Updated : November 17, 2013 01:00 am,Dubai
By Editor
By Editor
Company projects Middle East revenues of $800 Million by 2015
Power management company Eaton has invested $6 million in the development of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing hub and Middle East regional headquarters. The new facility, located in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), was officially opened this week by Eaton’s Chairman and CEO Alexander M. Cutler at a ceremony attended by its 160 Dubai-based employees. The new regional headquarters will play a central role in driving Eaton’s ambitious plan to increase Middle East revenues to $800 million by 2015.
Eaton has operated in the Middle East for more than four decades, contributing to the development of the region’s infrastructure with power management solutions that include legacy brands Westinghouse, BILL, MEM, Cutler-Hammer, Powerware and Moeller. The opening of Eaton’s new regional headquarters follows the acquisition of Cooper Industries, completed in November 2012, which significantly increased the breadth of the company’s electrical product portfolio, globally and across the Middle East.
The combined company has approximately 102,000 employees with 2012 sales of $21.8 billion on a pro forma basis in 175 countries. In the Middle East, Eaton employs more than 300 people in 19 offices across the region. Eaton is growing rapidly in the Middle East, forecasting 18 percent growth in 2013 revenues compared to the previous year.
Eaton’s new Middle East headquarters and manufacturing plant covers 86,000 square feet (7,990 square meters) with space available to more than double in size in the future. The new plant will ship low and medium voltage products and assemblies to oil and gas, utility and large infrastructure customers across the region. In addition to manufacturing and assembly, the new facility will house a regional service centre that will provide certification programs for consultants and engineers throughout the region.
The Dubai facility will also be home to Eaton’s regional front-end and support functions including sales, marketing, human resources, supply chain and finance. A Customer Experience Centre will be built to showcase Eaton’s heritage and power management solutions.
“Eaton has been in the Middle East for four decades and the opening of this new facility marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the company’s growth story in this vibrant region,” said Cutler. “Our vision is to establish Eaton as one of the premier power management companies in the Middle East and we are investing heavily to support rapid growth in annual revenues to $800 million by 2015.”
“Our new manufacturing capacity will play a critical role in ensuring Eaton can efficiently deliver local solutions to local customers,” said Eaton’s Middle East General Manager, Frank Ackland. “With strong capabilities across energy, utilities and construction, further enhanced by the acquisition of Cooper, we are gearing up for accelerated growth in 2014 and beyond.”