Middle East a chance for NZ firms to box above their weight

Tuesday 28th December 2010

Chris Mason uses a line that New Zealanders in other companies echo when he explains why the Burgerfuel fast food brand he founded is taking on the Middle East.

"We've always been a company that punches a little bit above its weight," he says.

Mason established the Burgerfuel gourmet burger concept in Auckland in 1995 and it has grown via company-owned and franchised operations to 31 outlets on either side of the Tasman.

The Gulf region was the start of the Burgerfuel's planned expansion outside Australasia, with two stores operating and both doing "incredibly well".

The first was opened in Saudi Arabia in February, when police moved in to control the crowds, while the second is in the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai's fashionable Jumeirah Beach Residence area.

More outlets are planned in both countries.

Mason said the brand's appeal to Middle East customers was "without a doubt the New Zealand beef - it's a 100% hit".

"They are big consumers and they love beef and cheese," he said.

"In Saudi, it's double patties, it's just crazy. They've taken to it with gay abandon."

After a period commuting to and from New Zealand, Mason, now Burgerfuel's managing director of international markets, has been based in Dubai since the middle of the year.

The boxing analogy is also used by Framecad, which is regarded as the world leader in light steel frame building solutions.

Framecad's head office remains in Auckland, even though 95% of its business is overseas.

"We remain immensely proud New Zealanders and we enjoy boxing above our weight," chief operating officer Tim Thodey said.

Of its offshore clients, more than half come from the Middle East and in 2008 it opened a regional office in Dubai.

Explaining Framecad's role in the construction process, regional manager Rob Moule said an architect would come up with a concept for a house, school, health unit, workers' accommodation, or other project.

The concept was transferred to the company's design, detailing and engineering software.

The completed file could be saved on a USB drive and plugged into manufacturing equipment, some in portable factories, from which every component was produced ready for assembly.

Moule said speed of construction and the ability to operate in remote locations were among the advantages of the process.

He said Framecad had set up more than 80 plants in the Middle East region, with the main concentrations being in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar.

Afghanistan was one of the company's biggest markets through United State military-related work.

While Framecad did not deal directly with the US military, he said the latter liked its design process so much that, when it put out tenders, it specified the use of Framecad software and machinery or similar.

When Moule joined the privately-owned company six years ago in Auckland, it had 30 people. That number had risen to 100 worldwide.

NZPA

Comments from our readers

No comments yet