30 / 64
28
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
MARCH
2015
PROJECTS AND CONTRACTS
Its supply and fit offering permits
the company to not only source
and supply products, but to also
install them. “The development
of our supply and fit offering will allow
us to provide a total solutions offering
to our customers and this move will give
us a competitive edge,” says Craig Irvine,
commercial operations executive for the Tile
Africa commercial division.
The company has close to 30 consult-
ants and specifiers servicing clients nation-
ally and is procuring additional subcontrac-
tors and giving them the necessary training
to lay the foundation for growth. “We’re also
continuing with cost optimisation practices
where we’re reviewing our entire range and
buying better,” he says.
Tile Africa Contracts has direct access
to local manufactured products through its
sister companies TAL and Johnson Tiles.
“The exchange rate is still an obstacle for us
when it comes to importing products from
overseas suppliers, but procuring locally
manufactured products helps us to remain
competitive,” he says.
National corporate customers such
as Pick n Pay, Spar, Mr Price and Famous
Brands continue their relationship with the
company and new customers include Pizza
Hut and Domino’s Pizza.
Recent projects
Tile Africa contracts recently supplied and in
some cases also fitted 10 100m² of tiles to the
Maskam Mall shopping centre in Vredendal,
the 7 500m² Mr Price flagship store in Boks-
burg and is involved in the refurbishment of
the dormitories at the North West Universi-
ty’s Potchefstroom campus.
It works closely with the in-house
designers of its corporate customers. “We
marry the product with the concept, keeping
in mind the technical aspects of the specifi-
cation to make sure that what we supply is
aesthetically pleasing and that the product
is suited for the project in terms of traffic and
durability,” he says.
The food and beverage sector remains the
company’s biggest customer followed by
retail. It also services thirteen different auto
brands, six financial services customers as
well as provincial and private hospitals.
The extensive refurbishment to the De Aar
hospital has been one of its major projects
this year.
Highly technical products that are used
in manufacturing and processing facili-
ties also form part of its product portfolio
and expertise. Recent projects include the
Parmalat plant for which the company
supplied a 18 mm thick tile and the Coca-
Cola and Mercedes-Benz plants.
Design
“Our sister company Johnson Tiles launched
its locally manufactured inkjet range earlier
this year and it allows us to specify locally
produced products in the latest designs to
our customers,” says Irvine.
Wood-look inkjet tiles are prevalent in
the commercial and residential markets as
well as inside/outside applications that offer
polished, matt and slip-resistant finishes
that can be used inside and outside for a
homogonous look. Future product offerings
include vinyl as well as epoxy resin flooring.
Glass mosaics remain popular as a
design feature due to the clean finish and
colour burst that they offer. Retro prod-
ucts such as the Johnson Tiles Nostalgia
inkjet range that imitates encaustic designs
are doing extremely well and are in high
demand. “Inkjet technology presents us
with an opportunity to customise designs
to clients’ requirements and we’re already
offering this service to some of our corporate
customers,” he says.
Sixty percent of the company’s commer-
cial work is in Gauteng, followed by the
Western Cape and it’s looking to expand its
commercial offering to Zambia and Ghana in
the near future.
>
GEARED FOR GROWTH
Tile Africa Contracts, the
commercial division of
Tile Africa is set to grow
substantially over the next
five years as it’s expanding
its supply and fit offering
due to a demand from
current and new customers.
“Our expertise, national footprint, stra-
tegic distribution centres and stock holding
in well-placed areas add value to our
customers. The expansion of our supply and
fit offering will strengthen our position as
a leading supplier of tile and flooring solu-
tions to the commercial market,” he says.
Some of Tile Africa Contracts’ recent projects:
Coricraft, Pick n Pay and Standard Bank.