Who We Are:

The Project Development Group (PDG) is a partnership of professionals established in response to the growing need for reliable, effective and high quality consulting, development, and production support services to meet the requirements of the industrial sector in developing regions.

PDG is a consulting and development company specializing in international development of industrial, power generation, food, and agricultural products' production facilities, transfer of technology, training, and other related services.

Over the past two decade the company conducted, through affiliated entities, viability studies, and developed many international projects on behalf of its affiliated companies and third parties.

PDG works closely with U.S., Canadian, European, and other Governmental development agencies, international governmental and non-governmental development agencies, and other organizations.

PDG also works with a network of International banks, to provide conventional commercial financing to the group's development projects, and its clients.

With a network of offices, affiliated companies, and professionals covering four continents, PDG is a world-class consulting and development company with access to vast resources, programs, and markets.

Services:

Our services are designed to meet the engineering/production and business consulting needs of the industrial and technology sectors, and to guide entrepreneurs through all phases of project development from inception to operation.

Our delivery program has included assisting our clients in the following areas:

I Conducting pre-investment studies consisting of technical and feasibility overviews of proposed manufacturing projects.

II Identifying the most suitable manufacturing technology for proposed manufacturing projects and assisting client firms in conducting effective negotiations for the procurement of the selected technology.

III Bench marking both products and currently utilized manufacturing technologies for the purpose of scientifically and accurately guiding the process of product and manufacturing process upgrading.

IV Securing a financial package combining equity, government grants & subsidies, tax credits, and conventional commercial financing.

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Brief explanation of PDG services
I- PR-EINVESTMENT & EXISTING PROJECT DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

• Technical studies: These encompass a comprehensive study and design of the optimal technology suitable for the manufacturing facility. This includes identifying a wide range of suppliers of machinery and production lines, raw materials, and the evaluation and selection of the most appropriate technologies. It also includes deciding on the appropriate capacities of the production units and determining all the required inputs to operate the proposed systems.
  
  
• Market studies: These encompass full market research to define the specific products to be produced, establish a marketing concept, and develop a marketing strategy. This includes defining the relevant market, analyzing primary demand, defining the target market, identifying direct competitors, assessing competition dynamics and the intensity of competition, and finally measuring the market and estimating demand.
  
  
• Financial Studies: These encompass a detailed financial analysis covering all financial aspects of the project to prove its viability. This includes collecting all the financial data required, performing the required calculations (initial investment costs, pre-production expenditures, fixed assets, networking capital, current assets and current liabilities), developing all the required financial sheets required from banks and other financial institutions. Provision of all financial ratios and indicators of interest to the investors and creditors.
  
  
• Re-engineering studies: These studies target existing firms and are designed to improve the current production/management efficiency through the upgrading of manufacturing systems, enhancing manufacturing skill, upgrading/adjusting product quality and enhancing business practices. These studies also assist existing firms in building up a new vision and an overall business strategy.

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II- TECHNOLOGY ACCESSING & SELECTION SERVICES:
One of our core competencies lies in our technology accessing capabilities which we have developed independently and through our association with international firms. The scope of our technology accessing services is outlined below:

• Conduct in-depth research on specific manufacturing technologies and provide accurate recommendations regarding their selection and use.
  
  
• Identify and recruit specialized manufacturing and technology experts to provide hands-on technical assistance to manufacturing enterprises in the Middle-East region aimed at resolving technical and production bottlenecks or upgrading manufacturing techniques and processes.
  
  
• Design effective skills development programs in high and medium technology specialization by studying the relevant programs addressing similar issues that have been implemented in industrial economies.
  
  
• Identify suitable technology partners for strategic joint-ventures between regional and international firms.

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III- PRODUCT BENCH MARKING & DEVELOPMENT
Another core competency lies in our capacity to provide our clients with comparative information on a wide range of comparable products they are currently or aspire to compete with in the future in local/regional and international markets. This service provides local and regional manufacturers to position themselves in relationship to their competition from a product quality, marketing pattern and cost stand point. Under this program we can:

• Provide valuable product bench marking services to enable local/regional manufacturers to compare the technical, quality and price of their products to comparable products manufactured in the surrounding region and beyond.
  
  
• Conduct research on market entry requirements and product specifications to facilitate access of regional products into international markets. Provide the necessary technical guidance to enable local/regional firms to make the necessary adjustments to their products to ensure adherence to market entry requirements.

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IV- Government subsidies and financing:
PDG is instrumental to its shareholders and third party clients alike in securing the required financial package to bring the proposed project to life. The group's financial experts prepares all the necessary documentations, applications, forecasts and projections, and the follow up required to combine the investor's equity, government grants & subsidies, tax credits, and conventional commercial financing to form the capital investment for the project and its working capital.

