PG Industries has upped the ante when it comes to interior furnishing. Be it a domestic or commercial set up, the company has a Built in Cupboard (BIC) to make it unique with designs that have long-term functional value.
BICs are integrated closets custom- designed for a particular space. They fit into a particular space and cannot be moved once fitted. In simple terms, a BIC is erected into a wall cavity and fitted to the exact dimensions of the space therein.
PG marketing manager, Faith Mushavire- Makamure says the company has acquired new machinery that is exclusively making BIC units.
She notes that currently the company manufactures a variation of units. The modern units are very adventurous blending wood, glass and mirrors. These give bedrooms a spacious look and provide a sleek and seamless finish. In kitchens, mirrors can be used within a cabinet door, as a backsplash or in the rear of a cabinet. Adding mirrors to bathroom cabinetry helps expand the functionality while also making the bathroom feel more spacious.
Incidentally, a subsidiary PG Glass supplies the glazing and mirrors.
The vintage type BICs are made of hardwood such as Teak, Mahogany and Mukwa. Pine is also used but in very few instances because of its shorter life span. The hardwood material boasts a service life of 70 years and above, due to its distinctive qualities of being able to withstand extreme climatic conditions. Also, it boasts of strong aesthetic appeal, with elegant brown colours and striking grain patterns.
The vintage cupboards are usually manufactured for a kitchen setup. The counter tops are largely granite and porcelain. Granite countertops resist heat and water damage. It is a beautiful material and has a cool feel. The stone offers a variety of shimmering colours and patterns. A bonus is that the stone can simply be cleaned with soap and water. Faith revealed that they have also introduced a granite imitation which is competitively priced but still solid.
PG creates bespoke built-ins to suit corporate and household customers.
“We have done work for FBC bank who is currently our biggest customer when it comes to BICs, but we also do household. The units are made to order so you can have something customised to fit into a particular space,” she highlights.
She expressed that potential customers can bring in their house plans and the PG consultants will design the cupboards using the measurements. If the customer has a particular design element they want or something they wish to incorporate into the design they are free to highlight that to the creators. The design is conceptualised and a 3D image is presented to the client for approval and sign off. Also, before production starts, technicians visit the customer’s site and take actual measurements to offset any discrepancies in measurement.
PG undertakes installations of the finished product. However they indicate that there are some customers who wish to have the installations done by their own technicians.
“We don’t say because you have bought it from us we have to give you the people that are going to put it up. If you have someone who can do it and you are sure they are going to do a good job, you can go ahead. If you want it done by our in-house team it is still ok,” she says.
The complete range of BICs for the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom can be viewed at the PG Mall located at 21 Chinhoyi Street in Harare. The manufacturing plant is in Workington; however, the showroom at that site is currently undergoing renovations.
PG stocks a wide range of accessories for the cupboards such as door and drawer handles and knobs as well as different types of door hinges.
The company has been in the BIC business for more than 10 years but in that period it did not have a plant to do so. The company has now been manufacturing for between four and five years and with the introduction of the new plant, it is expected that the uptake of the products will rise significantly.
“PG initially used to supply material and clients would have someone do it for them. But then we saw that there was a gap in the market and we began our own production and now we have expanded and bought better machines so that we do it full force,” states Faith.
All the products are competitively priced and clients are welcome to come in for quotations. The cost of a BIC is determined by size, construction, configuration and the material utilised. At times, even the colour can determine the price. The majority of the PG offerings have two- toned palettes that add a pop of colour to the built-in units.
It is no longer the traditional PG that was restricted to timber, boards and doors “we have tried to diversify”. The sanitary ware department has a wide range of products for the kitchen and bathroom. Luxury products include a two person sauna and massage bath tubs.
The PG Centre Mega Mall is a one stop shop for all building material. PG has partnered with PPC, Proplastics for plumbing and Nash, Chroma as well as Plascon for paints. Architectural Aluminium, Tregers, Sunny Yi Feng (tiles) and Twyford (tiles), Capri (appliances and solar) are some of the other trade partners. Offering solutions from the ground up, another subsidiary ZimTile manufactures and supplies concrete products ranging from concrete roof tiles to paving bricks, asbestos and IBR roofing sheets.
PG Industries (Zimbabwe) has its origins in Bulawayo since 1949. It manufactures and retails a range of products through three subsidiaries; PG Merchandising, Zimtile and PG Glass. The company began as a merchandiser of glass and timber. Over the years it has diversified into a wide range of products and services. These include timber boards, cement, cement products and hardware, plumbing, glass plus windscreens, wood and glass-based value-added products.
PG is retailing through its existing branches in Harare, Bulawayo, Chinhoyi and Gweru in addition to Masvingo and Mutare.
HARARE
5 Nottingham Road, Workington
Tel: 0772 140 972-5
621691 or 5
Fax: 04 666023
Email: timbers@pgzim.co.zw
PG Centre Mall
21 Chinhoyi Street
Tel: 0782149955/ 0242 620397/ 620383
BULAWAYO
2 Wolverhampton Road, Belmont
Tel: 09 470288, 470291-2
Fax: 09 472512
Email: timbers@pgzim.co.zw
MASVINGO
700 Timber Road
Industrial Site Masvingo
Tel: 039-262921, 263146
timbers@pgzim.co.zw
CHINHOYI
P.O BOX 662
Gadzema Road
Chinhoyi
Tel: 067-23827
timbers@pgzim.co.zw
Text by Perry Kaande
Photos by Fotohaus
