Issue No: 10
Message from Group Managing Director
My dear al ansari family members,
First of all, let me wish you all a very happy and prosperous 1999. Coincidentally, the month of January was a festive month for our Muslim brethren, as they celebrated Eid-ul-fitr. Thus I take the opportunity to wish all of them Eid Mubarak. With so many things happening at the same time, we are rather late in coming out with our 10th Issue of Update, but I am glad it has finally shaped up in Mar 1999.
1998 has unexpectedly been a wonderful year for all of us, which shows that we all have put our act together in an intellectual & methodical manner. This makes me more proud and joyous that our family is marching in the right direction and working as one solid team. Though the turnover was slightly lower than the year before, the bottom line was quite satisfactory. The continuously low oil prices have certainly taught us to tighten our belts a bit and I hope we continue to do so in 1999, as the predictions claim that the coming year is going to see further slide in oil prices and hence a tough year to pass through on the economic front. I am sure that our family is ready to face all the challenges that lie ahead of us.
I would like to congratulate our Personnel and Administration department together with HRD in working towards our group, being approved as one of the very few selected fifty establishments to be awarded a Preferential Treatment at the Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs at the Directorate General of Labour for the Year 1999. “Kudos” to our P&A & HRD members. Well Done! Not only that but HRD has finally completed, the approved Personal Policy Manual for the group which is being implemented, from Jan 1st 1999.
I hope you would enjoy reading details of the individual Department’s achievements covered under their sections of this UPDATE. This has certainly made me feel at the top of the world and full of pride that my family members are not letting me down but are continuously and sincerely contributing towards the growth of the institution the “Al Ansari Family”. Always remember that each of us are unique. Just like everyone else.
Let me end my message with small food for your thoughts :-
“One of the biggest trends in business today is direct – communication, because it mirrors the very technology we use to work. The web is an apt title. Leaders in the coming millennium will lead from the centre, gleaming the best ideas from those around them, not from the top”.
May Allah Almighty bless us all and grant us a peaceful, joyous & Happy 1999.
Kiran N.Asher
AL ANSARI SPORTS TOURNAMENTS
The Al Ansari Cricket Team performed brilliantly to win the ‘B’ Division in the Oman Cricket Club League for the Year 1998-1999.
The players who represented Al Ansari from the Company are:
Kalpesh Asher (Captain), S. Satish Kumar, B.V. Dinesh, Khalid Khan, Hemant Prabhu, Ravi.K, Majid Inayat, Syed Ali Rizvi, & Nasser Balushi.
All the players performed exceedingly well and contributed equally in us emerging as Champions!
Congrats!
CHESS:
Mr. N.T. Abraham (TD) stood 2nd in the Oman Open Chess Tournament organised by the General Organisation for youth
Sports & Cultural activities (GOSCYA) at the Al Bustan Club in Feb’99.
It was a very creditable performance by Abraham in the tournament. Well done!
The 6th Al Ansari Tournament was held in September/October’98, at the Ghala Staff Camp Recreation Area. The tournament continuing its spirit of competitiveness & promoting sportsmanship was keenly contested by almost 50-60 staff members in various games such as Badminton, Carrom, Chess and Table Tennis. The list of Winners and R/up in each category are listed alongside:
| Game | Singles | Doubles |
| Badminton | Winner- S. Satish Kumar (CD) R/Up- Kurian Pattam (CD) | Winner – S. Satish & Kurian Pattam (CD)R/up- J. Reddy & G. Ibsen (CD) |
| Carrom | Winner- A. Asan Ali (CD) R/Up – Aditya. K (Media) | Winner A. Asan Ali & Hemant Prabhu (CD) R/up- Firoz Ansari & Suleman F (CD) |
| Table Tennis | Winner- Anil K (Media)R/Up- James M (CD) | Winner-Anil K & Muffadal H (Media)R/up- Karsan K (TD) & P.C. Vasanthan (CD) |
| Chess | Winner- N.T. Abraham (TD) R/Up- Prakash M. R (CD) |
TRADING DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is Trading Division’s retort to the universally challenging environment of 1999. The marketing team of the division presented a “CATCH THE BULL BY ITS HORNS” budget, that effected a reorganization of sort with a view to:
- Improve / Increase, market coverage
- Reach segment which were not catered to in the past (with appropriate products)
- Embark on new activities
Keeping in mind the above strategies, the division has stepped up on manpower – both qualitatively & quantitatively – including in the organization an appropriate number of field personnel who would be expected to “front” our Sales efforts and thus provide longer reach.
With this, the virtually four one-man product groups get transformed into three focussed departments with considerably more depth and flexibility to diverse operations.
New Agencies:
OLIS – From Italy – A complete range of Food Service Equipment, which has seen their way into prestigious projects worldwide.
Noteworthy achievements:
- Breakthrough in “Gala” a commercial range of Sanitary ware through an apartment block projects.
- A fair size order for Kitchen Equipment for the Rotating Staff accommodation (for LNG, SUR) project.
- Chilled Water & Irrigation Booster Pumps for a Private Hospital in Bausher.
AL ANSARI BLOOD DONATION CAMP!
The Annual Blood Donation Camp was held at the Ghala Staff Camp Recreation Room on 6/11/98.
A Record 99 units of Blood were collected by the Department of Blood Services Bousher.
This was the largest turnout and contribution by our Group towards this noble cause.
Ministry of health-Blood Services recently felicitated certain Companies & Establishments, who have been supporting the blood donation drives organized by them in a big way.
We were proud to receive this honour from them. A certificate & Plaque were presented to us at a function held in Hyatt Regency Hotel recently.
“One of the biggest trends in business today is direct – communication, because it mirrors the very technology we use to work. The web is an apt title. Leaders in the coming millennium will lead from the centre, gleaming the best ideas from those around them, not from the top.”