Advanced Scope of Services and Profile of Capacity:
During the past year we have introduced adjustments to our main focus in response to the pattern of demand in our local market as well as our enhanced understanding of the needs of local firms and the practical services that should be provided in order to meet such needs. This adjustment has enabled us to redirect our capacities towards providing production support services designed to facilitate international market access, namely, product development, focusing on product quality and standards and adherence to international environmental product and production standards. The scope of these services is guided by the practical and grounded feedback we are receiving through our partnership with Egerton Mercantile, an international marketing company based in the UK with representatives in Europe, North America, North Africa and the Arabian Gulf region.

We ground our activities and services in a continuous process of sub-sector research through which we gain relevant insight into the status of these sub-sectors, the pivotal firms active within them, and the gaps in both production and service provision within these sub-sectors. This process yields two categories of valuable information. The first is an initial evaluation of the export capabilities of the pivotal firms within a target sub-sector. The second is information on viable investment opportunities within the target sub-sector either in new and complimentary projects or in the form of a suitable strategic partnership with existing firms.

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Evaluation of the export capabilities of strategically selected firms:
With assistance from specialized international marketing personnel through our London office, our initial evaluation visits to the target firms are designed to determine the suitability of both the managerial and financial structure as well as the products of the target firm for engaging effectively in the export process. During these visits, we evaluate the experience of these firms, if any, in the field of international marketing, determine the attitude of and capacity of management and their readiness for such a process and conduct an initial evaluation of the quality and pricing of exportable products.

• Product bench marking and upgrading
  Products of selected firms are evaluated from a technical/quality and price stand point and their adherence to international product and market entry standards. These products are then benchmarked against similar products manufactured by other international producers. A representative sample of internationally manufactured products is selected and each product is analyzed carefully with the goal of outlining technical/quality, product standards, price and market entry pattern characteristics. This information is then used to accurately place the locally manufactured product in comparison to the range of internationally manufactured ones.

• Product improvement
  Technical, price and product standards information collected and analyzed during the bench marking phase is then used to provide accurate guidance to the process of product development. The parameters of the product development process are also defined based on the marketing plan for the selected product and its target markets. The product improvement process is then carried out by specialized externally recruited product specialists working in coordination with our in-house technical support staff to insure the provision of effective support services to the client firm and to guarantee the transfer of specialized capacity to our in-house staff.

• Production process upgrading
  Sometimes, modifications to product quality and standards may require alterations or the upgrading of the existing production line or technology. Our in-house production support staff in coordination with externally recruited specialized production personnel will guide such a process and will provide the client firm with the technical backing and the technology accessing support when and if necessary. In most cases, adjustments to product quality may only entail adjustment to the production process and technique and will not require any drastic manufacturing technology alterations or additional investment in manufacturing equipment.
  
  
• Production skill upgrading
  Production process or product upgrading may require production skill modification. We have developed the capacity to accurately identify the most suitable skills development service providers through our developed capacity to access international sources of production skill upgrading specialists or programs.

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The Export Process:
Through our network of international marketing specialists, we maintain a continuous process of dialogue between local production and the requirements of regional and international markets. This ensures that we accurately assist our local clients to maintain the necessary production flexibility needed to respond to the intricate market entry requirements.

Our staff provides local exporting firms with a range of practical support services that are designed to better target the international marketing effort of local firm and to facilitate and expedite the export process and ensure the timely delivery of the exported goods. These services are as follows:

• Market Research: Assessing the product and identifying target markets. Competitive analysis of the industry or product group. Forecasting the market size and value. Finding niche opportunities for the specialist producers. Identify potential customers.
  
  
• Compliance with international legislations: Identifying all the relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice for the particular product sectors and ensuring compliance at the product, manufacturing process and manufacturing establishment levels.
  
  
• Product Development: Establishing the quality and performance criteria for international markets. Co-ordinating design, reliability, serviceability, cost ceiling, price band, packaging and other factors for competitive positioning. Ensuring conformity with technical standards and obtaining certification where necessary.
  
  
• Technical Assistance and Transfer: Sourcing and providing appropriate expertise and/or capital equipment to optimize manufacturing capabilities. Arranging subcontract manufacturing from high to low cost producers. Arranging production under license.
  
  
• Market Entry: Negotiating with, vetting and appointing agents and distributors or, alternatively, dealing with end user companies directly. Organizing distribution channels and administering associate documentation. Co-ordianting promotional activities.
  
  
• Lead agent and/or Distributor: In some markets we are able to directly undertake the role of lead agent or distributor, importing goods ourselves for downstream sale, with direct responsibility for sales generation and product distribution

Our aim is to enable the producers to focus their effort and attention on the production process and continuous development of product quality and design to ensure long-term competitiveness in regional and international markets.

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