Mariwasa Siam Ceramics projects 4-5% growth

MANILA, Philippines - Tile maker Mariwasa Siam Ceramics Inc. projects a modest growth of four to five percent this year as it introduces new products and maintains its current production capacity.

“This year, our focus is to maintain our production capacity, improve efficiency and develop our use of biomass energy in our operations,” said Mariwasa’s new president Anukul Kongrit in an interview during the launch of the company’s new tile solutions in Makati yesterday.

The company currently has a market share of 30 percent of the P8-billion ceramic tile market in the country.

The local tile market has an annual production capacity of 40 million square meters (sqm) of tiles. Mariwasa currently has a production capaticy of 12 million sqm of tiles.

Mariwasa’s vice president for sales and marketing Jakkrit Suwansilp said the company is challenged, not only by local producers but also by the influx of imported tiles into the Philippine market from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

He said Chinese tilemakers are grabbing 40 percent of the Philippine market.

“We try to compete with other companies in terms of quality. We try to be competitive by offering new products,” he said.

Suwansilp said Mariwasa’s products, because of their higher quality standards as against standard tiles, are seven to 10 percent more expensive than the products of their Asian competitors.

Suwansilp said the company is looking for more dealers outside of Metro Manila particulary in the provinces of Naga in south Luzon and Bulacan in central Luzon where many new real estate projects are being put up.