The trend towards globalization Who benefits and who pays the price? Page 8
Good news for TurkeyWood makes a comeback! Page 11
Transparency codes introducedItalians push for clear communication Page 10
InterfaceThe magazine for wooden floor manufacturers worldwide May 2012
Rocky times for CroatiaHow parquet producers find a way forward Page 3 and 5
Interface
2Interface
Dear Readers,
The wood floor industry is
streamlining and innovating
its way through the eco-
nomic downturn with some
success. There is constant
pressure to increase market
share, but the ingenuity
that this has stimulated
may open up new opportu-
nities for all of us.
The wood floor industry’s response to the
downturn has been to be more creative
and agile. Increased flexibility means small
special orders that were once unheard of
have almost become routine; innovation
has led to novelties like brushing and
colour effects that are brightening up the
market in every sense. These competitive
tools not only help differentiate the wood
parquet brands, they may also help the
industry protect and expand its share of
the floor covering market as a whole.
Quality is always paramount since we
can’t afford to have disappointed cust-
omers. The FEP’s Real Wood initiative
makes a significant contribution to quality
assurance, while Italy’s transparency
codes campaign (see page 10) helps
keep consumers fully informed about the
products’ origins. Here at Bona, our Life-
time Support programme helps uphold
the promise of a beautiful wooden floor
throughout its lifetime.
Having said that, not all the parquet
products available today are designed
to last. Some are only designed to live
as long as the current interior trend. Even
such ‘fashion’ floors should be problem-
free, particularly if we want to encourage
the owners to trade up to a more durable
product later. Care is the key, which is why
we at Bona work so hard to make floor
care as easy as possible (see page 4).
I hope you enjoy reading more about
how we and our customers are meeting
current challenges in this latest edition of
Interface.
Yours sincerely
Paul Spångberg
Vice President and Director Division
Industrial Coating
Bona’s mission:
”To bring out the best in wooden floors”
www.bona.com
Bona is a global company. We’re active in more than 70 countries all over the world and have
subsidiaries in 18 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. We have
production facilities in Sweden, Germany, the U.S. and China.
We are specialists in supplying all the products necessary for the installation, maintenance
and renovation of wooden floors. In fact, we supply just about everything except the wood itself.
Our complete system of products includes coatings, UV finishes, sanding machines, abrasives,
adhesives and maintenance products. They meet the needs of contractors, producers of pre-
finished wooden floors, architects, specifiers and homeowners. We create all our products to
work perfectly with each other to bring out the best in wooden floors. From production and
installation to maintenance and renovation – we’ve got it covered.
Inside
4 More floor care products in DIY outlets
5 The Ideal Homes Exhibition
5 Galekovic of Croatia – stands firm on solid wood
9 Portuguese employee wins Carl Gustav award
10 Italian or Chinese products?Check the box!
11 Turkey and wood’s new popularity wave
12 Sun–protection for wooden floors
PublisherPaul Spångberg
EditorAgneta Weimarsson
Contributors listAnette Berglind, Lidija Broström,
Magnus Dellrup, Filip Galekovic,
Joanna Le Pluart, Lorenzo Onofri,
Ivan Pozgaj, Alexandre Pratas,
Pekka Rova, Serdar Saylan
3
About the Pozgaj Grupa:
Customer update
Today’s economy has led
many careers and compa-
nies in unplanned directions,
and some have turned out
to be surprisingly good! Ivan
Pozgaj of the Pozgaj Grupa,
tells his story.
Pozgaj Grupa is a thirty-five-year-old
Croatian wood flooring company, based
in Veliki Bukovec, north of Zagreb. They
sell to customers all over the EU, Turkey,
UAE, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Ivan Poz-
gaj, grandson of the founder, is one of the
more recent family members to join the
company.
This wasn’t his plan! Although Ivan often
worked with his father during the school
holidays, he sought more distant horizons.
After high school, he went to Dubrovnik to
study tourism and in 2005, set his sights
on an internship in the USA. When this
did not work out, he headed home to the
family firm. “Something happened to me
that summer,” says Ivan, “I fell in love with
the wood business. I realised it was in my
blood, after all!”
