The ability to specify the right product for the right job has been instrumental in flooring products company Flowcrete’s success in the Gulf region, the company says.

“Our wide range of products means we can provide the ideal floor regardless of service conditions or surface requirements,” says Flowcrete’s Middle East sales director Vik Vithlani.

“We are also able to apply our coatings on top of existing floors which minimises costs and reduces time during refurbishment projects. The success of our flooring for F&B environments stems largely from our ability to meet the stringent regulations set out by health authorities and sector guidelines such as HACCP.”

Particular regulations that Flowcrete Middle Easy helps facilities to meet include the mandate that floors are constructed of a material that is durable, smooth, cleanable and suitable for the manufacturer’s operations, as well as that the floors are light coloured, waterproof, non-slippery, non-absorbent, easily washable, non-porous in nature and can withstand a high pressure of work.

The floors also need to be sufficiently sloped for liquids to drain to trapped outlets, coved at floor and wall junctures, sealed, easy to clean and able to accommodate appropriate drainage systems.

Flowcrete has a wide range of products including the industrial and commercial ranges, Flowfresh, Flowfast and Deckshield.

BEST SELLERS

Flowcrete Middle East’s range of hard wearing resin floors are installed in-situ by a network of trained applicators to ensure a smooth, high-quality floor finish

The decorative terrazzo system Mondéco ranks as the company’s top product. Flowcrete’s ability to produce bespoke designs in a wide range of either standard or personalised colours has proven to be a successful selling point.

Ranked second-most popular is the interior car park decking system Deckshield ID which has been used in many high-profile projects such as The Dubai Mall, the Zayed Sports City and the Dubai International Airport.

Third is Flowfresh, which the company says is able to eliminate up to 99.9 per cent of bacteria on the floor’s surface thanks to having the antimicrobial agent Polygiene incorporated into the resin floor. One of the main reasons this has been popular is because it helps food and beverage facilities to meet hygiene regulations.

Most sales in 2013 came from the UAE, followed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Flowcrete saw a 27 per cent surge in sales in 2013 year on year and projects a 34 per cent increase this year.

THE NEXT FOCUS

Over the next four or five years, the company will push strongly for sales of decorative commercial finishes and flooring systems for the food industry, says Vithlani.

“Geographically, we have seen a huge potential in Saudi Arabia and are starting to invest heavily in this region. We have recently won the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium near Jeddah, which will see 48,000 sq m of Deckshield ED installed in concourse areas, air handling units and plant rooms,” said the official.

“In terms of marketing efforts, Flowcrete Middle East has a newly appointed marketing manager, and our marketing strategy is aimed at significantly increasing our presence with the focus of placing Flowcrete Middle East as thought leaders within the market.”

Flowcrete products are manufactured in Dubai, UAE, and in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The locations enables quicker delivery of products to site and lower transportation costs, which is in line with Flowcrete Group’s policy of sustainability, and meets Leed credit requirements.

PROJECTS

Projects in the UAE that have used Flowcrete products include the Dubai and Abu Dhabi international airports, The Dubai Mall, Festival City and The Palm Jumeirah.

At the Dubai Mall more than 500,000 sq m of Flowcrete Middle East’s car park coating system was installed to provide a robust floor capable of withstanding heavy continuous traffic.

In other markets, its products have been used in Premier Foods and Burj Rafal (both in Riyadh), King Abdulla Sports City, near Jeddah, and Cairo Festival City, Egypt.