Wain's world

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With its headquarters in the UK, Sabeti-Wain got a request from one of its customers, Emirates Airlines, to open a seating cover facility in Dubai to be closer to the airline.
Sabeti-Wain Dubai opened in 2007 with just one unit at Dubai Free Zone, with the company employing 60 staff. Today it has four units and employs 150 staff. However, that is soon to change as the company further expands.
“We are looking to move the four units to one big unit at the Dubai South Free Zone. It will be much more cost-effective there,” explained director Paymen Sabeti.
The company has been servicing Emirates for 19 years. Originally it only expected to have the airline as its sole customer but Sabeti said the customers “just kept coming”. The company now produces seat covers for the majority of Middle Eastern airlines.
So what is the secret behind its success?
“Our company has got three things right,” said Sabeti. “We have excellent quality with very few rejects from customers; our designs and innovation are top-notch; and we always deliver on time, which is paramount.
Sabeti, who runs Sabeti-Wain along with his sister Mahnoush Sabeti-Wain and her husband Nick Wain, also said it was important to keep the staff happy.
“We have 150 guys working here in Dubai, they are all from Pakistan and fabulous workers,” said Sabeti. “We pay for their flights over and a flight home to see families once a year, we also pay their accommodation. We want to keep them happy so they carry on doing such a professional job.”
With aircraft seats constantly changing, the company likes to stay on the ball.
“We produce various seat covers, including laminated for a smarter appearance and distinctive corporate branding. The highest standards of workmanship are central to our success, and our seat covers go through a 100% inspection during all stages of manufacture, and on completion,” said Sabeti.
“Aircraft seats are always changing and improving. Today, aircraft can have much thinner seats, with a futuristic look. An example is Emirates’ Falcon seat, which is flying in business class on the B777 aircraft. It’s a slender seat with beautiful leather –the idea is from a Mercedes S class car.
“Airlines want this comfy sofa feel, which is quite difficult as it requires a lot of padding and foam, and at the same time they want it light, which is the number one factor, so this can be quite a challenge. However, it is one that never beats us,” said Sabeti.
The company now converts foam at its UK facility. This is something no other local seat cover manufactures does.
“Every seat has a foam bottom that the cover goes on to, so we make those,” explained Sabeti. “The option there is to create different layers of foam of different densities, so you can use memory foam at the top to hug your shape, and then harder foams below to give durability. Something we are looking at working on is where the foam forms a part of the cover – so it’s now two separate items that come together.
“We have ergonomics experts in our company and we like to have a say in the shape of the seat as much as the seat manufacturer and the airlines.”