On the occasion of Cosentino’s two year anniversary in Australia, CEO Paco Cosentino came to celebrate the company’s success and visit the new Alexandria showroom. Indesignlive sits down with him to hear his thoughts on the expansion to the Australian market.
December 2nd, 2013
Indesignlive: What brings you to Australia?
Paco Cosentino: : It has been two years since we decided to come to the Australian Market place. My son, Eduardo has visited numerous times during those two years and his feedback has always been very positive. It seems the right time to visit myself and gain a better understanding of the market place and to see how we can further develop and grow in Australia.
IDL: How have the first two years in Australia been for Cosentino?
PC: The team have reported that the entry into the Australian market place has been tough; however it’s nothing more than we expected. We believe we have the right team to deliver the right results and offer the service that our company has become accustom to globally. We will continue to invest in our people and our logistic services to continue the very impressive start that we have made over the last two years.
IDL: Has the market’s reaction corresponded to your expectations?
PC: It is difficult to answer that 100% as we are still reaching out to many of the channels within the market, however the initial reaction to our approach and brands has been very encouraging. During our research period into the Australian market place we always believed that the design & architectural community were looking for something different, fresh and with added value. Those credentials are what we at Cosentino attempt to bring to every single market place we enter.
IDL: How would you characterise the Australian market?
PC: The market place is competitive and demanding, but offers huge potential and opportunities for our brands. We are committed to this wonderful, exciting market place and are striving to offer unrivalled products, service and quality.
IDL: How does the Australian market compare to other markets Cosentino is present in?
PC: The Australian market place is very diverse when we compare it to our major markets in the US and Europe. We have learnt those differences very quickly and adapted our company blueprint to suit the market place. I always consider that Cosentino is a global, multinational company with a focus on local thinking.
IDL: Have there been any unexpected challenges or opportunities in this new market?
PC: Nothing other than we have expected. The competitors in Australia have done a very good job indeed in creating vast awareness for quartz surfaces, however we hope to leverage from that exposure and become a part of the success story for quartz surfaces in Australia.
IDL: What are Cosentino’s plans in Australia for the future?
PC: Our plans are simple; we have a great belief in Australia and are committed to this wonderful marketplace. We have the production capacity, brands and service to offer solutions to the architectural/design professionals in Australia. Our plan is to support, grow and develop our logistics and team further over the next five years.
Cosentino Group
cosentinogroup.com.au
Silestone
silestone.com/oceania
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