Gateway into the vast MENA market

As the No.1 trade exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for plastics industries, PLASTEX 2010 showed remarkable strength at its 12th edition last May. Held every 18 months, the exhibition has significantly grown, not only in size but also in the quality of exhibitors and visitors. Seeing Egypt as the door to the booming MENA region, leading players in the plastics industry from various parts of the world are now flocking to Cairo, according to the show's organiser, Arab Communication Group for International Trade Fairs (ACG - ITF). Dr. Ahmed Jawili, the Secretary General of Arab Economic Union Council opened the event, which had 650 exhibitors from 30 countries occupying the 26,000 sq.m. venue. The organiser estimated 27,000 visitors. The buoyant mood amongst traders and manufacturers stems from the brighter forecast on the region's economic growth. The MENA region is projected to record 4.1- 4.5% economic growth this year, based on projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The plastics industry is seen to outpace such economic forecast since it has been recording over 500% upsurge in the last 30 years, according to Mr. Ahmed Ghozzi, ACG - ITF Chairman and CEO. With PLASTEX, ACG-ITF hopes to achieve its main objective of cutting down the hassles for trade visitors by allowing them to find almost all their needs in the plastics sector under one roof. Visitors found the latest machinery and equipment, technical parts, raw materials and auxiliaries, plastics industry services, and reinforced plastics. Incorporating EGYPLAST 3, the event also featured Egypt's top 125 end-product manufacturers who are major buyers of machinery in PLASTEX. Overall, PLASTEX 2010 offered great opportunities for worldwide plastics processors, suppliers and manufacturers to boost their business in the MENA region.

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Exhibitors' Feedback Mr. Mohamed Serry Sales Manager Medstar Group Tel: +20-015 364 020: Fax: +20-015 364 120 E-mail: serry@medstar-misr.com Website: www.medstar-misr.com One of the main exhibitors in EGYPLAST, the Medstar Group has been in the plastics manufacturing field since 1976 and is considered one of Middle East's leading companies in the sector. The company operates three large factories turning out various product lines that include houseware as well as catering, kitchen and storage products. Medstar now has a total production area of 1,000 sq.m. equipped with the most advanced machinery and warehouses spanning 15,000 sq.m. as storage facilities. For the show, Medstar introduced a new product line targeted at hotels and airline catering service companies, such as Egypt Air. The company's products are well known for their quality and reliability. "Our company is known for our excellent services, and our ability to establish good partnership with our customers," according to Mr. Mohamed Serry, Sales Manager. Medstar offers customised products, made according to customers' specifications, while its wide distribution network enables it to serve both local and international customers. The company plans to expand and to pioneer in using advanced PET technology in its production to further improve the quality of its catering products in its Ramadan City facility. It is also eyeing to increase its exports to the United States, Canada, Europe, and to the rapidly growing Middle East market. "Medstar researches all aspects of our products and constantly seeks to extend product range. We are also aware of the key role of R&D in the production of high quality products that's why the company invests in staff regular training and technical development. Regular research is usually done to ensure that the company meets theHighsnobiety Sneakers