The journey of an inspired tourist who transformed his fascination with Italian mosaics into a leading international brand that is synonymous with premium quality custom made mosaic artworks.
About MEC – What We Do
MEC designs and fabricates intricate custom mosaic artwork. The company is considered the pioneer of tailor-made mosaic tile work in the South Asian Subcontinent. Established over 4 decades ago, the company is dedicated towards constant innovation and making unique, made-to-order mosaics mosaic accessible.
“Every year, we design and handcraft mosaics for hundreds of residential spaces, commercial buildings & public projects around the globe.”
Mosaic artisans trained by Italian mosaic experts use the best quality mosaic tesserae sourced from different parts of the world to create tiled masterpieces. The primary mosaic design department, workshop and production facilities of MEC are based in Pakistan. Whereas, the company has offices and representatives in the Middle East and North America as well.
“Here at MEC, we specialize in all things mosaic. From artistic handcrafted marble mosaic rugs to contemporary mosaic mural art for feature walls and everything in between – we have a mosaic design solution to fit a wide range of spaces and budgets.”
You can bring any mosaic concept or design inspiration to MEC and watch it transform into a spectacular mosaic artwork. Anything can serve as a starting point; a sketch, moodboard, photograph, fabric pattern, hand tufted carpet, paint swatches or even a portrait of your family or pet. Existing mosaic designs, from the MEC catalogs, are fully customizable in terms of color, tile material, pattern details and size as well.
In order to make the custom mosaic ordering process as smooth as possible, clients are offered services like free design consultation, complimentary 3D renders, samples. Furthermore, one can even opt for photos and updates on their mosaic from the workshop where it is being fabricated.
Founder CEO’s Story
It was the summer of 1979, when a tourist stumbled upon some mesmerizing mosaics in the streets of an Italian town. Little did he know that this seemingly typical sightseeing and souvenir searching day would lead him towards a business idea that would someday grow into what MEC is today. The tourist was none other than the MEC Founder CEO Syed Hasan Mahmood Zaidi.
Intrigued by colorful little tiles, also known as tesserae, arranged and fashioned into larger artistic designs and images, Zaidi decided to learn more about this fascinating craft. He delved into exploring various possibilities and applications of his new found passion. Upon some research, he figured out that there were virtually no mosaic art businesses in his home country, Pakistan. He saw the opportunity and potential and decided to take the business idea further. One of the most important factors behind a mosaic company being feasible was the availability of labor force since it is a labor intensive craft. Pakistan had no shortage of labor. Training an unskilled workforce to build a team of mosaic craftsmen was the next step. Fortunately, we found people who were ready to learn and excited to work on gaining new specialized skills.
The founder invited a team of Italian mosaic experts to train the local workers on authentic mosaic craftsmanship and various tile cutting and arrangement techniques. This was followed by yearly refresher training and workshops. A small workshop was set, equipped with the best machinery and tools available. Mosaic tiles were sources from trusted suppliers and our operations began soon after. The rest is history. MEC only grew from there onwards. There were some usual ups and downs that every business faces but Zaidi never gave up on his mosaic company. The key was constant innovation and willingness to learn, adapt and evolve.
“Perfecting the existing mosaic techniques, we constantly incorporated the latest in the world of mosaic making and even came up with some of our own artistic styles.”
Challenges Mosaic Business is Facing?
Since many of MEC’s suppliers and clients are scattered around the world, international events can have a substantial impact on the business. The last two decades or so have been more unpredictable and erratic than ever. For instance, MEC focused its marketing efforts on UAE and other neighboring middle east countries. While the market research and investments in promotion paid off for a period of time, an economic burst and the demand for luxury products like custom handmade mosaic art declined.
The COVID-19 global health pandemic poses some serious challenges. It slowed down, and even halted MEC’s operations for a few months. Problems in sourcing material, delayed & canceled shipments and lock downs had effects on MEC that lasted longer than we had expected.
Political instability and wars add to the list of challenges. The Russia-Ukraine war and Pakistan’s local economic instability has skyrocketed the fuel costs in 2022.
There are several projects for which prices had been quoted since as far back as 2019/2020. They had been approved too. However, the clients need the mosaics when the construction of the said hotel chains and commercial building is almost complete. This could take a couple of years for many projects, even more so now because of the above mentioned events that impacted the construction industry. By the time the mosaic was needed, the cost of procuring the material and fabricating the mosaic art had almost doubled. Having it ready and storing it months before the installation schedule is not recommended either, so MEC had to bear some losses. Priority of working on long-term customer relationship and trust far surpasses the short term profits. This can pay in the long run.
Custom Mosaic Tilework Market Opportunities
Mosaic has been around for centuries and it is not going away anytime soon. What makes this decorative tile work so popular and evergreen? Other than its versatility, aesthetic value and durability – it is the ability to adapt and evolve to match a wide range of styles and preferences spanning different eras as well as geographical regions. It truly transcends time and locality.
MEC has a vast experience and understanding of mosaics and everything related to it. However, the market constantly keeps producing new materials, finishes and techniques. The mosaic craft (or art, as many consider it) has been shifting towards a more contemporary and modern form. Taking advantage of their decades worth of research, market knowledge and supplier relationships the company has a unique advantage of combining traditional mosaic with the interior design trends and mosaic technology. An example of which is the development of the exclusive AddTek system that lets us convert an image or complex abstract art into a mosaic ready design. The fabrication of PIXL mosaics involves programmable led lit grid panels. This has helped us introduce a new type of mosaic that is more affordable and can be produced at a revolutionary fast speed.
Having our design department based in South Asia makes supplementary mosaic services like 3D renders, mapping and designing less costly (as opposed to operating from a European country or North America).
Advice for Other Mosaic and Custom Design Businesses
In the age of the internet, move your marketing and offerings online. This will allow you to reach a wider target audience without having to worry about geographical boundaries and logistics of traditional promotion channels. Digital and social media marketing is the way to go. It might also give you more visibility and returns than conventional offline promotion methods such as participating in trade fairs and exhibitions or print and electronic advertisement. Invest your marketing resources into search engine optimization.
Once you have people’s attention, the next step is winning them over when they contact you. With a target market so geographically diverse, the meetings are often virtual. And that takes away some of the things that come with face-to-face meetings. It is on the company’s representative to make the client more comfortable and gain their trust during online interactions. Make your tone reassuring, reduce uncertainty, encourage them to share any concerns, listen to them carefully and address those in an honest and helpful way.
If you have the time and resources, you can offer free expert consultation like MEC does.
“Anyone who is bidding for a project that has a mosaic as a requirement can talk to us. They can share their concerns and ask questions. MEC’s mosaic design experts are happy to provide free consultation. This extends to anyone interested in mosaics and seeking advice, whether they are potential clients or not. People who need help with repair of old mosaic work are connected to the MEC technical team for a personalized professional consultation session. When you contact team MEC, rest assured that you shall get a response in 24 hours or less. We are always ready to assist to the best of our abilities. We are more of a group of mosaic enthusiasts than simply a business.” – Hamza Hassan, Director
Businesses dealing with custom design solutions understand that each project is unique and requires special attention. If your products are made-to-order (as opposed to mass produced) quality control and client satisfaction can be more complex. The key is to find the right balance and forging long lasting professional relationships with the clients for better sales, referrals and repeat business.
- What Are the 7 Chakras and How Can You Unblock Them? - April 19, 2024
- THCa Flower by Perfect Plant Markey - September 21, 2023
- Arches Audio Shares Their Secrets For Starting A Successful Podcast - July 7, 2023