Actually, Ivan did go back to Dubrovnik
to finish college. His father strongly dis-
couraged him from joining the family firm
saying, “Do something you like! Try other
things! We’ll always be here if you want to
come back.” Nonetheless, after gradua-
tion, Ivan joined the sales and purchas-
ing department. He started travelling to
see suppliers and clients, and enjoyed
the pace. Even as tougher times slowed
growth, he found that opportunities with
the family business remained more attrac-
tive than alternative careers.
Pros and consWhat does he like and dislike about work-
ing for the family business? The travel is
fun. His family and fellow workers are nice,
decent people. He loves the raw materi-
als, and the constantly changing business
environment. On the other hand, working
where you grew up can sometimes be
problematic – he moved 35 km away “for
his own sanity”!
How are things going today? Ivan notes
the effects of the boom and bust in Croa-
With wood in the blood!
tia since 2005. “Even if business is quite
hard at the moment,” he says, “we’re do-
ing our best to get over the crisis.” The
atmosphere is less relaxed these days,
“Suppliers and customers are worried
and have less time to chat. Everyone is
watching their margins. There are no ‘fa-
vours’ any more. It’s all strictly business.”
This isn’t necessarily bad, he says. “This
situation has squeezed out poor-quality
products an unprofessional people.”
Ivan remains optimistic about the future of
the business: “I’m convinced that those
who survive the crisis will do good busi-
ness again in the coming years.”
Morello Ottimo, lacquered walnut parquet from Pozgaj Grupa.
Ivan Pozgaj
4Interface
Off to a good start!
Based on decades of profes-
sional experience, Bona has
now extended our unique
offer to introduce an all-new
product range adapted for
use by end consumers.
Our new retail range has now been
launched all over Europe. It is geared
towards floor owners and features prod-
ucts for both indoor and outdoor wooden
floors. The range has taken off in Do-It-
Yourself (DIY) stores around the world,
and is now stocked by major players in
the European DIY market such as:
Let’s look at a couple of these in more detail.
Romania: Leroy Merlin
-
ager Daniel Peptea, Romania was the
first in Europe to offer our brand-new
global player in DIY and is opening a
number of stores in Romania.
“Bona’s Retail Program has introduced a
new concept to the market – a complete
system from a single brand, with indoor
finishes, outdoor solutions, cleaning and
maintenance products for both indoor
and outdoor wood floors and garden
furniture,” says Daniel.
Czech Republic: Bauhaus Bona Czech Republic is delighted to report
that our new retail product range has been
adopted by Bauhaus. “We’ve been work-
ing with Bauhaus for fifteen years, which
gave us a good base for introducing the
new range,” says Lubos Hruz, Country
Slovakia. “The wide product range cov-
ers everything end consumers need for
their floors under one brand. We have a
new display that shows off all the prod-
ucts together, and we’re also in the Bau-
haus catalogue, where the range looks
very impressive.”
Boom in the DIY market Recent years have seen a boom in the
DIY market, with a world market turno-
ver of EUR 376.7 billion in 2010. Driven
by consumers who crave the authentic-
ity and satisfaction of renovating their
own homes, this trend offers us great
potential. We are now present in six of
the world’s ten biggest DIY chains, and
the introduction of our new retail range in
Europe provides an excellent opportunity
to expand with the growing DIY market.
Retail roll-out in Europe
Product news
Easy-to-use floor care products make wood a practical option.
5
Founded by Filip Galekovic’s grandfather in the 1950s.
Six years ago the Croatian
company, Galekovic (which
has been producing parquet
floors since 1989) took the
radical decision to focus ex-
clusively on prefinished solid
wood parquet. This went
against the trend towards
multi-layer parquet. Why did
they do this and how is it
working out?
Filip Galekovic explains: “There are several
practical reasons: for a start, there’s no
need for glue which makes solid wood more
ecological. It’s possible to combine lengths,
shapes and wood types and have lots of
different finishes. Also, if you’re renovating
an old house, you can achieve an authentic
look that’s much closer to the original.
“There are commercial reasons too.
Companies which are making multilayer
parquet today face very hard competi-
tion. By contrast, solid wood floors re-
quire specialised equipment, experience
and knowledge... and we have all these.”
