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THE Ahmed Mansoor Al A’ali Group of Companies, globally known under its acronym AMA Group, is forging ahead with new-found confidence and looking to bolster its order books backed by a new vision of excellence.
The 60-year-old Bahrain-based business, boasting an annual turnover of around BD100 million, has 15 divisions, subsidiaries and joint ventures and employs around 4,000 people.
It is well diversified and runs a fully integrated enterprise, covering all major areas of contracting and related manufacturing, equipment supply, trading and real estate development activities.
Group CEO Othmar Wutscher said: 'AMA’s aim is to be the preferred choice of the customer and this is best expressed by the new slogan of the group: building relationship on integrity and performance.
'To deliver to the promise made to our clients and customers is the key target we will – and already do – achieve in the new projects we are presently executing.
'Whether AMA is No.1 or on whatever spot in a ranking is not important, what is important is to achieve full customer satisfaction and, based on it, a reasonable profitable business for our shareholders.'
In 2011 AMA Group proved that its strategy and concepts were working. It forged ahead with new contracts in Bahrain with various ministries, clinching, for example, a major drainage project in Riffa, BAPCO’s five-year shutdown maintenance programme, as well as securing private investor deals such as the gas plant for Praxair in Hidd.
Internationally, contracts with top clients such as the Maaden Aluminum Smelter, Saudi Arabia, and even the Kitimat Aluminum Smelter (Canada) project – both together worth close to $100 million – resulted in a good and profitable financial performance.
'And the year 2012 looks equally promising,' revealed Mr Wutscher. 'AMA will tender for several of the upcoming larger projects in Bahrain and two neighbouring countries – Saudi Arabia and Qatar – already, or will soon, experience a construction boom. AMA wants to be a part of it and we have made the first steps in this direction already.'
The AMA Group has become recognised as a ‘partner of choice’ for numerous international corporations keen to explore new business avenues or embarking upon projects for the public and private sectors.
The group provides them with a comprehensive range of services, extensive logistics support and local resources. These include project management and execution, manpower supply, transportation, plant and garage facilities, accommodation, local visa and sponsorship services, and agencies and trading services for all major product lines.
A key factor in the growth and expansion of the AMA Group has been the enduring and mutually beneficial strategic alliances and business relationships that the group has formed with leading international companies. It works with many partners such as Bechtel, Alstom, Bouygues, Italiampianti, Bierrum, Biwater, Cegelec, Foster Wheeler, Hyundai, JGC, Kobelco, Liebherr, MAN, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NKM NOELL (Reel), Sasakura Engineering and Solios.
Its origins are remarkable. In 1948, a young Bahraini, Ahmed Mansoor Al A’ali, armed with just one small crusher and a few trucks, embarked upon a journey that was to result in the creation of the largest construction group in the kingdom. The group still operates as a family business and Mr Al A’ali, 85, remains its chairman.
But it’s not always been plain sailing. It was a result of an ailing performance that Mr Wutscher, a 57-year-old Austrian, was brought on board. 'It is public knowledge that AMA Group fell sick, was admitted to hospital, operated on and is now recovering and rebounding,' he explained.
'I joined the company as one of the surgeons performing the operation and also to guide and oversee the full recuperation of the former patient. This is a very challenging position and it is further an honour to work for Ahmed Mansoor Al A’ali, one of the most reputable and visionary entrepreneurs I have met in my professional life and all the other very supportive shareholders.'
As Bahrain bounces back from the turmoil of unrest, there is a buzz building up across the island and the annual gulfBID expo for the construction industry which takes place on April 24-26 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre is regarded as an indicator of growing optimism.
Mr Wutscher is on board too. 'The gulfBID is the venue we chose to sort of relaunch AMA Group,' he said. 'We took our time to structure our offering which is based on our new customer excellence programme to deliver to the promise,' he said.
'This shall not be just a slogan, but our commitment to our clients and the new professional team and our business approach and execution will prove it.'
