Business & Money | Thursday 26 May, 2016 5:02 am |

The swift change in the air conditioning market of Saudi Arabia calls for a new strategy that entails the use of an innovative technology to cater to that increasing demand. Al Salem Johnson Controls, a pioneer provider of integrated HVAC solutions, has adopted this approach with the launch of the first Saudi chiller from YORK, the YLAA air-cooled chiller, a unit that is distinguished by YORK’s unique options and features of American technology.

The recent shift that the HVAC industry has witnessed was imminent as numbers show that a staggering 15 billion Riyals worth of investments were recorded towards end of 2015, and that figure is expected to grow under the current massive urbanization process. The demand on cooling units have gradually increased due to several factors, namely the Kingdom’s harsh weather conditions, rising income levels and the dynamic expansion in infrastructure.

CEO of Al Salem Johnson Controls, Dr Mohanad AlShaikh, emphasized the need to cope with the change and said: “We will be walking hand in hand with the Kingdom’s 2030 vision and continue investing in our local manufacturing capabilities. YORK’s air-cooled chiller (YLAA) is now being manufactured at our factory here in Jeddah. This only marks the start of an ongoing expansion in our residential, commercial and industrial offerings in Saudi Arabia. The YLAA chiller offers a state-of-the-art technology and adheres to YORK’s global specifications and standards for optimal energy efficiency levels. Al Salem Johnson Controls aims to deliver the best quality available following global standards using international AHRI certified components.”

He also added: “The YLAA chiller is currently being manufactured in Saudi Arabia and will contribute to a significant reduction in lead time, thus ensuring the unit’s delivery in 8 – 10 weeks versus initial 14 – 16 week timespan. The process of manufacturing chillers locally in our factory reflects positively on creating more job opportunities, consequently paving the way for companies to increase its localization efforts and achieve the desired Saudization objectives.  The company is also working on a plan to provide 1,000 job vacancies for young Saudis in the industrial field at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).”  

VP of Field Sales and Operations at Al Salem Johnson Controls, Dr. Anwar Hassan, shed light on the company’s vital role in this industry considering the Kingdom’s standpoint on industrial development to reach self-sufficiency. “YORK’s YLAA chillers is being manufactured for the first time in Saudi Arabia, and is tailored to suit for the Kingdom’s tough weather conditions, which position it as a prime choice for residential and commercial projects.” He then added. “This Saudi-made product is the fruit of a solid partnership between Johnson Controls/YORK’s factories spread in the US, Mexico and Al Salem Johnson Controls, and is equipped with the latest technologies the industry has to offer, and will underpin YORK’s footprint in the Saudi market.”

Al Salem Johnson Controls’ YLAA chiller aims to target light industries and companies that are seeking the best cooling equipment and usage. With regards to its aftersales service, the company has trained a highly qualified team with the requisite tools and skills to communicate with each customer and ensure that their questions are answered with the utmost detail and accurate information.

Among its leading internal initiatives is the “Young Leader Program”. The latter focuses on providing Saudi youth with on-job training and skills development. It was designed to uphold their capabilities to help them become the next generation of leaders in their respective fields, and give them an opportunity to work on many of the company’s key projects scattered in the Kingdom. Engineer Amr Taiyeb was one of the YLP graduates who had the opportunity to work on the YLAA project, along with Engineer Bandar Bin Salman.

It is worth noting that Al Salem Johnson Controls’ factory met all quality management standards and is registered to the ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certifications. Johnson Controls’ products are also recognized by the US EPA as Energy Star Most Efficient 2016.