Success also depends on the producers’
knowledge of local and regional prefer-
ences. Filip explains, “Some want straight
grains and no knots, whereas others like
plenty of knots and colour variations.”
The ‘feeling’ of exclusivityHe is also confident that there will always
be a market for solid wood floors. “They’re
more affordable than people realise,”
he says. “There’s actually a whole range
of prices depending on quality and
dimensions.” However, ultimately Filip
concedes that the difference between
solid and multilayer isn’t always visible
to the naked eye.
“It’s rather like comparing a gold neck-
lace with a gold plated one. One is gold
all the way through and, if you’re wearing
it, you know the difference!”
Filip Galekovic
“I was born in
sawdust!”
Customer profile
Bona Spray Mop promo at:
London’s Ideal Home Show
Sticking to solids
Bona in the UK is involved in
its first ever major consumer
exhibition where the team
are promoting the Spray
-
ucts to around 300,000 visi-
tors at London’s Ideal Home
Show this spring.
“We are selling lots of mops each day
and most customers are even prepared
to carry home a 4 litre refill,” says coun-
try manager, Jack Weavers. “We were
invited to exhibit by the Swedish Trade
Council as part of their group of Swed-
ish companies trading in the UK. This
was a fantastic opportunity for us to
promote the Bona brand to a huge con-
sumer audience just as we launch the
retail range over here.”
This Oak Fine-line floor by BKB is currently being installed in Apple stores
around the world (over 150 stores in Europe alone!). The unusual design is a
perfect complement to Apple’s minimalist look, but how will it stand up to the
wear and tear of life in these busy stores?
8Interface
Trend of the century:
In the last 40 years, political,
cultural, and commercial
forces have interconnected
our world in a dramatic way.
Carried along on jets and
ships, transmitted by phones,
films, TV, and now the Internet,
millions of thoughts, images,
and objects that originally
sprouted for unique local rea-
sons have been embraced
nearly everywhere. This is
globalization.
No matter where one travels or lives, the
influence of globalization is all around. It
involves a lot of simultaneous changes.
People can travel more quickly and effi-
ciently, information is transmitted rapidly
and cheaply, popular tastes and fashions
have become more diverse and shared.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the
more striking impacts of globalization.
ElectronicsInformation and communication techno-
logy networks and devices are truly
global today, involving research and pro-
duction facilities and supply chains span-
combined with mobile communication
and video technology has provided a
large share of humanity with access to
one another’s knowledge and company
in unprecedented ways.
Wim Wenders’ 1991 film Until the End of
the World, set in a future 1999, shows a
variety of innovative mobile recording and
communication devices. Now, just over
twenty years later, with our smart phones
and iPads and GPS devices, they don’t
calls has become unremarkable… and
there’s an app for everything!
Fashion and lifestylesEven before the Internet, modern times
saw an accelerating cross-adoption of
clothing fashions, accessories, furniture,
interior design, architecture, and all the
other devices and displays of daily life.
The Westernized futon sofa/bed found its
way from Japan and became ubiquitous
in Europe and the UK in the ‘70s, found
their way to global adoption in the ‘80s
combining Californian style and Taiwan-
ese production acumen. Espresso mak-
ers and rice cookers erupted hissing
and steaming from their European and
Asian kitchens. IKEA, the world’s largest
retailer of furniture and home furnish-
ings, promoted its cool, simple, and rich
catalogue of products to the world’s bur-
geoning middle class.
We humans are ever hungry for novelty,
and with the Internet, we’re in a better
position than ever to satisfy that hunger!
Cosmopolitan cities all over the world
carry the same major clothing brands
and their knock-offs. Waves of fashion
still sweep the globe. Thanks to the In-
ternet, they can now blossom virally as
well as through some marketer’s care-
fully planned campaign because so many
people have access to powerful com-
munication technology. Social media,
especially YouTube, bring vast numbers
of strangers into contact, where they can
scrutinize each other closely.
