Up Close & Personal With The Team From Vertex

When it comes to wood coatings, paint and colour trends, Jackie Hunter from Vertex is a source of infinite knowledge. We caught up with Jackie and asked her to share some expert advice regarding the latest trends in wood coatings and some of her all-time favourite products.

Tell us about your background and how you ended up working in the world of wood and other coatings…

My working life has been associated with Sales & Marketing across various industry sectors. Starting off at Kelly Personnel in the late 80’s, Comair Ltd, Johnson and Johnson (Pty)Ltd and then self-employed for many years. From about 2012 to present, whilst still pursuing my own business interests, I have actively been involved in my husband’s business called Vertex Sales & Marketing (Pty) Ltd, predominantly promoting wood coatings. My work experience has always been aligned to activities that lead to the selling of goods and services and simultaneously getting involved in the marketing process that gets people interested in these goods and services.

What is it like living and working with Wood Coatings and what makes Jax Oleum so special?

For the past 22 years, in one way or another, I have been associated with coatings in general. My husband Stuart has dedicated much of his career to the coatings arena at Plascon and more recently as the Managing Director of Paintsmiths. Living and breathing “coatings” in one way or another, I believe sparked my interest in wood coatings.

I just love Jax Oleum ®wood coating for the following reasons:

It can be used on all types of untreated wood
It protects, nourishes and colours wood in one easy application
It’s easy to apply – single coat only
It’s low in VOC – Volatile Organic Compounds
Good stock levels and quick turnaround times
Competitively priced
Pricing not influenced by exchange rates, landed costs and import duties
As a Company we are committed to recycling

What inspires you every day?

My main inspiration or objective every day comes from providing outstanding service to every customer or client with whom I come into contact with.

I am also truly inspired by sharing and imparting knowledge with others and seeing others exceed their own expectations.

I am sincerely interested in people and pride myself on building meaningful relationships. I truly enjoy getting to understand what the requirements are for projects and then finding solutions for our clients.

Light – what impact does it have on colour and what should one consider when choosing your woodcoating?

Natural lighting plays an integral part in how we perceive paint or coatings in our home, no matter what substrate it is applied to. For example, if the application of the coating will be in a North facing room it will produce a warm effect. This means that dark colours will look darker and light colours will appear lighter. On the other hand, if the application of coating will be in a South facing room and receives more intense natural light – then dark colours will appear more brighter and light colours can appear a bit “washed out”. Thankfully by using artificial lighting we can control the colours and hues in our homes, regardless of natural light exposure. Wood is a material that is often incorporated into projects by Architects and Interior Designers, as it enhances the overall ambience of the space – Jax Oleum® has more than 70 interior colours and 12 exterior colours to choose from. The possibilities are magical!!

Are wood coatings seasonal in colour and what can we look forward to seeing as we move towards Spring?

Whilst decorative paint is most certainly influenced by seasons and trends, I believe that our Jax Oleum® colour offering meets most of our clients’ needs. We are convinced that our range resonates and will compliment other décor and design trends. Furthermore we are always mindful of trying to supply the correct colour for the application as well as taking into consideration our customers requirements and preferences.

Any exciting projects or collaborations you are involved in?

We have provided hundreds of thousands of Jax Oleum® wood coatings nationally, which have been used in many high profile projects or collaborations. Forgive me for not providing specifics , but we pride ourselves in giving all projects no matter how small and even those that are extremely impressive, the same level of knowledgeable and professional service.

Any awards that brands you work with have won?

I am absolutely delighted and extremely proud to promote and represent the Jax Oleum® brand, as it is proudly manufactured in South Africa. We are also pleased to advise that our product range is Global Green Tag Certified and we are members of the SA Green Building Council.

What new products are being launched this year?

We are excited to be launching a matt varnish as well as a new UV Satin 2K outdoor varnish. Our existing maintenance and cleaning kits are being revamped with user friendly consumer labels.

I know very few of us are travelling right now but if you could where would you go?

I would head to a hot sunny destination that offers beautiful beaches and warm water to swim in. Aah to soak up the sun, read a few books and drink cocktails all day long would be delightful!