ONE OF A KIND Project Partners:
One of a kind
The leader in manufacturing premium quartz surfaces, Caesarstone is synonymous with success Written by: Eric Harding Produced by: Bryan Giles
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CAESARSTONE
Caesarstone has been able to build and maintain the best brand recognition in Australia through years of evolving marketing strategies
Q
uality like Caesarstone’s can’t be duplicated. Construction-giant Caesarstone specialises in manufacturing high-quality, premium quartz surfaces in both residential and commercial interiors such as kitchen bench tops, bathroom vanities, wall paneling 4
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and others. Through the company’s commitment to high quality standards, R&D and innovation, the Caesarstone name has become synonymous with success across the industry. But there is one drawback to having such excellent brand
CONSTRUCTION
recognition — rival companies often attempt to duplicate that style. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, and Caesarstone spends a large portion of its resources to create unique designs in order to stay above its admiring competitors. One of a kind Caesarstone has been able to build and maintain the best brand recognition in Australia through years of evolving marketing strategies, combined with a focus on business-to-business relationship building. But above all, Caesarstone preserves the best product quality and innovation design solutions. As a brand name that is often viewed as the ultimate brand of the quartz-surface industry, this type of recognition has both positive and negative effects. “It’s good because everybody knows the brand Caesarstone, so that’s what consumers want,” said CFO of Caesarstone Australia and South East Asia Moshe Wolfson. In an attempt to differentiate its product from those of the
competition, Caesarstone makes unique designs a focal point of its operations. In Australia, Caesarstone has about 50 different colours of quartz countertop designs, with a slightly higher number in the U.S. While the actual process and technology used at Caesarstone is confidential, the company is a close partner with Breton technology, which manufactures the machinery. Forecasting the future Caesarstone has a very simple supply chain operation in Australia, where 99 per cent of its customers pick up the product directly from the company’s warehouses. With a warehouse in each Australian capital city, Caesarstone’s primary focus is making sure it has enough product in stock, while also not having an overabundance that would create dead stock. With the help of Hawthorn-based Taars consulting, Caesarstone uses forecasting to predict the demand and the required purchases. Forecasting is a vital component of Caesarstone’s logistics success, w w w. c a e s a r s t o n e . c o m . a u
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At Orion we partner with our clients to solve business problems. Our solutions help organisations increase productivity, streamline business process and offer ease of reporting.
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Our track record across a broad spectrum of industries and in all levels of government allows us to bring a depth of knowledge and insight in to your business to consistently deliver on time and on budget projects. “Orion has shown an incredible depth of knowledge, exceptional ability to understand our specific business needs and convert that to a relevant and real world solution to help us run our business. It is a pleasure to partner with them.” - Linda Hannah Caesarstone Australia, Orion client since 2009
SALES FORCE AUTOMATION, REGULATORY & STATUTORY COMPLIANCE, WHS, TRAINING & ACCREDITATION, HR, INCIDENT MANAGEMENT, CASE MANAGEMENT, MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT, DONATIONS, PROJECT ADMINISTRATION, EVENT MANAGEMENT, STUDENT RECORDS MANAGEMENT. Orion Enterprise Business Solutions P/L L3 83-97 Kippax Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph 02 9212 4588 | fax 02 9212 3588
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making sure it has enough stock — but not too much. “This is really one of the key success factors to getting the right mix and the right inventory levels,” said Wolfson. “Because Caesarstone globally has been expanding so rapidly, supply has historically been an issue. It’s a big focus for us, so we keep close contact with Taars. With increased capacity and improved forecasting systems, our supply efficiency and reliability is now market leading.” Meanwhile, in order to receive their shipments in a timely fashion from the factory, Caesarstone also works with freight-forwarder EPL International, which Wolfson says has been a great partnership. “Lead time is key for us,” he said. CRM is another key to Caesarstone’s prosperity from a sales
SUPPLIER PROFILE
Caesarstone Australia Managing Director David Cullen at the 2013 Caesarstone New Colour Launch
ORION
