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CARREFOUR DU BOIS 2018 2018

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PIETRO FERRARI

In the world of wood

WE PUBLISH IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES A REPORTAGE FROM THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS OF NANTES REALIZED BY SONIA MARITAN. FROM THIS REPORT IT IS CLEAR HOW THE FRENCH EVENT IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING AN INTERNATIONAL MEETING IN WHICH THE WHOLE VAST AND COMPLEX WORLD OF WOOD TRADE FINDS A GREAT AND COMPLETE REPRESENTATION. THIS REPORT CONCLUDES THE PATH OF “ON STAGE” THAT WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO OUR

WEB PAGES IN A MORE MODERN AND INTERACTIVE WAY TO GUARANTEE NOT ONLY THE INFOR-

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Where we buy and sell wood A REPORT FROM CARREFOUR DU BOIS 2018 THE 15TH CARREFOUR INTERNATIONAL DU BOIS, HELD IN NANTES AT THE END OF MAY, CONTINUES TO GROW IN QUALITY AND QUANTITY WITH AN INCREASE OF 10% COMPARED TO 2016. THE TEST OF AN INTERNATIONAL FAIR WAS THE PERCENTAGE OF FOREIGN VISITORS, 29% BETWEEN BELGIUM, SPAIN, HOLLAND,

ITALY, PORTUGAL, GREAT BRITAIN, BRAZIL, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, USA AND MOROCCO. THE STRENGTH OF THIS EVENT IS TO REPRESENT A PLACE WHERE, STILL, PEOPLE BUY

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AND SELL RAW MATERIALS, A PECULIARITY THAT CONTINUES TO BE WINNING AND UNIQUE AMONG THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIRS. THE MOST EVIDENT TREND IN RECENT YEARS IS THE TRANSITION FROM SAWN TIMBER TO A MUCH MORE REFINED SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCT THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO THE DISCIPLINE OF DESIGN. THE 15TH CARREFOUR INTERNATIONAL DU BOIS CONTINUES TO GROW IN QUALITY AND QUANTITY WITH A RECORD ATTENDANCE OF 11,500 VISITORS, AN INCREASE OF 10% COMPARED TO 2016, WITH FIVE EXHIBITION ROOMS COVERING AN AREA OF

ALMOST 20,000 SQUARE METERS. "THIS EVENT HAS KEPT ALL ITS PROMISES AND IS A STRONG INDICATOR FOR THE INDUSTRY A SATISFACTION FOR THE ORGANIZERS, THE PORT OF NANTESSAINT NAZAIRE AND ATLANBOIS" COMMENTED GERALDINE POIRIER, HEAD OF THE FAIR. MORE THAN EVER, THE CARREFOUR INTERNATIONAL DU BOIS DESERVES ITS NAME. REFERENCE IN EUROPE FOR THE TRADE THAT IT PRESENTS DURING THE THREE DAYS OF THE FAIR, BECOMING ONE OF THE MAIN ACTORS AMONG THE FAIR EVENTS AND ONE OF A KIND. "FOR THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF AMERICAN VISITORS, A SIGN THAT

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THE EVENT HAS REACHED A GLOBAL LEVEL". PIERRE PIVETEAU, PRESIDENT OF THE FAIR, SAYS. THE SIGNING OF THE APPEAL FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE FRENCH FOREST RESOURCES REPRESENTS ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP THAT DIRECTLY INVOLVES THE WOOD TRADE AND MAKES PROTAGONISTS THE COMMERCIALS INTERESTED IN MAINTAINING THE FRENCH FOREST RESOURCE AND CREATING ITS GREATER ADDED VALUE. DURING THE FESTIVAL, THE JURY AWARDED 8 PRIZES FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS CONSIDERED MOST DESERVING IN THE COUNTRY OF THE LOIRE REGION, FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIZE TO THE LAST RECOGNITION WITH THE SPECIAL MENTION, THE FOLLOWING

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PROJECTS WERE AWARDED: THE WELCOME HOUSE OF THE SAWMILL , ROOM TRACING, MISCANTHUS, HOUSE MTH, I GUERENDAIS, ATRIUM # 1 METRONOMY PARK AND MICR'HOME.

THE TIMBER MARKET HAS TAKEN OFF, BUT COMPETITIVENESS IS STILL WEAK THE TREND IN TRADE SEEMS MORE BRILLIANT, THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY THAT BEGAN TWO YEARS AGO HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. «WE HAVE SEEN A 10% INCREASE IN BUILDING PERMITS», ERIC TOPPAN, FRANCE BOIS FORET ANNOUNCED «THE PRICE OF SAWN TIMBER HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND WE HAVE REACHED RELATIVELY HIGH PRICES», HE ADDED. "THESE POSITIVE PROSPECTS SHOULD NOT

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MAKE US FORGET THAT THE MARKET IS UNDER PRESSURE," NOTED PIERRE PIVETEAU, WHO REGRETS A LACK OF COMPETITIVENESS DUE TO HIGH WITHDRAWALS IN FRANCE. "WE COULD RUN AS FAST AS THE GERMANS IF WE WERE NOT SO LOADED." WOOD, A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION THE GROWTH THAT DISTINGUISHES WOOD TODAY IS A STRONG SIGN FOR THE INDUSTRY, WOOD HAS STARTED ITS REVOLUTION AND HAS A GROWING PRESENCE, PARTICULARLY IN THE STRUCTURAL SECTOR. IT IS INNOVATIVE, ECOLOGICAL, REFINED AND RENEWABLE, A SOURCE OF CONTINUOUS INSPI-

RATION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING RENOVATION. WOOD PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE FRENCH ECONOMY, RESPONDS TO THE ECOLOGICAL CHALLENGES THAT THE COUNTRY FACES AND IS INCOMPARABLE COMPARED TO OTHER MATERIALS FOR ITS AVAILABILITY. THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS IS ALSO AN ARENA FOR COMPANIES, WHICH ALLOWS LAUNCHING NEW PRODUCTS, NEW COLLECTIONS AND TRENDS AS OUTLINED BY PASCALINE GOREE, WHO PRESENTED THE NEW CONSOLE BOURDAUD BOISCHE AT THE FAIR. MARIE-LUCE GRATON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT AFPIA-SOLFI2A HAS INSISTED ON THE MULTIPLE CHARACTER

