Highlights
Eric Widstrom, CEO, Terraco tells us how the Swedish brand is making a case for environmentally friendly finishing products
How important is the Middle East market? How long has the company been active here?
For 40 years, Terraco has been expanding in the Middle East and has contributed towards the changing construction landscape in the region.
In the UAE, Terraco products have been widely sold since 1982. That year the products were used at the Dubai TV station and the biggest villa projects in Dubai. Local production started in 1991 and now, Terraco has sales offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain.
Since its inception, Terraco has been successful in championing the need for providing environmentally friendly building materials to the construction industry. And we have never produced solvent based products in any of our 21 factories. Our Swedish heritage means that quality, safety, cleanliness, and ‘thinking green’ is ingrained into our culture and this transmits into the Terraco work environment as well.
In the Middle East, our first factory started in Jordan in 1984, and since then Terraco has grown from strength to strength becoming a leader in the production of environmentally friendly finishing materials in the countries across the Middle East. In the region, after Jordan, factories in Turkey, the UAE and Egypt were established.
What would you say lies behind Terraco’s global success? What makes the brand intrinsically Swedish?
Over 40 years ago, we started to recognize the problems with solvent based paints and site mixed gypsum and lime-based plasters and putties. In the past in Sweden, which has long winter seasons where painters have to work in difficult conditions in closed, heated rooms — headaches, brain damage, lung problems etc. were often associated with the job.
Terraco could not help to change the climate up north but decided to never produce or promote any product that could be detrimental to health or environment not only for the end-users but also for our production workers and staff. Terraco was a pioneer having launched ready mixed putties, Sprayplaster (a Terraco trademark) where applicators could do away with site mixed lime and gypsum-based products, the dust of which caused lung problems and skin rashes. These new finishing technologies also brought huge cost savings.
Since the 1980s, Terraco has been a key player in providing exterior insulation and finishing (EIFS) solutions in a diverse range of extreme climates — both hot and cold. In many markets sustainable construction and energy efficiency in buildings has become a key benchmark of successful building design. Terraco EIFS not only allows designers a very large degree of design flexibility, but also typically generates an excellent ROI and provides a compelling cost-to-benefit rationale for the customer.
Since its inception, Terraco has been successful in championing the need for providing environmentally friendly building materials to the construction industry. And we have never produced solvent based products in any of our 21 factories. Our Swedish heritage means that quality, safety, cleanliness, and ‘thinking green’ is ingrained into our culture and this transmits into the Terraco work environment as well.
What are your plans for the future with Expo 2020 right around the corner?
We have been privileged to see Terraco products being used in the previous Expo projects - and are proud that at the Expo 2017 in Milan, products from Terraco Group were used in the UAE’s pavilion.
Again, we are very proud to have been chosen to supply products for numerous buildings and projects at the Expo 2020 site. Expo 2020 will provide the UAE with a unique opportunity to showcase its achievements and capabilities to the world. The same year, Terraco Group will be celebrating its 40th anniversary and we are happy to have this opportunity to demonstrate our prowess through participation in the prestigious projects on site.
