Woodmag Egypt

www.woodmagegypt.com

Damietta Furniture City: The bright future of Damietta Woodtech Forum: Great success for the 1st International Trade Show Furnex 2017: Big Success for one of the largest exhibition in Egypt Global News: All you need to know about the timber industry and machinery

EDITORIAL

WOOD-MAG- EGYPT: New era for the Egyptian trade publications!

A new magazine for wood technology and furniture materials, starts from MEDEXPO S.A. EGYPT, after the successful organization of the 1st Woodtech, which was held in 26th of November 2016 in Damietta, in collaboration with the Chamber of Wood Working and Furniture Industries of Damietta.

With this new trade magazine, Wood Mag Egypt, MEDEXPO S.A., continues its activities in Egypt, in order to promote new and innovative ideas on the wood and furniture production in the region. Our goal is to promote the Egyptian companies, who are manufacturing wood products and furniture, to a large spectrum of readers in Egypt, and also by promoting them in wellknown fairs in Europe, America and Asia, highlighting the opportunities for investments and partnerships with Egyptian companies.

Ilias Angelopoulos Manager Director info@woodmagegypt.com Mariantzela Aggelopoulou Marketing Director sales@woodmagegypt.com George Mouzos Editorial Director editor@woodmagegypt.com Hedaya Mahmood project partner Editor-egypt@woodmagegypt.com

The articles includes worldwide news and local news for the Egyptian furniture industry and design. Additionally, Wood-Mag Egypt, presents all the new trends in the international market and the production of materials and equipment.

Plus, in the magazine will be presented all the international fairs of timber industry, furniture and machinery, and interviews with executives of companies, from the sector of timber, furniture and machinery.

Furthermore in each issue analyze a wide range of subjects as: - Timber Merchants - Furniture Production - Wood Processing - Material & machinery traders - Industrial furniture designers

About Wood Mag Egypt Wood-mag Egypt is a three monthly magazine with free distribution to 5.000 professionals of the wood and furniture sector. The publication offers news targeting a wide spectrum of readers included furniture manufacturers, joinery companies, specifiers (architects and designers), importers and distributors woodworking professionals amongst others.

For advertisers the magazine offers an ideal platform to target decision - makers involved with the timber and associated industries. For readers the promise of the latest news, technologies and trends, working closely with the leading players

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across the industry, the magazine aims to establish itself as a reference for professionals firms working within the sector.

About MEDEXPO S.A. MEDEXPO S.A. was established in Athens, Greece in 2009, and it is one of the most dynamic companies, organizing trade exhibitions in the sector of material, wood and new technologies. MEDEXPO invests in delivering top quality services by continuous improvements in infrastructure, parallel events and by attracting the interest of visitors, great foreign construction firms, as well as the most dynamic companies of Greece. MEDEXPO supports the exhibition by a wide and affective communication program that includes mass media and trade magazines while publishing also two trade magazines “Epipleon” (since 2002) and “MARKET today” (since 2015). With the same spirit we established our new company MEDEXPO S.A. EGYPT, for all our activities in the Middle East region, with the aim to continue our successful activity in publishing and fair organization.

DAMIETTA - EGYPT VENUE: NEW DAMIETTA CITY, CENTRAL PARK

11-13

November

2017

Organized by: TRADE SHOW ORGANISER

T: 0030 210 2931011, F:0030 210 2930022 info@woodtech-forum.com, www.woodtechegypt.com

PUBLICATIONS | EXHIBITIONS | EVENTS

CONTENT

12 | Woodtech Forum Damietta 28 | Egypt PLY WOOD Long tradition in manufacturing and marketing plywood and veneer

6 | Global news

18 | E gger launched a new decorative collection at BAU 2017

30 | Architects BIWERMAU and Wilfried Köhnemann have erected an office building made of timber in Alfeld, Lower Saxony, Germany.

22 | F urnex 2017: The successful exhibition was organized by the Egyptian Exporters Association “Expolink” and the national association for Exhibitions and Conferences Services.

32 | Shoulah company: a huge edifice and a big company that excelled at the start in manufacturing classic products.

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GLOBAL NEWS

New trends in wood flooring at Domotex 2017 The intense and rising competitiveness of the European flooring sector is immediately apparent from the DOMOTEX 2017 show numbers which hosted 1409 exhibitors from more than 60 countries.

