SIAMPLY believes that making plywood has proper science behind it now than merely laying layers of core and face veneer. With this philosophy, the company has set up new machines at its Vishakhapatnam based manufacturing unit, and started making Calibrated Plywood through Proprietary OctaPro Technology. In short span of time, they have spread their network in entire South India market. In conversation with the Ply Reporter, Mr Ajit Kumar Minda- Chairman, Mr Ravi Singhal- CEO & Director and Mr Nishant Singhal- Director say that Calibrated plywood is the future which is here to stay. Good calibrated plywood will provide you-“AB RELAX KARO” wala feeling.
Q. How has been the journey of SIAMPly in the last 3 years?
Mr. Ajit Minda - SiamPly as a brand has gone through a great journey in last few years. Initial days were more into strategic planning, creating brand guidelines and understanding the customer requirements. After we got a proper strategy in place, we have kickstarted the roll out of the brand. We started with recruitments, brand design, communication strategy and marketing medium. Then we followed it up by placing the product in the target markets to like minded channel partners. Today we have brand presence in over 60 locations across South India with a good able team of 40 salespersons. Our dealers are happy with our product quality, marketing efforts and sales service commitments. We have successfully secured third and fourth orders from the dealers. We have also successfully connected with some of the most beautiful and prestigious interior projects in our areas.
Q. What are your manufacturing infrastructure, and its advantage?
Mr. Ajit Minda - When we started our journey towards building our brand, we had clear picture in mind regarding the manufacturing infrastructure. Our basic idea was to create standard plywood with near to zero defects. We all know the earlier standards of plywood making in India required huge manual labour.
So to begin with calibrated plywood made through our Proprietary OctaPro Technology is the way forward to not only make perfect quality plywood but to make perfectly treated plywood which are free from termite, borer and microbial attacks.
The quality was also not up-to-the mark. I still remember the constant issues we had when we supplied to luxury interior projects. So to begin with calibrated plywood made through our Proprietary OctaPro Technology is the way forward to not only make perfect quality plywood but to make perfectly treated plywood which are free from termite, borer and microbial attacks.
After working out the production through our Proprietary OctaPro Technology in pilot scale, we gained confidence to ramp up our present infrastructure. Today we have installed energy saving thermic fluid heater, large size VFID controlled dryers with latest uniform moisture removal systems, over 8 core composers (which is among the highest in the industry at one premises), latest automated loading unloading systems for uniform heating process, automated Precision controlled double calibration machines, automated PLC controlled finishing and treatment systems and PLC controlled dust collected systems for healthy environment. The whole system has low manual intervention per piece of plywood than earlier. The plywood is made with better precision. We can also promise on our plywood’s surface quality to be comparable to MDF when sticking acrylic sheets, laminates, veneers or any other surface lamination methods.
Q. What kind of products do you offer presently in ply?
Mr. Nishant Singhal - We have a large range of product offering which starts with our flagship range of SIAMPLY INVENT CLUB 333. Our Invent CLUB 333 range is a structural grade platinum plywood comes with 7xMoneyBack Lifetime Warranty. Further it is 2x Boiling water proof, FIROSECURE (Fire-retardant), ViroSecure (Secured against microbial attacks) and higher density plywood. Some of our most luxurious clients have used this plywood, loved the quality and final output.
Apart from this we have various other ranges which caters to various markets and segments depending on the applications and budgets. We also have a special OEM grade plywood as well which are tailor made for them to create luxury which is not possible with other ‘supposedly calibrated plywood’ in the market. We also have Calibrated MR/BWR grade for huge commercial projects like hotels, hospitals etc. Big contractors also like this product range and continuously buy our SIAMPLY INVENT GOLD MR.
We are also proud of our 100% PINE Blockboard which is among the best in the industry. The interior designers love this product for its light weight and smooth calibrated surface for their shutters.
In coming days we are planning to bring in more and more product innovations. Please follow us through our social media platforms and visit our website for more updates from time to time.
