ETA Star Group Dubai UAE

The journey of the ETA Star Group began in the early '70s with the establishment of a small construction company called Ascon, as a joint venture between Dubai's Al Ghurair Group and Amana Investments Limited of Hong Kong. In the initial years, the company was engaged in the construction business, supplying building materials.

As the company made headway in the field of onstruction, fresh ways of adding value came to the fore. For instance, the idea of offering a package of allied services that included sanitary installations, airconditioners, elevators, switchgear and other electro-mechanical works evolved. This led to the formation of the Mechanical & Electrical division, a pioneer in its field. Over time, the division expanded. ETA Melco was set up as a separate escalator and elevator company. Today, both the M&E division and ETA Melco are top players in their respective fields regionally.

With intelligent diversification underscoring its vision and ethos, each division of the ETA Star Group has had a logical beginning. A keen sense of entrepreneurship has pushed the group to constantly explore new opportunities. Evolving in tandem with Dubai's own growth, as the emirate's requirement for power increased for example, the group made a bold foray into power; covering distribution, installation of sub-stations, transmission lines and generation. Furthermore, it expanded into desalination projects too.

With respect to trading and shipping, it can be said that the seeds of this division were sown at the outset when ETA was trading in building materials. Today, it has grown into a multifaceted global enterprise that includes high-end shipping services and trading in commodities like cement, agroproducts, minerals, raw materials and fertilisers as well as chemicals. As backward and forward integration is another aspect of the corporate rationale, the group owns a fleet of vessels and carriers with ship-broking offices that meet the needs of clients worldwide.

With the group engaged in such a wide range of activities, involving an array of products and commodities, manufacturing seemed a logical step forward. Therefore, when the time was right, the group got into the manufacture of power control systems and switchgear, cement, air-conditioners, steel fabrication, air distribution systems, aluminium cladding and uPVC windows and doors, among other things.

The group's commitment to quality, backed by its infrastructure and expertise, saw the emergence of the Engineering Maintenance Co which is making great strides today. However, since the need for facilities management in other areas was also felt, the group began to offer janitorial and security services, waste management, paper and plastic recycling, land transport, automobile workshops, taxis as well as public transport and eventually, oil and gas services as well.

Since for them, diversification knows no limits, the group has ventured into retail and leisure as well. From casual apparel and jewellery, to corporate and travel management services, tomobiles, consumer electronics and food outlets, there are numerous areas that the group covers.

Here again, the growth has been logical. The ANTA Travel agency, for example, was set up when the large-scale movement of expatriate workers travellers to and from the region, including the group's own employees, between the UAE and their home countries, was identified as a potential area for business.

The philosophy of the ETA Star Group has always been to identify a captive market and develop it. The emphasis at every stage has been on innovation, total quality, backward integration and contracting. Little wonder then that the group's activities are so varied, making it one of the most eclectic business groups in the region.

Civil Engineering

The flagship company ASCON has consolidated its position as one of the most respected construction companies undertaking prestigious projects in the UAE. With an impressive track record for technical and engineering capability, ASCON is recognised for the swift, smooth and integrated execution of turnkey projects. Other companies coming under the Civil Engineering head include: Ascon Road Construction and Ascon Leisure Division.

Electromechanical Works

The M&E division has been a forerunner in the field of electromechanical contracting in the UAE. It offers a wide range of services such as design, supply and installation of air conditioning, electrical, sanitary, and plumbing, fire protection, ELV & BMS systems etc. With fully computerised design facilities and advanced skills, M&E has carried out environmental control for a number of commercial and residential complexes including hotels, shopping malls, banks, cinemas, hospitals, universities, airports, railways, metro stations, IT parks, communications and industrial projects. Gulf District Cooling and ETA Engineering Pvt Ltd also operate under this division.

Elevator & Escalator Engineering

ETA Melco is a name that has become synonymous with elevators and escalators in the Middle East and beyond. A joint venture between ETA and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Japan, it has also earned the reputation of being amongst most innovative elevator escalator / manufacturers worldwide with the largest market share in the region.

Power Projects and Desalination

The Power Projects Division (PPD) is an internationally renowned engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) contractor in the field of power and desalination projects. It has the expertise to undertake, design, procure, co-ordinate, install, test and commission projects in the field of power generation, power distribution (including substations, EHV cabling and transmission lines up to 400kw), desalination projects in the Middle East and elsewhere. In the energy sector, the group has a growing presence in the oil & gas industry represented by Star Petro Energy, the Oil Field Services Division and ETA Star Engineering.