Eating and drinking The globalization of foods, drinks, and
cuisine is not new. It appears that spices,
Industry trend
Globalization – thewinners and losers
olive oil, and wine were among the first
victuals traded inter-regionally in ancient
times. That pattern has been repeated
to the point where we’ve for instance
completely forgotten that pasta – which
we now think of as typically Italian – was
originally borrowed from China, or that
pommes frites – how Franco-Belgian can
you get? – are made of a tuber from South
America? Today, chicken tikka masala is
one of the most familiar British meals and
pizza is everyone’s favourite convenience
food. But who knew that the popular Red
Bull energy drink originated in Thailand,
and was globalized with the help of an
Austrian entrepreneur?
Global contacts, fun and knowledge through online media.
Good coffee for everyone!
9
Winners & losersSo who is gaining from globalization and
is anyone getting a raw deal? It’s pretty
clear that developers, manufacturers,
and operators of IT networks and related
products are potentially the biggest win-
ners, if they get their technology and
strategies right. People who gain know-
ledge, global contacts, and enjoyment
through online media are also winners.
On the flip side, face-to-face, local inter-
action is reduced and people take less
physical exercise if they’re always busy
playing games on-line. In addition, some
would argue that international travel has
become less interesting due to the global
availability of local foodstuffs and other
products once uniquely associated with
a particular place. For example, Ouzo is
a drink that many strongly associate with
holidays in Greece. It can be oddly disap-
pointing to find that Ouzo is now avail-
able in almost every bottle shop on every
street corner of the developed world!
Some producers of manufactured con-
sumer goods in countries with high labour
costs have been pressed by globalization.
They have typically responded in one of
two ways: either by outsourcing produc-
tion to low costs countries such as China
or India in order to compete, or by repo-
sitioning their brands as premium, where
the fact that production takes place in
the ‘country of origin’ signals high and
reliable quality.
However, it’s interesting to note that the
biggest losers today are not suffering as
a result of globalization, but their exclusion
from it. Over 3.2 billion people live on less
than U.S. $ 2 per day and cannot therefore
afford access to telephones, much less
the Internet. These victims of the “digital
divide” are really missing out. We can only
hope that entrepreneurs will be excited
by the potential gains from getting the
remaining 40% of the world’s population
connected, and make it happen.
The Iberian property devel-
opment market has suffered
from the global economic
crisis in recent years. Just
like many other suppliers to
the construction industry,
wood flooring manufacturers
have been adversely affect-
ed. However, thanks to Bona
Lifetime Support, our custo-
mers have proven more
resilient than many.
Alexandre Pratas is responsible for the
commercial market in mainland Portugal
He has been working for Bona for six years.
He explains, “There is no denying the im-
pact of the poor economic climate on Ibe-
rian business. In this situation, of course
the floor itself is still important to Bona’s
customers, but they are more interested
than ever in the service concept around it.”
Bona Lifetime Support, which includes
products for installation, maintenance and
floor care all make the end consumer more
confident about investing in a wooden
floor. Alexandre continues, our customers
are not just buying a good looking flooring
solution; they’re buying one that will remain
beautiful and in good shape for years to
come. It certainly gives peace of mind!”
Winner of the CG Memorial Award, 2011
handed out annually as an inspiration to
Bona employees to maintain the com-
pany’s famously innovative spirit. Alexan-
dre is the latest winner of this prestigious
prize, because of his excellent perfor-
mance in boosting sales in spite of very
Boosting sales in a challenging market
challenging market conditions. Thanks to
his constant energy and resourcefulness,
Alexandre successfully developed new
business with industrial customers, raising
awareness of the Bona Lifetime Support
programme and introducing other prod-
ucts from the Bona system to Iberian
markets.
Alexandre Pratas
10Interface
Industry news
For more information:
codicetrasparenzaparquet.org
Lorenzo
Onofri
Made in Italy, or just finished off there?
If a parquet floor is manufac-
tured in China and finished
in Italy, is it Ok that it carries
Obviously not! It is a clear
case of false advertising, but
apparently not against the
law. When Lorenzo Onofri of
the Italian parquet producer
Stile became aware of this,
he decided to do something
about it.
Lorenzo explains, “There are lots of dif-
ferent types of flooring, all competing for
a share of the market. If the consumers
choose one floor or another that is entirely
their prerogative. However, I believe they
have a right to know what it is they are
buying. The label on the box should ac-
curately reflect the product inside it. That
is not the case today.”
