the Burj Dubai nears completion, Milwaukee Valve is
quoting on other upcoming projects in the region.
Early in the process, the mechanical engineering firm working on the
Burj Dubai project included products from Greenheck Fan Corporation of
Schofield as part of their original designs. Greenheck's
reputation for high-quality, energy-efficient, air movement and control
products, were key to their selection, but as with any development of
this magnitude, there were plenty of other suppliers from around the
world who were eager to win the business. Richard Robertson,
Greenheck’s Vice President International, credits his
firm’s existing local presence in the UAE for their
success. Greenheck has been active in the Middle East for over 25
years. The firm has been represented by the same qualified
mechanical equipment dealer in Dubai for over 15 years and a regional
office and distribution center was established in the U.A.E. about 6
years ago. Today, the Middle East region accounts for about 25
percent of Greenheck's total sales turnover outside the U.S.A. and
Canada. “The most important tip I would give to any
Wisconsin-based company looking at ways to increase their sales to the
Middle East would be to establish a local presence within the
region,” said Mr. Robertson. “Developers and
contractors can now choose from many capable equipment suppliers from
Europe, Asia, and the U.S.A. Suppliers with a local presence have
the upper hand because they are in the best position to understand
their customers' requirements and respond quickly to one of the
fastest-paced construction markets the world has ever seen. “
There are many well-financed construction projects going up in the
Middle East. Not as many U.S. companies are taking advantage of
these opportunities as could. Terry Dittrich, International Sales
Manager at Spancrete Machinery Corp. in Waukesha, a manufacturer of
equipment used to create precast, prestressed hollowcore concrete
planks and wall panels, reports that Middle Eastern customers keep
asking ‘where are the Americans?’ Mr. Dittrich added,
“Contrary to what a lot of people think, many decision makers in
the region have a very favorable opinion of U.S. companies and
equipment. A large percentage of the people we’ve dealt
with went to school in the United States and they want to do business
with America. They want to offset our European competitors and
with the dollar situation, we are very competitive right now.
Wisconsin companies need to get to the gulf. The business is
there.”
Existing and planned construction projects in just the countries that
comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Quatar, Oman,
Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) are currently valued at a
staggering US$1.5 trillion and this figure is expected to increase as
the region forges ahead with essential infrastructure development and
expansion plans. This has a direct impact on the already lucrative
construction machinery market, which is expected to grow by a further
20 percent over the next five years. Other Wisconsin companies
seeking to build upon the state’s reputation in the Middle East
construction industry may be interested in participating in the Big 5
PMV trade show taking place November 23-27, 2008 in Dubai. The
Big 5 PMV is one of the world's largest trade shows for the
construction industry and associated suppliers and is an excellent
opportunity to connect with buyers from Asia, Africa, the CIS, and
neighboring Gulf States.
ClarkeSmith International, which represents the Wisconsin Department of
Commerce in Europe, also operates in the Middle East. Ms. Kara
Smith, the firm’s director, is also the Project Manager for the
USA Pavilion at the show. Exhibit space is available on a
first-come/first-served basis. For more information on the show,
see http://www.big5pmv.com. Information on exhibiting in the USA Pavilion can be obtained from Ms. Smith, kara@sanddrivers.com, (608) 554-2210.
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