The market in Yemen has recovered from the revolution that once crippled their economy, today it promises great possibilities in the packaging and printing industry, reveals Fouad M Alshamiri, executive manager of Yemen Modern Press.
Yemen Modern Press Founded in 1990 is based on the principle of quality production accompanied with continuous development. A qualified team of technical staff, 40 in number run the printing press which houses Kodak Magnus 400 Quantum platesetter, A range of Heidelberg presses and folder gluer equipment.
Giving the best
Yemen Printing Press notices that the entry into the packaging field has been really remarkable and has reaped great benefits, consequently allowing the press to grow at the rate of about 85%. Their clientele revolves around Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, for whom they produce about 2 to 3 million boxes, for a line of products including tea tins, perfumes, juices and other edible items- per month.
According to Fouad M Alshamiri, executive manager, Yemen Modern Presses, packaging industry in Yemen is yet to grow to the stature of the printing industry in Dubai. But he sounds confident to say that in times to come the industry in Yemen will witness great developments in next 3 years, especially in the packaging industry.
The revolution and its impact
Talking about the conditions in the Yemeni market during the revolution he said “Our production was affected by 50% due to the political instability. There were many difficulties that we had to face like regular power cuts. Constant insurrection led to the closing down of several streets. Life was difficult and unsafe. Thankfully life is more stable now. It is not exactly like what it was before the uprising but yes the economy has recovered (about 80%), which is a very good sign and promises equally good fortune.”
The Syrian uprising and deterioration of printing and packaging in that country contributed to the rising demand for printing and packaging in Yemen as well. Since the unrest began the demand for packaging in Yemen grew by almost 60%.
Studying the Market
Sharing his secrets about ways of roping in customers Fouad said “We have several tools and methods of marketing and we also keep reviewing our facilities in printing for our potential customers.
For example, we give live demonstrations of our products to the customers, to help them understand it better.” Talking about the challenges in industry he added “The major problem is lack of technically trained labour. Yemen suffers from lack of skilled labour and print professionals. Sadly you don’t see interest in raising the standards and training the professionals from people who are involved in printing industry. The customers here look for high quality products, be it in printing or finishing, and look for added value to the end product.”
Talking about plans for future Fouad revealed: “We are making constant efforts to update ourselves with the latest trends and technologies in the packaging industry and we also plan to extend our infrastructure in the printing industry and introduce a folder gluer machine to double our production. The market here has tremendous opportunities and we try to grab them to push growth.”
