DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – 10 July, 2012- In a strategic move to significantly boost the speed of its cabling solutions delivery capabilities in the Middle East and Africa, Reichle & De-Massari (R&M), the Swiss structured cabling specialist, unveiled its new patch cord assembly facility in the company's regional hub at the Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZA).

The new assembly line, the first of its kind in the region, was inaugurated by Mr. Peter Reichle, owner and executive board member of R&M, the company's COO, Mr. Markus Stieger and Mr. Jean-Pierre Labry, R&M's Executive Vice President for Middle East & Africa, with the presence of H.E. Mr. Walter Deplazes, Consul General of Switzerland (Dubai & Northern Emirates) , Mr. Peter Harradine, President of the Swiss Business Council in Dubai, distinguished officials from Dubai Airport Free Zone as well as R&M's valued partners and end users from the MEA region such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and also Qatar.
 
In addition to serving R&M customers across the Middle East and Africa, the assembly will also supply patch cords to countries in the Asia Pacific region including India, China, Japan, Singapore and Australia.
 
“Our customers would previously receive patch cords from our headquarters in Switzerland, but as the region now boasts of its own assembly facility, our Middle East and Africa customers as well as those in Asia Pacific can be assured of much faster delivery,” said Mr. Peter Reichle.
 
The patch cord is a vital cabling component for data centers and setting up the assembly facility for the same is in line with the company's aim of being recognized as the region's leading data center solutions provider by 2013. Patch cords, which are also vital for office cabling are most widely used for connecting endpoint devices such as laptops, telephones and desktops to wall outlets, or in the interconnection of network equipments like port switches and servers. These cords require a high degree of flexibility and customization of their lengths and types to meet various infrastructure requirements. Due to factors such as cooling, air circulation and power consumption, patch cords have an impact on the overall efficiency of the data center. With the newly opened production unit, R&M is now strongly position to deliver a high degree of customization including cable colour, casing material and serial number printing in very short turn-around times.
 
“Having the first of its kind patch cord assembly facility in Dubai will allow us to be more customer-oriented and will help us become the fastest and most efficient vendor in the market,” said Mr. Jean-Pierre Labry, Executive Vice President of R&M MEA. “Speed and flexibility are the key advantages of this new setup which allows R&M MEA to be the first vendor to address this regional demand in such a proactive manner. We have been investing heavily in the region and most recently, Mr. Martin Reichle, Owner and Executive Board Member inaugurated a new regional office in Saudi Arabia. We are recognized as one of the top three players in the region thanks to our strong local presence together with world class facilities.”
 
Speaking about the strict focus on quality, Mr. Markus Stieger, COO of R&M in Switzerland said, “In order to meet and exceed industry standards, R&M ensures that its products are manufactured under strictly controlled quality conditions. Rather than testing only samples from the production batches, at this R&M facility, every single patch cord will undergo a two level performance test. Cables which pass these tests are then branded under the R&M global 'freenet' warranty program. Furthermore, every raw material batch is strictly controlled and monitored by the Swiss headquarters to ensure that the R&M Swiss quality is maintained. The assembly staff at the new facility, received state-of-the-art training at the company's headquarters in Switzerland.”
 
Over the past three years, R&M MEA has increased its staff by nearly four times and continues to invest heavily in the region, both in terms of manpower as well as infrastructure.
 
“We are delighted that our strategic partner R&M has chosen to set up its patch cord assembly facility in DAFZA and shall not hesitate to throw our weight behind in order to facilitate the company’s tasks and future growth. On our part, we will ensure that R&M’s operations will receive our full support and assistance to enable it to achieve its objectives and commercial goals and safeguard the company’s investment,” concluded Ms. Amna Rashed Lootah, Executive Director Finance, Leasing & Customer operations, DAFZA.
 
About Reichle & De-Massari (R&M)
Reichle & De-Massari (R&M) develops and produces passive cabling solutions for communication networks and has established itself as a leading producer of high quality copper and fiber-optic solutions. The company has set up its own sales organizations in 30 countries and these are streamlined into seven sales regions. Around two thirds of R&M’s sales revenue is generated abroad. In 2011 sales reached CHF 189.4. More than 5% of sales revenue is invested in research and development every year. R&M is ranked one of the 500 leading companies in Switzerland and currently employs approx. 600 people. The company is wholly owned by the Reichle family and is managed as an independent family business.
 
More information is available at http://www.rdm.com
 
Marketing Contact:
Sandrine Prat
Marketing & Communication Manager
Regional Office- Middle East & Africa
Reichle & De- Massari MEA
Dubai U.A.E
Tel: + 971 4 236 87 61
Email: sandrine.prat@rdm.com
 
Media Contact:
Colin Saldanha
Procre8
Tel: +97150 6400762
Email: colin@procre8.biz