3M total solutions powering the construction industry in Kuwait

Mr. Chaouki Bahsoun, Country Leader for 3M Kuwait said: 'The aim of the day long event was to provide valuable insights into innovative and emerging 3M technologies that support sustainable development, to establish new relationships with targeted end customers in the construction industry and further reinforce 3M's existing relationships in Kuwait's construction segment.'

The event follows from the recent success of a 'Supporting Sustainable Development' event in Qatar that took place on April 15, 2008.

The event also highlighted the environmentally-focused initiatives that 3M is taking, and the sustainable development objectives that both government and industry players have agreed on in Kuwait.

The event was aimed at civil contractors, electro-mechanical contractors, real estate developers, consultants, architects, interior designers and property managers in both government and private sector spheres.

Mr. Manohar Raghavan, Business Development Manager for 3M Construction Markets, Middle East and Africa region commented; 'Kuwait is a hugely significant market for 3M Construction as it is one of the most robust markets in terms of both growth and value.

Through this event, we want to highlight the fact to all levels of industry players, that 3M is the most strategic partner for Kuwait - not only for construction but in terms of sustainable development.'

Kuwait has witnessed a solid year on year expansion in the construction sector, with the market growing dramatically since 2006. Construction companies are increasingly relying on sustainable sources of development to ensure demands for housing and infrastructure are met over the next years.

The majority of investments are being utilized to develop high potential infrastructural construction projects to build the future of Kuwait, highlighting the important role that companies offering total construction solutions, like 3M, have to play in Kuwait's future.

The event comprised of two sessions; the morning session was an open house style exhibition displaying a wide range of solutions for fire and safety, interiors, architectural and glazing, structured cabling, electrical, facilities management, and workplace and personal safety.

The evening session was dedicated to focused presentations on Structured Cabling solutions by Ahmed Ghazy, Techincal Sales Engineer for 3M Telecommunications and Specialty Coatings and Maintenance solutions by Andrew Donald, Senior Sales Executive for 3M E.Wood. In addition, there was also a demonstration on the application of 3M's Structural Glazing technology. This was followed by dinner

3M also took the opportunity to showcase its solutions for locating and marking to the construction industry in Kuwait. The 3M™ Dynatel™ Locating and Marking System is an integrated solution for cable/pipe locating, fault finding and electronic marking using RFID technology.

It provides a complete system for damage prevention, locating, marking and mapping vital underground assets. Also on display were 3M's recently acquired range of specialty coatings and maintenance solutions for use in both refurbishment and new-build projects.

These include solutions for traffic coatings, liquid applied roofing, intumescent fire coatings, concrete repair, specialty flooring, aesthetic flooring, external cladding coatings, anti-slip coatings, anti-graffiti coatings, hygienic coatings and industrial repair solutions.

The event provided a variety of insights to customers, allowing them to see for themselves 3M's range of innovative and emerging technologies that will support the growing requirements of sustainable development.

Visitors to the event also had the chance to see product demonstrations, with the opportunity for hands-on interaction with the latest 3M products and solutions for the construction industry and how 3M can add value as a strategic partner.

'These events provide an ideal platform for us to get to know our customers, and for our customers to understand how 3M can be a key player in Kuwait's plans for a successful future of sustainable development.

Kuwait is likely to be an intrinsic construction market in the region for the foreseeable future, and we are looking forward to being an active partner in the sustainable development of the entire country,' added Raghavan.

3M also has a representative office in Kuwait with a dedicated sales and technical team who provide on-site training, seminars, technical submittals, specifications, supervision and support to customers and key accounts and local project management in collaboration with 3M's dedicated channel partners.