Concrete does not have to be grey, dull and boring is the message that Creative Concrete Concepts (CCC), a leading Sharjah-based manufacturer of construction chemicals and decorative concrete, aims to emphasise through its attractive finished samples that will be displayed at the Big 5 show in Dubai.

“Through our participation at the show, we will seek to illustrate the beauty and versatility of decorative concrete and unleash the imagination and creativity of designers and architects,” says Amer Anabtawi, executive manager at CCC, which is returning to the Big 5 for the fourth consecutive year.
Commenting on its participation at previous events, managing director Jamal Anabtawi says: “The show gave us a great deal of exposure and we negotiated many deals. What has prompted us to return to the Big 5 is the fact that we received a good response.”
Through its presentation at the show, CCC will seek to explain how normal grey concrete can be made into an interesting surface with the use of the company’s decorative concrete range.
“For the past 15 years, we at CCC have been showing the Middle East market that concrete does not have to be grey, dull, and boring,” says Amer. “As the pioneer in decorative and architectural concrete in the region, we have been changing the face of concrete and the way architects, engineers, and homeowners see it.”
He continues: “In the last couple of decades, we have seen a tremendous boom in the use of decorative concrete in the US and across the globe. Decorative concrete has been extensively used everywhere, from the open landscapes of Disneyland and the luxurious hotels of Las Vegas, to the driveways of private homes and the living rooms of mansions.
“It is after witnessing this revolution in California that CCC brought this technology to the Middle East in 1993, becoming the first manufacturer of products related to stamped concrete in the Middle East.
“Today, CCC boasts a product line that is unrivalled even by the standards of its American counterparts, the pioneers in the decorative concrete industry. Unconstrained by flooring applications and stamped concrete, CCC now offers everything that the designer needs to create a work of art on a wall or floor with concrete or cement-based products.”
“Unlike our competitors who are content with traditional stamped concrete techniques that require starting with a new concrete slab, CCC has, through continued innovation, produced a complete line of unique products for those with an existing ordinary-looking floor,” explains Amer. “Through its resurfacing products, such as its skim coat that can be applied in a fraction of a millimetre, its stampable overlay, self-levelling overlay, and terrazzo overlay, CCC can give new life to an existing problem floor. And for those looking to transform a grey slab of concrete, CCC’s acid-staining technique produces one of the most beautiful and unique flooring systems around, with variegated colours and antiqued appearance that simulates aged stone.”
He adds: “CCC has further extended its innovation into plasters, developing the highest performance products available in the market. With its flexible cement-based finish stuccos that are unrivalled in adhesion, resistance to the elements, and workability, we can offer an alternative that is far more durable and decorative than ordinary cheap brown plaster and paint, yet is also less expensive than stone and brick.
“CCC has also distinguished itself with its lightweight plaster — which was specifically developed for carving and artificial rockwork — which has the longest workability and best performance of any product on the market today.
“The company has further expanded its product line to include a wide variety of construction chemicals, such as high-performance tile adhesives and grouts, protective coatings and sealers, admixtures, concrete repair materials, waterproofing coatings, and epoxy floor coatings.”
To date, CCC has been serving customers in over a dozen countries from its plants in Amman, Jordan and Sharjah, UAE, covering the entire Middle East and as far afield as Uganda, Afghanistan, Sudan and the Netherlands.
Its Sharjah operation has a staff strength of 40. Over the past year, CCC has witnessed a sales growth of 20 per cent despite the competitive nature of the market.
“Over the past year we have entered new markets and acquired new machinery to increase our production capacity,” says Jamal.
CCC’s products have also been used on projects ranging from private villas and mansions to high-profile commercial projects such as Damas Mall in Jumeirah, Dubai, Mall of the Emirates fountain, Khalifa Park in Abu Dhabi, City Center Development Fanateer in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, Khalifa Stadium in Qatar, Al Areen Spa and Resort in Bahrain and Jordan’s Children Museum and Tartous beachfront in Syria.
Apart from decorative concrete, the company’s extensive line of products cover a wide range of applications including:
l Flooring: floor hardeners, concrete integral colour, overlayment, spray deck, microtopping, chemical staining, epoxy glass chips, self-levelling mortar, exposed aggregate, epoxy terrazzo, epoxies, polyurethane;
l Decorative wall: glittering plaster, coloured stucco and plaster, lightweight plaster, spray grout, stone finish, bedding plaster for marble chips, renovation plaster, skim coat, travertine finish, stucco antique, thermal insulation system
l Adhesives and grouts: coloured sanded and unsanded, pool tile, wide joint tile epoxy tile, hygienic epoxy and non-shrink grouts, and high-performance tile and pool tile adhesives;
l Concrete repair products;
l Waterproofing membranes and coatings; and
l Specialty products (stockist): all types of joint sealant, polyurea, jet water pumps, concrete surface vibrator, specialty hand tools, rubber mats and grasscrete soil protection system.
Further details CCC’s products can be obtained from its website www.tex-crete.com
CCC will be at Stand 2A 80 at the Big 5 show.