OF WOOD, "WITH MANY MARKETS TO EXPLORE". INNOVATIVE WOOD TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE MORE AND MORE ASSOCIATED AND THIS WILL OFFER MULTIPLE POSSIBILITIES FOR TIMBER TRADE. THE RENDEZ-VOUS OF THE WORLD WITH OVER 29% OF FOREIGN VISITORS TO THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS, THE GLOBAL TIMBER INDUSTRY HAD ITS RENDEZVOUS IN NANTES, IN DESCENDING ORDER THE VISITORS WERE: BELGIUM, SPAIN HOLLAND, ITALY, PORTUGAL, GREAT BRITAIN, BRAZIL , GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, USA AND MOROCCO. UNANIMOUSLY, FOREIGN VISITORS RECOGNIZED THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCTS ON OFFER, THE

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HIGH LEVEL OF THE CONFERENCES THAT MADE IT A DYNAMIC PLACE TO MEET AND NEGOTIATE THE FAIR. THE NANTES EXHIBITION PARK, SURROUNDED BY NATURE, MADE THE STAY EVEN MORE WELCOMING AND ALLOWED EXHIBITORS TO FEEL AT EASE, INSPIRING MORE CREATIVITY IN THE BUSINESS. WOOD IS AN "IMMEDIATE" MATERIAL TO USE, WITH A CALMING EFFECT AND THIS "BENEFICIAL EFFECT" REIGNED OVER THE CARREFOUR, AND CREATED A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE BUT RICH IN EXCHANGES, IDEAL FOR BUSINESS AND DECISION-MAKING. THE NEXT EDITION IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 27-29, 2020.

THIS IS THE ENTHUSIASM REGISTERED

BY THE ORGANIZERS, BUT ALSO PERCEIVED DURING THE INTERVIEWS, DEDICATED TO ITALIAN COMPANIES, WHICH WE REPORT BELOW.

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• CORÀ TIMBER INDUSTRIES W W W. C O R AT I M B E R I N D U STRIES.COM AT CARREFOUR DU BOIS 2018 WE MEET DOMENICO CORÀ, TO WHOM WE ARE ASKING WHAT IS HIS CORE BUSINESS AND HIS MARKET. A QUESTION THAT BRINGS US BACK TO THE ORIGINS OF CORÀ DOMENICO & FIGLI SPA AND TO A PROCESS OF INTERNATIONALIZATION THAT STARTED A LONG WAY OFF. "IT WAS A WISH TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINS: THE GRANDFATHER, WHOSE NAME I AM HONORED TO TAKE LEFT WITH A SAWMILL OF WHICH HIS FATHER - GIANFRANCO CORÀ, CAVALIERE DEL LAVORO AND PRESIDENT FOR OVER 30 YEARS OF THE HISTORIC CORÀ DOMENICO & FIGLI SPA , FOUNDED BY HIS FATHER DOMENICO - HAS INCREASED THE ACTIVITY UP TO THREE PRODUCTION

LINES THAT WORKED TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY WITH THE TRUNKS COMING FROM AFRICA AND THE FAR

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EAST. AND SO I WANTED IN MY SECOND PHASE OF WORK, THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE GAINED ALONGSIDE MY "MASTER", TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINS WITH TWO SAWMILLS THAT I HAD HELPED TO PUT INTO OPERATION: ONE IN 2001 IN BOSNIA AND ONE IN 2000 IN ROMANIA, WHICH REFER TO THIS NEW COMPANY THAT TODAY IS CALLED CORÀ TIMBER INDUSTRIES TO MEAN THAT IT IS NO LONGER A TRADE COMPANY BUT AN INDUSTRY COMPANY. SO WE OPERATE IN A DIFFERENT FIELD FROM THE ORIGINAL ONE AND TODAY WE TREAT THE HARD EUROPEAN WOODS, WHICH ARE PART OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURE, AS MY FATHER OFTEN REMEMBERED, ALLUDING TO THE BEAUTY OF THE MAGICAL WORLD OF WOOD».

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CORÀ TIMBER INDUSTRIES OPENS A SECOND SEASON FOR DOMENICO CORÀ, DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST. "THE FACTORS THAT IDENTIFY CORÀ TIMBER INDUSTRIES ARE A HISTORICAL LINK WITH WOOD, A STRONG PROXIMITY TO CUSTOMERS AND A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEMS. THE REAL DRIVING FORCE OF THE GROUP ARE THE SAWMILLS ABROAD, IN PARTICULAR LIPA AND MICO, BOTH

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OPERATING FOR OVER 15 YEARS. TRANSILVANIA HAS ALSO BEEN OPERATING SINCE 2015, WITH THE POSITIVE DYNAMISM OF THE NEW ENTRY».

DOMENICO CORÀ, PRESIDENT OF CORÀ TIMBER INDUSTRIES SPA, HAS BECOME A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD. "THIS IS A VERY DEMANDING JOB, BECAUSE I AM A WEEK A MONTH ON EVERY PLANT AND A WEEK A MONTH TO SELL. EVEN IF I AM SUPPORTED BY AN EXCELLENT TEAM, THE PRESENCE OF THE OWNER IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I ALSO TAKE CARE OF THE BUSINESS IN FIRST PERSON. IN RECENT YEARS WE HAVE EXPANDED THE FOCUS: IN ADDITION TO THE CHINA, WE ARE OPENING MARKETS IN INDIA, VIETNAM, T H E

GULF COUNTRIES, NORTH AFRICA. THEN AS GOOD ITALIANS WE ARE PRESENT IN OUR COUNTRY, WE ARE HONORED TO SUPPLY THE SAME CORÀ DOMENICO & FIGLI SPA, BUT ALSO THE IMPORTING FRIENDS THAT I HAD THE HONOR TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT AND OF WHICH I APPRECIATE THE EXISTING NETWORK OF RELATIONSHIPS. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WORK COMES AND GOES, BUT RELATIONSHIPS LAST ".

