Not only is the business extremely diverse in its offerings, but it also is going out of its way to expand the boundaries of solid surface both in taking on high-profile advanced projects, but also operating in some of the largest and fastest growing markets in the world. It is also sustainable-minded, offering LEED services and energy-saving designs. 

Primarily based out of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the company has more than 2,000 employees and operates in seven international markets. In addition to Dubai, one of the seven Emirates that makes up the UAE, the company also operates in two of the other Emirates, Abu Dhabi (which serves as the capital of the UAE) and Sharjah, as well as the Philippines, India, China and Italy. 

Additionally, the company offers a very wide range of products and services, and considers itself an “interior fit out” business, which is an appropriate term for the company, as it is a large and standout example of a world-class, one-stop interior design business. Not only does it template, fabricate and install several international brands of solid surface as well as its own brand of solid surface called ALBA, the company also does joiner/millwork, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), glassworks, decorative metal fabrication and sign making, as well as manufactures furniture, complete with an upholstery division. It also templates and installs quartz surfacing, granite and its own brand of 100 percent recyclable sustainable hard surfacing material called ALBA Stone. The product, which the company describes as a “crystalized marble” made mainly from abundantly available natural material, sounds akin to the compact surfacing that’s making waves in the U.S. market, in that it is durable enough to work for horizontal applications such as flooring and outdoor cladding because of its color stability in UV light. 

The company is always looking for ways to add value to its operations and further benefit its clients, which is among the reasons the business has expanded in such a variety of directions to much success. For example, Bond’s projects benefited from adding a paint shop to it’s in-house facilities. Combining solid surface and paint matching reduces costs on vertical surfaces for customers. Du, a large phone company who hired bond to update its furniture and wall panels at its retail locations, is a primary example of a client that saw savings. 

And although the company is involved in a lot of various products in the realm of interior contracting for the benefit of its clients, it also understands the value of partnering with other companies. For instance, while Bond offers natural stone, quartz and other hard surfacing products (such as its ALBA Stone mentioned previously) and will template and install them, it subcontracts out the fabrication of these products. That has allowed it to focus most of its surfacing work on solid surface, and to great effect. However, before discussing the upscale projects, world-class capabilities of the company and where it is headed, it is important to get an understanding of the how the company began and how it got the status it boasts today. 

The Background 
The company was founded in 1986 by Managing Director Saad Moaswes. The business started as a very modest small business with a total of five staff and the market was very slow. “I had recently lost my job as a civil engineer and fit out was a small market at the time with very few professionals available,” said Moaswes. “The required start-up cost was low and all of our jobs were subcontracted.” 

However, the company soon realized it was difficult to find reliable subcontractors and once it had grown enough capital, the group started setting up its own teams and workshops. “This was the best way to have hands-on control over quality and delivery dates,” Moaswes explained. “As business was growing, these workshops were developed into serious production facilities.” 

The company focused its efforts on putting in place solid programs for training new workers, buying the best machinery available, establishing best practices for systems to run the business and utilizing quality products. These areas of focus were instrumental in the company developing a respectable list of clients over the years. And because the company had concentrated on providing its service and products in a way that was dedicated to superior outcomes, the clientele it developed was made up of higher-end clients that were interested in quality products and attentive service that can propel a business forward. 

Another reason the company grew was because it worked to quickly identify market trends and adapt to them to stay on the edge of what was developing in interior design. Part of their ability to do that was because they had taken key pieces of the business in house where they could be controlled. “We picked up versatile skills and we shifted with the market as it shifted from retail to hospitality to corporate and to healthcare,” said Moaswes. “When recession hit, we maintained our high quality and reduced cost in different ways. We improved our systems and set up overseas offices to make use of skilled staff at lower cost. We practically doubled the size of our operations during the recession.” 

The Company Today 
With the loyal base of prestigious customers and a growing operation, the business continued to expand in size, competencies and capabilities which led to broader business opportunities and increased skill sets. 

In the 30 years the company has been in business, it has grown from that initial five-man operation into a company that employs more than 2,000 staff and handles projects in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. 

As Bond got larger, they invested in bigger, better more advanced equipment in all of the various divisions of the company. Their solid surface operation includes CNC machinery, thermoforming equipment that ranges from ovens to vacuum presses, v-grooving machinery and high-end saws, just to name some of the equipment. This investment in equipment is in addition to more manpower than dozens of solid surface shops combined. And to protect the health of its workers, the company has a dust extraction system that is able to filter 112,000 cubic meters of air per hour. 

As another testament to the company’s successful growth strategy, in 2018 it completed construction of a sustainable purpose-built, integrated 550,000-sq.-ft. facility that consolidates most of its production divisions all in one place. That’s a building that is equivalent in size to about 10 football fields and is sustainable-minded with green energy systems, water recycling and a bio-diesel petrol station, among other initiatives. “This facility broadens our ability in producing unique and custom design features to stretch as far as a creative mind can travel,” said Moaswes. 

And with all of the different aspects of the interior contracting business the company is involved in, solid surface work is only a small percentage of the total business the company does. However, that small percentage comes out to be around to be around 8,000 sq. ft. of solid surface work every month, mostly performed for use in innovative high-end commercial projects, to the tune of about 80 percent, with just 20 percent in residential work. In regards to the company’s focusing its surfacing fabrication mainly on solid surface, Moaswes said “With one material, the possibilities may seem limited through an inexperienced eye, but Bond’s ability to extract the positive element of the material to produce unique design features is renowned because of our investment in state-of-the-art technology in our integrated facility.” 

Because of its reputation for intricate, quality work and an ability to bring together and closely control a variety of different aspects of its projects, Bond gets about half of its surfacing business from interior contractors, with another 40 percent divided between interior designers/consultants and hotel operators, with the remaining 10 percent being via direct sales. 

A Philosophy for Success
Bond Interiors’ dedication to the highest quality in interior contracting, furniture manufacturing and joinery works, has led it to have a veritable who’s who list of clients in numerous areas of commercial works including 5-star hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, banks, office buildings, airports, and many more locales over its more than 30 years in business. 

These high-end projects in well-known businesses have required a scope of work well outside the typical solid surface fabricator. As a high-end fit-out contractor, Bond has developed the expertise to create intricate design features and produce highly decorative interiors that are unique and timeless. Of course, this puts the company’s abilities to the test in numerous ways. 

“Obstacles and challenges are frequent occurrences in most of our projects as each project is unique in design and fit out and the deadlines are always tight,” explained Moaswes. “Fortunately, Bond’s skilled workers along with the company’s expertise that exceeds three decades convert these complications to favorable outcomes every time.” 

“Our philosophy is simple: Focus on commitment and hard work in a direction that benefits all stakeholders,” he continued. “Throughout all of our time in operation, it was our business ethics, love of people and keeping clients in our focus that were our driving forces.” 

The company has come a very long way since its inception and the momentum doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. It is certainly fair to say that Bond Interiors successes certainly speak for themselves. 

For more information about Bond Interiors, visit www.bondinteriors.com or email [email protected]. 

Photograph: Bond Interiors Founder Saad Moaswes’ background in construction management in civil engineering (he has degrees from the University of Southern California), along with his philosophy of ethics, expertise and customer service has driven the company’s success.