In 2007, when OSB manufacturer SmartPly Europe Ltd, part of Coillte Panel Products, was looking to extend its SmartPly product range, the clear signal from customers was that a pre-primed OSB for site hoarding and security installations would make significant savings on time, labour and paint cost, and that such a product would be well received by the market.
"The development of SmartPly SiteProtect in close co-operation with customers continued for around 18 months, and was an essential part of the process," said SmartPly sales manager GB George Watson. "Site hoarding for all types of construction and temporary works is necessary for safety and security and must be simple to erect, strong and durable. We were already able to provide this but now we could offer the same high-performance panel as a specific pre-coated product, which saves time and money."
Finding the right coating for the new FSC-certified product posed its own challenges but eventually Coillte Panel Products found one that met its stringent requirements and, in January 2009, the company brought the first pre-coated OSB panel to market.
The coating is an inert smooth, heavy-duty, exterior polymer surface treatment and doesn’t emit any harmful compounds, which means SmartPly SiteProtect can be used in enclosed spaces such as shopping centres and office developments, not just exterior sites.
"Our research also found that it was important for site hoardings to present a top quality image. The surface treatment that was selected is smooth, making it easy to paint with the final coat and for logos and branding to be directly applied," said Mr Watson.
Test panels were sent out to customers for feedback. Orders started coming in before the product was officially launched and the company committed to the investment needed.
Even with interest high, Coillte Panel Products set about creating new demand and backed the new product with a marketing campaign designed to support stockists. Print and online advertising targeted end users in key and specialist UK and Irish construction publications and a direct mail campaign targeting key contractors with a specially tailored sample/leaflet package was supported by a major PR campaign regularly hitting the construction sector titles with news and photography of end-use applications.
A SmartPly SiteProtect microsite was developed explaining all the benefits of the new panel, and the sales and marketing teams at Coillte Panel Products undertook a programme of presentations to end users and specifiers.
Since its launch in January 2009, SmartPly SiteProtect has been embraced by leading contractors and clients across the UK and the Continent, and has protected the sites of leisure and retail developments, schools and academies, private and social housing, executive offices, and hospitals, and in 2012, most of central Stratford in London as the area is developed for this summer’s Olympic Games.
"Customers played a central role in the development of SmartPly SiteProtect," said Mr Watson, "and it was their involvement from the beginning which enabled us to create and launch a product with a strong market and demand waiting for it. The potential time and cost saving of a high-quality pre-coated OSB was where this product started. We regularly hear about the speed and ease of construction, along with confidence in SmartPly SiteProtect as a product, but it is the benefit of time and cost savings which customers continue to tell us about time and time again."
As a result of Coillte Panel Products’ focus on innovation, differentiation and high performance in product development, the company expects to soon bring to market a new product which is in the final stages of assessment, and further products by the end of the year.
