Biddle targets niche markets in Mideast.

(From Gulf Construction)

Following its participation at last year's Big 5 show in Dubai, Dutch manufacturer Biddle has become convinced that its high-quality climate equipment can be of great benefit to the Gulf region and has charted out an ambitious plan of expansion in the region. Having gained broad experience in the cooling and freezing industry in Europe, especially over the last few years, Biddle has now turned its focus to countries where the climatic conditions are quite the opposite - the Middle East. "There's a huge potential for our products in this booming market," says export director Rob Schomaker, "and if value is attached to high quality in the Gulf, Biddle products will be an obvious choice. The key contacts made by the company in the markets of the UAE and Saudi Arabia at the Big 5 has helped us identify a strong market in the region," he adds. Biddle specialises in the manufacture of heating, cooling and climate separation and has become a major player in this industry by continuously introducing innovations. Biddle's product range includes comfort air curtains for public buildings and shops, air curtains for large chill rooms and cold stores, as well as combined air heaters/coolers for shops and offices, and high-quality fan coil units for public buildings, offices, banks, hotels and houses, says a company spokeswoman. Biddle owes its strength to a large R&D department that collaborates with many independent research institutes and universities, which has resulted in several patents registered in the company's name. Biddle has built itself on the pillars of quality, innovation and knowledge, gained from providing thorough and customer-specific advice and durable products and the use of high-quality components. In developing new products and technologies, Biddle also works closely with technical universities. This has allowed Biddle to build a good reputation across Europe, especially following the invention of the - patented - rectifier technology and multi-air stream technology, which have taken shop and cold store air curtains to a higher level. Until now, the sales area mainly covered all of Europe and Canada but in the last few years Biddle has been increasingly exporting its products to other markets, she says. Air curtains Biddle's air curtains, which are suitable for airports, shops, banks, industrial buildings, offices and other public buildings, have been used by clients such as Ikea, Carrefour, and the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, among others. "In most of these cases, air curtains are used to prevent warm air from escaping the building each time the door is opened, and heat up the cold outdoor air before it enters the building," she says

She continues: "Also in reverse situations such as occurring in warm countries, Biddle comfort air curtains offer many benefits. A warm climate requires a cooled indoor space, and an air curtain without heating can support this requirement in two ways. Firstly, the air curtain prevents air in a cooled room from mixing with the warmer outdoor air each time the door is opened. Secondly, the air curtain ensures that the existing air-conditioning unit is less burdened. The air curtain gently discharges cool air through the patented rectifier. This air stream is nearly laminar, ensuring that warm and cold air is kept separated at a minimum air velocity. The low loss of cooled air allows the cooling unit to operate at a lower speed, thus minimising the ...