Stony profits

MARKETING stone to make a profit may sound like hard work, but to National Quarries Acting CEO and marketing manager, Naiem Jamadar, it’s all about finding the right formula. “It is not just about bagging stone and selling, it is a total marketing exercise,” he said. Decostone, the company’s first branded product, is packaged white aggregate that can be used for gardening, landscaping, walkways, ponds fountains and other forms of decorative landscapes. The aggregate, which is mainly found in quarries operated by the National Quarries, came on the market in January this year and has already become a household name with small landscapers and gardening enthusiasts.

In an interview with Business Newsday, Jamadar explained that the whole concept of bagging white stone in this way came from the fact that consistent with their strategic vision, there was a demand for certain things. “White aggregate was one of them,” he said. Jamadar went on to explain that the quarries used to take part in horticulture shows and other expositions as a way of building public awareness. He said that it was during these shows, they began to realise there was a need for smaller quantities of white aggregate on the market, since the average householder or small landscaper would not need a truck load of the material.

He said that hardwares and plant shops kept asking for the stuff. He said considering that the company has been responsible for mining, washing, processing and distributing materials for over 25 years, they thought the time was right to package an item in a way that the normal householder, gardener or even small landscaper, can conveniently purchase in a size and at a price they can afford. The product is presently available in three sizes: 3/8”, ?” and 1 ?” and costs under $30. Jamadar pointed out that the uniqueness of this whole thing was that the product was always there, it was just that no one had thought about marketing it before. He also noted that “some people perceive this to be selling stone, I perceive it to be selling the brand name of the National Quarries.”

“You have to bag it, price it right, promote the item properly and distribute it properly.” About the product itself, Jamadar explained that National Quarries is split into three parts. These are sand and gravel, lime stone and imported aggregate division. Decostone fits into the sand and gravel division. He said that the white aggregate is a member of the sand and gravel division and is a naturally occurring substance or mineral that is mined along with the other products of the Company. In addition to this Jamadar noted that the white aggregate is a material that was unique to quarries presently being operated by the company.

While the product is not a renewable one, Jamadar assured that there was a good supply available to the company at its quarries and explained that they were mining the existing quarries to see if they found more of it. Asked about the company’s plan to market other products in the future, Jamadar said that it was their aim to have other products available under the Decostone brand name, noting that they were also looking at international markets. The focus right now, he said, was on “getting the product marketed and letting people know that the product is out there and is afforadable.”