The show was notable for considerable growth in the number of exhibitors this year and the total amount of space booked, and with an even higher percentage of exhibitors and visitors from abroad compared to previous shows.

Around 70% of DOMOTEX visitors this year were from outside Germany, with the majority (43%) coming from other EU countries. Total visitor numbers were slightly down on previous years, but there was a significant increase in visitors from the Near and Middle East (up 9%) as well as East and Central Asia (up 16%). Appreciably more visitors also came from the U.S. and the UK. An insight into potentially significant innovations in the European flooring sector was provided by the prestigious Innovations@DOMOTEX display selected from products on show by a jury of experts from the fields of design, architecture, the media and interior design. Their choices implied strong interest in sustainable design and a preference for products with a natural look and feel, whose textures, materials, motifs and surfaces take their cues from nature.

Trend-spotters believe that grey or blends of grey and beige – “greige” – will remain the top sellers, while dark floorings are less popular with buyers. Textured surfaces are seen as “the next big thing” in wood and parquet flooring. There were a lot of “used” and grainy patterns and finishes on display - floorings designed to look brushed and often made from of reclaimed materials.

Vintage-look materials remain in fashion, along with knot holes, core splits and even traces of the saw blade or flakes of cement. This is true both of

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natural wood flooring and laminated wood flooring sector, the latter now exploiting increasingly sophisticated digital printing technology.

Various innovations were on display to improve service life of wood flooring in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms where wood has not traditionally been widely used. For example French manufacturer Design Parquet was promoting their patented Navylam+ system comprising strips of tropical wood, favoured both for its look and natural durability, which are pre-oiled and with an integrated jointing system. Another highly innovative product designed to extend wood’s range of applications even further was “Lambdafloor” by Poland’s Prestige which boasts an aluminum layer between the wooden surface and the waterrepellent base material, in this way augmenting the thermal conductivity for use with underfloor heating systems.

DOMOTEX 2017 highlighted that increasingly flexible and modular wood flooring products continue to be developed that are easier and less timeconsuming to install and maintain, solvent free, better for indoor air quality and personal health and hygiene, and which offer other benefits in terms of durability and improved footfall dampening.

GLOBAL NEWS

LIGNA 2017: Innovations showcase ready to roll LIGNA, the focal point and meeting hub for the international wood industry, is just around the corner. The 2017 edition runs from 22 to 26 May in Hannover, Germany, and will feature more than 1,500 exhibitors from 45 nations and attract trade visitors from about 90 nations.

The show will occupy 10 exhibition halls plus the venue’s extensive open-air site. All the global market leaders will be there with impressive showcases to highlight their latest products and process innovations.

They will be joined by a sizable number of other exhibitors, some of whom will be appearing at LIGNA for the first time. With pleasing growth in terms of its exhibitor lineup and a significant upswing in the amount of space booked by various exhibitors, the upcoming LIGNA is set to once again serve as the global wood industry’s top summit and source of innovative technology.

The show’s organizers, Deutsche Messe and the German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers’ Association, have successfully implemented a new thematic layout in time for the 2017 season.

“The new approach and, more importantly, the new physical layout have been extremely well received.

The business climate in the wood industry is positive, offering a wealth of market opportunities. LIGNA captures those opportunities

perfectly,» remarked Dr. Andreas Gruchow, the Deutsche Messe Managing Board member responsible for LIGNA, at the LIGNA Preview in Hannover, adding that: «This year, the exhibitors are presenting a wide array of innovations for intelligent, networked manufacturing systems, not to mention new ideas and strategies for the many value-creation networks at play in the wood processing and woodworking industries.»

This year’s action-packed, five-day showcase covers all the technologies that wood industry companies need to succeed in tomorrow’s Industry 4.0 world. The range includes tools and machinery for custom and mass production, surface technology innovations, wood-based panel production solutions, sawmill 9

technology, wood-energy technology, machine components, and automation and forestry technology. «LIGNA 2017 is where key solutions and applications will be showcased. It’s where business relationships and networks will be built that will benefit the entire wood industry for years to come,» commented Gruchow.

