Gulf Construction Online - Sigma system leads in cladding market

Kuwait Review

Sigma system leads in cladding market

Sigma paints have been successfully used to revolutionise the building finishing market and have become a generic name for a high-quality exterior cladding systems in Kuwait, according to its Kuwait-based agent Building Systems Company.

01 December 2002

igma systems have proved their superiority over other exterior cladding materials in Kuwait due to their durability and aesthetic appeal, says Hamed Honoud Al Ajlan, general manager of Building Systems Company, the Kuwaiti agent for Sigma paints.

He says that the company has achieved outstanding success by developing what it describes as a revolutionary cladding system using plastering and paint.

Buildings which used this innovative system when it was first introduced in Kuwait nearly two decades ago stand testimony to its durability, according to Al Ajlan.

BSC reached an agreement to represent Dammam-based Sigma Paints in the early 1980s. By 1984, the company had started a revolution in the design and building industry of Kuwait using Sigma paints, he says.

Al Ajlan elaborates: "BSC, sensing that the Kuwaitis were bored with stone and marble - which was popular during the 1970s - introduced a system comprising plastering and paint that not only competed with stone and marble in beauty but also proved as durable.

"BSC concentrated on promoting the high-quality paints from Sigma - mainly Sigmariver and Sigmaputz - applied over a plastering reinforced with expanded metal lath. Any visitor to Kuwait now can easily notice the success this system has achieved in the nearly past two decades.

"Sigma has proved that when high-quality paints are used, other cladding materials can't match the beauty and harmony provided by high-quality external coatings.

"Basically, Building Systems introduced the right material at the right time."

But there were other aspects that have contributed to the success of this new system, he says.

"Sigma textured products provided a similar finish to the 'Juss' plastering that was used in the traditional houses of Kuwait before the oil boom - but with the added benefits of enhanced durabiility and a wider choice of colours.

"In essence, Sigma products were appealing for their aesthetic value, durability, resistance to harsh climatic conditions, and harmony with the environment."

He continues: "Another factor that contributed to the success of Sigma paints and the cladding system was the flexibility in design that they gave the architect. Stone and marble constrained their freedom while Sigma cladding systems appealed to their imagination and ingenuity, setting no limits to their creativity.

"Furthermore, in Kuwait as in most countries, women play an important role in the selection of finishing materials for their homes. This is where architect and the women were of the same mindset with their focus being the three variables: design, texture and colour. They both found an ideal solution in the Sigma cladding provided by Building Systems.

"In addition, they also wanted Sigma's support to provide tasteful interior coatings. The market has shifted from just requiring a structure built to demanding a work of art. In response to their demand and realising that customers were becoming increasingly discerning and sophisticated by seeking professional help of interior decorators as a matter of priority, Sigma enhanced its choice of colours.

"Almost all households wanted an innovative selection of colours for the various rooms of their homes, with many bold enough to select more than one colour to a room.

"It required a paint producer like Sigma to satisfy such a change in taste. New internal coatings with unique colours and finished were developed to make customers happy and loyal to the brand of their choice.

A new generation of internal coatings was introduced; Sigma Pharos, Sigma Expression, Sigma Kiros and a lot more.

"In 2000, Building Systems opened a Sigma service centre in Kuwait, which has now become an oasis for families desiring their choice to be tested - and the staff at the service centre ensure that each member of the family leaves satisfied.

"Over the past two decades, Building Systems has not only succeeded in promoting Sigma paints in Kuwait but also changed the way architects and owners view a building. BSC's cladding has become a standard engineering specification with the term 'Sigma System' understood as a reinforced cement plastering coated with a textured finish from Sigma.

"Sigma has now become a generic name for a texture coating, regardless of the paint producer but Sigma has not tried to convert its success to financial gains. Building Systems and Sigma paints have maintained a competitive edge by selecting the quality niche - allowing the rest to fight in prices for a position.

"Therefore, Sigma has become a synonyn for quality and innovation in the Kuwaiti market, which has expanded dramatically in the last two decades. The use of paint as part of a cladding material has more than quadrupled the consumption of paint in residential projects.

"This high demand for paint has created opportunities for paint producers, many of whom were newcomers vying to grab a share of the market. Luckily, time has proved that paying a little bit more on quality paint, is the cost-effective option in a bid to postpone maintenance for years," he adds.