DBL CERAMICS Conservation and Sustainability
Between depleting natural resources and a dire need to conserve and restore nature is the upsurging imperative to ensure industrial growth. An emerging economy like Bangladesh needs urgent transition to a more greener approach when it comes to growth, a resurgence of a 52 year-old nation. Focusing On Ceramic Industry While the product itself is environment-friendly, the production process causes 0.29 tonne of CO2 emission for every tonne of ceramic produced. Following a worldwide awareness, nations are turning to sustainable approach. The ceramic companies in Bangladesh are adapting to it as well. On a broader perspective, the 2023 SDG report says, one in every two countries lacks an effective framework for sustainable water management. From 2015 to 2020 there has been a slight improvement when it comes to SDG implementation. This, however, needs to be doubled if we want to meet the global goals. As Bangladesh has pledged to implement SDGs and comply with global standards, its ceramic sector has seen sustainable growth. DBL Ceramics, a concern of the DBL Group, is a young ceramic manufacturer, established in 2017. In a very short period of time, the company has reached the current position as one of the top manufacturers of ceramic tiles. DBL tiles are made for almost every surface –regular floors, high-endurance/areas with heavy traffic, gymnasiums and so on. The past few years saw substantial growth of the company which has over 160 dealers and 6 display centres in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangpur, Sylhet and Barishal, with plans to expand to Khulna and Rajshahi. DBL has also made significant investments in reusable resources and waste water management, amongst other sustainable initiatives. In an attempt to reduce waste water, DBL has installed waste water treatment plants capable of treating 18,720 cubic meters of wastes by product everyday. State-of-the-art machineries at DBL SACMI kilns to turn clay to ceramic, Ball Mills for fine grinding, and Air Power glazing line–most of DBL’s machineries are energy efficient motors. They have inverters, energy cogeneration system, machines to reuse energy from kilns and dryers, along with other equipment to reduce wastes. To add a bit more automation to the mix, the company has Techno Ferrari for handling and storage. Ceramic Bangladesh Magazine visited DBL’s Gulshan office recently and sat with its head of operations Md. Bayazed Bashar to discuss his experience in the industry, future plans of the company, export difficulties, and more issues. DBL is a relatively young company but has fast become one of the top tier tiles manufacturers in the country. It has some of the best showrooms in the country and provides clients with an immersive experience, allowing them to visualise the product better. “Ever since I joined DBL, I’ve had unwavering support from our management. I was on project implementation when I joined, and I am thankful for the faith our management had in us, which consequentially resulted in our performance and growth” said Mr. Bashar. “DBL ceramics is the first diversified project for the DBL Group. We have an R&D (research and development) team working on innovation and we have become one of the top brands within a short time. We uphold our standards through our service quality and innovation,” he said. In terms of growth, DBL has been adding a production line every alternative year, and now has the capacity of producing 35,000 square meters per day from the initial capacity of 8000 sqm. The conversation ensued as we talked about the initial steps of a career in the ceramic industry, Mr. Bashar said, “It’s very difficult to find a mentor who can guide you in the earlier years of your career, especially after graduation. A mentor can help you choose the right track, giving you opportunities, and helping you polish yourself. I’m really happy to have had the opportunity to join DBL Ceramics, and found my own mentor here.” He added, “I have seen individuals get frustrated with their jobs if/when they get no opportunity to work on their competency. Once given the opportunity to explore, a working professional finds more interest in his work and solidifies into an asset for his company.” When asked about the hurdles of a career in this industry, Mr. Bashar recalled the tougher times and the ever-existing troubles. Having passed through them, he is now happy with where he stands and what he has learned through the experiences. He stated, “I am happy to have chosen this path for my career, considering that I was inclined towards doing what my friends did – going abroad for higher studies after graduation. Instead I joined DBL in 2007.” One of the most recent initiatives of the company is the Tiles manufacturing project in Sylhet. The extension is called Bright Ceramics – a tiles, tableware and sanitary-ware manufacturing plant, which will finish construction by the end of next year. DBL is also working on advanced ceramic products. According to Mr. Bashar, among some of the major drawbacks of this industry is import dependency. The added disadvantages due to incremental gas price and shortage create a much greater impact on the production cost. A shortage of gas supply results in on-and-off gas in the kilns – slows down in production. According to Mr. Bashar, the added cost has only been inflicted on the manufacturers and the customers are unaffected. “The duty structure really surprised everyone. We are paying full duty on imported clay that is 25-30 per cent moisture.” Mr. Bashar pointed out. On a brighter note, DBL will be the first player in the subcontinent to incorporate Industry 4.0- allowing it to collect data analysed later on a big screen. AI for DBL Ceramics DBL has already started with AI (artificial intelligence) for ceramics. It is planning on a full automation for the factory that will function with minimal human intervention. Mr. Bashar could only tell Ceramic Bangladesh Magazine that the AI software is being developed by an international IT company, and soon, will be set in motion. Concerning imperatives Some of the
Artisan Ceramics at the forefront
