Maadi Foreign Trade

We had the pleasure to have an exclusive interview with Hani salama, Managing Director of Maadi Foreign Trade, read on to find out everything he shared with AHK.

hani_salama2 — Hani Salama, Managing Director

How did the company start and what triggered the inspiration for this business?

Our company was inaugurated by my father fifty years ago. My father was a very persistent, hardworking young man who worked for the government, but his ambition was more than the traditional monthly salary. He started his career with Sedco which is an Egyptian Pharma company. There he used to distribute their products onto the pharmacies. After that he started catering to some of their supply chain needs and then he started providing their essential needs for raw materials. From there on he worked for numerous German manufacturers promoting their products to the local market. Gradually his business grew and he established a reputable name with German manufacturers and with local clients.

What kind of products and services does Maadi Foreign trade offer?

Over the time Maadi Foreign Trade has changed its course of conduct depending on market needs and market changes. Right now, we grew our scope particularly with industrial supplies and spare parts such as lubricants and gearboxes and motor supplies.

Which sectors do you serve?

We are particularly strong with the waste water and water irrigation sector, but also the food and beverages and the petroleum sector. Furthermore of course pharmaceuticals and lastly with renewable energy. Our supplies work for almost every industry, but we find the business flowing in a certain sector and we just follow the demand.

You mentioned so many sectors, how are you able to offer your services to all those different sectors?

As said before, our product is adaptable to the various industries, since the nature of the product has the versatility that makes it useful in most industries. It’s something similar to basic industrial necessities that are used for almost every machine. To put it simply, it’s like how fuel is suitable and actually necessary for all types of cars and so are our industrial service supplies.

What’s the idea behind your logo?

We like to be straight forward and simple. We are originally from Maadi which is our first premise. This is what we called the company fifty years ago to clearly show our foreign trade company.

What makes your business unique?

Our business is not unique per say, but we like to give our clients a unique service. We want to be absolutely available for our clients’ inquiries and questions and urgent requests. We understand how crucial the service is for our clients. A simple malfunction in the machines can actually cause a serious delay and enormous losses to our clients. Therefore, we try very hard to be very prompt in our response to our clients to save them many losses.

Who are your most notable clients?

We like to say all our clients are important but we pride ourselves very much to be working with the ministry of irrigation and pride ourselves to cater to some of their needs now more than ever as the ministry is undertaking huge projects and developments.

You have started your career working for the Ministry of Environment, tell us a bit about your experience there, and what role did it have in shaping your mindset later?

Indeed, I was very lucky to start my career with the ministry of environment.
Firstly they encouraged me to start my MBA while working there which I highly appreciated and the MBA indeed helped my mentality, professionalism and knowledge.
Secondly it was great to observe and notice all the government efforts in many fields and in that case the environment which made me really want to work with or for the government in my future which I do right now.
Last but not least I learned the significance of knowledge and reading through facts and equipping myself with statistical information which I think is key to do any job.

Tell us about your team and culture. What’s your leadership style like?

My team is very busy and I must say we hardly have the time to micromanage all the daily tasks. I therefore highly delegate the responsibilities, which I believes makes the team more relaxed despite the hard work obligations.

Scanning your website quickly I Immediately noticed the pride you take in your family business and the growth over those years. We would love to hear the story and emotion behind this.

It makes me very happy to hear this comment. This is exactly what I wanted to pass on from the website. Yes, I’m proud of my family and my roots and my great learning experience from my family’s safe environment. I’m very privileged to have had this opportunity. In general, I believe in family ties and family strength when they stand together. I would sincerely recommend people to stick and grow their family business because even despite the usual challenges, family business has highest potential for growth.

Running a business can be challenging, especially when you have a family on your own. How do you manage family and business? Do you feel your family had any role in the way you do business?

Yes, it is indeed very challenging. I would like to spend much more time with my family but sometimes I have to work more than twelve hours a day, which makes it difficult to spend all the quality time my family deserves. However, on the other hand I feel a strong commitment towards making life good for my family. This is a challenge indeed, but one must keep trying to achieve a healthy balance.

Which achievements do you take most pride in?

My family and my team and my friends. I’m such a people person and another achievement so close to my heart is being elected as a board member with the German chamber.