The central focus of LIGNA 2017 is on intelligent concepts for integrated manufacturing across multiple links in the wood processing chain. The solutions on display promise growth and efficiency. They give wood industry companies a route to business development that does not depend on being big. And they provide a rapid roadmap to the capabilities needed to meet growing market demand for custom production.

GLOBAL NEWS

imm cologne records more than 150,000 visitors imm cologne and LivingKitchen trade fair duo have achieved a record number of visitors this year for 2017.

satisfied with imm cologne. It was the ideal start to 2017, which will no doubt be an excellent year for the industry,” said Klaas.

Roughly every second trade visitor came from outside Germany, with foreign trade visitors accounting for nearly 50 per cent.

Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, was delighted to report, “We met our target and have broken the 150,000-visitor mark.” Dirk-Uwe Klaas, Managing Director of the Federal Association of the German Furniture Industry, was similarly pleased with the figures.

“The Cologne furniture show was a wonderful summit for interior decor. The German furniture industry is completely

104,000 trade visitors Of the 104,000 trade visitors, around 56,000 came from Germany and approximately 48,000 from abroad (an increase of 4 per cent). Within Europe, increases in visitor figures were recorded in particular from Spain (up 25 per cent), Russia (up 26 per cent), Italy (up 19 per cent) and the UK (up 13 per cent). Visitor numbers from the Netherlands and Poland also increased. Numbers of overseas trade visitors rose, in particular visitors from China (up 5 per cent), South Korea (up 12 per cent) and India (up 5 per cent).

A rise was also recorded in visitor numbers from the Middle East (up 19 per cent), with particularly strong growth from the United Arab Emirates. With these excellent numbers of foreign visitors, the two trade fairs will boost exhibitors’ exports. In parallel with the world’s most important furnishing fair, imm cologne, the international kitchen event LivingKitchen took place this year. For the seven days of the event, 200 exhibitors from 21 countries – including around 50 first-time and returning exhibitors – showed how much innovation the industry has to offer and how high its standards of design and quality are.

The next imm cologne will take place from 15 to 21 January 2018 in Cologne, co-located with LivingInteriors.

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EXHIBITIONS

1st Woodtech Show: Big Success for the first wood trade show at Damietta in Egypt!

On November 26th, 2016 took place the first professional event for the wood and furniture industry. Woodtech is the new conference and show for professionals in wood and furniture sectors, which was held in the center of the Egyptian furniture cluster, Damietta!

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EXHIBITIONS

More than 50 companies participated to this big event, realizing the strong growth that the Egyptian market offers. Woodtech exceeded the expectations of organizers and participants. This wood trade show, was organized by MEDEXPO S.A. (a Greek operator in the field of exhibitions, conferences and publications for the wood industry, furniture and materials), in collaboration with the Chamber of Wood Working and Furniture Industries, established a channel of communication for the promotion of business and economic relations.

Exceptional exhibitors, supporters and participants The high level of the 52 exhibitors and supporters, like AHEC, EPF, EPLF as well as of important equipment and panel producing companies, like SCM Group, CEFLA, FANTONI SPA, HAFELE GmbH, and Greek companies such as Akritas and ALFA WOOD was combined with a top quality panel of speakers coming from the sectors of industry, design as well as from institutes of research, certification and market research. The big success was the fact that Woodtech managed to attract more than 3000 visitors during the two days of the event: professionals from the sectors of wood, furniture making, materials and wood marketing and design from the city of Damietta, as well as from Cairo and Alexandria. The 270 scheduled B2B meetings that were organized by IMC (Industrial Modernisation Centre), revealed the interest in closing business deals, which were actually materialized in the form of commercial transactions in all sectors of interest. Visitors showed great interest in the new panel and surface technologies, given that the market of panels is gaining ground by the Egyptian consumers.

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EXHIBITIONS

Total support from the authorities of Egypt Woodtech had the support of the Chamber of Damietta, of the governor and the government, while equally important was the contribution of all members of the Wood and Furniture Association, who perceived the event as an opportunity to modernize and improve the production. Mr. Ilias Angelopoulos – CEO MEDEXPO – highlighted the importance of this support and also the importance in matchmaking between local producers and quality suppliers, in order to provide Egyptian manufacturers with an overview of Egyptian and international design trends, advanced technologies, and materials.

Equally important, were the high quality seminars during the two days of the event, and the fact that Woodtech had great interest for international and local banks, and for big investment funds.

