FERUNI: THE DISRUPTOR’S JOURNEY | The Star

TILE making has evolved from simple functional pieces to works of art that transform spaces through intricate designs and innovative techniques.

Modern tile production now integrates advanced technology with artistic craftsmanship, creating tiles that are not only durable but also visually stunning. This evolution allows tiles to serve as focal points in interior design, enhancing aesthetic appeal while maintaining practical utility.

Homegrown premium tile retailer Feruni Ceramiche Sdn Bhd has been at the forefront of this evolution, pushing the boundaries of tile design and craftsmanship.

Their relentless pursuit of innovation has led to the creation of unique collections that blend art, beauty and inspiration. With a commitment to delivering a world-class customer experience and transforming spaces, Feruni continues to disrupt the industry and inspire through their artistic tiles.

“With a solid foundation and brand, we are now ready to spread our wings confidently as a Feruni that is future-proof and future-ready,” says Ngei.

“Forging ahead with renewed energy, Feruni will continue to disrupt the industry through art, beauty and inspiration to transform living and working spaces,” says Feruni founder and chief executive officer Datuk CC Ngei.

“With a solid foundation and brand, we are now ready to spread our wings confidently as a Feruni that is future-proof and future-ready.”

Its chief commercial officer Roger Ong shares: “Feruni is strategically positioned to lead the industry through disruptive creativity, collaborations, and competence.

“For our growth journey, we are taking a phased approach to new markets, starting with South-East Asia and later across Asia,” he elaborates.

Its chief marketing officer Will Lim adds, “Feruni aims to be the world’s most disruptive tile maker, selling more than just tiles.

“We sell art that fires imagination, enriches environments and inspires people.

“We hope our customers enjoy and appreciate our wide range of products as much as we did, creating them.”

Stunning tile designs bring style and sophistication to any room, creating a visually captivating space.

Trailblazing tile retailer

Feruni’s hard-earned reputation as a pioneer in the industry has been built on its efforts to deliver a world-class customer experience to Malaysia.

They offer the latest tile trends, introduce innovatively designed products that fire the imagination and reflect meticulous craftsmanship in all their products.

Over the years, Feruni has significantly expanded its market share in Malaysia’s tile industry, currently operating 10 Feruni Retail Stores in various locations, such as Petaling Jaya, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Melaka, Johor and Seremban.

“Each store offers a comprehensive customer experience with full-time Feruni Retail Solution consultants who provide expert advice on all design and functional aspects to make the best tile choice,” shares Ngei.

“As part of our recent brand refresh initiative, we plan to upgrade all retail stores to Feruni Retail Stores 2.0, starting with our headquarters in Petaling Jaya.”

Customers can explore Feruni’s creations at seven premium resellers spread across Kelantan, Terangganu, Sarawak, Ipoh, Penang and Selangor.

“We are in the business of creating, designing and curating artistic tiles that inspire people by transforming living and working spaces into magical experiences,” he highlights.

Exquisite tile designs enhance any room, offering a perfect blend of functionality and artistry.

Since 2010, Feruni has been a trailblazer, creating many industry firsts.

They introduced the tile flagship store, the Feruni Retail Store, announced as a purpose-driven company and pioneered immersive customer experience in the tile industry.

Feruni also introduced iShapes, a collection inspired by geometric shapes, which includes unique forms like circles, honeycombs, hexagons, triangles, rhombuses, links and puzzles.

Additionally, they unveiled modular sizes with precise pre-cut sizes for easy design and installation and offered mix and match samples with detailed information for better visualisation. The company was the first to introduce the meticulously hand-crafted Décor collection, allowing customers to create beautiful decorative elements drawn from the smaller tiles.

Relaunch, partnerships and products

On June 5, Feruni celebrated a momentous occasion with the relaunch of its brand, announcing partnerships with designers and introducing its largest collection of 175 masterfully crafted tile designs.

The event was attended by over 100 luminaries, including property developers, architects, interior designers and artists.

“With the recent brand relaunch, the new partnerships being announced and the unveiling of the largest expansion in our range of products—175 new designs—the biggest reveal ever in Feruni history, reflect that the company continues to grow strongly,” states Ngei.

“We are committed to investing to ensure Feruni remains strategically positioned to lead the industry through disruptive creativity, collaborations and competence.”

Bright and cheerful tiles create a fun and inspiring atmosphere in this kid’s bedroom.

One highlight of the event was The Art 911 project. As part of its “The Art and The Artist” platform, Feruni teamed up with Huang Ean Hwa of Valhalla Garage to suit up a Porsche 911 with an armor of tiles.

Studio Feruni engineered a solution that incorporated a spread of Dechirer XL tiles by renowned architect and designer Patricia Urquiola, cut into tiny hexagons, to cover the Porsche 911 while maintaining its aesthetic and mechanical integrity, making it a one-of-a-kind creation.

Another significant collaboration was with Nala Designs for the Mandi Bunga Collection. Nala Designs is one of Malaysia’s leading fashion houses, founded in 2009 by the “Queen of Patterns”, Lisette Scheers. This collection features Malaysian fruit flowers and florals on large format tiles, showcasing a blend of colours and patterns realised through an innovative third-firing production process.

“Queen of Patterns”, Lisette Scheers, showcases her impressive tile designs, blending intricate patterns with vibrant colours.

As part of the relaunch, Studio Feruni introduced the Arte Maxima Collection, a series of large format tiles inspired by Artemis, the Greek goddess. This collection is unique in that it employs a third firing process to produce works of art that are both vivid and textural.

The Arte Maxima series includes:

> Pinstripe and Pinstripe Marble: Presented atop a luxurious fine-grained Calcutta Gold marble

> Elusive: Inspired by the coat of West African Antelope

> Wild: Combining leopard skin with precious stones

> Secret: Inspired by the designs of exotic snake skins

> Mesh:A woven design complemented with Metallika surfaces that allow for texture

> Fresco: Design of circuit boards combining classical and modern elements

> Grid: Presenting wood in chevron pattern with Metallika to show a natural wood grain pattern

Impressive tagline

A tagline is important because it succinctly communicates the brand’s essence, creates a memorable impression and reinforces the company’s values and promises to its audience.

Feruni’s new brand tagline, “Where every tile is a work of art,” encapsulates the company’s commitment to integrating art, beauty and inspiration into every piece of their work, from design and materials to production quality and customer experience.

“The brand’s new tagline will be the guiding principle of the company as it evolves its products and services to uphold and actualise its brand promise,” Ngei points out.

“Feruni’s journey has been guided by our determination to do things differently from the rest of the market and bring about transformation in Malaysia’s tile industry. We want to add value, change the rules of the game and bring inspiration to customers.

The brand seeks to contribute toward the Gold Standard environment for customer, employee and partner experiences.

Artistic tiles elevate the room’s ambiance, adding a touch of elegance and creativity.

Expansion plans

As Feruni steps up its expansion plans in terms of products and markets, things are only to get busier at Feruni as the team continues to work round the clock to keep disrupting the industry, making every tile a masterpiece and transforming spaces with art, beauty and inspiration.

The company remains dedicated to its vision of being the world’s most disruptive tile maker and designer, inspiring customers, delivering joy to its employees and enriching communities.

“Feruni has grown from strength to strength over the last 15 years and hereon we aspire to achieve double-digit growth annually,” Ngei explains.

Ngei assets: “With the recent relaunch, partnerships and new products, we have a very solid foundation here that will allow us to springboard and spread our wings globally.

“We will soon be expanding our footprint adopting a phased approach, starting with South-East Asia before expanding across Asia and later internationally.”

For more information, visit https://www.feruni.com/.