Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill (Garmco), the Bahrain-based international aluminium rolling mill, has appointed Mohammed Essa, the current general manager of operations, as its interim chief executive officer.

Essa has over 30 years of work experience in the company. He joined Garmco in 1985 as a material tester in laboratory and served in key departments such as sales and marketing, operations and quality control, said a statement from the company.

Mahmood Al Soufi, chairman, Garmco, said: “We are confident that Essa’s experience with the company and his close working relationship with the executive team will ensure continuity and a smooth transition; and the company will stay the course with the existing strategic plan.”

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our departing CEO, Jean-Baptiste Lucas for his contribution over the past two years and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours. He leaves behind a strong management team and strategy that will be taken forward by our interim CEO,” he added.

Garmco is the first and one of the largest downstream aluminium facilities in the Middle East for rolling, cutting and fabricating aluminium. With an annual production capacity of 165,000 tonnes, the company specialises in producing high-quality flat rolled aluminium products in various sizes and alloys, including sheets and coils.

These products are exported to key markets around the world – stretching from Australia to the US – to over 2,000 customers in more than 45 countries, it stated.

Meanwhile, work on a $55-million capacity expansion project at the company is on track with the first cast expected in July, and a gradual ramp-up towards full commissioning by the end of November, according to a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The new plant will provide Garmco with the capability to cast an additional 120,000 tonnes of aluminium slab products, added a company statement.

Moreover, once the slabs are rolled, the finished products will exceed customer quality requirements whilst improving operational safety and reducing production costs, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service