About Us
Zimbos Trading is proud to have been appointed as the national partner for Loba Germany. Since Loba products have first been introduced to South Africa in February 2008, sales have been brisk. The products have been incredibly well received in the market place by installers and customers alike, due largely to the quality of finish achieved. Increased awareness of environmentally friendly products plays an increasing importance in the decision made by customers as to the finish required in their home, and all our products fall into this category. Loba strongly believe in the ongoing training of flooring installers in the use of our products, to offer the customer better service and a high quality finish. Contact us for information or a distributor in your area.
Our Experience in Parquet & Hardwood Flooring
For more than eighty years Loba have devoted themselves to designing, finishing and protecting hardwood and parquet flooring. As specialists in the development and manufacture of products for treating and maintaining parquet and hardwood floors, Loba can look back on many years of valuable experience. Loba are happy to be able to transfer the fruits of this experience to their customers and partners. In cooperation with our partners and customers, Loba continue to develop high-quality products which have been in use for years all around the world.
Quality Wooden Floor Maintenance Worldwide
Loba is represented in 40 countries worldwide. The home market in Germany still takes pride of place. Since the proximity to customers is greater in Germany, Loba continue to do all our production there. As leaders in technology particularly in the area of environmentally friendly, water-based systems, for years Loba have been synonymous with hard-wearing, easy-to-apply products, high quality that lasts, and service-oriented customer care.
10 good reasons for choosing LOBA
1Product Quality – On Top!
LOBA does not compromise when it comes to the quality of the LOBA products. You can count on it! All raw materials must pass a detailed entry test before they can be processed. Each in-between product must pass an extensive quality check before it can be bottled. During the quality check important parameters such as the level of gloss, defoaming and viscosity are tested. This guarantees a continuous quality of LOBA products.
Even after the sale, the LOBA quality management does not stop! Retained samples of all production cycles are checked continuously, even after goods have already reached the customer. LOBA can retrace at all times, which customer got which product of the according production cycle. This system enables LOBA, in case of a defective dispatch, to stop all products in stock and to exchange already sold products before damage arises.
2On Top! In Research and Development.
About 20% of 70 LOBA employees work in the technical department. Important features of the LOBA on Top! philosophy are test labs, technical usage, product management, finish-, oil-and care product development. Numerous new developments of the technical industries in the field of parquet finishing come from LOBA. 2K waterborne finishes, matt care products, solvent free oils, waterborne finishes without side-bonding, frost resistant waterborne finishes, care products with adhesion on anti-scratch UV-finishes and high solid primers for waterborne finishes are all developments which come from our company. LOBA is the leading company in research and development of new technologies for parquet finishing.
3On Top! In the center of the market.
Germany is Europe’s largest market for finishing products, oils, waxes, as well as care and cleaning products for parquet and cork floors. This gives LOBA development employees and employees of the technical department the opportunity to exchange experiences directly with the final customer. Employees of the LOBA labs as well as staff members of the technical department accompany projects in which new products are used. These experiences are important in order to develop products in line with the market. Not only in Germany does LOBA stay in direct contact with its customers. LOBA products are used worldwide in over 40 countries under a variety of different conditions and application techniques. This knowledge helps us with the further development as well as individual recommendations, such as the finishing of tropical wood species.
4LOBA On Top! Since 1922.
LOBA 1st in the hardwood floor and parquet business for over 80 years. You can profit from the huge value of experiences which LOBA has collected through the years. All LOBA products are exclusively produced at our factory in Ditzingen, near Stuttgart. The term “Quality Made in Germany Since 1922” is part of our philosophy, not only another advertising slogan!
5Service On Top! More than just a product.
LOBA offers its customers and partners more than just products. We won’t let you down when it comes to the handling or the re-selling of LOBA products. The company assists distributors and importers with the LOBA Service Partner concept and offers, besides technical support by the LOBA technical department, also support with marketing. The concept consists of seminars for customers and employees, sales brochures ( in foreign countries in the according language), support with the creation of a homepage, mailings, advertisement submittals, displays and samples for show rooms, posters, support when attending exhibitions, etc. LOBA developed the LOBA System Partner concept for contractors in Germany. This concept has been especially adjusted to there needs. Special seminars for the application of LOBA products, or about marketing for contractors and legal aspects of our business give LOBA System Partners competition advantages. Above that, LOBA offers special setup recommendations for projects, support with specifications and gives technical recommendation for special cases.
6Partnership On Top!
LOBA is a fair and reliable partner for contractors and distributors in Germany and in over 40 countries worldwide. We know the needs of our business partners and offer individual service and count on long-term partnerships. Our partners benefit from it – and so do we.
7Success On Top!
LOBA is the leading producer of finishing and care product systems for hardwood and parquet floors. With a market share of nearly 40% we are the largest member of the CTA, in which 6 of the 7 largest German producers are organised. LOBA stands at the very top even more distinctively by its exports, with a share for over 50% of all CTA members. This outstanding position is the result of our successful work over the past years. The German market has been continuously decreasing throughout the last years. Although the construction business activities are slowing down and more and more competition from foreign countries and other sectors (e.g. from the adhesion industry) are stepping in, LOBA was able to continuously increase its market shares and sales. The German market share is meanwhile at about 30%. LOBA is the technology leader in this market sector.
8Fair prices.
Quality has its price. That is also true for LOBA. As a traditional swabian company, LOBA knows what it means to save money and created opportunities to produce at favorable costs also in Germany.. At LOBA the maximal scheduled quantity for a product are 25.000 liters. This enables us, despite our high quality demands, to offer competitive prices in all markets.
9Responsibility.
As a producer of chemical products we know our responsibilities to our co-workers, our customers and our environment. Therefore LOBA has been focusing consequently on waterborne and solvent free products for many years. In the meantime, over 80% of all parquet finishes produced by LOBA are based on water. In the cork area actually 100% of the products are based on water. As the only member of the CTA, LOBA stopped the sale of acid cured parquet finishes in Germany, because these products demerge formaldehyde. LOBA invested, as one of the first producers, enormous developmental capacities in new technologies very early and was able to achieve outstanding results. Meanwhile, LOBA waterborne finishes are, in reference to chemical and mechanical resistance, comparable or even superior to those products containing solvents.
10(Almost) Everything out of one hand.
LOBA has increased the range of products during the past years continuously and has therefore become an even more attractive partner for our customers. We also sell finish rollers, abrasives, parquet grinding machines and so on. These products are carefully chosen by our LOBA technical department. A precise test and selection of these items ensures that they meet the LOBA quality standard as well as the needs of our customers, and the requirements of our products. LOBA specializes in the surface treatment, but everything underneath the surface is important as well. Since we cannot give the usual consultation and the well-known LOBA service in this particular area, we cooperate with traditional and innovative producers of adhesion products, such as WAKOL and STAUF.