Woodtech attracted the interest of many international and local financial organizations and large investment funds, revealing its intention to finance investments in furniture machinery.

11th of November in Damietta again!

The next appointment in Damietta has been set for 11th of November, again in Damietta, Egypt and will be far greater in volume, high quality and very promising for exhibitors and visitors alike. Already, many of the exhibitors who took part in this year’s Woodtech Forum have signed up for 2017 and many more who visited the forum have said that their participation in the next Woodtech is given!

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EXHIBITIONS

Important people speak about Woodtech Paolo Fantoni President of European Panel Federation The organization of Woodtech was excellent! The Egyptian market is switching for old fashioned styled furniture, to modern design and technology. Now the Egyptian market is ready to accept all the new concepts.

Our participation to Woodtech was successful and we did a lot of business discussions!

Peter H. Meyer Managing Director EPLF I really enjoyed it to be here! To start something like this in Damietta was a fantastic idea and Woodtech can contribute a lot in the development of Damietta Furniture.

Amr Helmy CEO Amr Helmy Designs What I am experiencing here today in Woodtech taking place in Damietta is such a surprise! The atmosphere that we have here in this event is very mature and developed. For me, I would revisit Woodtech next year and every time it is held in the future. I have witnessed new wood technology and supplies this year in Woodtech, I have also seen the new spirit in which this event reflected clearly: there is a change coming!

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EXHIBITIONS

Reto Scherrer Sales Manager Export HAFELE It was the 1st Woodtech and I’m surprised in a very positive way! There were a lot of furniture manufactures that came to visit Woodtech, which is very good for the companies that participate to this event.

Roberto Vitri Regional Manager SCM GROUP SPA Woodtech was a great success!

We had a lot of visitors, and most of them were very interested in learning more about our machinery.

The organization was perfect, regarding the fact that we were in Egypt, were the logistics is not an easy work to manage. Everything was ready and functional!

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EXHIBITIONS

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FURNITURE MARKET

Damietta Furniture City: The future of Damietta Damietta Furniture City, is going to be the first and the biggest furniture industrial zone and feeding industries in the Middle East.

The furniture production sector is considered to be one of the most promising sectors in Egypt today.

Furthermore Egypt has an international reputation for furniture production and craftsmanship. Besides this, the local market has a gap in demand covered by imported products with around 20% of the market share.

Damietta Furniture City is expected to participate in boosting exports of furniture sector with more than $200million.

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FURNITURE MARKET

Exceptional cooperation Minister of Trade and Industry Tarek Kabil announced that Damietta Furniture City will be officially inaugurated within a year! Construction of the furniture technology centre is scheduled to be completed within a month in preparation for transferring equipment and devices to test the quality of the furniture.

At the signing of the cooperation protocol between the Damietta Furniture City company and Banque Misr to finance junior craftsmen, Kabil noted that this protocol is Damietta Furniture City’s first activity since its establishment in July. In addition, this protocol is one of the outcomes of the Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) initiative to finance small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The cooperation protocol aims to provide the funding necessary to enable junior craftsmen to own units and equip them with the latest equipment with the aim of developing and modernising Egypt’s furniture industry, in addition to stimulating exports. Ossama Saleh, chairperson of Damietta Furniture City, said that his company and Banque Misr are conducting the final arrangements to finance the development and construction of the city with up to EGP 1.5bn.

Finally is important to say, that the city is built on 331 acres and includes 2,000 workshops, 55 factories, and provides 20,000 job opportunities.

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FURNITURE MARKET

Egger launched a new decorative collection at BAU 2017 The full-range supplier of wood-based materials will present at Bau 2017 in Munich a variety of design and construction solutions for Furniture and Interior Design, Flooring and Wood Construction.

Bau in Munich, the world’s leading trade fair, once again provided the perfect stage for EGGER to present its products and services to an international audience. Under the trade fair motto “Premiere”, EGGER displayed on its 400 m2 exhibition stand novelties from the three product divisions of Furniture and Interior Design, Flooring, and Wood Construction. The highlight of this year’s trade fair presentation was the market launch of the new EGGER Decorative Collection 2017–2019 for retail, handcraft, and architecture.

