H&R Johnson (India) takes strategically giant

CORPORATE NEWS

H&R Johnson (India) takes strategically giant stride to promote green building concepts in India

H&R Johnson’s association with Indian Green Building Council is part of its larger business strategy towards becoming an environment-conscious business entity.  The Indian Green Building Council, a part of CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, is actively involved in promoting the Green Building concept in India. As part of this association with Indian Green Building Council, H&R Johnson (India) is taking steps to build in environmental consciousness in its business operations as well as product development initiatives to make environmental management a fundamental part of its overall business strategy.

HRJ’s association with IGBC provides it a unique reach & access to resources that aims to charter the green building revolution in India. It gives the company opportunity to play an active role in the advocacy of green buildings.

Commenting on the company’s association with Indian Green Building Council, Mr Anoop Sreekumar, Senior GM (Marketing) said, “Our association with Indian Green Building Council is in line with our business strategy to become one of the leading Green businesses in India. We see Green standards changing the competitive landscape of businesses as well as individual players. It’s not just what you make anymore but how you make it. Our green business approach will adopt a holistic outlook touching every aspect of our business process right from product development to manufacturing processes.” H&R Johnson (India) has also taken steps to re-engineer its manufacturing operations in line with its green business outlook.

Fundamental changes have been made in raw material procurement. The company now sources only naturally occurring non-hazardous raw materials with close proximity to the manufacturing location

Use of recycled manufacturing waste in solid as well as liquid forms. The company has employed recovery processes to recycle heat wastage The company has engineered energy processes for using alternative energy sources. The company has adopted biomass energy sources through the use of agricultural waste like paddy, coconut shell etc as fuel input. The company has implemented energy efficient modules for providing uninterrupted power to kilns and stop continuous operation of diesel generating sets at our manufacturing unit at Kunigal unit It has implemented thyristor based lighting energy savers at Pen unit

Optimized VFD in air compressor to reduce energy consumption at Kunigal unit Implemented energy efficient air compressors and assembly systems at its Dewas unit. The green measures undertaken in the company’s operational processes has the potential to result in tangible savings in the consumption of thermal and electrical energy as well as helping improve the run factor of the manufacturing units.

The company is also adopting strategic green processes in its product development processes. These processes are key enablers to make all its manufactured products be part of its Green revolution. All the products of H&R Johnson have been developed to ensure that they are non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-inflammable with a VOC value of Zero. The product development processes also ensures that the manufactured products have low heat conductivity and help reduce heat island effect.

As a giant leap in its green strategy, H&R Johnson (India) is showcasing two eco friendly products – It has unveiled Slim Slabs in the tile business under Johnson’s Marbonite brand and Eco Flush sanitaryware in the Johnson Bathroom product business. These Green products are aimed at bringing in truly disruptive innovation while presenting home lifestyle solutions to some of the most seemingly-intractable environmental issues today.

Johnson’s Marbonite Slim Slab, is the first ever slim product to be rolled-out in the Indian market. This Slim Slab is the largest vitrified product (900mm x 1800mm) in the domestic market and India’s Fist Slim product offering with a thickness of 5.5mm. Johnson’s Marbonite Slim also happens to be India’s First “Real” Low Carbon Green Tile. It uses 60% less raw material & 50% less energy consumption besides reduction in transport cost, reduced Carbon emission during transportation, helps reduces dead-weight of building and possesses inherent fire-proof qualities. Johnson’s Marbonite Slim Slab has Modular MOR value of > 50 N/mm2. It is best suitable for use in External Cladding as well as internal walls such as partition, back-drops etc. The company will offer these Slim Slabs in a range of plain color matt and glossy marble finishes. Johnson’s Marbonite Slim offers a Greener and better user experience through its easy-to-do-it-yourself functionality given its reduced architecture weight and shortened paving time.

In a parallel initiative, the company has also introduced GV variants in its Slabs portfolio under Johnson’s Marbonite brand. These GV Slabs combine two cutting-edge technologies – digital printing & vitrification technology to create a perfect blend of technical finesse and aesthetics. Digital technology enables replication of quintessential Italian marble designs with stunning accuracy in high definition. The monolithic elegance of these GV Slabs aims to transform the interiors into a place that exudes elegance. In line with the company’s Green outlook, Johnson’s Marbonite GV Slabs are manufactured with VOC value of Zero.

It should be noted that H&R Johnson (India) recently invested Rs 225 crore to expand the vitrified production capacity at its Silica JV unit in Andhra Pradesh. Johnson’s Marbonite Slabs are manufactured at this JV unit.

In the Johnson Bathroom vertical, the company is rolling out Johnson Eco Flush water saving sanitaryware. This is a special range of bathroom products which aim at saving upto 1500 litres of water every month for every family. The water-saving USP of this special range also has a compounding effect on the power consumption of the household. H&R Johnson (India) is currently rolling out this range with 5 innovative sanitaryware products designed for uber modern look. Commenting on the Eco Flush bathroom products, Mr Ajit Singh, Vice President – Johnson Bathrooms said, “Our R&D efforts are on to create an entire range of Green bathroom products to keep pace with the evolving terrain and increasing consumer preference for eco-friendly products. Our association with Indian Green Building Council will give us the business leverage to offer a wholesome package of eco-friendly products to green certified buildings.”

H&R Johnson (India) sees a large demand for Eco Flush bathroom products arising from areas & localities as well as regions where there are water supply restrictions.