Amongst the Royal collection in the Buckingham Palace resides gold-covered renditions of Artisan Ceramics. From a company struggling to export, to winning the national export trophy five times in a row, Artisan Ceramics has seen 3 times expansion over the past few years. The entirety of a company’s growth and success inevitably relies on the decisions made internally. Artisan Ceramics Ltd. suffered significant loss until 2011. With new leadership under Finlays, and a change in the modality of business and redesigning, it now has a factory constructed across six acres of land in Sreepur, Gazipur, and a capacity of producing 10 million pieces of assorted premium quality porcelain tableware annually. The current expansion will raise this capacity to 22 million. Artisan Ceramics is an export-oriented tableware company that supplies to over 20 countries across Europe, America, and Asia, and has evolved into a leading manufacturer with no stop to its growth. The company has a contribution of 12-15 percent in the national export revenue. Surely, success in such a short time is a wonder on its own. To find out more, Ceramic Bangladesh Magazine author recently had the opportunity to discuss the adaptations of Artisan Ceramics that led to its success, with M. Mamunur Rashid, CEO of Artisan Ceramics Ltd. Here’s what we’ve learned: The first adaptation Artisan knew Saggar firing was wasteful Saggar or Saguaro is a covering used over ceramic ware when under intensive firing in the kilns. This protection helps safeguard the ware from coming in direct contact with the Kiln, debris inside the kiln, and other gases and smoke. The problem with saggar firing is that the saggar heats up first and then transfers the heat to the product; this makes the process 15-hour long cycle. With Artisan’s adaptation, open and fast firing, it’s a six-hour firing process. “Time-wise and price-wise, Saggar is inefficient. Again, there is the cost of the man behind the machine,” says Mr. Rashid. Fired three times for a longer life! “I have traveled across more than 10 countries just to see the technology companies have adopted, and learned, that the type of products we tend to manufacture are widely unavailable,” said Mr. Rashid. “We have products that have been fired three times, which make them much more durable. These products are more popular in Europe since they are more durable and can withstand knives and forks,” he added. At Artisan, products are fired at high degrees of temperatures — 1330°C to 1350°C, about 100° higher than the global rivals. Discussing global demand with relevance to this particular firing process, we find: “The hard glaze we are using, makes the product stronger, more scratch-proof, and absorption free,” said Mr. Rashid. The global demand has shifted towards such products because of such features. Raw materials sourced from around the world Artisan Ceramics sources its raw materials from almost every corner of the globe –the UK, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Vietnam, Japan, China, and India are some of them. The two types of minerals that make up for 50% of the body, feldspar, and quartz, are brought in from Rajasthan, India. The company also imports alumina which is used to make the body stronger and helps meet HoReCa standards. “Using the best quality raw material with a natural colour is important because the glaze is translucent and the body colour is what you see,” he said. These designs are in trend now and a personal favourite of Mr. Rashid. The company even imports from specific mines. Furthermore, Artisan buys the best quality gold from Heraeus Germany and colors from Izawa Pigments, Japan. Innovative Designs that go well with the trend, and the technology behind it. Artisan is constantly working on new designs. “We are innovating and have recently created double-layer body tea cup that keeps tea & coffee warm for a longer period of time,” Mr. Rashid mentioned. The design depends on customer trends and comes in cyclic order, says Mr. Rashid. Something that is currently trending are reactive glazes where you allow the finishing to be exactly how the kilns are making them fascinate many people. “Keeping up with the ever-evolving trends is a constant challenge, but traditional designs have resurfaced and are a popular preference now,” said Mr. Rashid. Artisan will be introducing a certain collection inspired by the Rajasthani culture. A designer from Sri Lanka by the name of Sudath Fernando is also coming in to train employees. Stay tuned with us for future features. Regarding technology, he said: “We want to make our factory fuel efficient. Our dryers are like ovens that collect heat and reuse it. I have visited a few factories in Europe and have seen how they are doing things, we have called SACMI, Italy, to help us upgrade.” The machines at Artisan’s factory are from the USA, the UK, Japan, Taiwan, and China. Artisan has taken green initiatives- they refine and reuse 90% of wastewater, collect rainwater in underground tanks, and reuse heat from the ovens. The company purifies water to the extent that it can be used for irrigation. “Every factory is concerned and the government is putting emphasis on sustainable approaches,” stated Mr. Rashid. Artisan’s plan to sell in bulk Following the recent expansion, Artisan is now concentrating on bulk buyers- examples would be hypermarkets. The marketing team is also trying to bring about a trend change by promoting the use of porcelain over bone china. This is because the water absorption of Bone China is high, it loses colour, and porcelain survives longer. Ultra Bone Porcelain: the newest innovation from Artisan Some customers are price-centric and some look for quality. That is why Artisan needed to innovate a new product retaining the same mechanical strength of pure porcelain and exceptional whiteness that was sure to win people over. Henceforth, came the Ultra Bone Porcelain. Mr. Rashid introduced a special body that can beat the competition and customers are willing to pay premium price for it. Artisan performs CSR Artisan gives education
Shinepukur Ceramics Export Giant In Tableware Market
