MARIWASA AT 50: OPULENCE MEETS SUSTAINABILITY
MARIWASA is coined from a Filipino term for “prosperous.” For 50 years, it has adhered to its name, growing and prospering into one of the most successful ceramic tile companies in the country and in the region. Today, the Mariwasa brand is synonymous to quality and durability. With its continuous search for innovative products, Mariwasa Siam Ceramics, Inc. (MSCI) has consistently satisfied its wide customer segment, only proving that it can withstand the test of time and stay on top of the market for another 50 years and beyond.
In 1966, brothers Emerson and Edison Coseteng founded Mariwasa Manufacturing, Inc. (MMI), a pioneer in the ceramic tile industry. After 25 years, the company went public and offered some of its shares, which later on led to its partnership with Siam Cement Group (SCG) of Thailand. In 1995, MSCI, a 100-percent owned subsidiary of MMI, was established.
The company was founded on “a vision of producing ceramic products that would meet world standards for beauty and durability… ( that) was to be achieved by harnessing the skills, discipline and creativity of the Filipino artisan,” said MSCI president Phaskorn Buranawit, who is also the country director for SCG Philippines.
At the onset, Mariwasa produced only floor tiles, which involved polishing of homogenous tiles t h rough Millennium Ceramics, Inc, also a whollyowned subsidiary of MMI. From a daily production of 1,200 sqm in 1966, the company produced 12,000 sqm of floor tiles per day in 1997.
TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Mariwasa started using renewable energy through gasifiers at the tile plants. This utilization of sustainable technology was recognized by several award-giving bodies here and abroad. In 2009, Mariwasa was awarded the International Blue Sky Award of 2009 by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the International Technology Promotion Centre for Sustainable Development. In the same year, the company was elevated to the Hall of Fame in the Don Emilio Abello Energy Efficient Awards given by the Philippine Department of Energy.
In 2010, the company was awarded the Green Choice Seal ( Eco- Label Seal of Approval) by Green Choice Philippines. Mariwasa is the only local ceramic tile manufacturer in the Philippines with an eco-label seal of approval ( the only ecology-friendly tile in the Philippines).
The following year, the company received the Philippine Quality Award (PQA) Recognition for Commitment to Quality. The PQA is the highest level of national recognition for exemplary organizational performance and is the counterpart of the Malcom Baldridge National Quality Award of the US.
‘ CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF UNCOMPROMISING QUALITY’
“Technology has advanced and consumers are now looking for products that exceed their expectations. We have been developing innovative tile products recently and we are very happy about the favorable feedback we have been receiving. Mariwasa has created demand for these high-value products and we have now a huge customer base that always look for something new and functional. Ceramic tiles have gone far from where it started, we can now produce designs reminiscent of nature with optimum resolution,” said Mariwasa Siam Ceramics, Inc. VP for sales and marketing Jakkrit Suwansilp.
Using digital inkjet technology that allows random printing process and advanced glazing technology, the company now ventures into avant-garde ceramic tiles aptly named Mariwasa Full HD. These tiles resemble real- life natural designs ideal for fl oor and wall applications and enhances details and fine prints making any room scene or outdoor setup more beautiful and vibrant.
As an important part of Mariwasa’s 50th anniversary celebration, it recently unveiled its newest Mariwasa Full HD designs grouped into three avant-garde sub themes, namely, Morphology, Indie- fluence and Innotherapy, which cater to different facets of modern urban consumers. Launched at the 21st WORLDBEX, the Philippines’ largest construction building materials exposition, the latest collection is touted to strongly complement the company’s push for total home solution.
“This is our commitment to be always in step with the demands of an upbeat, young and upwardly mobile market,” said Suwansilp. “We are launching innovative designs that reflect the preferences of an important segment of our market, the millennials,” he added.
Mariwasa is also committed in improving the quality of life of the community through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) project. In partnership with the Department of Education’s Adopt- a- School Program, the company has undertaken the Mariwasa Public School Toilet Renovation Project, the company’s biggest CSR project to date. With an aim of improving sanitation facilities in public school toilets in far- fl ung communities across the country, a total of 50 schools nationwide were chosen as benefi ciaries receiving complete toilet products and fixtures including wall and floor ceramic tiles, water closets, sanitary wares and tile accessories. Skilled Mariwasa personnel were fielded for installation of the products and to work on the required renovations.
According to Buranawit, the market is steadily growing, the horizon is decidedly widening, and opportunities will not be wasted. “We are certainly proud of those 50 years of uncompromising quality, and this we intend to carry on for maybe the next 50 years with our brand of innovation and excellence. We are sticking to what has made us what we are today, and so much more. There is no stopping us.”