Beaufort RAK sets eyes on global markets

Ras Al Khaimah: With a world-leading patented technology, the newly set up diaper manufacturer, Beaufort RAK LLC, is targeting leading markets in the US, Europe and the region, driven by its vision of becoming one of the top 10 manufacturing companies in the UAE.

Beaufort RAK LLC is a joint venture between RAK Investment Authority and a team of five American technocrat-entrepreneurs.

Investment

The venture has an initial investment of Dh25 million, which is set to go up to Dh300 million in three years' time to meet expected demand.

The manufacturing area will be expanded to 5,000 square metres by adding new buildings at the existing site at the RAK Investment Authority Free Zone.

Its patent-backed diaper brand called Dreamy's is now available in some of the hypermarkets in the country. The product is also being exported to Morocco, Algeria, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait and Qatar.

This is the first of four brands in their product line-up targeting various segments and markets from the UAE, the GCC states, Middle East and Europe.

The company has developed the world's thinnest, lightest, driest and coolest and most-environment and baby-friendly diapers in the world.

This has been certified by leading laboratories in the US and Europe, which include North Carolina State University and Shuster in US, Hi Tech in Germany and Courtary in France.

The Beaufort range of diapers represent a technological and environmental breakthrough by eliminating wood pulp entirely and replacing it with Synthetic Fibre Core (SFC).

The unique feature of this project is that the technology, which has won 15 patents, has been developed by the promoters themselves.

"We are three to five years ahead of other diaper manufacturers in terms of technology," said Jihad A. Fakhreddine, CEO of Beaufort RAK LLC.

According Fakhreddine, the technology used in diaper manufacturing had not progressed much since the early 1940s with the basic bulky tissue-based product to the super-absorbent polymer in the mid-1980s. Whatever was touted as product advancements since then were mostly marketing gimmicks - the diapers remained bulky nevertheless.

"We are saving 20 square kilometres of forest cover every year for each production line," he says.

The potential environmental savings are immense when considers that the traditional diaper manufacturing consumes vast amounts of wood pulp.

Savings

The savings factor extends to economy in landfill use, packaging, shipping and logistics costs and others.

The Beaufort diapers require 50 per cent less shelf space, and less storage space, officials said.

End-user comfort is also ensured. Since no pulp is used, and the Synthetic Fibre Core is naturally breathable, body temperature immediately dissipates, which results in minimum discomfort for the wearer and elimination of baby rash, the company said.