In some instances, he found that prod-
ucts were not only falsely labelled, but
also had false CE stamps and certifica-
tion. A consumer buying such products
in good faith would assume their invest-
ment is covered by warranty and that,
if they have problems with it, they will
is not so. Arguably, the situation is even
worse for contractors who install a floor
that it was made in China, and the cus-
tomer is demanding compensation!
EU laws unclearThe EU laws, which are designed to
protect consumers from this kind of false
information, are unfortunately not that
clear. Lorenzo adds, “Another problem is
that this market is dominated numerous
small suppliers, which makes it very hard
to control.” That’s why he introduced the
idea of Transparency Codes, a voluntary
scheme which sets out the rules and
requirements for parquet manufacturers
and is audited by the Italian association,
Federlegno.
15 companies on boardNow the initiative is up and running with
15 members, a web site and a logo. Is
it making a difference? Lorenzo con-
cludes, “It has certainly opened the de-
bate and is raising awareness. I hope it
will continue to gain strength until this
kind of malpractice has been wiped out
altogether. False advertising damages
the reputation of the whole industry. We
all suffer in the end.”
Transparency codes
Ensuring parquet products are labelled correctly before shipping.
Wood was a commonly used
flooring material in Turkey
right up until the 1990s when
laminate floors first became
available. But now the lami-
nate trend seems to have
passed its peak and sales
of wooden floors are on the
increase again. We asked
Serdar Saylan of Turkish par-rr
quet manufacturer Dendro
why he thinks this is so.
-
ban environment. It helps calm the spirit
if we use natural materials like wood and
stone in our homes.” Does this really
explain the switch back towards wood?
“No, there are more prosaic reasons too.
For example, the growth of a prosperous
middle class in Turkey, which means that
fashionable young people can now afford
to install wooden floors in their homes.”
Low but growing volumesSerdar is the managing director of Dendro
(owned by the Aspen Group) which began
production of engineered wooden floors
in 2008. Says Serdar, “With domestic de-
mand increasing, the time seemed ripe for
such a venture, but volumes are still rela-
tively small. To put things in perspective,
70-80 million square metres of laminate
floors are sold annually and only 2-2.5
million square metres of wood parquet.
So we still have a very long way to go.”
Dendro also exports to several countries,
such as Iran and Georgia, and plans to
expand into European markets.
As one of six parquet manufacturers
active in Turkey today, what differenti-
ates Dendro’s offering from the competi-
tion? “We focus on quality and design.
Our products are advertised in the inte-
riors magazines read by architects and
designers, which is a good forum to
present our quality message. Working
with Bona is an advantage too. They’ve
helped us develop customised products
for special orders, and we hope to do
more of this kind of thing in future.”
Natural materials rule:
Wood is ‘in’again in Turkey
Albidus, engineered wood plank
flooring by Dendro.
Dendro comes from the Greek word for
tree. Dendrology is the study of trees.
Serdar Saylan
Talk to your Bona representative!
floor keeps its original colour
but is especially effective on light wood
species
Bona System, such as Bona Naturale
Following numerous custo-
mer requests and extensive
lab testing, Bona has come
up with a solution for con-
sumers who want to keep
the colour of their wooden
floor as close as possible
to the way it looked when
they first bought it.
All wood is ultimately affected by exposure
to light and air over time, but Sun Block
slows the process down considerably.
The precise effect of Sun Block depends
on the wood species in question. All wood
species benefit, but the lighter ones such
as ash, beech, birch and maple enjoy the
most dramatic and long lasting protection.
Key benefits
a wood floor based on its colour
wooden floors as part of an interior
scheme
Our Bona Sun Block UV System is cus-
tomized for use on our customers’ pro-
duction lines. To discuss the possibility
of introducing Sun Block in your floor-
ing range, don’t hesitate to get in touch
with your local Bona representative.
Bona Sun Block UV System
Contact us today
Head OfficeBona ABP.O. Box 210 74
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Bona and their products are trademarks owned by Bona and their legal entities. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Copyright © 2009 Bona. All rights reserved.
Product news
Let the sun shine in! Bona Sunblock protects your wooden floors.