Byrne Equipment Rental, one of the largest industrial equipment rental companies in the Middle East, said it plans to invest Dh15 million ($4.08 million) into its new office complex at Dubai Industrial City (DI).

The new 401,000 sq ft HQ complex will house Bryne’s main offices in Dubai as well as the general rental and projects and events divisions, and will also include offices, warehouses and workshops with an estimated staff of 160 employees, said DI, the primary manufacturing and logistics destination and a member of Tecom Investments.

A specialist in providing a comprehensive range of one-stop-shop, round-the-clock solutions and services, Byrne currently operates out of Emaar Business Park with three storage facilities in Al Qouz Industrial Area. The new complex will be ready by 2013.

Graeme Clack, the CEO of Byrne Investment, the parent company of Byrne Equipment Rental said, “There is a growing demand across the region from companies who prefer to rent rather than purchase and maintain expensive equipment which is a drain on their capital. We found DI to be the ideal base offering us ready access to our key markets of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern emirates.'

'Our close proximity to the Al Maktoum Cargo Terminal will also allow us to draw on the growth of the airport and its related facilities, as well as enabling us to consolidate our presence in one area and expand across the GCC in a cost-efficient way,' Clack stated.

According to him, Byrne commands up to 20 per cent share of the UAE equipment rental market, and valued at Dh1.2 billion in 2011.

Abdulla Belhoul, the DI managing director said, “We are proud to host Byrne Investment in the industrial city. Such an increase in activity at DI is in line with the upward nationwide trend, which has shown a growth of around 12.8 per cent in industrial investment in 2011 as per the UAE Ministry of Economy’s recent announcement.'

'It also reflects DI’s commitment to supporting the country’s drive towards increasing the manufacturing sector’s share in the GDP, from the current 16 per cent to a target of 25 per cent,' he added.

Founded in Dubai in 1992, Byrne specializes in supplying a wide range of industrial equipment for hire to the region’s oil and gas, marine, construction, leisure and tourism, retail and logistics sectors, also offering 24-hour support services.

Its network span in the region includes nine offices covering Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, with a staff-strength of 409 employees.

Its prominent clients include Emirates Aluminium (Emal), Golf in Dubai (the organisers of the Dubai Desert Classic), Formula One in Abu Dhabi and the Tourism Development Investment Company (TDIC).-TradeArabia News Service