New Member Series: ProGrind Australia

For the last 27 years, ProGrind Australia has been serving both the Large Format Retail and mid-scale commercial sectors with a flooring solution they believe outlasts and outperforms all others.

Utilising its unique contractor model and tailored flooring specifications, ProGrind delivers over 300,000 m² of mechanically polished concrete across Australia each year and is the preferred supplier to Large Format Retailers such as Dan Murphy’s, BWS, The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, and HomeCo.

Whether grocery shopping or buying a new household appliance, ProGrind Managing Director Chris Van der Veen says, “there’s a really good chance that you walk on our floors on a regular basis.”

Founded in 1997, ProGrind Australia has been instrumental in advancing the polished concrete industry, driving the development of key innovations and the ability to produce floors at large scale that shape the Australian market today.

With a strong focus on developing and using the industry’s best-in-class equipment, chemicals, and techniques, ProGrind applies its expertise to deliver consistently beautiful, high-performance mechanically polished concrete, specialising in large-scale projects.

ProGrind’s mechanical polish concrete specification for Beacon Lighting Belmont in WA — a high-gloss decorative exposure finish.

 

Why mechanically polished concrete?

Large Format Retail spaces demand substantial infrastructure, and flooring is no exception.

Often associated with its hallmark sheen, mechanically polished concrete offers three overarching benefits to the Large Format Retail sector: cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal.

In both upfront and life cycle costs, ProGrind’s operations manager, Mark Van Leeuwen says polished concrete delivers the best results by far.

“Upfront installation costs compared to other resilient floors is very attractive and certainly very competitive,” he says.

“But [mechanically polished concrete’s] life cycle cost, which is far more important to the long-term financial impact of a business, is far better than anything else.”

Mark highlights that this is due to polished concrete’s low maintenance and refurbishment costs compared to other resilient flooring options such as epoxy or vinyl tiles.

Part of this is because of mechanically polished concrete’s high durability. It’s from the specialised treatment and process of grinding and polishing of concrete (the mechanical process) that produces the aesthetic and hard surface durability in the finished concrete floor.

“Everything else, whether an epoxy or a vinyl or a timber or a ceramic tile, they don’t bring a structural element,” says Mark Van Leeuwen. “They don’t give the building any further structural strength. And because they don’t, they don’t need to be as strong as the concrete.”

As well as reducing costs, the refurbishment process for mechanically polished concrete also translates to sustainability benefits.

This is a key priority for many Large Format Retail providers, and ProGrind believes mechanically polished concrete is the flooring solution that helps these retailers meet sustainability targets. As opposed to its synthetic counterparts, concrete is made largely from naturally occurring materials, and the footprint of refurbishment is low.

“Whether they’re just doing a refresh on their store after five years and the old epoxy has worn off, or the vinyl’s looking tired, [Large Format Retailers] are going to pull all that out or grind it all off, and that’s all going to end up in waste,” says Mr. Van Leeuwen.

He adds that since mechanically polished concrete utilises existing concrete infrastructure, tenants who need to satisfy the ‘make-good’ clause when terminating their lease can leave the floor as polished concrete, whereas all other resilient floors must be removed and disposed of upon the lease’s end.

Attracting customers to a large retail complex has always been a priority for Large Format Retailers, but never more so than now, in an age where online shopping is growing exponentially. The ability to keep these spaces looking fresh and new is easier with mechanically polished concrete, says ProGrind, as repolishing after spills and stains is virtually unnoticeable with the right expertise.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, polished concrete boasts reflective properties that reduce electricity costs while adding warmth and brightness to a retail space. This was a key factor in JB Hi-Fi and Beacon Lighting’s decision to use ProGrind to deliver mechanically polished concrete in their stores.

 

How ProGrind’s work is like a great brownie

Not only is Chris Van der Veen passionate about polished concrete, but he is also passionate about how ProGrind produces it. In its 27 years at the coalface, advocating for the uptake of mechanically polished concrete in Australia, ProGrind has learned a thing or two.

“Who do you know that makes a really good chocolate cake?” he asks.

Changing his analogy to brownies, Chris says, “some people just know how to make a good brownie a whole lot better than someone else.”

“They’ve got better ingredients, or they’ve got more experience… or they know all the crucial elements that go into making a great brownie compared to just, brownie. Right?”

This, he explains, is what makes ProGrind the experts in producing consistently high-quality mechanically polished concrete.

“The people that have the most understanding of the technologies that go into creating a great result… get the best results aesthetically, but also for durability and performance.”

He says that with as much expertise as ProGrind has, they are able to produce mechanically polished concrete that is “a winner every time” for their clients. Also important to note is that not all concrete is the same. Understanding the variables and how to navigate them to consistently achieve the desired specified finish is what makes them experts in their field.

 

How ProGrind’s specifications and systems are made for Large Format Retail

ProGrind consistently delivers large-scale mechanically polished concrete projects that meet their high standards, thanks to their dedicated flooring specifications.

For every concrete flooring finish they produce, ProGrind has a dedicated specification. Each specification going through rigorous research and development to perfect every process executed. Chris explains this as being a significant factor that enables ProGrind to offer competitive prices and maintain consistent quality across Australia.

He highlights that the process includes ProGrind’s proprietary floor treatment products, tooling, and large exclusive fleet of twin-head planetary grinders and industrial dust extraction equipment. All made for big meters and capable of producing flooring for multiple Large Format Retail spaces simultaneously in the safest and cleanest way possible.

Managing Director, Chris Van der Veen, visiting a centre that ProGrind completed more than 10 years ago. Their mechanically polished concrete floors are featured across mall areas and many tenancies. 

 

Above and beyond ethical practices

ProGrind’s innovation extends beyond their final product. They have always shown a proactive approach to safety, particularly in protecting workers from Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) dust.

“We are able to run the cleanest sites in Australia with consistent air quality results that are four to five times [better than] the safety standards here in Australia,” says the Managing Director.

In line with this commitment, ProGrind has recently introduced a new ‘No Touch Dust’ system, which significantly reduces the exposure of harmful RCS dust to those on the worksite.

To learn more about the work ProGrind does, visit www.progrind.com.au or speak to an expert via 1300 763 666.