Work has started on Morgan Advanced Materials’ first dedicated facility in the Middle East, located in Kizad, Abu Dhabi – a major trade and logistics zone.
Morgan CEO Mark Robertshaw and officials from the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) were joined by His Excellency Philip Parham, the British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and key customer representatives for the official ground-breaking ceremony.
The factory, which is expected to commence operations in 2015, will focus initially on the production of high-temperature fibre products for use in sectors including oil and gas, aluminium, steel, energy, petrochemicals and fire protection, with expansion into other product areas planned for the future.
Through an initial 30-year agreement, Morgan has committed to an initial investment of AED 50 million (around £8.25m) in a facility of more than 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m²) at Kizad.
Morgan has had a presence in the region since 2001 when it established a sales office in the UAE to service customers in the Middle East and North Africa. The decision to create a dedicated local facility follows significant growth in demand for its products, especially in the areas of thermal insulation, energy saving, acoustic barriers and fire protection, many of which are produced to meet very high specifications and are designed for use in extreme environments.
Mark Robertshaw commented: “Since we opened our first office in the Middle East 13 years ago, the Morgan Advanced Materials business has continued to go from strength to strength. The latest phase of our strategy of expanding our local market capabilities to better serve our customers is now to establish a state of the art manufacturing facility in Kizad. This new production site will be integral to maintaining and strengthening Morgan’s position as the world technology leader in high-temperature insulating fibres. These products are at the heart of operations in major industries worldwide, delivering exceptional performance and energy savings in the harshest operating conditions. Morgan’s significant investment and long-term commitment to Kizad and the region also provides us with an exciting platform for future growth in other advanced material technologies.”
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO, ADPC, and chairman, board of directors, Kizad, commented: “As a world leader in the production of advanced materials, we have found another key business partner in the development of Kizad with Morgan Advanced Materials. One of the big advantages of Kizad is its close proximity to Khalifa Port which provides an excellent shipping network for customers with direct links to 52 destination ports across the globe. In addition, Kizad offers an excellent transportation network through road, air, and soon rail which will further support Morgan Advanced Materials with their expanding business.”
