The difference between a passable job and one that is outstanding

BCF SOLUTIONS brings together the dynamic forward-looking ambitions of 34 year old Brandon Cilia Ferris and Charles Brincat’s 26 years of experience in the construction procurement sector. Their mindsets and personal traits complement each other and sets the pace for a wonderfully functioning partnership, established over a year ago and already having positively impacted the market.

Their partnership is focused on providing clients with solutions to making their buildings impermeable to water, and their people impervious to harm. Design & Build has interviewed Charles and Brandon to bring forth their core competences and those of the brands they so proudly represent.

BCF’s vast range of CIMAR products provides optimum and long-lasting waterproofing solutions for all applications, including roofs, walls, ceilings, wells, pools, reservoirs, electronic-sensitive surroundings and skylights.

“At BCF Solutions we offer complete waterproofing services using high-quality and reliable products, which can be installed by our experienced professional applicators. This protects private and commercial properties from water and temperature penetration,” Charles said. He further explained that the waterproofing solutions provided by BCF include applications for ceilings, roofs, walls, water tanks, swimming pools, wells and reservoirs. “Waterproofing – done professionally – reduces the humidity of a building, thereby preventing indoor damage from exposure to moisture or water seepage,” he added.

The nature of our operation, our extensive experience in procurement, and the values of our manufacturing partners, have enabled us to offer different, yet highly competitive pricing structures to applicators, resellers and end clients

“We want to go beyond the basic concept of offering products and services, this is why we focus on providing our clients with solutions,” Brandon said, explaining that while BCF offers excellent waterproofing products, it also offers detailed advice to those who want it on the kind of application required as well as on proper surface preparation and priming, for both professional applicators and people wanting to do the jobs themselves despite not being experienced.

Client satisfaction benefits us as well as the competing colleagues who buy from us

“The nature of our operation, our extensive experience in procurement, and the values of our manufacturing partners, has enabled us to offer different, yet highly competitive pricing structures to applicators, resellers and end clients, which enables us to work well with the different segments of our customer base,” Charles explained. And in addition to selling high-quality good-value materials, BCF Solutions also boasts an in-house professional team, which enables them to offer clients high standard application and installation services. “I usually do the initial on-site consultation myself, as I like to keep in touch with our clients personally,” Brandon said.

“In tandem with the growth of our business we are looking to expand our team of applicators. We also enjoy very good relationships with independent applicators, which is useful when we need to outsource some work,” Brandon added. “Our vision is to set market standards, where clients are offered good quality material and high standard workmanship at a reasonable price, across the board” Brandon detailed enthusiastically.

At the age of 34, Brandon has already built an impressive reputation, having previously been employed with a large construction company in the role of Operations Manager, which saw him taking responsibility for the company’s operations and the procurement of material and products.

Charles, aged 59, is a veteran of the construction industry, where he was responsible for the procurement and sourcing of materials for an industry leader, for 26 years.

The two came together in 2014, working in the same office and notwithstanding the not insignificant age gap, became fast friends.

This led them to open BCF Solutions as a joint-venture. And this bringing together their strengths, experience and knowledge of the market, empowered BCF to source leading brands at very advantageous prices.

BCF Solutions also sells waterproofing products to its competitors. “The reasoning for us was simple, quality products make the difference between a passable job and one that is outstanding. Client satisfaction benefits us as well as the competing colleagues who buy from us,” Charles said. He explained that BCF has a keen eye for quality products.

Charles assured us “This is a priority for us, we test and select the products we work with in a painstaking process of real-life testing, that goes beyond the product’s spec sheet. We also know the importance of a solid pricequality ratio as good-value offers are the cornerstone of our business.”

quality products make the difference between a passable job and one that is outstanding

BCF Solutions’ has thus embraced a brand-leader in waterproofing products: Cimar. This made-in-Italy brand maintains high European standards, utilising only superior components. Cimar‘s vast range of liquid membrane and waterproofing products is based on its ultra-reflective and self-cleaning, highly energy-efficient portfolio. “This is what really tips the scales in this brand’s favour. We have been on-site at the Cimar plant, where we went through their entire production process. It took us a long time to select a supplier, and Cimar was worth the effort. We have built an excellent relationship with them, wherein we communicate regularly with their technical department,” he explained.

Having a supplier based in neighbouring Italy makes it easy for stock to reach BCF Solutions’ warehouse within 10 days. In addition, Cimar offers a 10 year warranty on its materials, with waterproofing on roofs of over 400 square metres being guaranteed by Cimar’s own insurance, which further secures the end clients’ interests.

Brandon added that due to its Mediterranean climate, Italy is renowned for having an edge on waterproofing products. “In order to withstand the heat, rain and snow, waterproofing products need to be of very high standard and also flexible to the fluctuations of the seasons. In fact, most of the Cimar products are applicable in adverse climate conditions and have a very high resistance to temperature shifts,” he outlined.

BCF Solutions offers a tailored approach, taking into account the client’s specific needs and requirements. “We cater for waterproofing for a range of surfaces, from roofs, to lift shafts, support walls, as well as inner and outer walls. We also work with a range of applications, including for concrete, tiles, wood and plastic,” Brandon added.

good-value offers are the cornerstone of our business

The waterproofing process starts with surface preparation, as this must be very clean to ensure the success of the final work. In some cases, a pressure wash with a specifically-injected chemical will suffice, but other surfaces require the removal of all existing particles, materials and anything remnants of previously-applied products. BCF Solutions uses multipurpose scrubbing and cleaning machinery, made specifically for the removal of such materials. This highly efficient machine was specifically designed to reduce debris, and human labour, and optimise surface preparation. It features interchangeable sanding pads, disks or brushes, and also weights, if the surface requires a deeper cleaning. “The machine only weighs 40 kilos, so it is easy to manage and transport, even at sites which do not have a lift installed”, Brandon explained. “A separate 20 kilo machine for the removal of the debris generated by the cleaning is also available for sale at BCF Solutions. Both machines are considered a must-buy for professional applicators,” he firmly added.

Lacuna products are very reasonably priced for their outstanding quality

In addition to providing materials and application services related to liquid membranes, BCF Solutions is also the local agent for internationally renowned workwear brand Lacuna. The vast range of products include safety wear, personal protection equipment and career wear for various industries including construction, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, catering and many others.

“As we usually do when vetting our suppliers, we have visited the Lacuna factory in Croatia where we inspected the production process and we were really impressed with what we saw” Charles explained as he added that Lacuna products are very reasonably priced for their outstanding quality. They maintain high standards in all sectors, with the use of Tencate material for clothing and great features in safety footwear such as being waterproof, breathable, shock proof, electrostatic discharging, non slip and having memory foam insoles. BCF Solutions also offers the possibility to customize workwear by offering printing and embroidery services directly from the factory.

As part of its operations, BCF Solutions also offers services related to artificial turf and decking supply and installations for domestic and commercial use.

BCF Solutions has an eye on the future, with a drive to grow the venture through good relationships with suppliers, in order to provide both customers and end-clients with high-quality products at advantageous costs.