Future Iron Pipes – a unique family company in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine

FIP is recognized as a key manufacturer of coated and lined steel pipes in the Middle East and the Arab World, based in Hebron – Dura in the West Bank of Palestine. The Nasser family, locally well-known due to the Arabic Brothers Company (construction), founded FIP in 2009, has created production facilities with state-of-the-art technology. In no less than four years FIP has established itself as the market leader in coated and lined steel pipes in the West Bank, holding a dominant market share due to substantial sales achievements and rapid growth figures in the birth stage of its existence.
 
The FIP vision is to produce top quality pipes meeting any international or local standard satisfying their customers by providing engineered solutions anywhere anytime. The company’s mission: Being the world top coating pipes manufacturers and suppliers.
 
Originality, projection towards the future, dynamic relationships with market segments and constant development; that’s what FIP stands for. FIP is fully prepared to meet the needs, demands generated by the expansion of water distribution systems, natural gas, oil pipelines and related projects.
 
In order to prepare the company for the next step in its evolution FIP has requested PUM Netherlands Senior Experts for management- and business-development advice. In October PUM has sent Derick Maarleveld, as a volunteer, to Hebron with the mission to help FIP to develop the  management- and business structures for further expansion. This expansion requires further professionalization of the company’s talented, well-educated staff, nearly all holding a BA degree of the most recognized universities in the West Bank. This young and ambitious team is eager to spent time and energy in their personal development as business managers.
 
Maarleveld conducted the research methodology of the Organization Health Check. He interviewed ten managers on the subjects of 1. Business results, 2. People, 3. Organization and 4. Strategy. On top of this, he visited a representative panel of six key-customers in Dura, Hebron and Ramallah. These customers all identified  the high quality of FIP pipes, the good procedures and services as the key strengths of FIP. The only improvement area that customers are looking for is to further develop the business relationship with this very young company! This seems to be an open invitation to realize the desired additional growth FIP is looking for.
 
Internally, the staff and management are delighted with the excellent business results and the appreciation received from their customers. However, this young FIP team is looking for further development of their management- and business skills. Based on his experience as director and owner of a family company himself, Maarleveld pulled together an action plan covering various management and business skills, which is planned to  execute in the coming year with on-line coaching out of the Netherlands. The ambitious FIP team welcomed this action plan with great enthusiasm and is eager to learn.
 
Specifically, this action plan will cover: a new organizational structure enhancing teamwork, self-evaluation and personal development plans, OGSM business plans per team and Go2Market plans focused on the needs of key customers. On top of this the team will be trained in commercial skills,  the 4 Business Competencies (execution, innovation, leadership, relations) and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
 
The ideal approach would be if Maarleveld, accompanied by two of his partners (Freek Bakker and Erik van Nieuwpoort)  could return to Hebron and organize a one-week training and coaching program, that will further develop the skills of the FIP team. That’s why FIP will request PUM to facilitate another mission to Hebron……. to be continued!
 
FIP asdegaa, Soekran jazilam wa ma-as-salamah  (FIP friends, thank you and good bye)
 
Recommendation:
“When someone passed the human experience the first  time  he have  accompanied a lot of worry from the results. Mr. Derick was a friendly person and helpful, I  feel his desire over to help and give him  support to others. So after the experience  which Mr. Derick spent  in our company for the development of the administrative system and  helpful suggests to improve, he is boost up me on a personal level to work hard to improve  my work skills  as that of my colleagues in the work. They are sharing my the same impression after the meeting in which Mr. Derick discussed summary of recommendations for the development of an action plan in the company.”
 
“So we are going to call Mr. Derick to visit us again soon in order to complete our project large comapny making the future of the metal pipe as the best company in Palestine in the quality of the administrative system.”

Thank you
Amjad