A successful entrepreneur explores a market gap and provides products/services to fill that market gap in return for profit. And that’s the spirit we saw in Osama Bakhsh, the CEO of Alinma Steel. He also manages Ajeej Steel Management company as a CEO.
When we asked Osama Bakhsh about the idea behind getting into the Steel Manufacturing Business, he said:
“KSA was on the path to developing its infrastructure on modern lines. Infrastructure development requires Steel/Iron in one form or another. Alinma Steel was established in Riyadh in 2013 as a small steel hot rolling mill. Our initial product portfolio included the production of angle, flat, round, and square steel bars in various sizes with a production capacity of 10,000 tons per annum. After a couple of years, we expanded our medium and small sections’ re-rolling production capability to 60,000 tons per annum by setting up a new production line of steel sections at Al Kharj Industrial Area.”
Every journey begins at some point. Hence, we asked Osama Bakhsh to tell us something about how he began.
The Beginning Of Osama’s Professional Career
Osama completed his Bachelor in Business Management from the University of Surrey (2011) and served as Corporate Relationship Manager at Banque Saudi Fransi (Riyadh, KSA) from June 2011 till October 2018 (7 years 5 months). With time, his professional career kept evolving, and in October 2018, he started serving as the CEO at Alinma Steel from October 2018 till the Present Date (3 years 11 months). On top of that, Osama also discussed that he has assumed charge as CEO at Ajeej Steel Manufacturing Company from March 2022 till the present (6 months).
We further asked Osama if he had any advice for beginners. With that, he said, “Advice for beginners is, Compromise for your goal but never compromise on your goal. You must persevere in the face of obstacles and in times of hardships. You must be focused, dedicated, and committed to your goal.”
Goal To Serve The Demanding Sectors
Steel is an object used/consumed in all major industries directly or indirectly. Alinma Steel serves demanding sectors such as Oil and Gas, Construction, Agriculture, Transport, On & Offshore Power Generation, Yellow Goods, Mining, Machinery, Highways, and Materials Handling.
Every business comes with a goal to help us understand what they wish to do in the future and present. That’s why we asked Osama about the goals of Alinma Steel.
“Alinma Steel is exclusively providing to major Traders, Factories, Contractors, Metal Fabricators, and Workshops superior products matching the highest international standards of production. The most notable application of our product is in irrigation projects, heavy vehicle production, and steel-based construction,” says Osama.
Achieving goals gets easier if one has the right team. At least, that’s what we believe. We also wanted to know about Osama’s view on it. Hence, we questioned, “What makes the team successful, in your opinion?”
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Teamwork Leading Towards Success
Osama said, “All successful teams can be different from each other however they all will have certain characteristics in common, and those are the traits that make the team successful, in my opinion. Some top qualities of a successful team for me are good open communication. The ability to communicate can make or break a team. Team members have to be able to share problems and solutions. They should also be able to communicate needs with one another.”
He further continues, “Being Goal Oriented, defining a goal and outlining the process to achieve it, is being goal oriented. When everyone has the mission to accomplish the same thing, then you can work together to make it happen. Cooperation and Mutual respect. I believe this because cooperation is the process of working together to achieve the same goal.”
Osama also believes that cooperation is nearly synonymous with teamwork because it’s about collaboration. Being Supportive, one of the best aspects of working in a team is the support you can give and get from your team members. Being able to rely upon and trust one another can help people accomplish more than they ever imagined would be possible.
Diversity & Leadership
Osama also shares his views on diversity and leadership. “A diverse team, diversity comes in so many different forms. You can have a diversity of race, gender, religion, and also diversity of thought. Having a team of people from different walks of life can bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the team. One of the most important qualities is Organization. This is key for teams to perform efficiently and be successful. That’s because there will be a lot of moving parts.” says Osama Bakhsh.
“Consolidating work statuses and needs can keep a team moving forward. I believe a strong Leader is the most important part of a successful team. Good teams need a good leader. A strong leader is a person who can actively listen, monitor results, give consistent feedback, and maintain trust and respect with every team member. A good leader doesn’t have to have all the answers, but they do need to be able to plan accordingly and work with others to achieve results.” he continues.
