Right after his graduation and with handmade paper experience, Mohammed Qamruddin founded Umm Al Quwain Paper Products (UAQPP) in 1992 to manufacture paperboard products from waste paper. After finding success with the company, Mohammed explored other Middle East countries for better opportunities, and the company has since expanded its product offering to include test liners, fluting medium, and core board papers.
Best Recycled Paperboard Exporter - UAE Umm Al Quwain Paper Products initially started out by producing low grammage kraft paper with an installed capacity of 5,000 metric tons, and in 1999, it upgraded its machine, enabling it to specialize in high grammage core board paper. This was a revolutionary step for a mill of its size at the time, helping to create dominance over the high grammage paper market for companies in the region. With core values of integrity, innovation, teamwork and customer focus, the company became synonymous with recycled core board paper, its product ideally used in the production of high-strength paper cores, edge board, lamination board, paper cones, and honeycomb boards.
Consistently excellent customer service and high quality of paper have always been UAQPP’s key focus and what makes it stand out from competitors. The company’s customer service philosophy is composed of two parts: vision and values, which it has defined for its support team who go to great lengths in order to satisfy customers. They strive to deliver outstanding service and are highly responsive and reactive when it comes to resolving any issues that may arise.
Its prioritised customer focus helps in facing adequate competition from European mills, the existence of which reflects the demand within the industry, and drives the company to perpetually improve its product. UAQPP also believes that competition makes it better, motivating its team to constantly improve, ultimately doing whatever it takes to meet and exceed customer expectations. The company therefore believes in value addition, periodically investing in the latest manufacturing equipment in order to maintain the quality and value of its products. This ensures persistent improvement of paper quality, which aids in customer loyalty across the region.
Additionally, a first of its kind in the GCC region, the company recently set up further capacity enhancements to its paper production by starting a new paper mill, Arabian Kraft Paper Manufacturing LLC. Based in Quwain Industrial City, UAE, it is engaged in the manufacturing of various grades of kraft paper, from virgin grade to recycled grade for the packaging and paper bag industry. With an annual capacity of 20,000 metric tons, it is manufacturing a diverse range of kraft paper like machine-glazed bleached and unbleached kraft paper, semi-recycled kraft paper, and 100% recycled kraft paper with high-quality strength.
The company takes advantage of various logistics options and ease of supply chain connections with customers around Gulf countries and the rest of the world, committing to quick and prompt order executions, and with price and delivery time advantages of imports. As the top kraft paper manufacturer in the UAE, it emphasises the value of being a relationships-oriented business.
Meanwhile, every industry has seen rapid changes over the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, UAQPP has experienced an increase in consumer demand for packaged and fresh food, thus raising growth opportunities for the recycled paper market in the UAE. However, that’s not to say that the pandemic didn’t negatively disrupt the market, with the effects of lockdown include disruption of supply chain, lack of availability of raw materials used in the manufacturing process, labour shortages, fluctuating prices causing production costs to go beyond budget, shipping problems, and more. There is therefore an acute scarcity of wastepaper, and the paper industry in the UAE is struggling under stiff competition from the Indian and overseas markets.
Despite the chaos that the pandemic has caused, UAQPP has remained keen to maintain a cultural and emotional internal climate that is ultimately positive and supportive. The company treats its employees with courtesy, always inviting them to express their thoughts and listening to what they have to say. It encourages and promotes inclusion and ensures that everybody feels accepted for who they are and a part of the team.
Now looking ahead, Qamruddin’s son and Director of UAQPP, Faizuddin Mohammed sees a promising future for the company. He shares, “It has many new heights to reach. One is winning this award, Alhamdulillah. We plan to move forward in this journey of excellence that meets the industry’s high standard.”
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