STB Ohans International Company Nigeria Limited is a wholly registered company with both registered and advertised place of business here in Lagos, Nigeria. Although we have been in business since 1983, our company was incorporated as a limited liability in 1992 under the Nigeria Companies Act to carry on the business of importation, distribution and marketing of different kinds of building materials in the Nigerian.
Substantial quantities of the building materials, especially ceramic tiles and their accessories that we import and market in Nigeria were sourced from Spain. Based on the volume of our trade with Spanish companies, we can declare without any fear of contradiction that between 1999 and 2006, our company was the biggest importer and marketer of Spanish tiles in Nigeria. In view of the said strong business links over the years, so many Spanish companies and trading outfits have been writing and seeking ways of establishing mutual beneficial business partnerships with us.
In 2007, we were constrained to put a hold on the importation of Spanish tiles. This was as result of the sudden take over and flooding of the huge Nigerian market by comparatively, cheap and substandard Chinese tiles and their accessories. As we began and continued to witness sustained consequential glut of the Spanish products which are more qualitative, of higher grade, more durable and reliable but more costly and as any other business could have done in the face of the above existential challenges, we were compelled to shift attention to and experiment with the importation and marketing of the more competitive Chinese tiles.
As projected and also as it is the case with all cheap and substandard products, with time, particularly beginning from 2011; the bubble of the Chinese tiles market burst. Almost at the same time we began the importation of Chinese tiles, so many other Nigerian companies also shifted their attention and interest to them and over time, a glut not only occurred as a result of too many businesses involved in humongous and uncontrollable importation and flooding of the Nigerian market with Chinese products. The rather uncharted, unpredictable, risky and unsecure ways of conducting international trade by the Chinese business men did not also help matter.
Consequent upon the above challenges associated with international trade with china and the associated overall unprofitability of its tiles business, in the year 2012, we ceased the importation of Chinese tiles.
In obvious response to the said difficulties, in 2013, notable Chinese manufacturers commenced building ceramics tiles industries in Nigeria and because of our acclaimed vast experience in dealership in the products, we became the major (if not the biggest) distributor of their locally produced Nigerian tiles.
However, by the beginning of 2014, Nigerian Government put a very strong restriction on importation of ceramic tiles in order to protect the local industry. Based on this latest development, it became very difficult for anyone to import Chinese ceramic tiles into Nigeria market apart from Spanish tiles.
In view of the present hostile policy of the Government with regards to allocation of forex for the importation of the ceramic tiles into the country, one does not require the clairvoyance of Nostradamus to envision that there is a plan in the pipeline to eventually completely ban the importation of ceramic tiles and their accessories into the country.
As a visionary business outfit, we have decided to not only second guess the government but also to be proactive so that we are not left behind any time the government of day chooses to come out with an official declaration of a complete ban on importation of tiles.
In order to position ourselves for this looming outcome, we have started making contacts and sourcing experienced, competent and reputable international ceramic manufacturers who will join hands with us in a mutually beneficial joint venture partnership that will result in the establishment of our own ceramics manufacturing industry in Nigeria. Prior to the initiation of our search for this huge international cooperation, we had on our own and at enormous cost, undertaken extensive research and survey not only into the state and depth of the industry in Nigerian but also the availability of raw materials and general enabling environment for the successful location of the industry in the country.
Beyond being the largest ceramics tiles and accessories market in Africa, the outcome of said research led us to the startling and favourable discovery that 99% of the raw materials for the production of the product are readily available in the country and also comparatively cheap.
Encouraged by the above findings and our rich experience in dealership in ceramic tiles, particularly the more qualitative, durable and reliable Spanish tiles, on the 12th of July, 2016, we formally wrote to the Commercial Section of the Spanish Embassy to aid us in sourcing for a dependable and capable Spanish manufacturing company that will be willing and ready to partner with us to establish and commence the production of Spanish brand of tiles and accessories in Nigeria.
In prompt response to our said initial letter, the embassy graciously connected us with a Spanish company known as KERABEN GROUP S.A SPAIN, unarguably, one of the largest ceramic tiles and accessories manufacturing companies in Spain, with existing manufacturing outposts in about four other foreign countries. Following our initial contact with the said company, on 24th November, 2016, the company officially invited us to Spain to afford us the opportunity to inspect their factory, discuss the full terms and conditions of the proposed technical partnership and possibly execute the necessary agreement that will enable us to take off.
SITI B&T Group S.P.A Italy is the world major manufacturers and suppliers of all the machines for production of ceramic tiles, sanitary wares, marbles and granite.
STB Ohans International Company Nigeria Limited is going to be a modern and dynamically developing company. Company brand STB Ohans Tiles is going to associate with rich assortment of wall and floor tiles, which are nicely beautified with decoration elements.
The company's mission is to offer its customers a unique product with inimitable and fashionable design, which stands out for its excellent quality and aesthetics.
The company's products are going to be annually exhibited at largest international trade fairs, which always takes place both in Africa, CIS and EU countries. Every year the assortment of our products are going to be widened to meet our clients' needs and expectations.
The company is going to construct with installation of contemporary high-technology Italian machinery and constant renovation of production lines. This will allow the company to anchor not only on African, CIS market, but also far abroad. Over 80% of our products are going to be exporting to foreign markets.
Our ceramic tiles are going to be world quality standards, which imply strict compliance with geometric parameters, quality of glaze application, implementation of advanced design solutions, ecological compatibility and reliability.