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FURNITURE MARKET

EGGER Decorative Collection A cleverly interlocked system The wood-based materials manufacturer included in the new EGGER Decorative Collection 2017–2019 decor and surface innovations as well as an expanded product and services offer for retail, handcraft, and architecture. EGGER offers an inspiring range with numerous novelties, resulting in a comprehensive solution for the challenges faced by customers in their everyday work. With 300 decors, a service-oriented products offer, the set of matching decors and materials, and the proven EGGER quality, the wood-based materials manufacturer provides a concept for a quick, reliable, and successful system.

EGGER Design+ Flooring:

the product novelties presented in Munich is the EGGER Thermodecking. No chemicals are used for the treatment of this decking board made of domestic pine, just heat, steam, and water. This considerably reduces its susceptibility to insects and fungi. The life cycle of the boards increases from 15 to 25 years. With the EGGER Ergo Board, the wood-based materials specialist is expanding its range of building products to include a versatile and ergonomic construction board with a weight of only eleven kilograms, developed especially for dry construction and interiors.

A convincing design floor The Group’s Flooring Division show its entire range of products at Bau 2017, including laminate flooring, as well as Cork+ Flooring and EGGER Design+ Flooring. The new design flooring category is perfect where floor coverings require high performance and at the same time need to be visually attractive. With a material thickness of 5 mm, authentic decors, high resistance, and the SelfRepair effect, this type of flooring is particularly wellsuited for public and commercial use. The wood-based and extremely dense coreboard promises a high level of shape stability even when exposed to temperature fluctuations.

Future-oriented solutions for wood construction The Building Products Division of the EGGER Group was also represented on the exhibition stand at Bau. One of 22

EXHIBITIONS

Big success for Furnex 2017 The successful exhibition was organized by the Egyptian Exporters Association “Expolink” and the national association for Exhibitions and Conferences Services, in cooperation with the Furniture exporting council, in participation with Furniture manufacturing Chamber “GCM” and finally in cooperation with the international designer Julio Capillini.

The Cairo International Furniture Fair “furnex and the home”, which is one of the largest exhibitions of furniture, furnishings and accessories in the Middle East, was inaugurated with the participation of a number of the largest companies. The exhibition continued for 6 days and it hosted senior local furniture manufacturers, specialists in the fields of decoration, lighting, home accessories and furnishings. The exhibition was held on an area of more than 41,000 square meters at Cairo International Conventions & Exhibitions Center and was organized by the Egyptian Exporters Association (Expolink), in cooperation with the Furniture Exporting Council and chamber of manufacturing lumber and furniture.

Distinctive participation of more than 200 companies In International Exhibition for furniture and furnishing (Furnex), this year participated over 200 local and international companies, along with a

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EXHIBITIONS

wide range of participants in the field of household accessories. According to preliminary statistics, local visitors were estimated more than 80,000 visitors, plus 1000 international specialist visitors from the international buyers programs, especially from Arab Gulf countries, USA, European countries and the rest of the world.

International contracts and increase in export rates Ihab Dryas, President of the Furniture Export Council said that 25 countries and 250 global importers visited Furnex Exhibition. So far, they were signed 25 international contracts between major companies, and the figure is expected to increase, pointing out that Egypt’s targets the Saudi, Emirati and Kuwaiti markets through marketing trips to increase exports.

From his part, Ahmed Helmy, President of the Furniture Manufacturing Chamber, said that the furniture exports, estimated in $ 370 million for 2016, which is a small number, pointing out that there is a lack of stability in the market due to the dollar exchange rate and the notable increase in prices. Mr. Helmy also stated that the Egyptian

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EXHIBITIONS

industry is well represented and 95% of exhibitors at Furnex are local companies, while 5% is dedicated to the imported products. Mr. Helmy pointed out that companies from Nigeria want to enter into contracts with Egyptian companies, but there are constraints and protection agreements.

Vice president of Furniture Manufacturing Chamber, Sharif Abdel Hady, said that the sector’s estimated export value is $ 450 million.

The decrease in oil price affected the sector’s exports, indicating that the domestic market consumes 15 billion EGP a year, which 60% are covered locally and 40% are covered by the imported products.

Abdul Hadi, added that the volume of projects established in the Arab countries can operate the furniture sector in Egypt for two years.

