Interview - Whan Tong

CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Christopher Chandler, Sales and Marketing Manager from Whan Tong Agencies Ltd. about products that conserve water, projects and collaborations, and their plans for expansion across the Caribbean.

By Beth Cope

Whan Tong Agencies Ltd is a Trinidadian plumbing fixtures and fittings distributor. Founded in Trinidad and Tobago in 1968 by William Whan Tong and Sue Hong Whan Tong, the small business started out with simple plumbing fixtures, but as time progressed, brands were added to the portfolio to make the company what it is today. For the past thirty years, Whan Tong’s flagship brand has been Delta Faucet, which is today one of the most popular brands in the plumbing business in Trinidad and Tobago. “With that said, we’ve been able to successfully undertake a variety of projects, from private homes to condos, townhouses, and large developments using that brand,” says Christopher Chandler, Sales and Marketing Manager from Whan Tong Agencies Ltd.

WATER CONSERVATION PRODUCTS

Whan Tong Agencies Ltd. work with brands that provide customers with water conservation products. “Hansgrohe, a company based in Schiltach, Germany, is another brand of Whan Tong,” says Mr. Chandler. “They are a global supplier of plumbing fixtures, such as shower systems and other associated products. In terms of technologies, both Hansgrohe and Delta Faucet have products that are environmentally friendly and conserve water. In the commercial landscape, they both have products that would be used in public arenas or washrooms where it would save water by sensor activated faucets, which during these pandemic times is very important. There are also faucets that work on solar power, meaning the electronic faucet is powered by the ambient light within the washroom, which conserves electricity and energy.”

“In terms of shower technology, both brands offer shower options where the consumption of water is limited,” explains Mr. Chandler. “For showers from the 1980s and 90s, average consumption was 2.5 gallons or 3 gallons in a showerhead, whereas the show-

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er output is now reduced to 1.6 or 1.5 gallons per minute. The same can be said for toilets and urinals. In the past, the consumption for toilets would have been as much as three or four gallons every time you flush. That has now been reduced to one gallon per flush.”

PERSONAL CONSULTATION

“In terms of our services as a company, for the longest part of our existence, we have predominantly been a supply company,” says Mr. Chandler. “The dynamics of business have since changed – the push towards online shops and platforms are growing, for example – but there are aspects of the business that are still very personal in terms of consultation or advice. As of now we do full 360 services, where people can come to us, sit down, and we consult from the beginning to the end. Whether it’s a large project or small project, we can consult the best products that would suit their needs.”

The agency has started to implement a new service. “Customers can receive professional installations and services as we start to apply our own installation and renovation aspects of the company,” says Mr Chandler. “A lot of customers who have purchased our products are not getting the full experience that they ought to and, 7 out of 10 times, when we visited those customers, the initial installation was done incorrectly. At the moment we are offering this service for residential clientele only, as opposed to hotels or larger businesses, but in the future, we can possibly grow to that.”

ONGOING PROJECTS

Whan Tong Agencies intends to be part of a future project aiming to reduce water consumption and energy bills. “This is in collaboration with a company called Home Solutions,” explains Mr. Chandler. “They are a local development company that has

“THESE PRODUCTS ARE HIGH QUALITY AT A GREAT PRICE, AND ULTIMATELY, THAT IS OUR END GOAL AS A SUPPLIER OF VARIOUS BRANDS AND PRODUCTS.”

produced high quality developments and condos on various multi-family living buildings throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Their most recent project is called North Hills, a multi-family condo style living space that will be 6 buildings, spanning about 144 apartments. The goal is to offer them products that would help conserve water as this is very important to us.”

“Our intention is to offer the developer a great product at a great price. In fact, we always aim to offer all of our customers this service, and we have ongoing projects with other valued clients, such as Caribbean Housing and Anthony P Scott. We enjoy having very good relationships with various builders and contractors” says Mr. Chandler. “Another aspect as to why there is a big push in water conservation for Trinidad is that there is talk about an increase on our water bills. At the moment, our water rates are low when compared to other Western countries and they are soon to be reviewed. Due to the economic climate, our current government is trying to find ways to reduce the debt and expenses. This would possibly mean removing certain subsidies and or increasing the rates on water for the population. We think it’s a good ethical practice on our part by starting to provide our customers with environmentally-friendly products that would help conserve water and, in turn, help to reduce their bills at the end of each month.”

REGIONAL AND PRODUCT PORTFOLIO EXPANSION

“We have predominantly supplied projects locally in Trinidad and Tobago, but we are looking to reach out to other territories within our surrounding area,” says Mr. Chandler. “These countries are Guyana, Suriname, Barbados, Grenada, and St. Lucia. Whan Tong is looking to extend our services and products to those territories and have been talking with all the brands that we currently have representation for.”

“Within the last year, we have also expanded into other areas that are of interest to some consumers,” explains Mr Chandler. “We are now providing kitchen designs and installations, along with selective household appliances for the kitchen. Whan Tong has also partnered with a tile company so our showroom can now offer customers a true one-stop-shop experience, so you can purchase tiles among other items for your home. These products are high quality at a great price, and, ultimately, that is our end goal as a supplier of various brands and products.” c