MS International: “Make Dream Surfaces Attainable”
Manu and Rika Shah, founders of MS International, arrived in the United States from India in the 1970s with little more than a dream: to make a difference in the America of the great opportunities. They wanted to create jobs, build partnerships, and in the process, to treat people as an extension of their family.
For over 40 years, the Shahs have held firm to that dream. Today, MSI has over $2 billion in annual revenues and over 2,000 employees worldwide.
Since its foundation, the cornerstones of the company's philosophy have always been business innovation, the offer of a diverse assortment of affordable and accessible products, geographic expansion, attentive partner support and a culture of respect and teamwork.
To learn more about the company's mission and distribution activity, and better understand the American sales trends of the surfaces sector, we interviewed Mr. Raj Shah, President of MSI Surfaces since 2012.
Surfaces International: In which distribution segments is MSI Surfaces specialized?
Raj Shah: MSI is focused on the flooring, countertop and hardscaping markets. Our products are used for residential construction, residential remodel as well as commercial segments. While we import from over 36 countries our main sales channels are in North America.
Surfaces International: In particular, how many sales and distribution centers do you own around the US and Canada? Are you planning to expand your business and open other locations?
R. Shah: We have over 30 distribution centers across the United States and Canada. Our goal is to “Make Dream Surfaces Attainable”. In order to do this we need to be affordable and accessible. To be accessible we need to be as close to our customers as possible. Due to this we are continously looking to grow: we have made commitments to numerous additional distribution centers across the US/Canada and our expectation is that an additional 7 should open in the next 12 months.
Surfaces International: Boasting such a widespread presence, do you find substantial differences in terms of demand of materials for indoor wall and floor coverings and outdoor spaces, both in the residential and in the contract market, depending on the geographical area in which you are operating? If so, could you give us an example? Which material, on the other hand, is the most required transversally?
R. Shah: There is certainly regional differences in terms of hardsurfacing. Most of this is related to trends. We do see different trends across the United States. In addition, we see significantly more remodel activity in the Northeast and Midwest and new construction activity in the South and West. Per capita usage of tile has always been higher in the west. I believe this is true due to weather and the popularity of carpet in colder climates. Most recently we have seen the popularity of outdoor materials significantly increase: Covid has forced a lot of attention to the home and outdoors has been a big beneficiary of this in the past year.
Surfaces International: Let's talk about the kitchen environment, one of the sectors in which you are most specialized: which material is currently most requested for the countertop and what do you think the trend might be in the future?
R. Shah: Quartz continues to be the dominant player for kitchen countertops. New technology in quartz will enable it to expand its growth with new aesthetics, sizes and finishes. Porcelain has introduced 2cm material which will help the growth of that category as well. Natural stone has been in fashion for thousands of years. I believe it will continue to play a role in kitchen countertops.
Read the full interview on Surfaces International magazine:
