COMPANY PROFILE
2013
Mazista
For all of your tiling needs
COMPANY REPORT
For all of your tiling needs Editorial: Lauren Grey Production: Hal Hutchison
As the world’s global economy slowly begins to recover, Michael Tully, Managing Director at South African stone, tile and tiling specialist Mazista, speaks candidly to IndustrySA about the effects of the financial crisis and how an amalgamation contributed to the continuing success of his business.
Since its inception in 1927, South African stone and tile specialist, Mazista has evolved as a business to enable it to service new markets and accommodate changing consumer demand. Originally opened as a slate quarry in the North West Province, the company started business by manufacturing slate roof tiles as Managing Director, Michael Tully explains. “To begin with, slate roof tiles were the only product of our manufacturing, but as the market moved on, so did the business. In the 70’s we imported cutting and planning machines from Italy for square flooring tiles and billiard table slabs; we don’t make the billiard tables anymore but the floor tiles we do.” As the South African tile market developed, Mazista expanded its product range and soon acquired interest from further afield, “Originally we supplied only locally to the South African market, but in the early 80’s we began exporting both roofing and flooring materials, initially to Australia, and gradually to 14 different countries worldwide by the 90’s.”
SERVICES Mazista’s original business in the manufacturing of PAGE 2 SEP 13
roof tiles is now extremely small in comparison to its flooring and cladding division, as Tully explains, “The most significant part of the business is now flooring and cladding, for example natural stone like sandstone and slate and to a larger extent granite, marble and limestone. Granite in particular is popular in the larger, commercial jobs. “We also do a lot of heavy stone cladding, for example rock cladding that is applied to feature walls which we have installed in a variety of different shopping centres. It’s quite popular and fashionable to have a rough, rock faced wall at the moment.” The company has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a slate quarry and its product range now targets four specific markets; commercial applications, exports, home furnishing and installations. Its commercial division supplies products for commercial contracts and customers, as well as offering an installation service for those who require it. Supported by a board of directors with a combined total of 75 years at the company, the commercial division is well structured to provide the design and specification needs for a project as well as technical support, product
Mazista
knowledge and advice. Recent partnerships within its commercial division include: Standard Bank in Rosebank Absa Towers West, Nedbank Sandton head office and the One and Only hotel in the Victoria and Albert Waterfront in Capetown.
IMPORTING In order to fully appreciate the quality of products required by architects, designers, contractors and developers, 80% of Mazista’s business is now solely focussed on importing and its original quarry is no longer a direct part of the business. “The quarry on which the business was founded is no longer ours, it is now independently owned and even though we still have a small quarry ourselves this is a small part of our business as we primarily procure slate from various other quarry’s including ones we used to own ourselves ” explains Tully. Importing products enables the company to source the highest quality material required for the customers, and products can come from as far afield as China, India, Brazil, Turkey, Italy and Spain. A fabrication shop has long been established which
primarily handles natural stone slab work for counters, vanities, stair cases among other things and to provide added value to our tiles in terms of cutting, Polishing, calibrating, and bullnosing as well as the manufacture of mosaics and decorative listellos. Customers can therefore expect expert advice and assistance in the choice of products as well as answers to questions they may have concerning features unique to natural tiles such as surface texture, thickness variation and colour range. Mazista is well placed to handle a full enquiry from tile or stone specification to importation, supply, installation as well as granite or marble slab supply, manufacture and installation.
ECONOMIC PRESSURES As it has already been noted, Mazista has grown and developed as a business to incorporate new markets and products into its portfolio of services. However, Tully admits that the company took a surprising knockback after the global economic slowdown engulfed many of its stores. “Before the economic crash we opened a bunch of retail stores because there were areas where we believed
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COMPANY REPORT we weren’t getting our fair share of market. We opened a total of 12 stores, but shortly thereafter the global financial crisis hit and really put a lot of pressure on the business” he explains. “Due to the fact that we had expanded so aggressively and the market had shrunk because of the credit crunch, these stores were no longer viable.” Over a five year period, the company went from opening a total of 12 new stores across South Africa, to having to shut the vast majority of them down, and not only did its local business shrink, but its international ventures became much more challenging. “With regards to our export division, part of the problem was trying to compete against the Chinese and Indians, which is difficult even when the world isn’t in a state of financial trouble. Due to our location here in South Africa, we are further away from primary markets such as Australia, and this affects our price and logistics” explains Tully. “Luckily, our underlying business was strong enough to survive and we are slowly starting to feel our business
picking back up even though the market still isn’t as stable as it once was.”