How important are employees’ energy levels to the success of the Steel Trade?
When we asked this question to Osama, he replied, “I believe whether it’s steel trade or working in a supermarket, everything is energy. Energy is powerful enough to create your success or promote your demise. Everything you involve yourself in results from the energy you contribute.“
We also wanted to know how he motivates his teams to reach the extra mile. Osama said, “I strongly believe that happy employees are productive employees, and showing appreciation for your team can encourage them to go the extra mile in their daily roles. I follow a certain routine to keep my team and employees motivated, including expressing my gratitude publicly. Treating my employees regularly, Listening and giving value to employee feedback, keep employees involved in the decision-making, and keeping them informed. Ensuring that their food and living accommodations are not compromised upon, and the highest levels of hygiene are maintained.”
Challenges And Obtaining Effective Solutions To Overcome Turbulence
“Trade has been enormously important to the steel producing and steel-consuming industries. Global steel exports have been growing in absolute terms for the past 70 years, virtually without interruption. Still, having said that, the steel industry is known for being cyclical and reflective of overall market conditions—demand increases during economic booms and plummets during global recessions. Around the end of 2014, the steel industry went through a consolidation phase similar to that of the oil and gas industry. A strong linear relationship exists between the steel and Oil & Gas industries, which makes it easy to predict the growth of the steel sector as it follows a similar trend as the Oil & Gas industry. “says Osama.
Technology And Its Role In Steel Business Growth
We believe that technology can lead to greater business evolvements. Hence, we asked Osama if technology leads to business changes and helps Steel Industry grow.
Osama said, “I think the iron and steel industry has undergone a technological revolution in the last 40 years. Competitive forces and market globalization will continue to drive the development and adoption of new iron and steelmaking technologies well into the 21st century. I have also experienced that the Steel Industry response to specific local and global technology drivers will likely result in incremental improvements in existing technologies and major developments in several key areas, including direct iron making.”
“Another aspect to emphasize upon is with the invention of Electric Furnaces, Steel has become an infinitely recyclable product, and as a result, it is one of the most recycled products in the world. It is North America’s most recycled material before paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic. Every second, 15 tons of steel are recycled in the world. It is cheaper to recycle steel than to mine iron ore and produce primary steel. During the recycling process, steel does not lose any of the properties it had when first created, and recycling also saves on energy as it is less energy-intensive to re-use. Most commonly recycled items are containers, cans, cars, appliances, and construction materials.” he continues.
How is Steel Trade adapting to digitalization?
I strongly believe that the future of Steel Trading Is digital. As we move into the 21st century, Customer needs are becoming increasingly more complex. While the steel traders are withstanding the high-cost pressure and international competition, new solutions and methods are needed in steel trading. Digitalization provides the right answers.” Osama Bakhsh answered our question.
We further asked, “What are the services/solutions or products offered by your company on par with the current steel industry standards?”
Osama says:
“Alinma Steel has the widest selection of hot rolled products, including angles, beams, channels, flats, rounds, and squares. Our company specializes in the production of rounds, squares, flats, angles, and channels. Alinma Steel produces hot rolled mild steel sections including Angles, U Channel, and I Beams in standard sections and lengths. The steel bars are produced according to ASTM A36 Standards. ASTM A36 is the most commonly used mild and hot rolled steel. It is low-carbon steel.
It has excellent welding properties and is suitable for grinding, punching, tapping, drilling, and machining processes. Alinma Steel produces BEAMS: From 80mm to 140mm. Channels: From 75 mm to 140mm. Angles: From 40mm to 100mm. We make/manufacture custom sizes as well according to our client’s requirements.
Alinma Steel not only manufactures the standard sections and lengths but can roll intermediate sizes and nonstandard sections, all of which are available in a wide variety of steel grades.”
So, Osama, what are your upcoming plans regarding your products/services?
“To roll and melt state-of-the-art high-quality steel products for our customers in a safe, dependable, and beneficial manner. “replied Osama Bakhsh, the CEO of Alinma Steel.
Connect with Osama Bakhsh on LinkedIn.
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