Brother Gulf achieves 25 per cent revenue growth in 2006 and exceeds sales targets

The high revenue growth was driven mainly by robust sales of its sewing machines and new generation Multifunction Centers (MFCs) in the GCC, Turkey, Iran, Levant, Egypt and South Africa.

Sales of its laser MFCs soared by 69 per cent and color inkjet MFCs grew by 40 per cent, as corporate clients, SOHOs and homes were major consumers for Brother's MFCs, which offer the best warranty, features, price and cost of use. The MFCs incorporate Brother's patented Innobella ink and paper, which prevent fading of printouts and clogging of the print head, ensuring long-lasting sharp prints and ease and convenience for the consumer. The photo prints exemplify the amazing durability of a Brother product and are estimated to maintain their high quality for more than 10 years.

"Our emphasis on technological innovation and our ability to identify emerging markets and provide ideal solutions across segments have translated into strong revenue growth and sustained market share. The introduction of cutting-edge products has been a huge factor in our strong market performance with the MFCs proving to be the biggest revenue driver for the year,"

said Shinji Tada, Managing Director, Brother Gulf, who took over from Yoshihisa Tsuji in March 2007.

Further boosting the company's revenues was the 59 per cent growth of its industrial sewing machines division, propped by rising demand from the booming business sector. Brother's high-end sewing and embroidery machines continue to be a hit among homemakers and small businesses who want the latest innovations that Brother's range offer, leading to a 27 per cent growth of its home sewing machine business.

"The Middle East is a prime market for our company's diverse solutions, as the bullish economy has raised the spending power of households and spurred new business activities. We are set to leverage our success in the region, which has presented greater opportunities for our company in different parts of the Middle East, and as a step towards this goal we have boosted critical manpower across divisions in high-performing markets including Turkey and Dubai," added Tada.

Brother Gulf is a recognized industry leader, providing high-performing laser printers, faxes and MFCs as well as consumables for more than ten years in the Middle East. Its regional office in Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai serves as supply, marketing, sales and technical support for its network of distributors and consumers.

The company recently joined other IT peripherals majors in Imaging Consumables Coalition of Europe (ICCE), an anti-counterfeit organization, which aims to combat imitation imaging solutions flooding the GCC market. Local authorities from the police, free zones, ports and customs participated in the first counterfeit awareness workshop to better equip authorities in their fight against counterfeit, which is estimated to have 50 per cent share in the imaging solutions industry in the UAE.