• CORÀ DOMENICO & FIGLI SPA WWW.CORALEGNAMI.IT AT THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS 2018 WE ALSO FIND THE CORÀ DOMENICO & FIGLI SPA STAND, WHERE THE CORÀ GABON WOOD LOGO STANDS, OF WHICH WE ASK STEFANO CORÀ, WITH WHOM WE INEVITABLY TALK ABOUT WOOD TRADE. «CORÀ DOMENICO & FIGLI SPA IS THE HISTORICAL PATRONYMIC WHILE CORÀ GABON WOOD IS THE BRAND THAT DISTINGUISHES THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GABONESE SUBSIDIARY. TODAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND MARKET CONDITIONS IN AFRICA MAKE THE WORK MORE COMPLICATED THAN IN THE PAST. THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN SUFFERS THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOWERING THE COST OF OIL IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, THE GABONESE STATE IS IN DIFFICULT ECONOMIC CONDI-

TIONS, IT CAN NOT PAY THE PUBLIC WORKS, IT DOES NOT REIMBURSE VAT TO THE EXPORTING COMPANIES, THE BANKS ARE WITHOUT FUNDS AND THEY NO LONGER MAKE LOANS TO COMPANIES. A BARTER ECONOMY EMERGES, WE FIND OURSELVES IN AN ECONOMIC CONTEXT CLOSE TO THE SUBSISTENCE LEVEL WITH A TRUNK TO TRUNK EXCHANGE TO AVOID MONEY MOVEMENTS. THE LOGISTICS LEAVING THE COUNTRY IS ANOTHER FACTOR OF GREAT DIFFICULTY».

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THE ITALIAN MARKET? «CHANGING THE CONTINENT, THE ITALIAN MARKET IS SLIGHTLY POSITIVE, ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT YET APPEAR IN A DECISIVE RECOVERY. WE ARE ALSO WORKING WELL WITH SEASONED, DRIED AND RE-SELECTED PRODUCTS IN ITALY, SUCH AS EUROPEAN OAK AND AMERICAN CANALETTO WALNUT, A JOB THAT REQUIRES FROM A YEAR TO A YEAR AND A HALF OF PREPARATION, IMPORTANT CAPITAL INVESTED AND ADEQUATE PRODUCTION LINES».

SO IT IS DIFFICULT TO TURN THE GOODS WITH GREATER AGILITY AND THE RIGHT RECOGNITION TO THE COMPETENCE OF THOSE WHO MOVE THESE GOODS? "IT IS CERTAINLY COMPLEX, IN A

WORLD THAT RUNS AT THE SPEED OF THE NETWORK, DEALING MAINLY WITH RELATIVELY CUMBERSOME PRODUCTS FOR THE VALUE THEY EXPRESS, WHERE THE LOGIC OF COMMODITIES BADLY ADAPT TO THE MARKET NICHES REPRESENTED

BY PRODUCTS WITH HIGHER INTRINSIC VALUE. HERE AT THE STAND A LITTLE WHILE AGO WE WERE IN THREE PLYWOOD PRODUCERS OF OKOUMÉ, THOSE FOR FORTY-FIVE, THOSE FOR SEVENTEEN, THOSE FOR FORTY YEARS, AND IF WE LOOK BACK WHEN OUR WOOD COMPANIES WERE BORN IN THREE WE MAKE THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY: WE IN 1919, ROUGIER IN 1923 AND MOURIKIS IN 1924".

THIS SHOULD HAVE A VALUE "SURELY, BUT IT IS A VALUE THAT IS NOT REFLECTED IN A PRICE PREMIUM, WHICH UNDERGOES ALL THE PRESSURES OF A

CONSTANTLY EVOLVING MARKET".

WHAT WILL BE THE FUTURE OF THE SECTOR? «THE SECTOR IS NOW A LITTLE AWAKENING, RESTRUCTURING, RECOMPILING AND TRYING TO GET OUT OF THIS PURE BATTLE LOGIC ON PRICE. JUST IN THESE DAYS, FOR EXAMPLE, ALL THE BIG OKOUMÉ PLYWOOD PRODUCERS HAVE JOINED FORCES TO LAUNCH A COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN ON THE DUTCH MARKET, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR THIS PRODUCT, TO PUT THE USER'S ATTENTION AT THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. COMPENSATED FOR ALL OKOUMÉ, THE REFERENCE PRODUCT FOR CONSTRUCTIONS IN THAT COUNTRY. FOR YEARS WE HAVE TRIED TO ACHIEVE PRICE IMPROVEMENTS BY FOCUSING ON THE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING THE RAW MATERIAL AND THE MARKET HAS MOVED ON

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TO SUBSTITUTIVE AND CHEAPER PRODUCTS. THE NEW CAMPAIGN AIMS TO REAFFIRM THE TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS PRODUCT OF EXCELLENCE, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE WITH GREATER SERENITY REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF RAW MATERIALS CUT IN THE FOREST IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY, CERTIFIED IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL RELEVANT LAWS, OF ADEQUATE QUALITY, SO THE USER CAN PROGRAM THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT IN ITS SUPPLY CHAIN WITHOUT FEAR FOR THE FUTURE».

PERHAPS THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM OF KNOWING THE DIFFERENT WOOD SPECIES. «SURELY YES: A WOOD LIKE OKOUMÉ IS A HELIOPHILE ESSENCE AND WHEN IT BREAKS DOWN A TREE IN THE FOREST AND CREATES A HOLE IN THE CANOPY IT

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IS THE SPECIES THAT GROWS FASTER THAN THE OTHERS. IN GENERAL, AMONG THE FOREST WOODS OF CENTRAL AFRICA IT IS ONE OF THOSE THAT GROW AND REGENERATE FASTER, WITH A VIGOR THAT HAS NO EQUAL IN ANY OTHER SPECIES".