The plywood is made with better precision. We can also promise on our plywood’s surface quality to be comparable to MDF when sticking acrylic sheets, laminates, veneers or any other surface lamination methods.
Q. Some Industries say, they do not get required price of their Calibrated plywood, and they discourage to produce this, what is your view?
Mr. Nishant Singhal - It is obvious that the general customer is always looking for cheaper grade plywood. We have seen our salesmen getting disheartened saying that the customers are using low grade plywood compared to our plywood. Here we have to understand the customer needs and requirements. Apple sells its phone showing its features and user experience. Same way we should always try and educate our dealer, carpenter, designer, contractor and end user about features and benefits of using a good calibrated plywood. If we are not putting in the efforts to demand a certain higher price, the customers will not give the price unless we show the advantages. Indian market is still underutilizing the use of plywood per person compared to China. We should at least start with creating a customer base which is loyal to affordable calibrated quality. People with different view points will always discourage as they have not taken the step forward towards change and innovations.
To produce a proper calibrated plywood we need to think about surface quality, core veneer thickness, the core veneer placement inside the plywood, the conditioning process of core veneers, the physical and lab level checking at various points in production lifecycle, better face veneer strength etc.
In our experience, the placement of good calibrated plywood takes a little time and convincing initially. When the retailer starts selling calibrated plywood and sees that complaints and rejections have decreased substantially, he will only choose to sell Calibrated plywood. We have a slogan in our brand culture- Once you Have Chosen SIAMPLY, AB RELAX KARO.
Q. How can produce Genuine Quality Calibrated Plywood, and how can remain its?
Mr. Nishant Singhal - SiamPly Calibrated Plywood is made by going through over 25 different quality check points. It starts with revamping the Man, Material and Labour for the whole set-up.
'Man'- at SiamPly we have worked hard in terms of educating, fecilitating and training manpower for running quality checks and processes.
'Material'- At SiamPly facilities, some of the best quality raw materials are being sourced with zero compromise. Small compromise may make the end product with faults and increase production costs. The Thickness, the clone variety of veneer, the holes on the core, the moisture in the core, the density of veneer specially when we use Gurjan with Eucalyptus and many such points have to be taken care of at every stage of production.
Machine- At SiamPly, we have installed some of the most innovative and latest machines which aid at providing a near zero defect plywood. The 4 times pressing and 4 times protection treatment stages of our proprietary OCTAPRO Technology supports us to get good quality.
As you see above the making plywood is no more labour dependent. It requires good technical supervision, good maintenance team for latest innovative machines and good raw material. We should also understand that factories like SiamPly's have processes which handle quantities of 400-500mts of semi-finished raw material at every process. We are proud of our technical team also headed by our Director Nishant Singhal provides output which has defects to the tune of 1 in 10000 panels.
So, it is important for the retailers to understand that the calibrated plywood requires good investments over Man, machine and Material to produce. Calibration doesn't end at Thickness alone. I am sure dealers also don't want to send 50-100 pictures from sites showing defects to manufacturers and loose long term relationship with clients. Good Calibrated plywood from a standard facility will give you a product which is consistent in quality at every order you make.
Q. For calibrated plywood, only thickness variation is the parameter or there are other features, which should also consider?
Mr. Ravi Singhal - Calibrated plywood doesn’t mean that we give low tolerance in thickness variation our product is ready. To produce a proper calibrated plywood we need to think about surface quality, core veneer thickness, the core veneer placement inside the plywood, the conditioning process of core veneers, the physical and lab level checking at various points in production lifecycle, better face veneer strength etc.
By taking care of the above important parameters, the end user gets calibrated plywood with superior strength, low warping, better bonding strength, near zero defects etc. In SIAMPLY we believe that making plywood has proper science behind it now than merely laying layers of core and face veneer.
Q. SIAM ply is mainly into southern India market, would you plan to cater others market also?
Mr. Ravi Singhal - We believe in providing quality product with service. We have successfully entered the South Indian markets but still we have a long way to go in terms of penetration. We see south to be a more quality conscious market with Industry and Information technology sectors growing rapidly. Many parts of South India are also fed with disposable income coming from NRI’s in USA, UK, Middle east, South East Asia. We have targeted to reach over 140 locations in South India.
