Ian Ong speaks on how SAMURAI is ready to take on the giants of the industry with four of its new cutting-edge technologies that will change the aerosol world
Can you tell us when SAMURAI Paint started its operation?
We began as a Malaysian-based OEM contract manufacturer producing various products such as adhesives, aerosols and household detergents in 1997. Later on, the company shifted its focus to creating its own aerosol paint products and established its proprietary brand SAMURAI in 2005. By 2008, we intensified our branding efforts through trade fairs, exhibitions, advertising and promotions targeting retailers and end-users in line with our corporate belief: ‘We change aerosol, aerosol changes the world’.
Where does SAMURAI stand in the aerosol industry today?
SAMURAI has had an exciting journey of expansion over the years, and now conducts operations globally. A breakthrough came in January 2017 when our stock went public and we became public-listed on Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST). Since then, we have expanded into countries such as the USA, UK, Singapore, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. SAMURAI’s popularity is evident by our being the recipient of international awards such as landing a gold medal at the ITEX 2016 by the Malaysian Invention Award in Kuala Lumpur and the Special Innovation Award by the Moroccan Union of Inventors in Toronto. Our breakthrough is a world-patented single-head 2-part aerosol system that can store two chemicals separately, and which is only activated to mix the two as and when is needed. The traditional method of mixing 2-part paint has always been messy and complicated. Our product mixes resin and hardener together in a can whenever it is needed, making it easier to use compared to a conventional air compressor system. We proudly hold patents to this innovative product in 36 countries and counting around the world including the USA, China, Japan, Canada, Russia, Australia and the EU.
What are SAMURAI’s biggest achievements?
SAMURAI has achieved significant developments in the aerosol paint industry, particularly with our patented single head 2-part aerosol system. This innovation is essentially an improvement of an earlier 2-part aerosol system of ours that had a dual-head aerosol system. Our new innovative design allows the unique storage of two crucial paint components in a can, resin and hardener, separately via a breakable metal inner sleeve. The paint can only be sprayed through the nozzle once the sleeve is properly broken and the contents are activated for a chemical reaction. This method eliminates the need to mix resin and hardener manually, as the wrong formula ratio of the two affect the quality of the end result. Since there is no complicated, expensive and heavy additional machinery to lug around, the spraying process is made simpler, faster and more cost-effective while guaranteeing professional-quality high gloss, high build and highly durable results comparable to surfaces painted with a spray gun, and this makes us the only company in the world who is able to achieve this feat.
What are your future plans?
SAMURAI plans to strengthen our global presence with 25 new offices, setting up five new manufacturing plants all over the world, while increasing its total workforce to 5,000. The company aims to become a global leader known for innovative and sustainable aerosol systems while creating more job opportunities for our fans across the world. We constantly strive to revolutionize the aerosol paint industry via disruptive innovation to attract strategic alliances with investors worldwide. We emphasize cutting-edge developments in order to convince investors through joint ventures, equity investments, and licensing to increase our foothold in the industry. Meanwhile, our R&D is tirelessly working on new innovations such as ‘Post filled color matching technology,’ which allows end-users to create or match millions of real-world colors for virtually any application, such as spray paint for their car or for home furniture. We’re also working on a variety of other products such as paint that produces a chrome-like finish, as well as an environmentally safe, water-based paint featuring zero VOC. I will elaborate more on details about our developing technologies in the upcoming issues of World Aerosols – namely, TintaTek, MirrorTek and WaterTek.