Business Enquirer Magazine Issue 143 | RJ GROUP

RJ GROUP: BUILDING ECOSYSTEMS, NOT JUST ENTERPRISES

RJ GROUP: BUILDING ECOSYSTEMS, NOT JUST ENTERPRISES

There are company stories that follow a neat, linear arc. RJ Group is not one of them. The organisation has evolved as an entrepreneurial ecosystem, a portfolio of interlocking businesses that reinforce one another while retaining the agility to adapt in their own markets. From LPG cylinder manufacturing that expands clean-cooking access across Africa, to high-end real-estate development and refurbishment in London, to fastgrowing consumer goods across West Africa, the Group operates with a single cultural constant: people first, relentlessly executed.

Speaking to Business Enquirer, Managing Partner of RJ Group Holding and CEO of Sigma Cylinders, Valor Collective, and Platinum Impex, Jad Jaber, describes a philosophy shaped across generations. “We are building not just businesses, but ecosystems,” he explains. “The foundation

is people, the enablers are governance and standardised best practice, and the direction of travel is innovation that creates long-term value for stakeholders and communities.”

The Group’s origins lie in real estate development, where value is created through design integrity, project discipline, and a long-term view of capital. That foundation financed diversification into hospitality, leisure, manufacturing, and trading, a gradual expansion that reflected both opportunity and instinct. What binds the portfolio together, Jaber says, is not a one-size-fits-all rulebook but a balance of central clarity and local autonomy, with culture acting as the connective tissue.

RJ Group’s story is animated by what Jad calls its entrepreneurial DNA: vision, resilience and transparency. Brutal

honesty, with oneself and with partners, is non-negotiable. “It’s something we inherited from earlier generations of the family,” he says, “and we try to keep it practical, not rhetorical.” The Group’s corporate centre defines the values, governance frameworks and long-term objectives, while subsidiaries pursue growth strategies suited to their industries and geographies. Leadership at the business-unit level is empowered to act quickly and decisively. The philosophy is deliberate: centralise vision to ensure coherence and accountability, decentralise execution to preserve agility, proximity and speed.

That formula has produced a portfolio that moves as a unified body on standards and governance while competing as specialists in their respective categories. Nowhere is that more visible than at Sigma Cylinders.

Under Jaber’s leadership, Sigma Cylinders has grown from a strong regional manufacturer into a global reference point for safety, quality and capacity in LPG cylinders. Today, it supplies more than thirty-five countries

across three continents and has scaled annual production to around six million cylinders, doubling capacity in five years. The achievement, however, was never about chasing volume. Sigma Cylinders professionalised an industry.

Plants in Lebanon, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire operate to harmonised standards supported by the Sigma Academy, a structured training platform for onboarding and developing everyone from line operators to senior managers. The Academy is not a decorative label but the mechanism that closes skills gaps, which often constrain cross-border industrial networks. Through standardised processes and quality controls, Sigma has delivered measurable wins: lower per-unit costs, higher efficiency and a series of ISO certifications reflecting its commitment to health, safety and environmental stewardship. These results have earned the trust of major energy players, including Oryx Energies, TotalEnergies and Vivo.

Equally, Sigma Cylinders has kept what Jad calls local agility. A localisation strategy established in 2017 placed production

close to end markets, a decision that proved prescient when global supply chains seized up. For customers, local manufacture meant shorter lead times and reduced currency risk. For Sigma Cylinders, it built resilience and insight into the conditions in which its cylinders are used. Innovation, too, has remained practical rather than ornamental. Composite and lightweight models have been evaluated, but the near-term focus is on expanding safe, affordable

access in price-sensitive markets where adoption remains low. The inhouse engineering team has upgraded machinery and refined management systems, while developing clean-cooking starter kits that make first-time use safer and simpler. Investment in solar power, water recycling and circular resource management now serves a dual purpose, lowering both environmental footprint and cost base.

The investment logic is compelling. LPG adoption across sub-Saharan Africa remains far below potential, leaving room for organic growth in a sector aligned with energy-transition goals. Sigma Cylinders’ combination of capacity, certifications, localisation and partnerships places it on the right side of that demand curve. For GCC investors, it offers a bridge between capital and impact, exposure to a clean-energy enabler with defensible advantages rather than a speculative bet.

