Bangkok--9 Jun--PR Solution
The Siam Cement Group expresses its vision as the biggest fibre cement manufacturer in the country- taking a leading role to develop the quality of innovative products and services.
Trusting that the political situation does not have impact on the last quarter of the year, it is ready to inject up to 200 million baht to stimulate the overall market.
The Siam Cement Group Headquarters in Bangsue, Bangkok: Siam Fibre Cement in SCG Builiding Materials reinforces its leadership in the fibre cement products of roof tiles, board and artificial wood. Its emphasis is to continue developing the quality of innovative products and one stop service, as it prepares to accommodate the LEED market. At present, the company is the first and the only fibre cement group that uses non-asbestos products. The products have been developed through research and development of the latest technology in Firm & Flex. The four products that have been available in the first half of this year, domestically and internationally, under the Tra Chang Brand, include: pearl-sparkled double ridge edition roof tiles under Tra Chang brand, wooden flooring under Tra Chang Smartwood brand, smooth coat ceiling under the Tra Chang Smartboard brand and Cast Wall under the Tra Chang Smartboard brand. It is ready to inject up to 200 million baht to stimulate both above the line and below the line market. It is confident that the domestic and international fibre cement market would continue to grow in the final two quarters of the year, especially in the Asian region.
Mr. Panthep Supachaikij, Managing Director of Siam Fibre Cement said “despite the negative impact that the political situation has on the economy growth, Siam Fibre Cement is not directly affected and is able to uphold the business. In the second half of 2010, our policy is in line with the business plan of SCG Building Materials which is the emphasis on the presentation of products and services as 'solutions' rather than the retail sale of individual product. We have been receiving good response from consumers because our presentation of the solution was well understood as lifting the efficiency of living condition. This adds to the value of the product while price competition is avoided. The fibre cement market is the building materials market that has the overall value of approximately 18,000 million baht. As a leader in the market with 40% of the market share, it is believed that placing focus in the price would not be favorable in the long run. This is because consumers of building materials look for durability of the products as building materials are not something that they buy frequently. The delivery of innovative products that have impact on the life, health, convenience, and safety of consumers is therefore in our interest. We focus in the better quality and in providing new solutions for our consumers. The three main products that we offer include:
Roof tiles under Tra Chang brand
Ayara roof tiles is unique for its plain design which uses the latest innovation with non-asbestos compound- the first of its kind for the company. There are three selections to offer: classic, timber and modern. The target group is the high-end market.
Double ridge roofing tiles under Tra Chang brand
This type of roof tiles has been in Thailand's mass market for over than 70 years. The outstanding feature is the greater thickness and non-asbestos compound. The key message of the campaign is that before the decision to purchase, one must consider the three following factors:
1. 5.5 mm thickness
2. safety: non-asbestos products
3. under Tra Chang Brand
Prima, Ayara fiber-cement roof tiles under the Tra Chang brand is the triple ridged roofing tiles that look natural- the first of its kind in Thailand. This is suitable for consumers who like to be different, targeted at the niche market.
Smart board
Smart board comes in a large piece of board which makes it easy to install and is convenient for ceiling, wall and floor - depending on the thickness of desirability. The characteristic is its durability with special structure from the Firm & Flex technology which combines the Chang Silika Portland Cement and special cellulose processed through the autoclave. Therefore, the quality is guaranteed to meet the standard — and is of excellent quality for both indoor and outdoor usage. The target group covers wide range of segments because of its suitability for both home and office buildings.
Artificial wood under Tra Chang Smart Wood Brand
This is a high quality artificial wood that can substitute real wood. The artificial wood has a special structure which has been processed through the Firm & Flex technology that similarly applied in Chang Smart board. The surface appears as genuine wood with durable color that does not peel off easily. The board is coated with special color from the factory both in the foundation and the actual layer. The target group is the mass market.
Three of these products are under the Master Brand of Tra Chang, said Mr. Panthep. He talked about the direction of the development of innovative product and total solution services that will be pursued this year: “for this year we have 4 new products, including 3 items and 1 service that are of consumers’ interest. This includes the pearl-sparkled double ridged edition roof tiles under Tra Chang Brand which has non-asbestos compound and is color durable. In the first 5 months of its release in the market, it has made the top sales of the new product because consumers have become increasingly interested to non-asbestos roof tiles.
Wooden floor under the Tra Chang Smartwood Brand has appearance of the real wood, comes with wooden dyed color that is durable to scratch-marks and free of mercury. The smooth coated ceiling under the Tra Chang Smartboard brand comes with fine installation equipment, smooth, water durable and resistant to termites. The Cast wall under the Tra Chang Smartboard Brand reduces the problem of echo noise within thin walls. It is confident that the growth rate of the company would increase by 5-8% from previous year, total of approximately 6,500 million baht- 55% of the roofing tiles, 45% of the board under Tra Chang Smartboard brand, artificial wood under Tra Chang Smartwood brand from the previous 2 trimesters.
Moreover, Mr. Panthep revealed the direction of the company's investment this year: “At the beginning of 2010, the company has expanded its product to cover High Value Added (HVA) and new applications that deliver new alternatives to the consumers. Moreover, it has conducted Research and Development (R&D) in the need for new installation system to meet the demand of consumers. These demands include termite resistant, water and sunlight durability, indoor cooling and light weight. It is expected to expand production in the year to follow in order to meet the demand of fibre cement products that has been increasing in domestic and international market. The three products have continued to be in demand especially in ASEAN region. This is in line with the SCG policy which is to be the leader in the ASEAN market by the year 2010, using the 200 million baht budget to proactively engage the market.
In addition, we pay attention to the market for LEED. This is due to the shifting interest of consumers in the concern for the changing environment, including the interest in the food source and global climate. Such shifting interest is the result of the advanced communication technology which allows consumers to obtain information in order to assist them in the decision making. As the public has become increasingly concern for health and environment, consumers are likely to choose products that reduce adverse affect to those two factors. Under the budget of 880 million baht in the previous year, SCG pursues the policy which prioritizes environment and well-being of consumers. The SCG Eco Value event was organized to set the standard quality of products that is safe for the environment and to the consumers, that is energy-efficient and reduce the use of natural resources. With SCG Eco Value as a guarantee, we are also the only roof manufacturer in Thailand that has Green Label certification. We are also the first and the only fibre cement manufacturer that offers roof tiles, ceiling, wall, floor and artificial wood that contains non-asbestos compound even before the Asbestos Labeling Legislation became effective at the beginning of this year. Hence, there is no hazardous warning for asbestos in the product and the labeling. Nonetheless, the product properties remain equally competent. This point becomes our advantage because consumers can be more confident about their choice. We are also prepared to develop several other items to accommodate LEED which we expect its increasing role in Thailand from year 2010 onwards,” Mr. Panthep concluded.
Mr. Pantep gave an opinion on the impact of the political crisis on the market of building materials. He expects that “in the second half of this year, the market of building materials would be less active than the first half of the year due to political and economy factors. Moreover, the economic crisis in the Euro market including Greece, or the economic situation of Spain and France may affect other countries in Europe or in other region. We need to monitor other factors closely and adapt promptly to the situation. Because the economic system today cannot only refer to domestic situation, we abide by the customer needs as basis of our business at each moment. Nonetheless, it is expected the company can still operate well in the overall picture.
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Khun Chitruthai Thadsareewiboon Tel. 081-613-1865