National Paints Factories, known for its quality paint products, excellent prices and service, has laid out an optimistic strategic plan that will see it expand its network of outlets in the UAE, strengthen brand presence and grab more market share.

The paints giant that produces all kinds of decorative, protective, automotive, marine, powder coatings, and wood care paints, has plans to add another 20 exclusive outlets this year to its existing chain of 14 across the UAE, Samer Sayegh, the company’s managing director told Gulf Industry magazine.

After opening outlets in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, it will continue to expand to other emirates as well. The company has already opened six new exclusive outlets since December.

In line with its strategy to strengthen brand presence to improve its market share, the company is converting existing shops into new exclusive outlets that will offer enhanced customer experience and satisfaction. This is being rolled out in partnership with its top retail customers in the market.

Sayegh: building brand awareness

Sayegh said the revamped outlets will serve as one-stop destinations for both professionals and end-customers and will provide them with a premium range of decorative, protective, and wood care to choose from. In addition, customers will be able to take advantage of a tinting machine that can instantly produce all kinds of colours at these outlets.

“We are confident that our network of new exclusive outlets is equipped to effectively address the growing needs of professionals, interior designers and individual customers in both premium and upper segments,” said Sayegh.

Elaborating further on the exclusive outlets in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, he said these outlets are mostly situated in areas with high footfall from customers looking for building materials and industrial products. Each outlet will have a display space of 25 sq m on average, with additional storage area ranging from 50 to 80 sq m.

Sayegh said the company is currently working towards building brand awareness for its premium products in the market, with a special emphasis on environment-friendly paints.

“This is of particular significance as more and more businesses and entities in the country are adopting environment-friendly solutions and practices with an aim to contribute to sustainability efforts,” he added.

One such range of environment-friendly interior paints is Trust Hygienic with a unique silver ion technology, which prevents growth and kills bacteria, mould, mildew and fungus, thus making it ideal for hospitals, clinics and schools.

Its Shield range, which features 100 per cent pure acrylic paints, guarantees long lasting exterior finishing. Extremely popular in this range is the Shield Extreme, which contains heat reflective pigments that lower surface temperature by up to 5 deg Celsius, thus cutting down on energy consumption.

Another range that is fast gaining popularity amongst interior designers and individual customers in both premium and upper segments is Expressions. This range has many interior decorative paints available in various textures and styles.

Furthermore, National Paints recently launched ‘Action Emulsion’ based on the market need for interior paint with excellent whiteness and good coverage or hiding power. This paint is ideal for maintenance and repainting works.

“With one of the finest research and development laboratories in the Middle East, we constantly strive to innovate and provide new products to the market,” said Sayegh.

Commenting on the business in the paints market, Sayegh said in the run-up to Expo 2020, they are already witnessing an increase in the number of infrastructural developments and new real estate ventures in the UAE. This infrastructure spending ahead of the expo is set to provide a massive boost to the construction sector and this will definitely have a positive impact on the paints industry.

The Expo 2020, he said, has already led to an increase in demand for their paint products. “We are currently in talks with several contractors and clients involved in Expo 2020 projects to discuss proposals and product pitching. We are also negotiating with major companies to meet their requirements for construction and industrial paints. We are confident that we will soon be signing key partnership agreements related to this global event.”

National Paints: robust market presence worldwide

Over all, Sayegh said the paints industry is stable and is currently set to be positively impacted by the fast-approaching Expo 2020 and a number of other government initiatives.

Paint products will be required for a range of operations across a large number of industries and sectors -- from real estate and construction to industrial applications, he added.

“In view of these developments, National Paints remains well prepared to meet the evolving market requirements with our wide range of decorative, protective, wood care, and other paints,” he added.

National Paints was established in 1969 in Amman, Jordan. In 1977, it opened in Sharjah, UAE, and then expanded to other parts of the country by building a factory in Abu Dhabi, an office in Al Ain, and local sales representatives across the country.

It currently owns 14 paint and three resin plants worldwide, churning an annual production capacity of over 450,000 tonnes and registering $400 million in annual sales. It employs a workforce of 2,500 employees worldwide.

National Paints ranks No 31 in sales worldwide; 13 among the top 25 companies in Europe; and No 1 in the Middle East and the Arab world in both sales and production.

Because of its diverse range of products, the company has a varied raw material requirement, and so it sources all raw materials from different parts of the world, including Europe and Asia.

National Paints has a robust market presence in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Romania, and India. Its plant in Sharjah is the biggest in the Arab world, while its second largest industrial complex is located in Jordan. The company also exports to more than 80 countries in Africa, CIS, Asia, and the GCC.