Simon outlines three channel models for microcement buyers

Shenzhen Simon United Building Materials is organizing its export business around regional distributors, private-label OEM production and a certified applicator network. The model is designed to help buyers compare landed cost, specification risk and installation quality as microcement demand grows across overseas markets.

Why it matters: - Microcement is priced and won on installed cost, not factory price, so distribution, freight and labor can outweigh the material bill. - Simon’s channel structure gives buyers three ways to trade off margin, branding control and application quality. - The framework is aimed at export markets where project timing, contractor skill and logistics can change the final cost by a wide margin.

What happened: - Shenzhen Simon United Building Materials Co., Ltd. says it has structured its international business around three cooperation models: regional distributorship, private-label OEM production and a certified applicator network. - The company was established in 2007 and operates a 4,000 m² manufacturing facility in Heshan, Jiangmen. - Simon reports about 35 employees and annual output of 5,500 tonnes. - The company says about 42% of products are exported, with Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Southeast Asia as principal markets. - Simon is the lead compiler of the Chinese industry group standard T/CECS 10192-2022 Polymer Microcement. - The company introduced wall-floor integrated microcement in China in 2014, according to company information.

The details: - A regional distributor holds local stock and carries finished-goods inventory risk. - The distributor model shifts sea freight, customs clearance and inland transport away from the project buyer in exchange for distributor margin. - Private-label OEM keeps formulation and manufacturing at Simon’s Heshan factory while the buyer’s brand appears on packaging. - OEM reduces brand and distributor margin in the landed cost, but the brand owner must manage datasheets, safety documents and color references in its own market. - The certified applicator model pairs material supply with trained contractors for the wall and floor systems. - Simon says that model reduces rework and material loss, but it narrows the pool of approved installers. - Simon’s quotation structure breaks landed cost into six components: material, sea freight, duty, inland transport, on-site labor and material loss. - Material typically represents 20% to 25% of total project cost. - Sea freight adds 10% to 20% to the material price. - Import duty typically runs 5% to 15%, depending on tariff classification and shipping format. - Inland transport accounts for 5% to 10%. - On-site labor is the largest line at 30% to 50%. - Material loss typically adds 3% to 5%. - A 10% reduction in factory price moves total project cost by roughly 2% to 2.5%. - A 10% reduction in site labor moves total project cost by 3% to 5%. - Simon’s MC-7690 wall grade reaches compressive strength above 13.0 N/mm² after 28 days, with surface hardness above 2H and Shore hardness above 55. - The floor and bathroom grade reaches above 30.0 N/mm², surface hardness above 4H and Shore hardness above 70. - Both grades share adhesion strength of at least 1.0 MPa and a Class A fire rating. - The wall grade is for normal dry areas. - The floor grade shows no abnormality after more than 72 hours of water immersion and is intended for wet areas such as bathrooms. - Drying time for both grades is 4 to 8 hours. - Simon says its microcement can be applied directly over existing ceramic tile and marble substrates, which can remove demolition, disposal and part of the leveling scope. - Simon organizes its range into six application-driven systems: one-component resin microcement, Starfield multi-color sand resin microcement, a two-component wall-floor integrated microcement, Yashi light-commercial floor microcement, MicroRock heavy-duty microcement and HardRock swimming pool microcement. - One-component resin microcement is specified at 20 MPa, with a 48-hour cure and 1.0 to 1.2 mm thickness for dry-area walls, ceilings and bathrooms. - Starfield colored-sand resin microcement comes in 16 base colors and is described as UV-, mold- and stain-resistant with Class A non-combustibility. - The two-component wall-floor system includes Type I wall grade above 13 MPa with A1 rating and 1.0 to 1.5 mm thickness. - The same system includes Type II floor and bathroom grade above 30 MPa with SIMONMIX tinting for residential floors and wet areas. - Yashi light-commercial floor microcement is specified at 45 MPa, 5H to 6H hardness and 1.5 to 2.0 mm thickness. - Yashi requires a two-component polyurethane topcoat and is used to renovate tile or mosaic. - MicroRock heavy-duty microcement is floor-only, with 50 MPa or more, 65 MPa in the heavy-duty version, Mohs hardness of 6 and water absorption below 0.2%. - HardRock swimming pool microcement is a three-component cement-epoxy system reserved for permanent immersion. - HardRock posts 30.4 MPa at 24 hours, 40.5 MPa at 7 days and a 168-hour chlorinated water test after a 14-day cure. - Simon’s MicroRock MC-9000 aliphatic polyurethane mortar is positioned about 30% above aromatic polyurethane mortar in its own pricing structure. - Aliphatic polyurethane is used where UV resistance and color stability matter, including floors with daylight exposure or partially open commercial spaces. - Aromatic polyurethane is the lower-cost option for covered interior industrial floors where UV exposure is limited. - MC-9000 is reported at 50 MPa or more, with a heavy-duty version tested at 65 MPa, flexural strength of 12 MPa and Mohs hardness of at least 6. - Water absorption is below 0.2%, stains are reported wipeable within 10 minutes and surface wear after five years in a commercial project is reported at less than 0.1 mm. - The system is rated for -40°C to 130°C, has thermal conductivity of 0.8 W/(m·K), is formaldehyde-free, has near-zero VOC emissions, holds EU CE certification and complies with FDA food-contact standards. - Simon says the material combines polyurethane mortar, natural stone aggregate, bio-based raw materials such as castor oil derivatives and a wear-resistant mineral aggregate. - Simon says its export freight share varies by region, with the Middle East favoring full-container loads, Africa facing higher transit and port-handling costs, Australia facing biosecurity and packaging requirements, and Southeast Asia having the shortest transit and lowest freight share. - European distributor stock offers local availability, familiar certification documents and contractor support, while factory-direct buying shifts logistics, duty and application competence to the buyer. - Simon says factory-direct purchasing works best on large planned projects with a known applicator, while distributor stock fits small, urgent or specification-sensitive jobs. - The company offers sample packs, product catalogues, regional price lists, formulation benchmarking, private-label OEM production, factory visit appointments at Heshan and export shipping documentation support. - Simon says it has 120 basic colors and more than 1,000 color-mixing formulas, and that its series are formaldehyde-free, low-VOC, EU Grade A+ and China Green Building Material certified.

Between the lines: - The core message is that procurement choices matter as much as product chemistry. - Simon is positioning itself not just as a material supplier but as a channel partner that can reduce risk at different points in the supply chain. - The certified applicator model is especially important because labor is the biggest cost line and the most common source of quality variation. - The company’s emphasis on wall-versus-floor specification suggests it is trying to reduce over-specification, which can inflate cost without improving performance.

What’s next: - Buyers comparing options can use Simon’s channel model to choose between local stock, branded OEM supply or a managed installer network. - Projects with known installers and larger volumes are likely to favor factory-direct supply. - Smaller jobs, urgent timelines and markets with tighter specification demands are more likely to favor distributor stock. - The company says it will support buyers with samples, price lists, documentation and factory visits as part of the procurement process.

The bottom line: - Simon’s pitch is simple: the cheapest microcement is not the lowest FOB price, but the best fit between product grade, freight route, labor quality and channel model.