PRIMARY FORESTS, PLANTATIONS, WOOD CULTURE IN THE SENSE OF ECOSUSTAINABILITY AND CERTIFICATION, AMONG THE INSIDERS ARE TAKEN FOR GRANTED, PERHAPS, BUT IN THE PUBLIC THERE IS STILL A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN ...

"I SEE THIS EVERY DAY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR SUPPLY CHAIN IN AN INFORMAL WAY AND I REALIZE THAT IN THE COLLECTIVE IMAGINATION THERE IS STILL THE IDEA THAT OUR WORK C O N -

SISTS IN BREAKING DOWN AN ENTIRE FOREST AND THEN MAKING ROOM FOR GRAZING LIVESTOCK OR TO THE CULTIVATION OF CEREALS, WHEN THE REALITY OF THE WHOLE TROPICAL ZONE OF AFRICA DOES NOT SEE THIS TYPE OF PRACTICE; THE CUT IS VERY SELECTIVE, WITH A PLANT PER HECTARE ON AVERAGE HARVEST: OF ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SPECIES IF THEY CUT TWENTY-FIVE AND LIMITED TO MATURE PLANTS ABOVE DIAMETERS OF 80-100 CENTIMETERS. THE PROGRAMMING IS BASED ON ROTATIONS TO TWENTY-FIVE OR THIRTY YEARS TO FIND THIRTY YEARS LATER MORE WOOD THAN INITIALLY AVAILABLE ».

SO THE FOREST OPERATOR IS THE BEST FRIEND OF THE FOREST? «SURELY, BUT NOT ONLY, I WAS WITH AN AMERICAN FOREST RESEARCHER, LAST WEEK IN LIBREVILLE, WHO IS

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WORKING ON A PROJECT TO CREATE A SAFARI LODGE IN THE SOUTH OF GABON AND GUARANTEE THE TOURIST A PERFECT" GORILLA EXPERIENCE ": TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN A FEW METERS FROM THE GORILLAS HAVING THE CERTAINTY OF SEEING THEM, NOT JUST HOPE. THIS EXPERT EXPLAINED TO ME HOW THE GORILLA POPULATION IN THE SOUTH OF GABON LIVES MUCH MORE WILLINGLY IN THE SECONDCUT FOREST AREAS, BECAUSE WHERE THE PLANTS WERE CUT TEN OR TWENTY YEARS AGO, LARGE BUSHES OF LARGE-LEAFED SHOOTS GROW OF WHICH THEY ARE GREEDY. WE ALWAYS THINK THAT ANTHROPIC ACTIVITY IS A PROBLEM, BUT IT IS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THIS: NATURE REACTS POSITIVELY TO WHAT IS A BALANCED HUMAN ACTIVITY ».

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• FLORIAN WOOD WWW.FLORIANINC.COM AT THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS IN NANTES WE MEET ELVIO FLORIAN, A CUSTOMARY EXHIBITOR AT THIS FAIR. "THIS IS THE FIFTH EDITION WE DO, WE STARTED TEN YEARS AGO. I WOULD SAY THAT THIS FAIR HAS BECOME THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN EUROPE AS A FLOW OF

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VISITORS AND PRODUCT SPECIALIZATION, THE PEOPLE YOU MEET HERE ARE EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE INDUSTRY. ALTHOUGH NOT HAV I N G LARGE

SPACES AVAILABLE IS WELL CONCENTRATED ».

WE ARE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LOCAL MARKET FOR FLORIAN LEGNO? «QUITE THE OPPOSITE, WE COVER THE FRENCH MARKET, BUT THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE ESPECIALLY FOR HARDWOOD».

LAST YEAR, ON THE OCCASION OF THE ASSEMBLY ON THE HARDWO-

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ODS (IHC) IN VENICE, WHERE AMONG OTHER THINGS FLORIAN WAS ONE OF THE MAIN SPONSORS, HIS INTERVENTION FOCUSED ON AN INNOVATIVE LOGIC OF THE PRODUCTION CHAIN OF WHICH IN SOME WAY THE COMPANY BECOMES A CARRIER. «WE HAD THE INTUITION TO START THIS ADVENTURE IN THE YEAR 2000, WHEN WE WORKED FOR THE FIRST ACQUISITIONS WE MADE IN CROATIA AND WE SPECIALIZED MORE AND MORE TO FACE THE WORLD MARKETS AND NOT BEING ITALY LOGICALLY A COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION, THE IDEA WAS TO GO WHERE THE RAW MATERIAL WAS, TRANSFORM IT ON SITE AND DISTRIBUTE THE PRODUCT ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE LOGIC HAS WANTED THAT TO MAKE A

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TYPE OF HIGH-LEVEL PRODUCT SHOULD CONTROL THE WHOLE SUPPLY CHAIN, INCLUDING THE AVERAGE PRICE PRODUCTS, AND THIS LED US TO MAKE NEW INDUSTRIES TO GET TO OFFER MORE AND MORE REFINED PRODUCTS. TO ACHIEVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE WOOD MARKET IT IS NECESSARY TO CONTROL THE PRODUCT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE».

IN ORDER TO REPRESENT THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN? «AN INTEGRATED SUPPLY CHAIN INTENDED AS A SEQUENCE OF PROCESSES CARRIED OUT IN SUCCESSION IN ORDER TO TRANSFORM THE RAW MATERIAL INTO A FINISHED PRODUCT, SO AS TO COMPRESS INTERMEDIATE COSTS. THEN OBTAIN CONTROL OF THE RAW MATERIAL, AND THIS WAS DONE PRIMARILY THROUGH THE ARTIFICIAL CURING PLANTS THAT LED TO THE INTRODUCTION

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OF A NEW IMPORTANT PHASE FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MATERIAL AND THEN INCREASINGLY SUBORDINATING THE PRODUCTION LOGIC TO THE NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY , ADDING TO THE PRODUCTION OF TRADITIONAL PLANKS THAT OF TRIMMED AND SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS WITH CERTAIN COSTS AND DEFINED FOR THOSE WHO USE THEM».

