Golden Systems Middle East (GSME), a leading distributor of IT products in the region, said it has achieved strong overall corporate growth as well as significant growth across all its product lines in 2009.

The company said proper planning, inventory and cash flow management and its strategy to expand focus on newer markets (such as Iraq, CIS countries, and Northern Africa) were the key factors that led to this significant growth.

“Last year was a milestone year for Golden Systems. Despite the challenging global economic conditions prevalent throughout the year, we were able to expand our operations, increase our product offerings, grow our team as well as move into our new state-of-the-art headquarters in Jebel Ali,” said Ali Sharifi, GSME chief executive officer.

“During a time when most companies were simply looking to survive, GSME was one of the very few companies that experienced growth in 2009, said an elated Sharifi.

'With proper planning, inventory and cash flow management and our strategy to concentrate on markets such as CIS countries, Northern Africa and Iraq, we were able to compensate for the limited demand in major markets in this region,” he explained.

“Historically, the industry was used to a regular double-digit percentage figure for yearly growth, however, in 2009, our industry was faced with the difficult task of “survival,” Sharifi pointed out.

'It was a tough year for everyone. We devised a proper action plan at the end of 2008 in order to combat the crisis of 2009, which included healthier stock rotation, inventory controls and cash-flow management. This action plan definitely worked for GSME,' he added.

As part of its customer and partner-focused strategy, GSME, Sharifi said, had restructured its business units in mid-2008 and focused on tapping new market segments, expanding its sales channels besides developing new products and services.

In 2009, the company relocated its regional headquarters to Jebel Ali to boost its ongoing regional expansion, increase its support capabilities and strengthen its partner network.

Additionally, GSME restructured its product management department in order to further focus and strengthen its presence in the region. Golden Systems has built a strong network of channel partners and resellers across the Middle East and Africa, said Sharifi.

The company boasts of a strong portfolio of best-in-class products from leading global vendors such as Logitech, Leadtek, Gigabyte Technology, Kaspersky, Kingmax, nVidia and AMD.

He said last year also fetched the company a number of industry accolades, awards and recognition. The company won ‘Best Sales’ awards from vendor partners such as Kingmax and Gigabyte, Al Sharifi stated.

“Our team is happy and excited about the milestones we have achieved last year. 2010 definitely looks very promising for GSME. We foresee serious growth opportunities this year as we plan to introduce new products and tap new markets,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service