Bridon International, the global technology leader in the manufacture of steel wire and fibre ropes, hosted a customer-focussed technical conference on the 21st May 2013, at the Grand Ball room, Mövenpick hotel Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The technical conference gave Bridon the opportunity to launch its partnership with Kanoo Machinery, its exclusive stockists of crane and industrial lifting products for Saudi Arabia, and firmly mark its position in the area.
Bridon's partnership with Kanoo Machinery was launched publically at the conference with an introduction by Bob Jennings, General Manager, Kanoo Machinery, followed by an introduction by Steve Hodgkins, General Manager, Bridon Middle East.
Bridon's lead technical specialist, David Hewitt, led the remainder of the event, conducting various training sessions over the course of the day. He covered key aspects of the steel wire rope industry, including design, testing, manufacturing and vital information on the best practices to ensure longevity of products and safety of personnel.
Over 40 major drilling, steel, mining and construction companies participated in the event, covering a broad spectrum of representatives from management to technical and ground personnel. The event proved to be an insightful and illuminating day and was well received by the customers involved.
Antoine Chartouny, General Manager, OFSAT ARABIA (L.L.C), remarked:
"The seminars enabled me to acquire valuable information on wire ropes and I now feel that I am in a position to understand many important details when placing any significant orders. I am confident that I can discuss the most appropriate ropes for our operations with my field people, as well as the best way of deploying these products in a variety of challenging applications."
The customer interaction at the event also gave Bridon a wider perspective of the market in Saudi Arabia. This provided the company with the understanding to recommend and supply unique specifications of its products to meet individual customers' needs.
David Hewitt, Technical Application Specialist at Bridon, said:
"The day was a success, with a really strong turnout. It was a great opportunity for us to further develop our in-depth understanding of our customers' needs in this region, and to collaborate with them on tailor-made solutions for some of the toughest challenges they face."
In November 2012, Bridon opened a £30 million state-of-the-art factory in the UK that is able to manufacture the largest and most complex ropes ever made, in package weights of up to 650 tonnes. Soon after, in February this year, the company launched the Bridon Technology Centre, one of the world's most advanced facilities for the development and testing of offshore ropes. These investments give Bridon the capacity to produce highly engineered ropes boasting enhanced breaking loads, optimised bend fatigue performance, effective lubrication, and minimal rotation under load - firmly marking the company out as the global technology leader in the manufacture of steel wire and fibre rope solutions.