Localisation, Jad insists, carries responsibilities as well as rewards. Each Sigma Cylinders facility runs at least two community programmes a year, including blood-donation drives, treeplanting initiatives and partnerships with local charities and schools. These are not branding exercises but extensions of the company’s operational presence. “If you manufacture in a community,” he says, “you share in that community’s

Vikas Electricals: Reliability Threaded Into Every Cylinder

Since 1976, Vikas Electricals has been a trusted name in precision engineering and industrial manufacturing. Founded by Mr. Yogendra Kumar Sahni, the company began by producing 11kV and 33kV forged and galvanized insulator pins that strengthened India’s power transmission network.

In 1990, the company diversified into bung manufacturing, transforming its expertise in hot forging and precision machining into a global specialization. Today, from its state-of-the-art facility in central India, Vikas Electricals produces over 500,000 steel bungs per month, supplying leading international cylinder manufacturers across 14 countries, along with numerous domestic clients.

We manufacture bungs (also known globally as Valve Boss, Necker, Neck Ring, Spud or Flange) for LPG, Refrigerant, Freon, Ammonia, and Dissolved

Acetylene Cylinders, each designed to meet stringent international safety and performance standards. Our products feature a complete range of Taper and Parallel Threads—including NGT, NPT, NPTF, DIN 477, ISO Metric, and UN threads— ensuring precise fit, leak-proof sealing, and long service life. Every process, from forging to finishing, is powered by automation and strict quality control to guarantee consistency and reliability.

Under the leadership of Mr. Vikas Sahni, Managing Partner, the company continues to expand with advanced automation, enhanced capacity, and a growing international footprint. Guided by the values of Teamwork, Innovation, Quality and Customer Commitment, Vikas Electricals continues to deliver excellence worldwide.

With every component we craft, we proudly uphold our promise — “Reliability Threaded Into Every Cylinder.”

Critical Seals & Valve Parts — Engineered for Performance

Quality isn’t optional — it’s built into every part we make. From bungs, neck rings, valve bosses and pads to bespoke cylinder fittings, we manufacture components that define reliability and safety.

With decades of experience in forging, CNC machining, threading, and finishing, our products meet the highest international standards for performance and durability.

obligations.” Clean-cooking kits distributed with local partners in rural areas reflect that philosophy in action, practical interventions that meet households where they are.

Real estate remains both heritage and future for the Group. Jaber Group Real Estate has long delivered luxury developments defined by prime locations, architectural distinction and meticulous finishing. Today, the approach has evolved into what Jaber describes as “luxury with a conscience,” integrating sustainability, smart technology and wellness into every project. Energy efficiency is designed into the structure itself, and interior programmes are valueengineered without compromising craftsmanship. Homes are created to be lived in rather than exhibited, a deceptively simple distinction that sets

the company apart in a market crowded with marketing-led builds.

London is the current focal point. Shifts in the 2025 property cycle, particularly the impact of non-dom tax reforms and a rise in domestic demand, have created what Jad views as a buyer’s market at the top end. “It’s a cyclical window,” he says. “A time to re-enter assertively, not to retreat.” The Group’s development arm, Harmonic, was structured precisely for that purpose.

Harmonic focuses on underused and overlooked commercial buildings that can be sensitively transformed into characterful residential spaces. The goal is not to add more glass boxes to the skyline but to create homes with natural light, material warmth and genuine connection to the street.

OIL & GAS RJ GROUP

Design intent at Harmonic is deliberate: wellness features that people use, ergonomic layouts that respect how families live, and sustainable materials that meet luxury standards without resorting to greenwashing. Groundfloor commercial units are curated for neighbourhood life rather than yield alone. The result is a development model where thoughtful differentiation translates into stronger absorption rates and price integrity while enhancing London’s urban fabric.

For investors from the GCC and the Lebanese diaspora, the attraction is twofold. London remains a rule-of-law market with deep liquidity and strong title security, yet cyclical softness has created favourable entry points. Trophy assets will always find buyers, but Jaber argues that real opportunity lies in assets with intrinsic potential yet to be realised. “We don’t buy the headline,” he says. “We buy what we can make better.”

That same sensibility defines Valor Collective, the Group’s full-spectrum design-and-build firm. Initially established to service internal projects, Valor Collective has evolved into a boutique operator delivering turnkey refurbishment for luxury homes across Central London. Architectural and interior design, project management, joinery, stonework and kitchens are handled entirely in-house, an integrated supply chain born from Jaber Group Real Estate’s demanding standards. The hallmark is not only craftsmanship but culture: transparency on budgets, reliability in delivery and a nuanced understanding of Middle Eastern client expectations within London’s regulatory framework.