Apart from our South India foray, we are looking at placing our products in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. We are also working on enquiries from Rajasthan and Haryana. Every new state has its own strategy as well as distance from our production facilities. We are working on recruiting more teams, appointing channel partners and innovating small changes in product offering according to market culture in certain other areas.
Q. What are the effective market tools, are you using to increase dealers sales?
Mr. Ravi Singhal - We have adopted a complex strategy to increase brand awareness of our brand and quality. We have taken decisions based on the area we are covering and the results we are looking for. In Andhra Pradesh we have SIAMPLY on hoardings and busses across the state, in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala we have high wall paintings, busses, carpenter meets, architect meets, architectural/engineer/designer exhibits through stalls in exhibitions & conferences etc. We have also worked on connecting with our star influencers regularly for leads of new projects.
Indian market is still underutilizing the use of plywood per person compared to China. We should at least start with creating a customer base which is loyal to affordable calibrated quality.
We are also running a 12 hour back end team in Vizag and Bangaluru for answering regular queries and enquiries. We have also started connecting with users through digital media and networking.
India loves cricket and at SIAMPLY we love it too. We have sponsored recently held matches in Vizag and Chennai between India and Australia. Our brand name was shown over 100 times during the match and we have had the brand flashed also during the match live on Television.
Apart from this we have worked out yearly retailer and designer travel incentive plans through which we can create healthy relationship. At SIAMPLY we have
a culture to put heart first before brain. We work with our channel partners and treat them like our family and friends who grow together.
Creating Brand awareness is a cumbersome exercise and through PLY Reporter magazine we have had an opportunity to connect to retailers and designers who are looking for quality.
Q. What is the timber scenario at Vizag belt, and how do you manage?
Mr. Ajit Minda - Timber scenario is quiet precarious in Vizag belt now. There is rampant shortage in India for timber. We have suddenly seen a massive rise in demand from our area specially from local industries like paper mills, New Particle board & MDF units. Our wood panel industries from Kolkata, Gujarat, Chattisgrah, Yamunanagar have also started procuring from our area. We are a large manufacturing unit with huge requirements. We have been sourcing from Andhra, Telangana, Odisha, Chattisgarh& Karnataka in India. Apart from that we have also sourced timber/ processed veneer from South America, Burma, Indonesia, Vietnam, Gabon and Malaysia. In the future we are looking to manage through the above mentioned resources and if prices increase further we will also resort to increasing the final cost on plywood. We will provide what we promise in SIAMPLY with regards to quality of raw materials used and we will ensure that our end-user gets that’s assured.
Q. What is your vision of year 2023-24, 2024-25?
Mr. Ajit Minda - In 2023-24 we look at reaching over 200 locations in India with 150 touch points in South India. By 2024-25 we envision rapidly growing towards other parts of India through our existing presence and expanding our network further. We don’t believe in just placing the product, at SIAMPLY we have a mission to be a partner of growth to our channel partners. We are also ramping up our production and we plan to introduce newer product ranges in regular intervals to keep up with the markets.
Q. What is your message to dealers fraternity?
Mr Ravi Singhal- For our fellow partners dealing in plywood in India, we have a clear message. We believe that quality will always win in the long term and change is the only constant. So if our dealers do not change to better quality products they are just loosing in the long term. Short term benefits will never get you long term success. Long term Survival is possible by gaining connects with carpenters, architects and projects contractors which provide continuous business. So rather can cutting the hen by providing bad quality look for eggs which can sustain for longer periods by providing good calibrated plywood.
Calibrated plywood is the future which is here to stay. Good calibrated plywood will provide you-“AB RELAX KARO” wala feeling and you can work on selling more products in your retail shops than getting stuck with low quality plywood supply complaints. The base for any interior is plywood and if the base is wrong the whole building may fall. The choice is in your hands if you want to choose Quality like SIAMPLY or choose Nakli ISI non calibrated material.