19 Dec 2007 : A leader in Cape’s robust tile market

more news from south africa……………….

TILETORIA, founded as recently as 1995 and based in Paarden Eiland, has grown niftily to become the biggest player in the Western Cape’s keenly contested tile market.

Under the leadership of managing director Patrick Thonissen the company has an annual turnover of well over R100 million, which represents close 20% of the Western Cape market. Still better things are to come. Financial director Allan Duckworth tells Cape Business News the company currently holds less than 1% of the national market, estimated to be worth around R50 billion a year. But it is now aiming to grow this share of the market to in excess of 5% in the next five years as the company spreads its footprint nationally (see separate article).

He points out that the demand for tiles has grown from R25 billion five years ago to the current level of R50 billion and this figure is expected to be doubled again in the next five years.

From its single 1 500 sq m store in Paarden Eiland Tiletoria currently supplies all comers, including the man in the street, builders and lately, increasingly, corporate clients as well.

Acting as a wholesaler Tiletoria also supplies a number of smaller retailing outlets.

In all, the company has warehousing facilities totalling 5 000 sq m where tiles and a limited range of sanitary ware products to the value of R32 million are stocked.

Duckworth says 65% of Tiletoria’s tiles are imported. Lately good quality tiles have been imported from China as well.

“We expect the building in this country to continue growing strongly in the medium to long term and we will take advantage of growth opportunities to become a leading national importer and distributor of a comprehensive range of floor and wall tiles”, Duckworth says.

The product portfolio includes ceramic and porcelain tiles, as well as quarry and natural stone tiles.

“Our policy is to source only quality branded products. These have earned an excellent reputation in the Western Cape.”

“They conform to stringent international standards”, says Duckworth.