WHAT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WILL THE FLORIAN WOOD HAVE? «MY VISION OF THE FUTURE SEES A WOOD MARKET INCREASINGLY ORIENTED TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED SUPPLY CHAIN SYSTEM, THEREFORE AN AUTONOMOUSLY ORGANIZED SYSTEM ABLE TO GUARANTEE A C O N STANT QUALITY.

THOSE WHO HAVE OPENED UP TO THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF THE MARKETS HAVE MADE A VERY IMPORTANT CHOICE, THEY HAVE FREED THEMSELVES FROM THE LOCAL MARKET, BUT TO DO THIS ONE MUST GO TO THE SOURCE OF THE RAW MATERIAL. THEN WITH A LITTLE ITALIAN STYLE, A LITTLE ENGINEERING AND A LITTLE SALT AND PEPPER, A GOOD THING CAN COME OUT».

DOES TURNING THE RAW MATERIAL ON SITE MEAN GIVING WORK TO MANY PEOPLE? «WITH SEVENTEEN PLANTS THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND A THOUSAND EMPLOYEES WE ARE A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR MANY COMPANIES TODAY».

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• GILARDI LEGNAMI WWW.GILARDILEGNAMI.COM THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS OF NANTES WITH THE PRESENCE OF ELIANA GILARDI SHOWS THAT THE SECTOR IS NO LONGER THE EXCLUSIVITY OF MEN ALONE. WITH HER WE TALK ABOUT HOW THE FAMILY BUSINESS HAS DIVERSIFIED ITS PRODUCTION OVER THE YEARS.

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«GILARDI WAS FOUNDED IN 1970 AS A SAWMILL AND WHEN I ENTERED THE THIRD GENERATION, I STARTED THE PRODUCTION OF SEMI-FINISHED WOOD PRODUCTS BY MAKING GLUED PROFILES, IN PARALLEL WITH THE SAWMILL ACTIVITY. THEN WE DECIDED TO CLOSE THE SAWMILL FOR MARKET REASONS AND WE FOCUSED ONLY ON THE GLUING AND PRODUCTION OF LAMEL PROFILES, ALL THIS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS».

WHAT IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE? «WITH OUR PRODUCTS WE TURN TO DOOR AND WINDOW MANUFACTURERS».

WHAT FUTURE DO YOU SEE FOR WOOD IN THE WINDOW SECTOR? «THERE HAS BEEN A PERIOD OF WOOD CRISIS DUE TO THE INTRODUCTION OF

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PVC WHICH STILL OCCUPIES A LARGE PART OF THE MARKET, BUT TODAY THINGS ARE CHANGING: THERE IS A RECOVERY IN THE WOOD FIELD. WOOD RETURNS TO BE REQUIRED IN NICHE AND LUXURY MARKETS, AS A NATURAL AND ABOVE ALL RENEWABLE PRODUCT. ALSO T O D AY, THANKS TO THE DEVELOP-

MENT OF THE PAINTS USED TO PROTECT IT, THE WOOD IS MUCH MORE DURABLE, REQUIRING LITTLE MAINTENANCE. CERTAINLY, THEREFORE, A WOODEN WINDOW IS VERY DURABLE, BUT

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ALSO MANUTENTABLE AND THIS REPRESENTS AN ADDED VALUE».

DO YOU THINK THAT THE WOODEN WINDOW BELONGS TO A NICHE MARKET? «IF WE REFER TO THE PRECIOUS WOODS, YES, COMPARED TO THE NONPRECIOUS ONES, THEY ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE. THE WINDOW LIKE THE ENTRANCE DOOR COMPOSED OF WOOD-ALUMINUM REPRESENT TODAY THE MOST VALUABLE TYPE OF PRODUCT, THEREFORE NICHE. REGARDING THE MONOMATERIC CHOICE, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF WOOD USED, THE SAME PRODUCT CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS A NICHE PRODUCT (FOR EXAMPLE, THE CASE OF ROVERE) OR MASS (PINO AND ABETE FINGER JOINT)».

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ARE USED MAINLY IN THE WINDOW SECTOR? «WE ARE SPECIALIZED IN EXTERNAL DOORS AND WINDOWS, WHERE THE DEMAND IS CHARACTERIZED BY A NICHE MARKET MADE UP OF NOBLE WOODS SUCH AS OAK AND LARCH. IF WE TOUCH THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR, THE LAMINAR OF PINE AND FIR FINGER JOINT IS USED ABOVE ALL».

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT MARKETS CAN BE OPENED FOR NEW WOODS, EVEN FOR PLANTING? "I BELIEVE THAT TODAY THERE MUST BE GREATER RESPECT FOR THE WOODS ALREADY PRESENT, WE SHOULD TRY TO TAKE MORE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT NATURE AND THE PLANET OFFERS US, AND OPTIMIZE IT TO THE FULL».

ON A FREE TERRITORY, THE PLANTATION BRINGS OXYGEN DURING ITS

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GROWTH AND IN FUTURE MANAGEMENT? «IN THIS CASE IT IS CERTAINLY DESIRABLE AND I HOPE IT HAPPENS».

• GIZIA WWW.GIZIA.IT/WWW.LATHO.IT WE CONTINUE OUR TOUR AT THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS IN NANTES WITH THE PURPOSE OF GIVING VOICE TO ALL ITALIAN COMPANIES, AT THE GIZIA STAND, WE WELCOME SAVERIO BASTIANON, SALES MANAGER, WHO EXPLAINS FIRST OF ALL WHICH AREAS REPRESENT THE TWO COMPANIES. «THE TWO SISTER COMPANIES, GIZIA AND LATHO, ARE PART OF THE SAME GIZIA GROUP, ONE DEALING WITH SOLID WOOD, THE OTHER WITH DECORATIVE PANELS AND VENEERED PRODUCTS AND IDENTIFYING TWO DISTINCT BUSINESS CORES. WE THUS OFFER SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS TO COMPONENTS FOR THE FURNITURE

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INDUSTRY, MADE WITH CRAFTSMANSHIP AND A QUALITY THAT DERIVES FROM THE GREAT EXPERIENCE IN THE SUPPLY, TREATMENT AND DRYING OF THE RAW MATERIAL».

