Mr. Rangsit Teepakornsukasem, Managing Director of Smart Concrete Public Company Limited (SMART), a manufacturer and distributor of lightweight bricks using high-pressure steam curing for construction and partition wall applications, disclosed that the domestic lightweight brick market continues to slow down due to the lack of new real estate projects. Operators are focusing on boosting sales from existing projects, while government projects are lagging behind market expectations, resulting in a sustained low demand for lightweight bricks. The lightweight brick market has already passed its lowest point in the second quarter. Although the overall market is not yet vibrant, there is confidence that it will not be lower than last year, and it is expected that the second half of the year will show better growth than the first half.

       However, SMART has adjusted its operational strategy to aim for at least 5% growth in sales this year from last year's revenue of approximately 312.80 million baht. The focus will be on expanding into CLMV countries, with products already being sold in Laos and Cambodia, receiving increasingly positive feedback.

The company plans to increase the number of distributors to cover more areas and to actively market by educating construction operators about product quality and features continuously. It is expected that the share of revenue from international markets this year will increase to about 2-3%, compared to 1% last year.

For the domestic market, the company is focusing more on retail customers, designers, and contractors due to the continuous demand. New products in the "structural work" and "decorative block" categories with various designs have been launched to meet the comprehensive needs of customers.

       Recently, marketing activities have been organized to introduce these products, such as product booths, online communication with customers, and direct product introductions to users, which have received positive responses. There are increasing orders from projects in the eastern region, as well as from architects and small contractors. The company is also exploring new sales channels to accommodate current consumer purchasing behaviors and to distribute products to target groups nationwide.

“In the second half of the year, although the market remains sluggish, SMART will continue to actively market, promote products to increase awareness, and push products through all distribution channels. Large-scale public and private projects will also continue to market, but we are expanding our customer base to replace the slowing demand,” Mr. Rangsit stated.