Vol.
8 #3, January 2009
Big 5 Show in Dubai Great Success for Wisconsin Companies
Four Wisconsin companies joined more than 30 other American
companies exhibiting in the USA Pavilion of the Big 5 PMV trade show,
the Middle East’s largest show for the construction and building
industries, which was held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates
November 23-27, 2008.
US Pavilion Ribbon Cutting
L-R, Kate Clarke (Big 5 U.S.
agent), Cary Mellema (GT Products, a Texas company), Robert Dunn (US
Embassy), Kara Smith (Big 5 U.S. agent), Terry Dittrich (Spancrete), US
Consul General Paul Sutphin, and Joe Dugan (Spancrete) participate at
the ribbon cutting ceremony for the USA Pavilion.
Greeting Royal Visitor
L-R, Joe Fisher (Voeller Mixers),
Terry Dittrich and Joe Dugan (Spancrete) welcome Consul General Sutphin and Sheikh Maktoum of the Dubai Royal
Family to the USA Pavilion.
With
nearly 3,000 exhibiting companies, over 50,000 visitors, and more than
130 nations represented, the Big 5 is truly a showcase for the leaders
in building and construction. The Wisconsin companies attending
the show ranged from larger, returning exhibitors like Spancrete
Machinery Corporation to new-to-market companies like Voeller Inc.,
RexCon, and Custom Equipment, Inc. “Based on the tremendous
success we have had in the Gulf Region with our production systems, we
returned to the Big 5 for our 7th year,” said Joe Dugan, Vice
President of Spancrete. Joe Fisher of Voeller said, "The Big 5 is
a great venue and our continued participation will be a key strategy in
helping us grow our business in the region". The firm is working on two
deals as a direct result of the show that it hopes to close in the next
60 days.
Current
and planned construction projects in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., the countries that make up the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC), are valued at a staggering US$2.8 trillion
and are 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% over the next 5 years, according to
show organizers. While several GCC countries have earned
substantial oil revenue, they are all seeking to diversify their
economies to limit their dependence upon hydrocarbons. Mr. George
Abed, of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), was
quoted earlier
this month in Emirates 24/7, the UAE’s leading business
newspaper, as saying that the combined gross domestic product of the
GCC would slow down in 2009 but would still record positive growth of
around 2.5 per cent.
“The region is booming, construction and investments are all up
and clearly this is the place for companies to expand their
businesses. They love American companies and our quality
products, and price is not really an issue,” said Kate Clarke,
U.S. agent for the show and organizer of the USA Pavilion.
Reservations are now being accepted for the Big 5 2009, which takes
place in Dubai November 23-26, 2009. Organizers caution that
space is extremely limited due to the number of returning companies,
and they suggest booking by February. For further details, please
contact Kara Smith or Kate Clarke, Big 5 U.S. agents, kara@sanddrivers.com, kate@sanddrivers.com, (608) 554-2210, or visit www.thebig5exhibition.com.
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