Becoming the number one is a challenge, and retaining that position brings about a bundle of never-ending hurdles that very few companies can tackle. Shinepukur Ceramics Limited (SCL) has been in the top position in the tableware segment, in terms of revenue and market share, for the past couple of years. Export is Shinepukur’s strong suit – It has been exporting high-grade porcelain (since April 1999) and bone china (since November, 1999) tableware and has established dominance in the export market. The company’s CEO says quality is the core reason why SCL products are in such demand abroad. It exports products the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, UAE, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, India, Egypt and Russia. Shinepukur’s “compliant factory” has been audited multiple times by SMETA, BSCI, GMP, and CTPAT, and has received an ISO 9001:2015 certification. Its tableware complies with the Norwegian Standard, California State Prop 65 Standard, and the EU Standard. Dhaka) shelters the SCL, a member company of Beximco Group. Registered in 1997, the company’s plants were commissioned in 1998, and started production in 1999. BEXIMCO Industrial Park (near Dhaka Export Processing Zone, 40 kilometres off Shinepukur is capable of making surreal tabletops with high durability for airlines, hotel ware, and other industrial usage. The versatility of the production houses allows the company to reach out to all demographics of ceramic users all over the world. The glaze is free from lead and cadmium free and of course health hazards, and its designs are demandingly likeable.ecoming the number one is a challenge, and retaining that position brings about a bundle of never-ending hurdles that very few companies can tackle. Shinepukur Ceramics Limited (SCL) has been in the top position in the tableware segment, in terms of revenue and market share, for the past couple of years. Export is Shinepukur’s strong suit – It has been exporting high-grade porcelain (since April 1999) and bone china (since November, 1999) tableware and has established dominance in the export market. The company’s CEO says quality is the core reason why SCL products are in such demand abroad. It exports products the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, UAE, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, India, Egypt and Russia. Shinepukur’s “compliant factory” has been audited multiple times by SMETA, BSCI, GMP, and CTPAT, and has received an ISO 9001:2015 certification. Its tableware complies with the Norwegian Standard, California State Prop 65 Standard, and the EU Standard. Dhaka) shelters the SCL, a member company of Beximco Group. Registered in 1997, the company’s plants were commissioned in 1998, and started production in 1999. BEXIMCO Industrial Park (near Dhaka Export Processing Zone, 40 kilometres off Shinepukur is capable of making surreal tabletops with high durability for airlines, hotel ware, and other industrial usage. The versatility of the production houses allows the company to reach out to all demographics of ceramic users all over the world. The glaze is free from lead and cadmium free and of course health hazards, and its designs are demandingly likeable. Technology Shinepukur uses machineries procured from Japan’s TAKASAGO, MINO, and SKK. It uses latest technology to produce world class products. For the Bone China Unit, the company uses technology transferred by NIKKO Japan. SCL has over 3,000 skilled workers and the company provides extensive training to all the workers. When it comes to quality control and product testing, SCL has its own laboratories, raw material disposal set up, gas-based power generation plant, water supply from deep tube-well, and sanitary facilities. For safety, it has kept in house doctors for the medical centre. The machineries for porcelain and bone china tableware are sourced from Germany and also Japan. These machines are capable of producing 4.5 million pieces of Bone China and 10 million pieces of Porcelain Tableware annually. Interview with CEO Mr. Humayun Kabir “Companies rise and fall based on how well they can predict and prepare for the future and finally, how accurately they execute their preplanning. Ceramic giants are constantly f ighting never-ending challenges and Shinepukur as a ceramic frontrunner has faced the worst of them. Shinepukur’s current dominance in the market is due to the lion’s share it holds when it comes to export,” the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shinepukur Mr. Mohammed Humayun Kabir FCA told Ceramic Bangladesh. About the growth of the company, he said. “We won the export trophy nine times; of them five are Gold trophies won in five consecutive years from FY 2014-15 to FY 2018-19 while the first gold trophy was won in FY 2000-01.” “We don’t necessarily work to win awards and trophies. Rather, the awards come later in recognition that inspires us for the future,” added Mr. Kabir. One of the driving forces is meeting the stakeholders’ interests. “The company must have sustainability. We have a drive for sustainable growth and that has been the key to winning national export gold trophies so many times,” he pointed out. “Supplying sources of ceramic tablewares shift from one country to another” Mr. Kabir stated that the company management wants all the stakeholders to get their due share from the company. “Since Shinepukur is a listed company and has large number of shareholders, the company practices code of Corporate Governance in true spirit. The board is separate from the management. The board members are representatives of the shareholders and are responsible for framing policies. The management is comprised of professional managers and is responsible for planning and operations of the company within the policies framed by the Board. The management focusses on the return on investment, because, the shareholders who have invested in the company are expecting better return.” Mr. Kabir explained. “In this regard our journey was neither easy nor smooth. Shinepukur has to face the competition, tackle counterforce and survive,” he added. Tackling counter-forces The pandemic period was a struggle for many; it was a prolonged counterforce. During April-June