Shipping & Trading

A ramified global enterprise in itself, this division is the largest dealer of dry bulk cargo in the region. With a global network of offices and experienced staff, it successfully meets the changing requirements of a demanding clientele and trades in a wide range of commodities from agro products and minerals to raw materials like cement and fertilisers and chemicals. The division, which has a vast fleet of vessels, also boasts of a number of related businesses including advanced maritime and port services and sale and purchase of ships.

Manufacturing & Assembling

The main businesses in this category are related to the manufacture or assembling of power control systems & switchgear, steel fabrication, air distribution systems, aluminium cladding, uPVC doors and windows, air-conditioners, cement, joinery and marble.

Facilities Management, Environmental Services, Transport & Automobiles

The facilities management and environmental services include engineering maintenance, janitorial and security services, waste management services, paper and plastic recycling. The transport division consists of Zenath General Land Transport, a CARS workshop and rental service. It also plies CARS Taxis in the UAE.

Retail & Leisure

This division covers casual apparel (Giordano Fashions), fashion apparel, jewellery (Al Haseena Jewellery), corporate and leisure travel management services (ANTA), automobiles (Western Auto, Exim Star Auto Trade), food outlets (Star Retail, Chai Café, Mex Chic Inn) and consumer electronics (Kitchen House, Fujeta, World of Time)

Property Development

ETA Star Property Developers offers a whole gamut of services in property development and hospitality. By embarking on a programme to develop commercial, residential and hospitality properties for the benefit of nationals and the expatriate population, it has launched over five million square feet of premium properties located at prestigious freehold areas of Dubai and the northern Emirates. It has also undertaken overseas developments like in India and Sri Lanka. Along wit ETA Star Properties, ETA Star Projects also caters to high-end lifestyle projects in the hospitality sector.

Healthcare

ETA Star Healthcare LLC, launched in 2003, has embarked upon various projects that seek to fill the gaping lacuna in healthcare services in the UAE. They include hospital projects in Dubai at Muraqqabat, Midriff and Dubai Investment Park and the other emirates. Joint ventures have also been set up with Arabian Healthcare, India's Metropolis and Trivitron for other projects that include hospitals, clinical laboratories and trade in medical/diagnostic/imaging equipments.

Learning & Education

While the group's early initiatives in education were confined to projects in India, meeting the demand for quality education in the UAE by bringing in premier Indian institutions like BITS Pilani and MAHE Manipal; have added choice and quality to the tertiary educational sphere of the emirate. In a backward integration, the group also set up the SEMS chain of schools catering to the primary and secondary levels.

"At ETA, we are committed to the protection of the environment and the communities in which we live in. We proudly commit to conducting ourselves in a socially responsible manner and to keeping our business operations environmentally sound. We follow and adhere to the environmental rules and regulations. The health and safety of our customers, our employees, and the communities in which we operate is the paramount in all we do. Our values are reflected not only in the quality and the reputation of our company, but also in our dedication to serving the communities where we do business. ETA undertakes its corporate social responsibility through a variety of effective programs. Since 1973, the company has been serving the community with its outreach efforts. This has touched the lives of millions."

Home for the Homeless

ETA STAR supported 'Red Crescent Authority' for 'Home for the Homeless' programme with AED 2 million. ETA STAR and its joint venture partners donate one per cent of total sales during the Holy month of Ramadan to build homes for the homeless. The cheque value is equivalent to one per cent of the total sales of ETA STAR and its joint venture partners Hircon and Star Giga.

Mobile Medicare Units

ETA ASCON STAR GROUP substantially supports Help Age India for Mobile Medicare Units in the Ramanathapuram district. Syed M. Salahuddin, Managing Director, ETA ASCON STAR GROUP presented a cheque for Rs 2,188,190 to Indrani Rajadurai, Regional Director (south), Help Age India towards the running and capital costs for one year for a Mobile Medicare Unit at Kilakarai Town, Ramanathapuram District. ETA ASCON STAR GROUP has signed a MOU with Help Age India to support this newly commissioned unit at cost of Rs 5,053,350 for three years. This includes the cost of the new Mobile Medicare Unit van. Mr. Syed M. Salahuddin presented another cheque for Rs 600,000 towards the first installment of an approved donation of Rs 1,200,000 for providing free cataract IOL surgeries to 1,000 poor elders in the Ramanathapuram District. This new Mobile Medicare unit will provide free medical treatment for the sick and poor elderly people living in ten deserving and needy villages in and around Kilakarai Town in Ramanathapuram district. This Mobile Medicare Unit is the latest addition to host of 51 Mobile Medicare Units of Help Age India which are spread all over the country.