Jöst Abrasives is headquartered in Germany.
The company, which also produces abrasives for the automotive industry, decided to enter the North American flooring market after finding success in wood flooring markets in Europe, according to Robert Seke, president of Windsor, Ont.-based Abrasive Ideas, the exclusive North American “converter” of Jöst. As the converter, Abrasive Ideas handles the product in its raw form (and in the case of abrasives, cuts it into its shapes and sizes from a roll) and prepares it for packaging, private labeling or distribution.
"It's where our full focus and priority is, to grow that brand in North America,” said Seke. “They have very innovative products."
The company emphasises the durability of its abrasives, which also include a special backing on its sandpaper that captures dust.
“That eliminates the dust from building early on the face of the product, dust that causes scratches and certain marks that are not very good on any finish, especially floors,” Seke said.
Along with abrasives and floor cleaning pads, Jöst also manufactures sanders, including the Jöst Big Boy, a 335-by-485-mm orbital sander with a suction system.
Jöst was founded by Peter Jöst, who continues to run the company with his family. Seke says Jöst has been a pioneer in abrasive technology over the years, and in 2016, the company won the Hessen Champion Award for medium-sized companies, considered one of the highest awards for innovation in Germany.
As the company’s products make their foray into North America, Seke is looking to build distribution partnerships.
"We're very, very strong with building a partner relationship with the people that choose to buy from us,” Seke said. “It's an exciting time. We're looking forward to the growth in North America.”
For more production information, or to request free abrasive samples, Seke can be reached via email here. The company’s website can be visited here.
