A Resounding Name in the Middle East for Qualified Sudanese Products: Profit General Trading

“The company imports most of its supplies from Sudan, exhibiting its strong ties with local manufacturers and agricultural enterprises that target both retail and commercial markets.”

Over the years, the global business community has undergone a major facelift. Innovation is the common springboard, and it has revamped practices and made dynamic developments across segments. It has reformed how customers and businesses interact and engages in transactions. Most of all, businesses have broadened their perspectives and are more driven to do good for the world. There is huge traction of organic products for consumption, which sets the stage for innovative ventures. Profit General Trading (PGT) is a seasoned name counted in this list. PGT is a customer-focused, lucrative, yet socially responsible company with a reputation for producing cost-effective organic animal fodder and food products. It works closely with consumers, suppliers, and communities to turn strategies into action.

The company is headquartered in Dubai, UAE.

Profit General Trading: Synopsis

PGT at a Glance

PGT is a multi-disciplinary enterprise, operating in a broad array of industries, including food and beverages, fruits, organic crops, animal fodder, agriculture, irrigation, lights and lighting, computers and networks, and power and electrical equipment. It’s run by a team of individuals with excellent business backgrounds and managerial expertise dedicated to enhancing the company’s position in the MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) region.

PGT works with a wide range of suppliers and manufacturers and is a crucial importer/exporter, supporting a variety of sectors and enabling its supply chain to fulfill the demands of its customers. Through a network of distributed sales points, it has created several strong client relationships that have resulted in long-term contracts. The company imports most of its supplies from Sudan, exhibiting its strong ties with local manufacturers and agricultural enterprises that target both retail and commercial markets.

Internationally-Accredited Quality

Accredited by international certifications such as Food Safety Management System (ISO 22000:2005), ISO 9001: 2015, Good Manufacturing Practice, and HACCP, PGT specializes in bringing the best-in-class quality to achieve the highest customer satisfaction. The company is dedicated to refining and improving its quality to attain operational excellence.

Besides, PGT has an exceptional supply chain and customer service support and it teams up with specialists around the globe to address the tailored needs of customers. The consistency in offering quality products sets its benchmark in corporate responsibility at both individual and corporate levels. In addition, the quality PGT has managed to deliver has resulted in a series of prestigious awards that the company has won over the years. The credit goes to the management team given how the company has been focusing on quality over quantity.

The Two Most Sought-Out Product Offerings

Although PGT is a jack of all trades, it was successful in building a solid reputation selling cost-effective food and beverages and organic animal fodder. The company overcame a challenge importing Sudanese food products and selling them in Dubai. Adjusting to the contrasts between the two countries and developing a holistic connection with Sudanese suppliers and manufacturers took time. PGT even provided them with product registration and customer feedback on products for their trust. From there, things turned for the better. From growing a Sudanese customer base in UAE through small shops and clubs, PGT is currently an integral food supplier to supermarkets offering a range of products. The company has over 10 different products, including fruits and vegetables, under its ‘Zoal’ brand and is distributed across UAE.

Initially, PGT imported small quantities of Alfalfa bales under the brand Algafari (a PGT subsidiary) from Sudanese contractors. And in one contract for Rhodes grass, PGT faced several intricacies with some suppliers because of overheads, which led to price change and the supplier pulled out. Nevertheless, PGT met its commitment through other Sudanese contractors, which helped to build beneficial partnerships. It realized the UAE market needs more effort and commitment to meet its strict quality standards.

Unwilling to give up, PGT invested more resources and effort to penetrate the market and supply high-quality feed in sufficient quantities with deadlines — and eventually secured a competitive position in the market. The animal feed line has been a successful business in the UAE market. With a 35 percent expansion in animal fodder trade in Dubai last year, PGT has made strong partnerships in the Asian market. The company’s commitment to international standards and ability to meet demands more than its competitors through multiple channels makes it a preferable partner. The overall quality has also helped in embarking on other Gulf countries and China.

“PGT’s commitment to international standards and ability to meet demands more than its competitors through multiple channels makes it a preferable partner.”

Hisham Hamid: Journey from Plinth to Paramount

An entrepreneur who can combine an innovative idea with a strong purpose can change the world. We can say such about Hisham Hamid, founder, and CEO of PGT and a prominent figure in the global import/export arena with major influence in the MENA region. Hisham’s rise from obscurity to stardom has been nothing short of a roller coaster. He has had a heart in business since his days in college. He graduated from the Future University in Sudan and, being a computer engineer, began a small maintenance shop in his home. After his graduation, he sought vacancies in the IT sector and worked as a sales engineer for a brief period, but his passion to work independently eventually brought him back to business. In 2008, he teamed up with a businessman to source and install lighting equipment for a large project in Sudan (Alwaha Mall). Not only did he execute the project flawlessly, but he was also one of the few subcontractors who finished on time.

Afterward, in 2009, he established his first venture, Algafari, to cement his footing in contractual projects. He even attracted many consultants and engineers he knew to become partners. In a short period, the company became a key competitor in the contracting field. Sometime later, Hisham faced issues with currency and transactions. Since he imported products and equipment, he had trouble clearing customs due to US sanctions and the shifting exchange rate and needed a solution for foreign currency. After several trials and errors, he turned to cash crops. He partnered with an associate and started exporting animal feeds and cash crops (sesame seeds, Arabic gum, peanuts, etc.). Meanwhile, Hisham was looking for suitable land to launch his agricultural project, and in 2011, he along with his partners founded Alaanig Agriculture Project. The project paved the way for the sought-out Alfalfa bales. In 2012, it shipped the first Alfalfa crop to Dubai, which became a genuine breakthrough for him and the project.

The success of the Alaanig project and the efficacy of the animal feed made him enter new business fields and earn more recognition. This is how Profit General Trading (PGT) came into being. Initially, it facilitated the exports of electrical items from Dubai to Sudan for the Algafari company and the import of animal feeds from Sudan. But with time, he started importing the most desired Sudanese products in UAE. Prioritizing food and animal fodder, PGT annual sales have grown from 2,000,000 AED in 2014 to 25,000,000 AED in 2016 and then a whopping 45,000,000 AED in 2017. To reach the wider Sudanese community, Hisham plans to launch an online store soon for Sudanese products.

“From growing a Sudanese customer base in UAE through small shops and clubs, PGT is currently an integral food supplier to supermarkets offering a range of products.”