Is it PG Bison or not?
As PG Bison, we have a long-standing reputation for producing high-quality products, which we’ve built over many years. Continuously investing in world-leading technologies, manufacturing facilities, product ranges, marketing materials and strategic relationships has helped build our brand, while ensuring people can depend on our products to perform as expected. But, as with most market-leading branded products, there is always the lure of other alternatives and counterfeits.
Counterfeit and inferior decorative board products have been available in the South African market for some time now. Although we have warned consumers against buying knock-off PG Bison products, we’ve recently been made aware of instances where homeowners have been deceived into having counterfeit products installed – particularly gloss-finish cabinets – under the pretence of them being genuine PG Bison products, only to then have the products fail after a few months.
The types of failures of these counterfeit board products that we’re seeing include fading or changing of colours, especially in sunlight (particularly gloss whites, which turn yellow), bowing, and boards demonstrating low-performance characteristics (for example, screws and hinges pulling loose due to sub-standard board used for the substrate).
PG Bison product quality
PG Bison boards are manufactured in South Africa and adhere to stringent international quality standards. They have to conform to precise international parameters, such as internal bond strength (IBS). IBS is a property that determines screw-holding and ensures the cabinetry doors do not pull off their hinges.
“We’ve had a few calls in the past several months from people who have experienced various product failures and have been misled into thinking they had purchased PG Bison MelaWood SupaGloss,” says says Justin Berry, Executive: Marketing and Strategic Development at PG Bison. “When we inspected the kitchen, we discovered that the products used were counterfeits. It’s tragic for the homeowner to invest in improving their kitchen, and value of their home, only to experience product failure. We strongly recommend that homeowners, installers and designers double-check product stamps and labels to ensure they get legitimate PG Bison products.”
What to look for to ensure you get the real deal
There are various things to look for when purchasing PG Bison products that can potentially help prevent customers from becoming victims of passing off (somebody falsely representing their goods or business as that of another person).
“Across our product ranges, the board edges are stamped with our brand names. Boards will always carry the specific PG Bison brand, whether MelaWood, Formica LifeSeal Worktops (this is printed on the underside of the worktop), BisonLam, SupaMatt, SupaTexture or SupaGloss,” Justin explains.
While not failproof, another thing to look for is board size. PG Bison decorative boards come in standard sheet sizes, the vast majority of which are 2750mm x 1830mm (9ft x 6ft). Some imported decorative boards are 2440mm x 1220mm (8ft x 4ft) or 2800mm x 2050mm. However, you might still find a counterfeit board that is 2750mm x 1830mm in sheet size.
“PG Bison boards also are a standard thickness of 16mm, while imported products can range from 15mm to 18mm. We often find 15mm board sold as 16mm board. While this may seem like a small difference, it affects the hinge potholes and screw depth, ultimately impacting the finished door quality,” Justin says.
Another way to identify PG Bison boards is to check the colour and finish on the back of the board. PG Bison’s boards will always be the same colour on the reverse as on the front side of the board, while some inferior imports or counterfeits have a white backer. In terms of finish, PG Bison SupaGloss boards have Peen texture on the back of the board, which is a lightly stippled texture. On our SupaMatt boards, we use our Natural Touch texture on the reverse side, which is a soft matt finish. “On some counterfeit products, the reverse side is very smooth with a silky satin finish,” says Justin. “That’s not a finish we use on our decorative products.”
We urge contractors and homeowners to check the boards supplied against the samples provided in the PG Bison sample boxes to ensure the surface finish and colour they ordered match the PG Bison product they’ve chosen.
Why counterfeiting is a problem
It’s illegal to copy the trademarks, brands and colours registered and owned by a company. Buying counterfeit products supports criminal activity – essentially the theft of a brand or trademark. But beyond this, counterfeit products pose several risks to various stakeholders.
“As we’ve seen with the homeowners who call us after a product failure, there are quality risks when you buy knock-off products, which are usually inferior to the real deal,” says Justin. “The homeowner has no recourse if the product is a fake, whereas when you buy a genuine PG Bison product, we stand by our products and their quality.”
Buying PG Bison products ensures product availability and colour and design consistency, whereas customers who have purchased counterfeited products may struggle to match their boards should they ever need repairs or extensions.
There is also a risk to the reputations and businesses of installers, contractors, and retailers if they are found to have used or sold counterfeit products.
“Buying counterfeits has long-reaching consequences,” says Justin. “At PG Bison, we continuously invest in our manufacturing facilities, product ranges, marketing material, technical support and customer relationships to ensure our products remain the trusted brand across Africa. When our trademarks, brands and products are counterfeited, it places our customers at risk. If the counterfeit market continues, it will also put our investments, local jobs, and the local manufacturing economy at risk. If you have any doubt about whether a board you have purchased is a genuine PG Bison product, do not hesitate to contact your local PG Bison sales representative, and we will help you confirm if it is the real deal.”
Find your local sales representative on our website.