IS THIS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS? «NO. WE, IN PARTICULAR, WANT TO FOCUS A LOT ON THE FRENCH MARKET, WE ALREADY HAVE A 90% OPENING ON THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET, WE WORK ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ABROAD, AND THE FRENCH MARKET IS OUR MAIN TARGET IN ADDITION TO GERMANY AND ENGLAND».

WHAT ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS? «WE HAVE MULTIPLE SALES CHANNELS: OUR CUSTOMERS ARE

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MANUFACTURERS, RETAILERS, SMALL CARPENTERS AND ARTISANS. WE RELY ON AGENTS IN THE EUROPEAN MARKET, WHILE IN NON-EUROPEAN MARKETS WE RELY ON RETAILERS WHO EXCLUSIVELY OWN OUR BRAND AND CAN USE IT».

WHICH ARE THE FINAL DESTINATIONS OF YOUR PRODUCTS? «GIZIA IS A COMPANY THAT MAINLY MAKES FURNITURE COMPONENTS. WE HAVE IN THE COMPANY PROFESSIONAL FIGURES, WITH A GREAT EXPERIENCE,

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WHO TAKE CARE OF THE CREATIVE PART. LATHO DESIGN IS THE RESEARCH AND CREATIVE EXPERIMENTATION FIELD OF LATHO THAT COLLABORATES WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT REALITIES OF INTERIOR DESIGN AND MAKES USE OF COLLABORATIONS WITH HIGHLY EXPERIENCED DESIGNERS AND TECHNICIANS; TODAY IT WANTS TO EXPAND ITS BORDERS AND GIVE THE POSSIBILITY TO THE CREATIVES OF THE WHOLE WORLD TO EXPERIMENT THE ENDLESS APPLICATIONS OF OUR PRODUCTS WITH AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT THAT AIMS TO CREATE A REAL DESIGN COMMUNITY».

• INVERNIZZI WWW.INVERNIZZI-SPA.COM WE CONTINUE THE REPORTAGE AT THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS IN NANTES, STOPPING AT THE INVERNIZZI STAND, WHICH BOASTS AN IMPORTANT SPECIALIZATION IN PLYWOOD AND CHIPBOARD OF ITALIAN POPLAR, AND WE TALK ABOUT IT WITH ROBERT V. DI BIASE, EXPORT

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MANAGER, IN THE PRESENCE OF DANIELE BINI WHO REPRESENTS THE ITALIAN SALES AREA. «THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PRODUCT IS TO BE AN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT, OBTAINED FROM POPLAR CLONES, SELECTED OVER TIME

BY CROSSING DIFFERENT TYPES OF

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POPLAR PLANTS AS THEY DO WITH THE VINES. THIS IS WHY, BEING THE RESULT OF A TARGETED SELECTION WITH RESPECT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, THE ITALIAN POPLAR GROWS WELL IN THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF THE PO VALLEY - WE ARE IN THE PROVINCE OF CREMONA - AND IN VERY FEW OTHER AREAS OF THE PLANET. THEN THERE ARE PRODUCERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THAT USE DIFFERENT CLONES, SUITED TO THEIR CLIMATE, BUT WITH DIFFERENT PHYSICAL-TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS BOTH OF THE WOOD AND OF THE TIME OF "MATURATION" OF THE PLANT».

WE TALK ABOUT THE PLANTATIONS OF THE PO VALLEY.

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«THE MOST WIDESPREAD POPLAR CLONE IS THE SO-CALLED" 214 ": IT IS A PLANT THAT HAS BEEN CLONED FOR DECADES. BEING ALL CLONES OF THE SAME FEMALE PLANT, WE MUST IN LARGE MEASURE TO THESE POPLARS THOSE WHITE CLOUDS OF SEEDS THAT WE SEE IN T H E

SPRING SEASON ON THE PO VALLEY. THERE ARE ALSO THE POPLARS THAT GROW FREELY, BUT THE ROWS OF WHITE TREES ALL STRAIGHT THAT MAKE UP THESE POPLAR TREES, PRECISELY THESE CLONES OF POPLARS GROWN, ARE EASILY RECOGNIZABLE. IT IS A WHITE WOOD, LIGHT, SOLID AND OF A CERTAIN RARITY, PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR HIGH-END PRODUCTS, ESPECIALLY IN SECTORS, WHERE WEIGHT AFFECTS».

DOES INVERNIZZI SPECIALIZE IN THIS PRODUCT SINCE ITS DEBUT? «THE ACTIVITY OF THE INVERNIZZI FAMILY BEGAN IN 1875, THANKS TO THE PROGENITOR, LIBERO INVERNIZZI, AND THEN THE SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS CONTINUED TO WORK WOOD, CON-

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STANTLY EVOLVING. THE COMPANY STARTED WITH A SAWMILL, THEN THE FAMILY SPECIALIZED IN MORE ADVANCED WORK, THERE WAS A PERIOD IN WHICH POPLARS WAS MADE EVEN BY BUCKETS ... IN THE SECOND POST-WAR PERIOD, THE PRODUCTION OF PANELS BEGAN, INITIALLY PLYWOOD, IN THE "HISTORICAL" FACTORY OF GUSSOLA; WHICH WAS THEN JOINED BY A CHIPBOARD FACTORY A FEW KILOMETERS AWAY. SUBSEQUENTLY THE TWO REALITIES WERE MERGED TOGETHER AND THE CONSTANT EXPANSION OF THE CURRENT SITE BEGAN, WHERE THERE ARE SEVERAL PRODUCTION LINES. POPLAR PARTICLEBOARD IN PARTICULAR IS PART OF A PHILOSOPHY OF VALUE ADDITION AND RESPECT FOR WOOD AS A RESOURCE, SINCE IT ALLOWS US TO USE THOSE PLYWOOD

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PROCESSING WASTE THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE BURNED BY BIOMASS PLANTS».

