Superior Machines for a Superior Product

“With Intermac, we have been able to transition to the next level. Without their machinery, advice, and support, we would not be where we are today. Knowing we had a viable partner by our side gave us the extra confidence to take the next steps to ensure our continued success,” Vito Citera, director, Contemporary Finishes.

Superior Machines for a Superior Product

Directors Vito and Nazz Citera have a deep understanding of the tile and stone industry. Over 30 years they’ve earned a reputation as reliable, honest, and experienced professionals within the industry, which has led to forging strong relationships with some of the best players in the building, and design industries. In 2005, the two brothers combined their skills and talents to launch Contemporary Finishes in the Southeast Melbourne suburb of Dandenong South, evolving from floor & wall tiling contractors to natural stone installations & porcelain bench top solutions.  Previously they had to outsource all the cutting and machining work for their stone projects until 2017, when they made the strategic decision to perform this work themselves in their own brand-new facility.

In the same year, Nazz and Vito made the trip to Marmomac, which is the biggest trade fair for the stone industry, held in Verona, Italy. There they came across Biesse's specialised stone machinery business unit Intermac and met some of the people from Australia. They had a rudimentary idea what they needed and discussions with Intermac were positive from the very beginning, clearing the way for further discussions once they returned to Australia. Vito recalls, “The guy’s at Intermac spent a lot of time advising us not only of the machinery we required, but of all the other things necessary to take on the stone processing ourselves. From that sound advice we were able to make a prudent decision to move to a larger building to provide the additional space for us to grow into.”

The Best on the Market

And so, in 2018 Vito and Nazz installed their first Intermac machine, a Donatoni 5 Axis Bridge saw. Their vision was to spearhead the development of porcelain benchtops to the market and although the Donatoni was not the ideal machine for porcelain, it was versatile, the perfect machine for natural stone, along with porcelain, is still a big part of their business. While Vito and Nazz had not intended to purchase their second machine so soon, the momentum from the Donatoni coupled with their enthusiasm to develop their porcelain cutting capabilities, compelled the brothers to instal their second machine from Intermac, a Primus 402 waterjet cutting machine, just twelve months later.

Vito says, “The two Intermac machines are in our opinion the best on the market for their intended purpose. We love the added benefits of the Donatoni bridge saw, like the fast-cutting speeds, overhead camera, and vein-matching software that allows us to be more creative.” Nazz adds, “Our Intermac Primus 402 waterjet cutting machine has been extremely efficient. Because it was the first of its kind to be installed in the southern hemisphere and like all new technologies, had some minor teething problems but these were resolved quickly with the team from Intermac. That’s the service and support we were looking for, the guy’s at Intermac were always there for us.”

Vito elaborates, “This was never a hard sell, the guy’s at Intermac were professional and patient. They took the time to understand our vision, to understand what we wanted to achieve, and come up with a solution that was right for us, that was right for the materials and products we wanted to produce. Sure, we looked at other brands, but the testimonials from other Intermac customers and more importantly, the local support, sold us on the Intermac product. We would always go with a supplier with local support, and this was key to our decision to go with Intermac. Cost wasn’t the primary concern for us, after sales support is! If you look at the last eighteen months here in Australia, you realise why local support is so critical.”

Service, Expertise and Safety

Contemporary Finishes values professionalism, quality service and superior expertise above everything else. They offer complete design, product, project management, and installation solutions to projects such as the Marriott Hotel, the iconic Casselden Place tower, Origin Energy, BMW, and Hermes, to name a few. Their extensive product knowledge and history producing everything from porcelain bench tops, statement wall cladding to stunning natural stone means Contemporary Finishes are proficient in working with natural stones like marble, limestone, or granite, and more recently, large format porcelain panels and bench tops.

Another key factor in the decision to make the investment with Intermac was to support the introduction of the newly founded Slimtop Porcelain Panels brand to the Australian market, also owned and operated by Vito and Nazz under the same roof. Slimtop are importers of an impressive range of top-quality porcelain panels from both Italy and Spain.  Slimtop’s range of large-format panels offer a slimline thickness of 6mm and 12mm, and dimensions up to 3200x1500mm. Slimtop combines the high aesthetic appeal of marble, natural stone, and concrete, with the unrivalled performance of pressed porcelain. Thinner tops are at the forefront of kitchen and bathroom design in Europe and this minimalist design trend is very evident in Australia also.

A major issue with processing engineered stone products is silicosis. Fine airborne dust is dangerous and efficient machinery is essential in controlling the work environment. Intermac works with their customers to minimise dust in the workplace with efficient control of all waste from their machinery. Contemporary Finishes preference to push the envelope with sustainably produced porcelain means a safer, cleaner workplace where they are able to process their own imported products in a controlled environment. Vito said, “With the Intermac Primus waterjet machine, we can cut porcelain more efficiently, accurately and cleanly.”

It’s been an exciting journey since Nazz and Vito were dragged ‘kicking and screaming’ into their dad’s work truck during their school holidays some 30 years ago. It was there that they learned the value of hard work and commitment.  It was where they developed their work ethic, their passion for what they do, and their passion for the industry. Over the years they’ve constantly innovated, learned, and applied their unique skills for their many and varied clients. Contemporary Finishes relationship with Intermac has been brief, but extremely beneficial. Nazz mentioned, “Going to work or being in business only for the money is not what drives us. Hard work, honesty, and a focus on delivering quality for our customers is!  The money is a by-product and will take care of itself.”

Nazz says, “We work leaner than most, we build in efficiencies to our processes and our high-end project management skills mean we see issues that our customers are never aware of. Our aim is to present ourselves as a reputable company, professional, always acting with integrity, a company you can trust. It’s also the way we see Intermac. They’ve been such a significant influence on our business that I would almost go so far as to say that had we continued down the path we were going prior to meeting the Intermac team, we probably wouldn’t be where we are today.” Vito adds, “Our Intermac machines have allowed us to improve our capabilities and offer more for challenging projects. They’ve enabled us to re-invent ourselves.”