MRC Global forms alliance in Iraq
MRC Global, the distributor of pipe, valves and fittings (PVF) products and services, and NAWAH LLC announced an exclusive logistics alliance to serve Iraq's oil and gas market.
As part of the agreement, NAWAH (North America Western Asia Holdings) will open Iraq's first comprehensive sales and service center focused on providing the equipment necessary to develop the country's strategic energy reserves. The facility's location in Basra, which is situated near many of the country's most important oil and gas fields, allows quick delivery of MRC's extensive inventory of quality PVF products.
"Iraq is a natural focus area for us and for our customers," said Andrew R. Lane, MRC's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "With some of the world's greatest energy reserves, Iraq will continue to grow at a record pace. We are pleased to work with NAWAH to better serve our global customers in this active region. In 2012, MRC sourced $4.6 billion in product from 35 countries and will bring this global supply chain capability to the partnership."
NAWAH is currently developing logistics capability to serve its customers in Southern Iraq. These efforts include the current restoration of Maqal Port in the city of Basra, an operation that will offer complex cargo as well as container handling capability in the midst of one of the fastest growing cities in the Middle East. NAWAH LLC was formed in October 2011 by Paul A. Brinkley and U.S. businessman Thomas J. Pritzker, chairman and chief executive officer of the Pritzker Organization of Chicago, to invest in Iraq and the broader region.
"Iraq's current and future prosperity relies on its ability to quickly rehabilitate its energy sector," said Brinkley, NAWAH's president and chief executive officer. "MRC is a trusted name in PVF distribution around the globe. With this new facility, the country's energy companies will no longer have to wait weeks or months for critical equipment to be shipped in from the other side of the world. By having it here in Basra, all a customer will have to do is pick up the phone and have it delivered right away."
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The May/June issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about GHX Industrial. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