ARE THE POPLAR PLANTATIONS CERTIFIED? «THERE IS AMPLE AVAILABILITY OF CERTIFIED WOOD, BUT NEVERTHELESS INADEQUATE CONSIDERING THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A WOOD THAT IS EXCLUSIVELY CULTIVATED, PLANTS THAT ARE CUT AFTER 10-12 YEARS, CONSTITUTING THE MOST RENEWABLE AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT THAT THE MARKET CAN OFFER. UNFORTUNATELY, TRACEABILITY IS LIMITED BY RULES WRITTEN MORE FOR THOSE WHO CUT LARGE PORTIONS OF FOREST THAN FOR SMALL FARMERS, WHO PLANT THE POPLARS IN A LOGIC OF CROP ROTATION LITTLE CONSIDERED BY THE LARGE CERTIFICATION BODIES, WHICH INSTEAD TEND TO CERTIFY THE

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“AREA". IF THE FIXED COSTS OF A CERTIFICATION ARE ADDED, THIS RESULTS IN A PARADOXICAL SITUATION IN WHICH THE CULTIVATED AND RENEWABLE WOOD RESOURCE IS TO BE DISADVANTAGED. IN FACT, THE POPLAR GROVE IS NOT CONSIDERED A NATURAL FOREST AND THE REGULATIONS ASSIMILATE IT TO OTHER AGRICULTURAL CROPS».

IS YOUR CORE BUSINESS MADE UP OF A CLEAN AND TRANSPARENT SUPPLY CHAIN OF THIS FAST GROWING PLANT? «OF COURSE, THE HEART OF WHAT WE PRODUCE IS ALWAYS AND ONLY ITALIAN POPLAR, EVEN IF IN SOME CASES THE PRODUCT IS ENRICHED OR IMPROVED TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY».

HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE

YOUR DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL? «WE SELL TO LARGE IMPORTERS AND INDUSTRIES, WE DO NOT DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE CARPENTER».

AND WITH THE DESIGNERS? «IT IS ANOTHER INTERESTING CHANNEL: AT THIS MOMENT THE GREAT DESIGNERS ARE ASKING US FOR SOME SPECIFIC PRODUCTS, GIVEN THAT THERE ARE NEW FINISHES THAT ARE DECISIVE FOR THE VISIBLE USES OF THE BUILDING, AND ALSO IN THE FURNISHINGS, WHERE THE PLYWOOD REMAINS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN THE REALIZATION OF HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS AND DESIGN».

THE POPLAR I PRESENT IN THE STAND IS USED TO COVER THE INTERNAL WALLS AND THE FALSE CEILINGS OF WOODEN HOUSES: THE PANEL IS PAINTED ON AN INDUSTRIAL LEVEL WITH A WATERBASED PAINT, IT IS NON-TOXIC, RESI-

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STANT TO ULTRAVIOLET RAYS AND AVAILABLE IN DIFFERENT THICKNESSES ACCORDING TO THE ROOM AND THE WALL/CEILING; FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE KITCHEN.

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• LAMEL LEGNO WWW.LAMELLEGNO.IT AT THE STAND OF LAMEL LEGNO AT CARREFOUR DU BOIS WE LISTEN THE ENGINEER UMBERTO SAMMARTINO, CO-OWNER OF THE COMPANY. IT IS NOT NEW TO THIS FAIR, SO IT HAS ALREADY HAD POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE FRENCH MARKET. «WE WORK ENOUGH ON THE FRENCH MARKET. THE FIRST TIME WE PARTICIPATED IN THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS SIXTEEN YEARS AGO AND HAS IMPROVED CONSIDERABLY SINCE THEN. IN MY OPINION IT HAS IMPROVED, SPECIALIZING IN THE WOOD SECTOR AND REMAINING THE REFERENCE FAIR IN EUROPE, WHILE THE OTHER FAIRS DEAL WITH DIFFERENT PRODUCTS IN A MORE TRANSVERSAL WAY. THE TWO-YEAR TIMING IS CORRECT, AS ARE THE VERY CONCENTRATED DAYS.

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EVEN THE CITY IS LIVABLE AND MOVES WELL».

HOW HAS LAMEL LEGNO EVOLVED IN THESE YEARS? «LAMEL LEGNO HAS ADAPTED SOMEWHAT TO MARKET DEMANDS, COMPARED TO BEFORE, TO TIMES WHEN

WOOD WAS LESS" DEFINED ". THE SERVICE HAS CHANGED, THE QUALITY HAS CHANGED, OUR MARKET HAS EXPANDED IN SOME AREAS AND HAS BEEN REDUCED TO OTHERS. THE INTERNAL MARKET HAS BEEN REDUCED FOR VARIOUS REASONS: CYCLICAL, RELATED TO PAYMENTS AND CREDIT CERTAINTY. FOR THIS REASON WE PREFER FOREIGN MARKETS WITH GREATER DEMANDS FOR QUALITY

BUT ALSO WITH GREATER CERTAINTIES IN PAYMENTS».

THE COMPANY BUDGET MUST BE PROTECTED AND THE ABILITY TO LISTEN TO THE MARKET TOGETHER. «WE WERE BORN AS A COMPANY THAT PRODUCED MORE PROFILES AND FEWER PANELS, CURRENTLY THE MARKET HAS CHANGED AND THE SITUATION IN FAVOR OF THE PANELS HAS CLEARLY BEEN REVERSED. SO WE HAVE ENHANCED THE APPEARANCE OF SOLID WOOD PANELING, DOING RESEARCH ON RAW MATERIAL AND PROCESSING. ALSO OFFERING ALL THE CERTIFICATIONS THAT CONCRETELY MEASURE THE QUALITY OF A COMPANY: FSC, ISO 9001, PEFC AND CATAS».

DOES A WIDER REFERENCE MARKET HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRODUCTION TOO?

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«OF COURSE, CHANGING THE PRODUCT ACCORDING TO THE COUNTRIES, THE QUALITIES OF WOOD CAN CHANGE».

