Bühler signs large-scale contract over CHF 50 million

Uzwil, May 11, 2015 – The Saudi Arabian flour producer Grain Silos & Flour Mills Organization (GSFMO) has entrusted the Bühler Technology Group with building a new flour milling complex in Jazan. The plant will be constructed over the next three years in the southernmost port of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and will boast a wheat processing capacity of 600 metric tons per 24 hours. Since 1978, 50 percent of all flour mills in the Kingdom have been supplied by Bühler. “We are very pleased to continue our strategic partnership with GSFMO in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Once again, we have convinced a customer by the quality of our plants, our technology and process know-how, and the local services we can provide,” says Stefan Scheiber, Bühler CEO Grains & Food.

Collaboration with the state-owned flour producer GSFMO and Bühler reaches far back into the past. Bühler has built as many as 15 flour mills at seven sites in Saudi Arabia. The largest flour mill supplied by Bühler to the Kingdom has recently gone into operation. With its capacity of twice 600 tons per 24 hours, the plant located in the vicinity of Mecca will supply food to the pilgrims visiting the city.

On April 6, 2015, the Saudi Minister of Agriculture HE Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli signed yet another contract with Bühler worth over CHF 50 million. Together with GSFMO as the project owner, Bühler will start constructing a new high-capacity flour mill in the southernmost port of the Kingdom, in Jazan. The facility, which is capable of processing 600 tons of wheat per 24 hours, will be based on cutting-edge technology and supply flour directly to the surrounding area.

Bühler is supporting its customer along the entire value chain – from manufacture and supply of all the mechanical and other technical equipment to provision of extensive services during and after start-up of the plant. With the two sites of Bühler in Riyadh and Jeddah, GSFMO can at all times rely on local support. Together with a local civil engineering company, Bühler will also construct the building for the plant.

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, wheat imports and flour production and distribution are subsidized by the government. GSFMO is the country’s sole flour producer and works for the Ministry of Agriculture. Flour consumption amounts to about 2 million metric tons a year.

Media contact:
Burkhard Böndel, Head of Corporate Communications, Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Switzerland
Phone: +41 71 955 33 99

Mobile: +41 79 515 91 57

E-mail: media@buhlergroup.com

Isabel Maganto, Marketing Communications Grain Milling, Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Switzerland
Phone: +41 71 955 22 28

E-Mail: media@buhlergroup.com