© Mahdi Naim
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Fours Afifi, Morocco’s most recognized stove brand for more than 40 years, is proud to unveil the Skara’B barbecue, a newly-designed product destined for both domestic consumption and international distribution. In collaboration with Casablanca’s Mahdi Naim Design Lab, the new Skara’B combines the company’s reputation for reliable, high-quality products with a sleek, aesthetically-unique design that is destined to dazzle the domestic market.
”The Skara’B is a 180-degree twist in terms of our company’s traditional product line, but one which we intend to deliver to the masses as a 100% Moroccan-made product,” explains Abderrahman Diouri, who’s family acquired Fours Afifi in 1998. “We want to stay current in terms of both domestic and global demands, so we decided to start small with this BBQ design.”
Laying the foundations
In 2017, in order to meet demand from Moroccan ex-pats living in Europe, the company spent 10 months designing a new model of a stove from scratch that would adhere to rigorous GERES certification. By March 2018, the company had sold 2,100 units of the newly designed stove, while meeting international carbon emission requirements and reducing gas consumption by 46%. Investment followed that same year, enabling the company to automate its facilities, double its production capacity, and bolster its staff to employ 60 people.
Given the export obstacles posed by the company’s traditional line of bulky, heavy stoves, as well as a wide array of different international standards and requirements, Fours Afifi focused on developing a smaller product that would leverage its production capacity and harness the talents of its enthusiastic R&D team. With 10-15% growth in the European BBQ market, the company decided to design a unique product that would address that segment, facilitate entry into the export market, and build upon the foundations of a solid brand.