Orion specialises in bespoke business software solutions built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, SharePoint, Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics GP Financials. As a mid-market solution provider we have the enterprise mindset without the overhead of large organizations, allowing us to think big, act agile and deliver cost effective services to our client. Our partnership with Caesarstone Australia is now in its 7th year. During that time we have been on a journey of partnership, enabling technology to meet the day to day business challenges that Caesarstone has faced. Leveraging Caesarstone’s investment in Dynamics CRM, we have created solutions for Construction Project Tracking and Forecasting including automation with online Construction data service providers, Merchandising, Enquiry Management, Sample Requests, Loyalty Program, Warranties and Service Calls, Referral Tracking, Consumer Marketing, Online Order Processing, Web Analytics and Business Reporting. We have leveraged the latest in Mobile technology to put information in the hands of staff where and when they need it most. Website: www.orionopen.com.au w w w. c a e s a r s t o n e . c o m . a u
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Our professional team boasts a deep understanding of the relationship between logistics needs, cargo movement and creative solutions, enabling us to meet your requirements on time with unsurpassed service. For mo more information contact us on +61 2 9666 0100
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EPL International ranks amongst Australia's most versatile logistics companies. We deliver excellence in logistic solutions via three modes of transport air, sea and land.
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Logistics with Creative Solutions
CAESARSTONE and marketing perspective, which is supported by Orion Enterprise Business Solutions. Better safe than sorry Safety is one of Caesarstone’s top priorities when it comes to daily operations and core values. It starts with the induction and training of warehouse staff that unloads the heavy slabs from incoming containers as well as loading customer trucks. Caesarstone also regularly checks its machinery such as cranes and forklifts to guarantee diligent maintenance. In addition,
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customers such as stonemasons are given a thorough induction to the warehouse before making pickups to ensure everyone is aware of the safety procedures. The company also has a dedicated employee to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) who performs periodical audits of its branches and makes sure all procedures are followed. “We make sure our staff is properly-inducted to the business in whatever area they’re working in,” said Wolfson. “This is especially important in the warehouse, where it could be dangerous working with these very heavy slabs. It is vital to
Caesarstone preserves the best product quality and innovation design solutions w w w. c a e s a r s t o n e . c o m . a u
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CAESARSTONE
Caesarstone Australia Moorebank Head Office Employees at work
our operation, and we take it very seriously if there are any issues.� An eye for the environment A company that understands it shares the planet with its consumers, Caesarstone is committed to a cleaner, safer environment by limiting the 10
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ecological impact of its operations. From a sustainability point of view, Caesarstone focuses on efficient production to decrease the waste of raw materials and energy. Quartz is a very abundant mineral on earth and readily accessible as a raw material. Quartz has incredible properties such as hardness
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and resistance to heat and other factors. “As Caesarstone is produced from quartz, it has a long lifecycle minimizing environment impact over time,” said Wolfson. Caesarstone puts an emphasis on efficient production in order to minimise waste of raw materials and energy. Some of its production processes to protect the environment include recycling and disposal of hazardous materials. Branching out A key to Caesarstone’s success is innovation to keep its brand thriving. Several years of consistent marketing strategies, as well as building businessto-business relationships, have boosted Caesarstone’s brand recognition to the highest levels in Australia. The company is also working closely with its partners to develop the brand in New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, China, India as well as other countries, targeting high GDP per capita regions. In addition, it has recently expanded its production to the United States market as well. Caesarstone has made a substantial US$130 million investment in two production lines in Richmond Hill, Ga. The first line is already operational, while the second line is just about to start up. “It’s obviously a statement of our willingness to put that sort of investment to develop the U.S. market,” said Wolfson.
Company Information INDUSTRY
Construction HEADQUARTERS
Unit 3/1 Secombe Place Moorebank NSW, Australia, 2170 FOUNDED
1987 PRODUCTS/ SERVICES
Construction
w w w. c a e s a r s t o n e . c o m . a u
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Unit 3/1 Secombe Place, Moorebank, NSW, Australia, 2170
Tel: 61 1300 119 119 www.caesarstone.com.au