IN an attempt to cement further growth for the company, Amazing Concrete Finishes Jamaica is gearing up to open two new locations within the next three years. This as the entity seeks to become a leader in the decorative finishes industry despite the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Yannick Sharpe, managing director of Amazing Concrete, disclosed that among the plans earmarked to commemorate the company’s 10th anniversary next year, is the opening of a Montego Bay location.

“This location will help us serve the north coast of the island [St Ann, Trelawny, St James and Hanover] as it is difficult for individuals to travel all the way to Kingston to engage our services.

“We also plan to open another office in Mandeville in January 2023 which will service parishes on that side of the island [Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland],” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The decorative finishes company, which currently operates from an office space on Red Hills Road and a showroom at Burlington Avenue in Kingston, has been making continuous strides in the market despite the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which Sharpe said has not adversely affected operations.

“COVID-19 has not had a significant negative impact on our business as most home owners have identified home improvement projects that need to be undertaken as a result of spending more time at home,” he said to Sunday Finance.

“When the pandemic had just hit Jamaica in March, we saw a drop in the number of requests from clients for work to be done because of panic. However, what we did as a pivoting strategy was to target hotels, which had to be closed, with proposed renovations – indicating to them that this would be the best time to do any type of work based on the fact that they were closed,” he added.

Through the impending expansion the company, which has seen revenue increase throughout the period, is further positioning itself to tap into the projected growth of the industry which Sharpe said is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate in excess of 6 per cent over the next four years.

Additionally, the managing director said that it is also the intention of the company to “start an institution to train individuals on the installations of the various services offered”.

The decorative finishes company currently has seven permanent staff and 35 contractors, and sources most of its materials from the USA. It also operates as an exclusive local distributor for Solomon Colors and Elite Crete Systems — global leaders in architectural concrete products.

The mother and son formed business, which began out of the need to fill a gap in the decorative concrete industry locally, has risen to become a major player in a growing sector. However as more entities join the business of supplying decorative concrete locally, albeit on a smaller scale, Amazing Finishes is ensuring that it remains the leader in the market.

“We have been able to compete effectively due to a number of factors, including a wide variety of product offerings, professionalism and high-quality customer service, artistry and reliability,” he told Sunday Finance.

The decorative finishes company, which prides itself on delivering innovative and quality offerings through a wide range of services to both residential and commercial customers, undertakes numerous projects including the coating of surfaces such as walkways, driveways, interior design areas, patios, decks and pool areas, as well as the construction of artificial rocks and waterfalls. Through a complete stamp out or cover up of plain or old and unsightly designs, the entity aims to transform ordinary concrete finishes into bold and exciting textured finishes.

Having done major projects for large companies in the corporate space such as Wray and Nephew, Flow, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Chukka and other attractions and resorts, the company has been working overtime to expand its reach in order to increase its market share.

“Currently the company’s main customers are homeowners, developers of apartments and housing schemes, hotels, inns, office buildings, trendy businesses such as restaurants, among others,” Sharpe said.