A new era in green tech solutions

Monier eyes larger market share in Sabah and Sarawak

ROOFING SOLUTIONS: With Monier CoolRoof® and SolarRoof® you can save up to 30 per cent and 15 per cent respectively on your electricity bills.

KUCHING: One of the leading suppliers of roofing and chimney systems, Monier Malaysia Holdings Sdn Bhd (Monier Malaysia) plans to aggressively market its products in the fast growing markets of Sabah and Sarawak.

With more than 50 years of experience in the Malaysian market and backed by the international competence of the world’s prominent pitched roof systems supplier, Monier Malaysia is heralding a new era of roofing technology by providing environmentally friendly roofing solutions to Malaysians.

Monier chief executive officer Asia Pacific, Benoit Hennaut, told thesundaypost that the East Malaysian market is growing rapidly with the States’ continuous efforts on infrastructure and development of the region under the SCORE.

“Over the past nine months we have been paying particular attention to East Malaysia and have recruited roofing experts and technical specialists to impart their expertise and know how in both Sabah and Sarawak,” he revealed.

“At Monier, we take our products seriously and emphasis very deeply on environmental sustainability and at the same time take into account cost effectiveness. Our priority for 2010 is to specifically communicate with architects, developers and users and provide them with products that are premium and at the same time eco-friendly,” he added.

As of January 2010, Monier embarked on a awareness campaign in Sabah which will continue till mid-year. The company has a showroom in Sabah touted as the ‘One stop roofing centre for homeowners’.

Apart from spreading awareness, Monier will also take part in the ID-X Exhibition at City Mall, Kota Kinabalu from April 1 to 4. For Sarawak, the campaign is scheduled to commence in June till the end of the year. This includes renovating roofing of a school in Sarawak which is yet to be shortlisted in order for the authorities to be able to see the results. The campaign also involves the setting up of a showroom.

Taking into account the fast growing pace of East Malaysia, the group endeavours to double its activities and increase its turnover contributions within the next two year from these two rapidly developing states.

“Currently East Malaysia contributes between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of Monier’s revenue. However, in the past there was no support services available and the psyche in the usage of building materials was very different. In fact, more metal solutions were used in non-residential buildings and  eco-friendly solutions were not given so much importance.

“However, all that is changing and green technology and environmentally friendly products are now gaining favour as more developers, architects and the public at large are more discerning and are not willing to compromise on quality,” he said. Another challenging aspect is that the weather in Sabah and Sarawak is different from that of the rest of the Peninsular.

“We need to use specific and very resistant materials that are waterproof and at the same time facilitate circulation in order to keep the home cool, “ he added.

Asked what is taken into account in terms of environmental sustainability for roofing, Hennaut pointed out, “Firstly, you have to factor in that a global energy efficient building has 40 per cent of the heat going through the roof, which makes it a major area to look at. Secondly, eco-conservation is linked to water conservation with methods such as recycling water through rain harvest system and reuse of water for washing, gardening and other usage. Thirdly it is linked to eco-balance of materials,” he revealed.

Malaysia is the Asia Pacific (APA) Hub for the Monier group which is headquartered in Oberursel, Germany. The group employs 11,200 people and has 152 production sites globally. Active in 46 countries across four continents, the roofing specialist group recorded a 2008 sales of 1.5 billion euros.

“The Asia Pacific region is one of the top five performers of the group and the Malaysian operations offers a range of services from roofing solutions, roof tiles and fittings, Energy Efficient Roofing Solutions (E3), roof system components to laying services. We have the largest sales, distribution and production network in Malaysia accredited with MS ISO9001:2008 certification,” Hennaut pointed out.

With a workforce strength of 1,500 people and over 20 factories in China, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia, the group leverages on the Central Services in areas such as the Research & Development Centre that doubles up as a training centre called Asia Pacific Green Roof Physic Centre in Bukit Kemuning, Selangor.

The prominent property players working closely with Monier include SP Setia Bhd Group, Sime Darby Property, I & P Sdn Bhd, Sunway City Bhd and Mah Sing Group.

“Our products are proven, for example, if you combine Monier CoolRoof® and Monier SolarRoof® you can save up to 30 per cent and 15 per cent respectively on your electricity bills with less than two years payback period on your investment in the roofing, while your house is cooler by at least 10 degrees and you have a constant supply of hot water,” he explained.

“The way forward is to continue developing green technology and being able to offer environmentally viable solutions at reasonable costs so that we can cover our carbon footprints and leave minimal impact on the environment that surrounds us. We need to act now to protect our environment and a good start is through green technology,” he added.