LOCAL building and renovating product developer Bondall is enjoying the spoils of a boom in the do-it-yourself market.
LOCAL building and renovating product developer Bondall is enjoying the spoils of a boom in the do-it-yourself market.
Its 50-year old flagship product Bondcrete, which is on the shelves of just about every hardware store in Australia, has helped the family-run business earn a strong reputation among builders as a quality concrete sealer producer.
Bondall is boosting turnover on the back of this strong brand by building up a range of products, from timber varnishes to outdoor pond finishes.
Bondall national marketing and business development manager Alvin Brodie says the company has experienced double-digit revenue growth and turns over millions of dollars a year.
“The home-renovating market is maturing and it’s been there for a while but it’s grown significantly in the past two years.
“Lifestyle shows have helped tremendously.
“You can't change the channel without seeing one these days.”
Mr Brodie said focusing on brand awareness and product innovation had helped the company gain market share.
“Our DIY category has grown in the vicinity of 36 per cent but the renovator market hasn’t grown as fast, which means we’re getting market share from other traditional suppliers.
“We've really pushed our brand through saying things like ‘from the makers of Bondcrete’ because that product is synonymous with quality.”
Mr Brodie said Bondall had been able to capitalise on the growing home decorator market because of a focus on innovation and quality control.
He said this also helped it stay a step ahead of competitors, which include Dulux and Wattyl.
The group recently launched its Moncel range (a varnish) that uses nanotechnology developed by another WA company, Advanced Powder Technology.
The result is a wood varnish that lasts twice as long as the product that preceded it.
“It creates a point of difference for us,” Mr Brodie said.
“We gain from this because we are seen as a market leader and the consumer gets a product with added longevity and a cost saving.
“We're going to carry across the nanotechnology to other products and do clear varnishes.
“One we are looking at is a clear varnish in an aerosol can that you can use on doors.
“We are looking to have a relationship with APT long term.”
Mr Brodie said the company was at the forefront of other product developments.
“We were the first ones to do a pond finish with colour.
“ We did that about four years ago,” he said.
“We've got a new rendering product that is an acrylic product. Rendering is labour intensive and requires skill.
“With our product it is like paint and people can sponge it on rather than using a trowel to apply it.
“Normal rendering costs between $25 to $30 a square metre whereas our product costs about $10 a square metre.”
Mr Brodie said catering to a female audience was also a component of its recent success.
“Our labels are designed to be easy to read and user-friendly.
“Our render product is called Sponge on Render Finish.
“It says what it is. We do that because increasingly the decision-maker is a woman.”
