By Gyanendra Kumar Kashyap
Germany premium sanitaryware brand Sternhagen has launched a new range of contemporary and persuasive composite 3D wall tiles. According to the company, the new range has been designed to offer a mix of luxury materials and finishes with high-style and quality. Sternhagen is part of the Bhavnagar-based Acrysil Group, which has pioneered composite kitchen sinks in India.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch, Acrysilās CMD Chirag Parekh said, āBeing a pioneer in luxury sanitaryware, Sternhagen designs are timeless. We have been touching lives and lifestyles ever since we forayed into the Indian market. As a design-driven brand, we will constantly innovate to create products with new expertise and designs.ā On the 3D composite tiles collection, he remarked, āOur latest collection is an amalgamation of high-quality design and technical sophistication. Whether your style is modern, traditional or luxurious, this collection will never look odd while designing the space.ā
The 3D composite tile collection offers six design concepts – Glam, Diamant, Bossi, Spark, Hexy, Visua ā which are available at Sternhagenās flagship stores as well as at dealer outlets across India. These tiles are available in nine shades ā papaya, klein, carib, avacado, curcuma along with white, black, grey and cream.
According to Parekh, the 3D collection is aimed at adding exclusivity and modernity to any interior. āThe visual appeal of the collection is the result of perfectly rendered angular forms, as well as the dynamic reciprocation of depth, light and shadow of the geometric flow.ā He also explained that Spark and Hexy can be used in tandem to add to the beauty of the wall. āWhether you go for solo colour or an ombrĆ© effect, the surfaces of the room will look spectacular.ā
Speaking exclusively to Sourcing Hardware, Parekh shared that these 3D quartz and concrete wall tiles have been designed by Hungarian designers. āThe price range, `300ā700 per sft, is competitive as well as affordable,ā he remarked, adding that the flat tiles are 30% cheaper than 3D tiles. The initial plan for the coming two years is to produce 10,000sft, and then gradually increase production capacity to 100,000sft. āWe will continue to focus on design, quality and affordable price,ā Parekh said. Emphasising the importance of installation, he averred that if installation is not done properly, having a good product on the wall is of no value. The tiles will also be launched in US and UK markets in the coming months.
G Nandkumar of Dyanmic Marketing, who is Sternhagenās business partner for Chennai region, concurs that quality and design of Sternhagen products, combined with affordable pricing, is giving the brand a competitive edge in the market. āThe 3D composite wall tile will find many takers owing to its design and price. I foresee good volumes in Chennai,ā he told Sourcing Hardware at the launch. Leading dealers from Chandigarh and Kolkata expressed similar views.
Malay Pandya, technical head at the company, explained the composition and other details of the tiles. āThe tiles are made of composite quartz material, ie a mix of quartz, minerals and concrete. We conduct training programmes wherein the focus is on laying of tiles. Training is imparted on the use of cement-based adhesives, polymer-based adhesives, etc. We go to the extent of educating installers and sellers how to clean the tiles, use water and moist cloth to clean, and never use detergent, etc,ā he informed, adding that the finer nuances of laying of tiles makes all the difference.
ā3D effect is the USP of our product,ā Pandya remarked, adding that the ārises and valleyā are irreplaceable. He shared that currently the focus is on interiors, and going forward exterior application would be placed on the radar.
āSternhagen, at present, has around 80 dealers and a couple of them are exclusive dealers,ā informed Parekh, adding that soon the company would be opening an exclusive store in association with C Bhogilal in Mumbai. āOur effort is to support our existing business partners and do maximum business with them,ā he remarked, indicating that the brand has drawn serious enquiries from interested groups. āWe will evaluate the proposals and accordingly take a call.ā
Sternhagen aims to take its dealer count to more than 150 by the end of this fiscal year. āAs far as our channel partners are concerned, we have a healthy mix of dealers and distributors. We have at present around 15 distributors and by end of March 2019 we intend to take our dealer count to more than 150.ā Sternhagen also has two company-owned-company-operated stores, in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. āWe see a lot of potential in the Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru markets, and hence we are focusing on these regions,ā he said. The company is working with architects and specifiers, and āis gradually getting into projects too.ā