Moreover, new exhibitions have started in Africa, while there is a specific strategy to introduce the Egyptian furniture and decor sector in the Russian market. In addition, exhibition was accompanied this year with a distinct show for young designers and innovators, under the name Design Hub, which will give them many opportunities to showcase their new ideas and samples of their projects. On the other hand, visitors enjoyed several seminars and conferences, that have been held on the sidelines of the exhibition.

A press conference organized by the Chamber of Timber manufacturing and furniture products, together with the Exporting Council, was held on the sidelines of Furnex. Chairman of the Chamber, Ahmed Helmy, pointed out that the domestic market is on the verge of a major breakthrough, due to the big real estate projects, such as the new administrative capital, new house projects, hospitals, schools, etc. $450 million is a targeted figure from Furniture exports by the end of 2017!

Mr. Helmy, added that the sector aims at an annual rate of 5 to 10%, and it is the third sector in Egypt in terms of added value and the second largest labor-intensive industry that employs more than one million direct worker. He also said that the Egyptian currency depreciation against the dollar is an important factor in increasing Egyptian exports.

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EXHIBITIONS

Helmy revealed that McCurry consulting firm is the company responsible for preparing the strategy for developing the furniture sector.

He said that although the furniture sector is one of the AMEs, however, it depends on developing rigorous studies based on information from the market.

Chairman of the Exporting Council, Ihab Dryas, said that the initial study, has been completed and it is based on a number of topics, including the size of the market.

Dryas pointed out that during next March, it is expected to complete the furniture sector development strategy for the next five years. He also added that the Council aims to increase the market share for Egyptian furniture in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE markets, through exhibitions.

African countries: Natural extension of the Egyptian market Vice chairman of the Board and the Chamber, Sharif Abdel Hadi, said that the African countries are a natural extension of the Egyptian market, which are gaining a lot of emphasis within the alternative markets of Arab countries. The Council took concrete steps towards Africa through the Exporters Association ÂŤExpolinkÂť, which has opened many exhibitions and stores in East Africa. The Egyptian furniture sector took over the task of furnishing the offices affiliated to Expolink as an approach for marketing Egyptian furniture. It is remarkable that European countries still prefer the ancient Egyptian designs. Also, new markets have been opened in Italy and new cooperations with Russia have been started!

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COMPANY PRESENTATIONS

For high Quality Products The Egyptian company Egypt Ply Wood, which had a very strong presence in Woodtech Forum, organized by MEDEXPO in Damietta, has a long tradition in manufacturing and marketing plywood and veneer.

The company’s headquarters are located in the industrial zone of Damietta, where the modernized facilities, is the production unit for quality plywood. The qualified personnel is constantly training in the new market conditions, using top quality raw material for the production of plywood.

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COMPANY PRESENTATIONS

Why to choose the products of Egypt Ply Wood; According to company owners, Egypt Ply Wood is a unique company with commitment in uses refined raw materials, for the production of the final products. Additionally the plywood which is produced by the Egyptian firm, is being offered in all kinds of dimension, at the customer’s desire can be customized according to the requirements and characteristics of the application.

Leading company in Middle East Egypt Ply Wood is one of the leading companies in timber production in Middle East. Quality materials and qualified staff, has a result of high quality products, which meet international standards. Also, Egypt Ply Wood has strong export activity, worldwide.

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Excellent results in Woodtech Forum Egypt Ply Wood, had a strong presence in Woodtech Forum, with hundreds of visitors passing by the company’s stand, who were interested to learn about the company’s products, while making highly effective B2B meetings for future partnerships.

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Impressive office building made of BauBuche next to UNESCO World Heritage Site Architects BIWERMAU and Wilfried Köhnemann have erected an office building made of timber in Alfeld, Lower Saxony, Germany. The medium-sized company Fagus-Grecon’s new customer centre offers 1,200 m² of floor space for 60 employees. The entire load-bearing structure and large parts of the interior have been constructed using the laminated veneer lumber BauBuche.

