Downtown Palmerston North successfully trials WearMax™

Downtown is situated on Broadway Avenue in the heart of the Palmerston North's CBD.

Originally built and opened in 1990 the centre underwent a major refurbishment of its vibrant national and international complex in 2003.

With 22 specialist retailers, 10 food out-lets in its food court, 10 cinemas and a multi-storey public car park it has foot traffic of around 3.5-4.million visitors each year.

With such a high number of people using the facility keeping the complex looking in pristine condition is a full time job. Whilst floor surfaces may look good when they are first laid, it requires constant rebuffing and re- coating to keep it that way, which can be an expensive exercise.

Like many good managers, keeping costs down without sacrificing quality is paramount when running such a popular mall and Greg Key, the centre manager of Downtown is no exception.

He was very keen to find a product that could not only protect the floor surface but provide customers a non slip surface without sacrificing the clean polished appearance. Unfortunately, until recently there were no products on the market that could fulfill both criteria.

However, when Global Safe NZ approached Greg about a new clear protective non slip surface coating product, called WearMax™, he was very keen to undertake a trial to test the product under real conditions.

The product has been developed using breakthroughs in technology from the NASA space program. By utilizing specially developed ceramics it is possible to create a protective layer that shields the floor surface whilst creating a non slip surface for pedestrian traffic.

Greg opted for trialing the coating in a number of small but high traffic areas to test how well the product would work under such tough conditions. The treatment was completed, with little disruption to visitors, and both Greg and the malls visitors are very pleased with the new clear coating.

“For some time we have had problems in wet weather with a slip hazard on the vinyl flooring. We wanted to retain the look we had on the floor and with the new WearMax™ treatment we have been able to keep the look and drastically reduce the potential for slips. Until Global Safe NZ came along with the new WearMax™ treatment, we had been looking at a very expensive removal of the existing flooring and installation of non slip tiles. We are extremely pleased to date with our investment. The Malls cleaning program has also benefited from this new coating. Scuff marks are now easier to remove and the floor no longer has to be buffed each week saving the centre time and money. Greg Key, Centre Manager

If you would like more information on this exciting product which can replace varnish and tile sealers, as a surface protector, with the added advantage of sustainable slip resistance and which also saves on water and chemicals consumption, please feel free to visit our website in New Zealand www.globalsafe.co.nz, in Australia www.globalsafe.com.au or contact us direct in New Zealand 06 377 7555 / 027 210 4292, in Australia 1300 668 620