CIJConnect Bot-enabled WhatsApp
The dedication to the end-user — the polishing contractor — remains this company’s guiding principle. Today, Surie Polex stands as a long-established name, continuing to evolve with changing expectations of cleanliness and presentation. Sachin Surie, Managing Director, Surie Polex Industries Pvt. Ltd discusses with Clean India Journal the progress of the industry and how the core focus on ‘Polishing Excellence’ guides the Company’s development across machines, abrasives and chemicals.
Decades ago, before mechanical cleaning, achieving a truly polished floor finish was a laborious and expensive task. The prospect of a clean surface was often restricted, relying heavily on imported machinery. Into this market a mechanical engineer with a distinct vision stepped in: To develop high-performing equipment and materials domestically, making professional floor care accessible to a wider audience. This journey of Surie Polex began in 1985, with the creation of the slab polishing machine leading to the Frankfurt style floor polishing machine being manufactured in India. How things changed?
When you joined this company, how did you view the cleaning industry and what have been the changes or progress over the years?
We turned 40 years old this year. I joined in 2004, so I have been around for 21 years. What I have seen is an increasing mechanisation of the cleaning industry. For example, you see road sweepers on major Delhi roads. When it comes to polishing, if you visit any facility, be it 3-star hotels, you will see a single-disc machine that does the polishing of the lobby. Guests’ expectations have increased. Especially in the hospitality industry, you want a clean space, a polished floor and people are realising the value of this service.
When it comes to acquiring cleaning / polishing machines, how has the perception changed?
We started selling single-disc machines for polishing floors around 2006. Back then, we had to go and give a demonstration for each machine that was sold. We gave many demos and did not sell many machines. In the initial stages, selling four machines a month meant a good effort.
Now we do not give demonstrations at all. People know they need a polishing machine for their facility; the conversation is now about the features or the price. There is knowledge in the market. People are not only understanding that a polishing machine or a vacuum cleaner is necessary, but they are now more aware, asking more about the specifications and are willing to buy suitable models. A lot of information is available today. Better communication and access to social media.
What were your early days like?
At heart, we are a company that makes polishing products. Our brand, Pol Ex, is an acronym for Polishing Excellence. That is our core competence and what we focus on.
Before we started selling single-disc machines and vacuum cleaners, we were selling the more rugged floor polishing machines and abrasives for marble polishing for the construction industry. We also sold granite polishing abrasives to the granite factories. Even when we entered this cleaning segment, our principal focus remained polishing. Today, our largest selling products, apart from the single-disc machines, are the polishing pads and polishing powders.
It is not just the polishing contractor that you are selling to today; you are selling to various end users, such as hotels, where the housekeepers are using these machines.
Yes. We manufacture a 2.5 horsepower single-disc machine in India. Our entire idea was how silent and elegant we could make this machine, because this is something that will be operating in a 5-star hotel lobby.
We wanted a machine that performs. Where most people sell a 1.5 horsepower single disc, we have a 2.5 horsepower model which is much more heavy-duty. You can run it for hours, which is what many hotels and malls do for their night polishing operations. The machine we offer to the 5-star segment is 2.5 horsepower and 175 RPM (revolutions per minute), which is higher than the market’s 1.5 horsepower and 150 RPM. It performs well because it is slightly heavier, has a bigger motor and a slightly higher speed.
What else are you manufacturing for the market?
Our company essentially has three major verticals: Abrasives, Chemicals and Machines.
• Abrasives: These include products for polishing marble, granite, concrete and terrazzo. We also have some tile polishing products, as well as pads for polishing quartz countertops and special ceramics. We cover almost all types of surfaces.
• Chemicals: We offer a complete suite of stone chemicals for laying, polishing, sealing and cleaning marble. This vertical also includes waxes for marble, granite and concrete. We also make a densifier, which is a hardener for marble and concrete floors. Additionally, we have special problem solvers for issues like rust, tea or coffee stains, and scale on marble, granite, or tile.
• Skill Requirements: There are two kinds of machines. One is a professional machine, and the other is a lighter-weight model (a 2 horsepower single-disc) which we can teach almost anyone to use, particularly when paired with a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. These do not need a lot of skill for simple scrubbing and buffing tasks. What has been the learning process in taking over from your
” What I learned from my father is that the testing phase needs to be longer and you need to choose a test market to get product approval first. It is important to get validation from a small set of users before launching a product across India or exporting to the 30 plus countries we now service. “ — Sachin Surie
What has been the learning process in taking over from your father?
Aaloake Surie, Founder of Surie Polex is a technocrat; he studied at IIT Bombay and then went to Akhen University in Germany for his masters in machine tool design. For him, it is always product first — design first — and commerce and business second. That is the primary concept I have learned: we must understand our users, understand their requirements and provide them with the optimal product.
As Indian manufacturers, we aim to compete globally with companies from Italy, China, Sweden and Germany. This competition requires a good product. I often say we are better at manufacturing than marketing. We know how to produce a quality product and once someone uses it, word-of-mouth references follow automatically.
The biggest learning instance came from my initial impatience to launch products. He would stress that you cannot compromise on the quality of the product.
ASK THE EXPERT
