Trajectory to Success

Nidal Haddad, chief executive officer and board member of Al Bayader International, spoke with Food Manufacturing Journal – Middle East on how the company has grown from serving the UAE market to a group with six companies in the region offering comprehensive packaging solutions to the global food and beverage industry.

FMJE: How has Al Bayader progressed along with and in response to the growth of the food and beverage industry?

HADDAD: Al Bayader started in 1990; starting off from Dubai, our first expansion plan commenced from our branch in Abu Dhabi, followed by Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah. Our headquarters then shifted from Dubai to Sharjah with warehouses, showrooms and office space of 8,000 square metres. In 2003, we stepped out of the UAE and established our presence in Qatar, where we conducted industrial and commercial activities. Hereon, we moved to Oman and expanded further in the region by growing in Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.

The growth trajectory of Al Bayader has been based on two major dimensions: Supply Chain Management and Industrial Management; but the one element that has fostered our growth is innovation. We try to challenge and question ourselves not only with the shapes and sizes of our products, but also with finding unique packaging solutions for our clients. It’s our incessant and steady commitment towards our customers and their best interests that has allowed us to penetrate several regional markets.

FMJE: Al Bayader highlighted several new products at Gulfood. Can you tell us something about this new range?

HADDAD: Our latest offerings include a range of products that were launched at Gulfood 2011, and these comprise clear containers and clear cups consumed by coffee shops, confectionaries, bakeries and supermarkets, amongst others. As I’ve mentioned, we not only focus on the shape, size and design of our product, but also are keen to offer value-added packing solutions and added convenience to our customers.

Our latest offerings consist of 45 product types, which will replace 200 existing product types. Hence, the range will help our clients in economising their inventory size, queue, shelf spaces, liquidity cycles, finances and overall investments. Additionally, these products can be used for multiple purposes.

FMJE: What role has channelling and formalising customer feedback played in your reputation as an innovative packaging solutions provider?

HADDAD: As an innovative manufacturer, it is incumbent upon us to listen to our clients and their problems and concerns. We believe, however, that feedback should have a bottom-up approach. We not only touch base with the upper management of our consumers, but we also tend to talk to the lower tiers as well who deal with our products and services on a daily basis. We solicit requisite approvals from our clients and communicate with the workers who are well versed with our products and their concerns.

On consolidation of all feedback, we conduct meetings and propose solutions and on agreement, develop appropriate products. Our laboratories house state-of-the-art technology, equipment and a controlled simulated environment mirroring our clients’ supermarkets and hypermarkets. Our testing process is an extensive one whereby our food engineers test and evaluate the product in our simulated environments under similar temperatures and conditions. We are amongst the few packaging companies in the region to have received HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification.

WHO, WHAT & WHERE
Mr. Nidal Haddad, Chief Executive Officer
Al Bayader International P.O. Box 27106, Sharjah Industrial Area
#15Nike Roshe