Standard Carpets Industries endorses UAE vision for industrial growth

When was Standard Carpets set up, what are the brand’s mission and vision statements?

Standard Carpets was established in 1997 from a small rented premises in Sharjah aimed to supply wall-to-wall carpets to the domestic market. Thanks to the acceptance of our products, the company grew quickly and allowed us to diversify both in products and in markets.

Over time, Standard Carpets developed into a vertically integrated factory with its own facilities for yarn extrusion, tufting, backing and tiling where we produce three main product lines: wall-to-wall carpets, carpet tiles and artificial grass.

Our phenomenal growth is entirely due to team effort and government encouragement.

Gulu Waney, Chairman, Standard Carpets

By keeping all stages of manufacturing under our own roof, we are able to control the quality of our products, enabling us to explore opportunities in more mature markets.

Today, Standard Carpets exports to over 60 countries internationally while maintaining its core values of quality, sustainability, innovation and responsibility. It is our ultimate goal to further ourselves as a leading global supplier of flooring.

How do you attribute Standard Carpet’s rapid growth over the past 20+ years?

Adaptability and consistency. Like any successful company, Standard Carpets considers its customers as partners. By taking feedback from customers and providing them with solutions, we have developed a strong distribution network.

The key to success is through continuous growth in capacities and capabilities.

Vidya Bhushan, Managing Director, Standard Carpets

Furthermore, Standard Carpets provides solutions with the future in mind. This can be seen in efforts such as our solar power project, where we covered the entire facility in solar panels to become the largest producer of renewable energy in the private sector.

Increasing the contribution manufacturing makes to the UAE’s GDP is a national priority set by the vision of our leaders for economic growth and diversification. By combining advanced technologies with best-in-class design and sustainable innovation, Standard Carpets has become the country’s largest producer of broadloom carpets. This expansion will boost industrial activities in the country and cement Dubai’s position as a global trade hub.
Global trust and confidence in high-quality UAE products continue to grow quickly as local production and exports expand empowered by our ease of doing business, advanced infrastructure, logistics network, availability of raw and packaging materials, as well as access to specialized talent. It has allowed Standard Carpets to trade with over 60 countries. We look forward to working closely with Standard Carpets to successfully deliver this important new milestone.

Abdulla Belhoul, Chief Commercial Officer, Dubai Holding Asset Management

It can also be seen in our recycling of raw materials and waste water. These are efforts which are not only cost saving in the long term but also fulfill our ethical and social responsibility as manufacturers. Together we hope to make an uncertain future a little more sustainable.

Did you have to cut jobs or salaries due to Covid?

We did not lay off a single staff member during Covid. Initially, we had to cut the salaries by 30 per cent in April-May last year but those were promptly refunded to the staff as soon as the first wave of Covid declined.

The UAE’s manufacturing industry has expanded rapidly in recent years to become a key driver of the country’s knowledge and innovation-based economy. With a wide range of competitive advantages, state-of-the-art infrastructure, ease of doing business and strategic proximity to some of the world’s largest markets, Dubai Industrial City is an attractive business ecosystem. As the first carpet producer in the country, we are pleased to see a company with such heritage build another large-scale factory in our business district. Standard Carpets’ expansion will consolidate Dubai’s position as a global hub for advanced manufacturing in line with the vision of our leaders.

Saud Abu Al-Shawareb, Managing Director, Dubai Industrial City

Which are your biggest markets at present, what are your expansion plans for the region and globally?

Currently our five biggest markets include Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and Saudi Arabia.

Thanks to its in-house design and logistics departments, Standard Carpets is positioned to sell anywhere in the world. Today our only manufacturing facility is based in the UAE.

At present, our current facility is 1.3 million square feet and produces 18 million square feet of flooring every month. The current expansion will more than double the plot size and be completed over two phases. The first phase will increase existing production of wall-to-wall carpets, carpet tiles and artificial grass by almost 50 per cent.

A man is as alive as his last dream. Don’t lose your illusions.

Sharad Bhushan, VP, Sales & Marketing, Standard Carpets

The second phase will include the introduction of new product lines. The expansion project is estimated to be completed by the end of 2023.

How has Covid affected Standard Carpets in terms of demand fluctuations, how do you see this changing in a post-Covid phase?

For Standard Carpets, Covid has further demonstrated the importance of a diversified customer base.

While in some countries, recovery is already underway, in other countries demand is still low. By focusing on those markets where the Covid situation is stable, we have been able to avoid the Covid impact and grow our business further.

The growth of Standard Carpets over the past 20 years is a testament to the opportunities industries have operating out of the UAE. We are proud to be based in the UAE and are confident in the country’s strategy to grow the industrial sector.

Kyle Waney, GM, Projects & Corporate Affairs, Standard Carpets

Please elaborate on how Dubai Industrial City helped in Standard Carpets’ growth story while speaking of your current expansion plans.

Dubai Industrial City has always been a great partner for Standard Carpets. Their team is extremely approachable and responsive. They have been a great support system and worked with us to ensure Standard Carpets operates as efficiently and effectively as possible. For these reasons and more, we have decided to build our first facility, expansion and staff accommodation all within Dubai Industrial City.