AMALGAMATION Mazista’s success throughout the global financial crisis cannot only be attributed to its strong underlying business ethic, but also to its amalgamation with Durban Tiling Services as well as its trading arm, Duratile. Established in 1968, Durban Tiling is KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest floor tiling contractors and has successfully been involved in tiling and plastering in the greater Durban and KwaZulu Natal area. Over the years Durban Tiling has built up its tiling team and now boasts a company with over 50 quality tilers, who can carry out any type of installation timeously and to the required standard. The partnership has allowed Mazista to vastly expand its product range and list of services as well as enter new markets not previously explored, as Tully explains. “During the economic slowdown we found ourselves in two places; our primary market, the domestic and
PROUDLY ASSOCIATED WITH
MAZISTA TILES FOR THE LAST DECADE
TAL offer a wide range of quality tiling solutions to help you get the tiling job done quickly and effectively. Our range includes tile adhesives, primers, grouts, screeds and tiling tools available at Mazista Tiles.
Contact the TAL Technical Advice Centre on 0860 000 TAL(825), email taltech@norcrossa.com or visit www.tal.co.za Johannesburg 011 206 9700
Cape Town 021 386 1810
Durban 031 579 2263
TAL is a registered trademark of NORCROS SA (Pty) Ltd PAGE 4 SEP 13
TAL is a SABS ISO 9001:2008 quality management system certified company
Mazista
SEP 13 PAGE 5
COMPANY REPORT home building industry had seriously slowed down, and because we are a niche, natural stone trader we service the top end of the market, which put even more strain on the business.” With strengths in sourcing, logistics, stocking and of course natural stone, Mazista welcomed the strengths of Durban Tiling and Duratile which are the sourcing and stocking of high quality porcelain and ceramic tiles, large flooring contracts, technical skills relating to contracts, quantity surveying services, supervision and tiling. As a result of the amalgamation, Mazista is expanding the tile contracts arm of the business in order to service its clients more fully with the help of its partners, particularly in the Gauteng and Western Cape areas.
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“The idea is to grow our product base by incorporating ceramics and porcelains, and to also grow our market by being a commercial tiler,” says Tully. In order to manage the three companies successfully, Mazista now has a holding company that owns all three businesses, and all partners involved in each of these businesses have shares in the holding company. Mazista is now a one-stop-shop that can satisfy all the needs of a customer; from sourcing local and imported tiles and stone, having strategic relationships with our adhesive supplier to installation and after sales service, which Tully says is “a huge benefit for customers.” “The customer can now choose their tile or natural stone, which we will source locally or import, we supply
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Sure Strip Giving your tiles “The Edge”
When Sure Strip started 16 years ago (1997), the product range comprised mainly of aluminium, brass and stainless steel profiles. In 2009, Sure Strip set up their own PVC factory enabling them to manufacture their own PVC products. Tile Spacers were introduced into the Sure Strip product offerings in the same year. Sure Strip has also conducted SABS and Independent Laboratory tests on their movement joints to ensure that the accepted industry standards are either met or exceeded. Sure Strip is a level 3 B–BBEE contributor and aims to support its network of clients with their renowned fast and efficient service, with quality products at the best possible pricing. Sure Strip are continually adding new products to their range always aiming to keep:
Giving your tiles “The Edge” Tel / Fax : (27) 11 626 1547 Web : www.surestrip.co.za
Pieter de Beer
AUG 13 PAGE 7
COMPANY REPORT
only the best quality adhesive, then we will do the tiling, so there’s nowhere else that the customer needs to go.� On commercial jobs specifically, Mazista offer a ten year guarantee backed up by its adhesives supplier, TAL. With a variety of high-profile projects on the way, Mazista -backed by partners, Durban Tiling and Duratile- plans to continue producing high quality products and offering customers a one-stop-shop for their tiling needs.
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Lusaka Centenary
Gail, since 1812 reinventing its history. From its foundation, Gail has constructed a history of success, mixing tradition, quality, innovation,designandsustainability,endorsedbyitsproductsandtechnicalsolutions. It is an international industry and one of the leaders in high-performance extruded products, with technical expertise and unique systems for distinguished projects. Gail is synonymous of products for Industries , Façades and Swimming Pools, in special the sport ones, and complements its portfolio with pieces for use in ramps, sidewalks, skirting and areas with special requirements.
Industrial Collection Industrial Collection has been developed to support different aggressive agents, typical of an intense utilization routine. The products are innovative, durable and their production is based on sustainable ethics. Gail is guaranteed and obtained by the specification of the full package solution (coating + special parts and finishing + settling products, grouting and cleaning): • The Gail Industrial Collection, anti acid ceramics is the technical solution that incorporates guarantees of resistance, safety, hygiene, low maintenance and economy. • Its exclusive Conic claws underscore the company’s competence in high-performance products • Very low Absorption of Water ( below 1% ) performs a higher quality product. Brazil Gail Ceramics Ltd. E-mail – export@gail.com.br Phone: + 55 11 2423-2642
Pieter de Beer
Local Geralco Intl. Pty ( Ltd) E-mail – geralco@iafrica.com Phone: 0 825 6559688 AUG 13 PAGE
+27 11 998 2600 www.mazista.co.za
(0)1603 618 000 info@industrysa.com East Coast Promotions Ltd, Ferndale Business Centre, 1 Exeter Street. Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4QB