What are the competitive features of CenturyPly products?
CenturyPly procures more than 4,400 tons of plantation wood resource every single day resulting in an annual procurement of more than Rs. 620 crore from farmers. The wood is utilized in the company‘s 7 manufacturing plants and in a number of outsourced plants. We offer both plywood and laminates with varied features for numerous applications.
We are the only company to offer triple certified product with fire retardant properties and with a BWP feature incorporated in it. In fact, Clubprime is the only product in the market with all the features. Our Sainik 710 BWP is positioned as a complete waterproof product. Customers can check the authenticity of the products and also get an e-warranty.
Century Laminates is a pioneer in the HPL category in the Indian Laminate Industry. We undertake continuous R&D to come up with technological innovations, for instance, our Viro-Kill technology reduces the level of viral, bacterial, and fungal growth on laminate surfaces which helps keep interiors healthy and safe. We do uniform sanding for every laminate which is made with total precision and consistency at our state-of-the-art machines. Century Laminates procures papers made from plantation timber and which have Greenguard and FSC certifications. These are also Fire-Retardant grade 2 laminates. We offer laminates with 1000+ designs, and they all pass through stringent quality tests.
Where is maximum demand coming from for CenturyPly products?
Demand from South India is going strong, but to be a market leader we plan to position ourselves aggressively across other regions as well. With the increasing focus of the government on infrastructural projects, demand for building material products will remain robust in the future. There is a surge expected in sales in government projects and in the B2B segment (both commercial and residential).
We are also observing wood/furniture work moving from carpenter to OEM-manufactured products, especially in tier 1 and 2 cities. This is because of the precision, time saving, and better finishes resulting from the use of high-tech machines in the OEMs manufacturing facilities.
We will continue making efforts to increase our footprint in the B2B and OEM segments, which should bring us a lot of volume growth this fiscal. We will also continue our focus on influencer connect to increase our brand value and meet product specifications. Increase in retail billing points will also remain a priority to utilize our retail strength. Adding new categories and products will be a key differentiator for us, and we will significantly increase our premium segment portfolio as a tier 1 brand.
What after-sales services do you offer customers?
We have more than 4000 direct dealers and over 10,000 retailers and are present in more than 941 towns and cities. We have a dedicated team of after-sales service representatives based at all regional offices to take care of customer support activities and also provide training to carpenters and contractors on the right usage and maintenance of our products and help save time and cost. Complaints are resolved within 49-72 hours, and we are now working on further reducing the timeline as all our processes are completely digitalized.
What product is the company offering for building facades?
When it comes to exteriors, the popular fad is still an ACP. However, when investing in a new asset, many architects today are faced with various options. Now, many novelties are emerging in the plywood industry to meet contemporary architectural needs as more and more people are looking for authentic wooden, stone, or abstracts for their facades. Hence, demand of exterior grade laminate is increasing considerably. We are offering CenturyExteria that offers an extensive range of laminates in stunning patterns and shades, in solids, wood grains, and stone, to construct unique facades.
Besides façade cladding, CenturyExteria has varied use in roof cladding, balcony cladding, gate cladding, louvers, pedestrian shelters, signage with lettering, kiosks, soffits, rails and fences.
What are the characteristics of CenturyExteria?
Known for its innovative designs and quality, this unique exterior product range of CenturyPly offers high-pressure compact laminates (HPL) complying with EN438 – 6 type EDF* (resistance against extreme climatic conditions), at par with global standards. Produced in laminate presses at high pressure and high temperature, these panels have a special top layer of weather resistant film, which protects them from harsh solar rays and extreme weather conditions.
Available in large format panels, these exterior laminates come in thickness ranging from 4 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm and up to 15 mm. Their easy and rapid installation and low maintenance add to their utility and productivity.
What is your marketing strategy to increase brand awareness?
CenturyPly is a listed company and a leader in interior building infrastructure industry, with a business that spans four decades. The name Century enjoys a strong brand recall as there is a lot of awareness amongst quality conscious consumers about our laminates and products. And to remain top of the mind and a preferred brand of choice, we are constantly coming up with more advanced products and innovative solutions, designed to meet the evolving tastes of our consumers.
Having said that, there are some newly launched brands within the umbrella of CenturyPly, for which we organise awareness campaigns using mass media like Television, Radio, Wall Paintings, Digital Media, Print Media to reach our target customers.
CenturyPly represents a responsible model of how a company can address the needs of all stakeholders and bring both aesthetics and sustainability in architectural projects.
Keshav Bhajanka
What are your expansion plans with respect to new product range / new business vertical?
Our NAP (New Age Product) division scouts for niche and scalable products which can leverage our existing brand and our strong retail distribution network. We are exploring and evaluating a few products before we finalize any.
We will be coming up with many new categories and revolutionary products in the next financial year. The range will include toilet cubicles, an exclusive range of matt finish products, and more.
What R&D does the company undertake to come up with innovative products?
CenturyPly has a history of introducing new products/new features on a regular basis. We were the first to introduce borer and termite proof plywood. Post- Covid, we introduced Virokill and Firewall features in our premium plywood segment, which has subsequently driven strong plywood volumes.
We introduced Sainik 710 (a waterproof product in the commercial grade category) which has performed exceptionally well. We have a dedicated R&D team and they work on all the inputs which are primarily market forward. We undertake R&D from the raw materials to the finished product.
Delivering what the market expects from us as regards innovative and high quality products has helped us retain our brand value and cement our position as a market leader in the plywood industry, where the closest competitors are GreenPly, Green Laminates, and Marino.