It was on this site in 1911 that Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer erected their world famous factory. The Fagus factory is considered a landmark in the development of modern architecture and industrial design and, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a listed building. At the time of its erection at the beginning of the 20th century, the historic Fagus factory was unique in offering modern industrial workplaces geared to the needs of the employees, in that they were clean, dry and well-lit. A steady growth in sales and increasing demand for training and other professional services meant that by 2013 the company needed more office space. And in keeping with a tradition that began during the German Empire, the company has opted for contemporary architecture and state-of-the-art building materials. With a respectful nod to the Fagus factory’s century-long production of shoe lasts made of beechwood, the load-bearing structure and interior of the now finished construction have been made using BauBuche from Pollmeier. The new building was designed by the architecture office BIWERMAU (Hamburg) in co-operation with Wilfried Köhnemann, an experienced Hamburg architect who has acted as consultant to the company for more than 30 years, particularly within the context of its special World Heritage requirements.

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

In harmony with World Heritage The focus for the architects was to reconcile the wishes of the clients with all aspects and requirements of a listed building, of the UNESCO World Heritage and of the town of Alfeld. Finished at the end of 2015, the new building annexes two existing flat buildings and, in terms of urban development, now completes the ensemble of historic and contemporary production and office buildings running alongside the road to the south east of the premises. With its striking façade made of cedar wood and openings rising vertically across both storeys of the building, the new customer centre is now as much a landmark of the factory premises as the distinctive chimney. Accommodating 60 office workplaces over two storeys, the slightly slanting floor areas are accessed via a central corridor area running lengthways through the building. The second storey is designed as a recessed top floor, housing a conference room and two training rooms and an all-round roof terrace for the al fresco enjoyment of all visitors.

Load-bearing structure and interior design with BauBuche The erection of the new building as a timber construction was based on the wish to incorporate various GreCon products, many of which have long-standing affiliations with timber, such as fire protection and measurement systems.

For the client, it was crucial to use innovative construction materials that GreCon customers manufacture using plants and systems made in Alfeld.

“Pollmeier is also one of our customers”, said Jörg Hasener, Client Project Manager. “When they launched BauBuche on the market, we immediately thought to ourselves, that’s just the perfect material to build with” he continued, reflecting on the planning phase.

was certain that it had been such a positive experience as a result of the excellent material quality. The clients and the architect also chose BauBuche for a range of internal components, thus creating a harmonious overall look to complement the visible timber frame structure. The window soffits were given a distinctive BauBuche cladding and even the office partition walls, the large conference tables and various desks were made from this robust and attractive material.

The laminated veneer lumber from Pollmeier was deployed in a multitude of ways, such as for the load-bearing structure, which was constructed in a skeleton design using columns and beams made of BauBuche. This was Thomas Mau’s first time using BauBuche and the Hamburg architect 33

COMPANY PRESENTATIONS

One of the biggest and successful Egyptian companies!

Shoulah company was founded more than 35 years ago. It is a huge edifice and a big company that excelled at the start in manufacturing classic products.

It was the first company to be known for such kind of products in the region of Egypt and internationally became the main source for major interior design and furniture companies. The final products are distinguished by high quality technical craftsmanship and workmanship. In Shoulah, wood is not treated as a row material, but as a musical piece, designed, composed and played by the hands of the most skilled, experienced and creative craftsmen.

Shoulah Classics Shoulah company began from a small workshop and became in short time to one of the biggest Furniture factories and showrooms in Egypt.

Years of expertise, experience, hard work, planning and organization made innovation and development the main feature of this company, where the products are exhibited in «SALONE DE MOBILE» for more than 15 years. Shoulah Group was founded in 1984, a small workshop in Damietta on an area of 200 meters for furniture. The number of their workshops increased to twenty-five.

At the beginning of 2000, the company is exporting to Arab countries and also to European Union countries. For this reason, factory area was increased to 4.000 meters. In 2002, a new factory was opened in the industrial zone in New Damietta on an area of five thousand square meters and was equipped with the latest manufacturing and technical machines, in order to meet the needs of customers.

Richie furniture From classical furniture, to hotel furniture and different projects, to modern furniture, characterized by innovative design, that combines the power of experience and craft with the latest technology about manufacturing and raw materials. So a new brand is created: «Richie furniture». Competition in the Egyptian market wasn’t easy, so Shoulah raised its product to international standards regarding raw materials, manufacturing and innovation. That’s why the production volume grow remarkably for the Egyptian market. Shoulah Classic Furniture Company will open a new factory, on an area of 10 thousand square meters in New Damietta by the end of 2017, aiming at exporting the factory products to the GCC countries, Eastern Europe and Italy.

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