Valor Collective’s relationship with the wider Group illustrates RJ Group’s ecosystem advantage. The firm benefits from shared sourcing power and development intelligence, while Harmonic gains from Valor Collective’s ability to execute interiors and finishes that uphold its brand promise. For investors, this creates a platform capable of generating and enhancing value at multiple stages

In a sector where downtime is costly, Transvalves delivers what matters most: value, quality, and speed. As an ISO 9001:2015 manufacturer with four decades of expertise in LPG valves, regulators, and safety systems, we pair competitive pricing with rigorous, 100% in-house testing to ensure reliability from day one.

Our semi-automated lines, certified to almost all international standards, help us keep lead times low while protecting your productivity. Every unit is backed by a 24-month warranty and supported by a customer team that understands industry timelines—because we build for them every day.

From high-pressure regulators to specialty safety solutions, we’ve shipped tens of millions of units worldwide, earning the trust of operators who can’t afford surprises.

Choose Transvalves for good prices, proven quality, timely delivery, and service that stays with you well beyond installation. Your performance is our performance— let’s raise it together.

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of an asset’s life, from acquisition through construction to handover.

continues to expand through Platinum Impex, a rapidly growing player in Ghana’s home-appliances market. The business has achieved exponential growth by applying the same operating principles that drive Sigma Cylinders: local market insight, integrated supply chains and disciplined capital deployment. “Different category, same logic,” Jaber summarises. “Get close to the customer, standardise what should be standard, adapt what must be local, and always tie capital to returns.”

For Jad, people remain the operational engine of everything. Talent development is treated with the same seriousness as capital expenditure. Teams are recruited for both capability and cultural fit, then

given clear objectives and the authority to meet them. Knowledge flows laterally across subsidiaries: a procurement innovation in London can inform cost optimisation in Ghana, while a safety protocol from Lebanon can strengthen operations in Côte d’Ivoire.

Performance measurement goes beyond financials. Safety, quality, HS&E milestones and community impact are tracked alongside revenue, cash generation and return on capital.

Looking ahead, RJ Group is finalising a three-year plan that builds on its current trajectory. The Group aims to deepen its footprint across MENA, sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom. Sigma Cylinders will scale production and distribution further, continuing its investment in solar energy, water recycling and materials

circularity. Platinum Impex will expand its product categories and regional coverage, while Harmonic accelerates the conversion of under-performing commercial assets into high-quality residential stock. Valor Collective will increase capacity to serve both internal projects and a growing roster of external clients seeking reliable turnkey delivery.

Digital capability is being woven through every operation. In manufacturing, this means data-driven process control, quality tracking and predictive maintenance. In real estate, it encompasses digital design management and customer interfaces that maintain design intent from concept to handover.

Partnerships will remain a cornerstone of the model. “We don’t pretend to know everything,” Jad says. “We choose sectors

where we can compound capability, then align with partners whose strengths complement ours. The goal is long-term compounding, not short-term extraction.”

Throughout the conversation, what stands out is the consistency with which Jaber returns to first principles. Honesty with oneself and with partners is treated as a risk-management tool. People, trained and trusted, are not a cost centre but the only sustainable advantage. Localisation is more than a tender strategy; it is the architecture that makes supply chains resilient and communities stronger. Innovation is not an accessory for investor decks but the continuous work of improving products and processes so that customers are served better every quarter.

On paper, RJ Group’s businesses could appear disparate. In practice, they are

linked by a philosophy of disciplined growth and value creation. Real estate financed and informed diversification: manufacturing and consumer goods apply the same logic of quality, localisation and governance; and London provides both a portfolio hedge and a canvas for design that is functional, sustainable and enduring. Africa, meanwhile, is not an abstraction but a network of real markets where the Group has already learned by doing.

The next few years will test every company’s ability to hold its principles while adapting to shifting conditions. Interest rates will move, policies will change, and supply chains will tighten and loosen in unpredictable cycles. RJ Group’s answer is not to forecast every variable but to invest in people, codify what works, and decentralise what must be local and keep execution honest. That, Jaber believes, is how ecosystems endure.

For investors and partners, the message is clear. Those seeking exposure to clean-energy enablement with real capacity and certifications will find it at Sigma Cylinders. Those looking for London development and refurbishment that respects both the city and the spreadsheet will find it through Harmonic and Valor Collective. Those drawn to West African consumer growth can access it through an operator that already understands the terrain. RJ Group offers not slogans but consistency, a rare currency in a business climate that increasingly rewards resilience over noise.

www.rjgroupholding.com