Grako, a leading facilities management company, along with its sister company Gecko Middle East - a highly qualified UAE-based industrial services company - has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the National Catering Company (NCC Group).

This alliance will provide each party with a new level of strength, said a statement.

Grako is reputed for its high-level access cleaning and maintenance services, most commonly known for cleaning the facades of Burj Khalifa and Dubai Airport.

NCC Group is one of the largest UAE-based conglomerates.

The National Investor (TNI) acted as the financial advisor and lead manager to NCC on the transaction, which is aimed at unleashing the growth potential that the newly formed partners can capitalise on, given the national investments and growth expected in select sectors like facilities management, oil and gas and maritime industries, it said.

Abubaker Seddiq Al Khoori, chairman, TNI, said: “This dynamic partnership, whereby NCC acquired majority shares in both Grako and Gecko, will add new momentum to business growth for all parties immediately and in the long run.”

This alliance supplements NCC’s robust portfolio of services even further, to cater to Abu Dhabi’s marketplace dynamics and challenges, by joining forces with world-class service providers such as Grako and Gecko, especially in light of tighter health, safety and environmental regulations and the growing demand for specialised facilities management and industrial services, it added.

Both Grako and Gecko will continue to operate independently, led by Alain El Tawil, who is keen on expanding his Abu Dhabi operations further by leveraging NCC’s well-established client base and reach especially in the oil and gas and maritime industries, said a statement.

Abdullah Mazrui, chairman of NCC, said: “Both Grako and Gecko have deep knowledge and expertise in their respective fields, which should prove to be extremely valuable for our current and future customers.”

“This partnership aligns with our core strategy on many fronts and reflects NCC’s commitment towards driving growth in our focus sectors by partnering with leading players with high growth potential,” he said.

“We consider Grako and Gecko to be the most suitable partners for us to accelerate our growth ambitions in both the facilities management industry and our support services business targeting industrial sectors,” he added.

NCC, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, is one of the largest support services conglomerates in the UAE, specialising in industrial and corporate catering, facilities management, engineering, retail and F&B.

Since its establishment in 2004, Grako has received multiple facilities management industry awards for its utmost commitment to safety, high quality workmanship and client satisfaction rating. Today, the company is considered as the region’s foremost when it comes to high level rope access cleaning, maintenance, and safety practices when working at height. This has made Grako a distinguished service provider for the UAE’s top master development and asset management companies in the properties, hospitality, entertainment, retail and public sectors.

Gecko, the sister company of Grako, has been operational since 2003 and is globally known to be one of the first pioneers in industrial rope access in the region. The company has expanded its expertise tremendously ever since. Today, Gecko offers a highly specialised range of capabilities on and off ropes - across numerous industries helping their clients gain immediate access to inspect, maintain, repair and protect their multi-million-dollar assets.

Tawil, founder and chief executive officer of Grako and Gecko, said: “Our firm promise – ‘Quality first and foremost’ – has steered our lead for the last 15 years in this competitive business, allowing us to deliver unmatched results to our customers every day without fail.”

“As a result, over the years, we have achieved many distinctions and our growth has been exponential year after year. Our vision for growth has no limits and we are very proud to join forces with such a reputable Emirati organisation,” he said.

“Along with NCC, we look forward to exploring the new prospects this strategic partnership will create for both Grako and Gecko,” he added.

Al Khoori continued: “As a leading investment management and advisory firm, we are constantly on the lookout for strategic and synergistic opportunities that complements and further bolsters NCC’s business goals, market reach and capabilities.”

“By investing in Grako and Gecko’s world-class standards and safety-first philosophy, we were successful in identifying a complementary and like-minded group which is a leader in a parallel sector,” he said.

“We have been studying all viewpoints of this transaction for about 10 months. Finalising this partnership, we believe that we have placed NCC, Grako and Gecko in a wider window of opportunities for the next 10 years, especially with the recent growth outlook across the facilities management and industrial sectors. In the UAE, this partnership is expected to be even more promising,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service