Omar Khaled is a mechatronics engineer that is responsible for MISR, and the GH distributor in Egypt. As he explains, his life is basically revolving about his own company and how to manage and proceed for better. He is always looking for a better future for the company and our staff.

MISR is a company that means much more to you than just your professional career: it is part of your history, the history of your family. Could you explain to us that family connection and relevance that MISR has for you and your family members?
As you mentioned, the company is not only a business for us since all the family is involved. When I was a kid and we were having dinner with my father, he always talked about business and cranes. So, for us, for me and for my sisters, the cranes are our life. Whenever we went out with the family it was because of some event about cranes, that’s why I think I started gaining experience since primary school.  I have been always hearing the stories, hearing the problems, the challenges… and gaining experience without been aware that I was gaining that experience for my future.

“I think I started gaining experience since primary school”

At the age of 23-24, you took over the company that you have led for more than ten years. Could you explain to us what this step meant for you and what has changed since you arrived when you were just 20 years old and how you feel today?
I started my professional career within the company in 2013. I was working in the technical office. In 2015, my father, suddenly, passed away. So, I had to take over the company, with my sisters, of course. It was a hard time, it was like surviving for one or two years: we were surviving, not only working. We were taking control of the business, but also struggling the immediate issues. From my point of view, we are doing it fine and I think the reason behind this, let’s call it success, is the fact that my father built a successful organization. I have many colleagues and managers responsible for their own departments.

What can you tell us about your company, in professional terms? If you had to describe it, how would you do it?
This is an important question. We can say that our mystery is that this is a family business. That is why we treat our customers very close. We provide the service that you expect from a team that loves what they are doing. A team that is dedicated to what they are doing. So maybe this is our best description. We expect our customers have the feeling that we are easy to reach and flexible to adapt because everybody here, as I said, is dedicated to what they are doing. If I speak about my own family, as you said, is fully dedicated for this business. We are exclusively working in cranes, and we are focused in that business. Our slogan in this country company is: “crane ideas by engineers and for engineers”.

“My father built a successful organization”

GH only has good words about you and for you. They told us that they maintain a very close and long relationship with you. Could you share with us your story? How and when does the relationship arise in MISR and GH?
For us, GH is our partner, even if it is just a supplier and distributor relationship. I think we became partners throughout the years and the challenges we assumed together over the time. We do have a great relationship with GH since the early times and I have the feeling that, on different scales, of course, they are a little bit similar to us: they are also a family business, very flexible and very close to customers. The steps they have been taking in the very recent years are jumps, not only small progresses. This is why I believe that they are also 100% dedicated to the business and I believe the fact that there is a family behind this. And this is one of the main reasons that makes the difference from other competitors.

In the end, GH has to be flexible in order to adapt to the market needs and, in our case, very special requirements for each project. So, along the years we developed a strong and very connected business relationship with GH cranes. I think that, year by year, this relationship has become stronger and has develop more and more, and this is something very positive for us and for our common success.

In personal terms, I have been dealing with many people from GH cranes for the last ten years. We have made a very good job as a team in this market, the Egyptian, and of course it is not easy: there are many conflicts, there are many issues and there are many challenges that we have been through the past years, and I believe that we have survived them and make a progress to a better position than where we were ten years ago. Our aim is to solve the problem, to clear that challenge, not to point out however is responsible.

“Along the years we developed a strong and very connected business relationship with GH”

What does this link with GH mean to you?
I think it is it is perfect for the situation. I see that the stronger the better, the stronger, the more successful combination. And this means more jobs, more goals, more targets, and an easier communication on personal level. I believe that it is much easier to deal with someone who has understood you for the last ten years than looking for another one. That means dealing with someone who you know by heart that is supporting you. It is not trying to play, it is not trying to win over you, it is not trying to gain personal achievements. I am very satisfied and looking forward for more cooperation, I am looking forward for more success with this team.

Personally, I am very satisfied with whoever I’m dealing with. I am very satisfied and happy to be dealing with such a good professional and good person like Mikel, for example.

Which has been the most special concrete project with GH and why?
For me, the most special project is a mega power plant project. This project was very big with a huge value, and it had like 20 GH cranes, 8 of them is 200 tons and 4 of them 130 or 140 tons. It was one of the biggest offshore projects in GH history and it is not only special because of the capacity and the number of cranes. It is very special because of the timeline and schedule for this project. I was mentioning earlier that I supplied my father at the company in 2015, so this order was a huge challenge and with the support of GH team we managed to win the project. It is the biggest project we have ever supplied in Egypt. It is special in so many means.

I believe that we do have a big team behind, where everybody is responsible for his own part.

You are a young promise for the sector, do you have any goals that you have set for yourself? Tell us what your next steps are if you have any in mind.
My goals are what I achieved and built since today. My future goal is to have a bigger team, more people working, more people benefiting from MISR.