IS IT MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND THE RAW MATERIAL TODAY? «SURELY IT IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, IT IS ALSO A PROBLEM OF REGULATION, BUT THE RAW MATERIAL IS NOT LACKING, VALUING MORE THE LOCAL ONE. THE WOOD CHAIN IN REALITY NEEDS LARGE TRUNKS NOT OF SMALL LOGS: THE CORRECT OPERATOR, WHEN HE ENTERS THE WOOD, DOES NOT DESTROY, BUT CHOOSES PLANTS OF A CERTAIN DIAMETER, IN ORDER TO ALLOW, CUT THE BIG ONES, TO THE OTHERS TO GROW».

UNFORTUNATELY, THESE METHODS OF APPROACH TO THE FOREST RESOURCE ARE NOT YET IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. «IT IS CERTAINLY NOT DUE TO US THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FORESTS THAT ARE AS

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OUR FACTORIES FOR US. THERE IS THE MAGNIFICENT COMMUNITY OF THE VAL DI FIEMME, WHERE THE WHOLE SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPS, WHICH IS A VIRTUOUS EXAMPLE».

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE WOOD WINDOW SECTOR IN PERSPECTIVE? «THERE WILL BE A CHANGE OF TREND ALSO IN TERMS OF USE OF WOOD PROFILES, BECAUSE MANY LARGE COMPANIES ARE CONVERTING PVC PLANTS BACK TO WOOD. IN FRANCE IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF FIRE SAFETY CERTIFICATION FOR BUILDINGS THAT HAVE PVC FRAMES AND THEREFORE MANY LARGE MANUFACTURERS ARE REPLACING LINES DEDICATED TO PVC WITH LINES T H A T

WORK LAMINATED WOOD. THIS IS A SPEECH THAT I UNDERSTAND TECHNICALLY AND FROM AN ENTREPRENEURIAL POINT OF VIEW I HOPE IT WILL COME TRUE».

IN GENERAL, ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS TO WOOD CREATE STRONG CONTRASTS IN THIS SECTOR, BUT CERTAINLY THE REGULATORY SYSTEM IS BECOMING MUCH MORE STRONG WITH THE NEW OBJECTIVES SET TO THE SECTOR AT THE REGULATORY LEVEL BY LEGISLATIVE DECREE 106/2017 AND THE GUIDE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF "FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR FACADES IN CIVIL BUILDINGS" OF 2010.

«THE FIREFIGHTING THEME IS OF MORE IMMEDIATE IMPACT. PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTAND THE RISK. THIS ALSO INVOLVES A COMMERCIAL ASPECT FOR THOSE WHO SELL THE BUILDING».

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• PIAROTTOLEGNO WWW.PIAROTTOLEGNO.IT AT PIAROTTOLEGNO'S BOOTH I WAS WELCOMED BY MICAELA NEGRIN, PIAROTTOLEGNO'S EXPORT SALES, AND I MET ELISABETTA PIAROTTO, PIAROTTOLEGNO'S DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION. YOU SAID SOMETHING INTERESTING, COMPARED TO THE CHOICE - IN FRONT

OF WHICH BEFORE OR AFTER YOU FIND ANY COMPANY - BETWEEN DIVERSIFICATION AND PRODUCT SPECIALIZATION. «DIVERSIFICATION IS AT THE SAME TIME AN ATTRACTIVE ADVENTURE, A COMPLEX AND RISKY OPERATION AND AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY. FOR US IT IS A CHALLENGE BETWEEN THE CHALLENGES AND BECAUSE IT IS SUCCESSFUL IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE COMPANY KNOWS HOW TO BE COMPETITIVE IN EACH OF ITS BUSINESSES, BUT IN ADDITION IT MUST KNOW HOW TO ADD FURTHER VALUE IN ADDRESSING MORE BUSINESS IN THAT PARTICULAR "FAMILY" THAT IS THE STRATEGIC PORTFOLIO OF PRODUCTS. TO DATE, THE BUSINESS OF PIAROTTOLEGNO IS DIVIDED INTO PRECISE BUSINESS STRATEGIC AREAS (ASA), WITH A RANGE OF PRO-

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DUCTS THAT HAS CONSOLIDATED IN THE MARKET WITH A STRONG QUALITY CHARACTERIZATION: TEXWOOD, TEXDODA, TEXWINDOW, TEXPLUS, TEXLUCE. AND IN THESE AREAS OUR GOAL IS CONTINUOUS INNOVATION».

HOW DO YOU MAKE HIGH QUALITY AND ABOVE ALL TO COMMUNICATE IT? « I N ORDER TO MAKE

QUALITY IT IS ESSENTIAL TO FOLLOW TWO PATHS: THE FIRST IS THE SEARCH FOR THE BEST RAW MATERIAL AND ITS SELECTION. WE WORK ON REAL SOLID WOOD. THE SECOND IS THE USE OF INCREASINGLY INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR PRODUCTION. AS FOR THE COMMUNICATION OF QUALITY, WE HAVE CONTINUOUS CONTACT WITH OUR CUSTOMERS, WHICH ARE OUR STRONG POINT, WHICH CONFIRM OUR HIGH LEVEL OF QUALITY. I REMEMBER THEN THAT WE HAVE A SHOW ROOM WHERE OUR BEST PRODUCTS ARE EXPOSED WITH THEIR POSSIBLE USE».

SHE FIRST MENTIONED A CONTINUOUS INNOVATION.

«WE ARE WORKING HARD ON THIS FIELD AND AIM TO BE MORE AND MORE PLAYERS IN THE MARKET IN THE COMING YEARS».

IN WHICH AREAS ARE YOUR SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS MOST USED AND WHAT IS THEIR MAIN MARKET? «OUR PANELS ARE USED ABOVE ALL FOR KITCHEN TOPS OR SECOND-HAND FOR FURNITURE. ON THE ITALIAN MARKET ARE THE HIGH-END KITCHEN MANUFACTURERS TO USE SOLID WOOD, WHILE FOR THE FOREIGN MARKET THERE ARE IMPORTANT DISTRIBUTION CHAINS THAT SELL OUR PRODUCT TO INDIVIDUALS WHO IN TURN MOUNT THEM BY THEMSELVES. IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT, MORE ECOLOGICAL CULTURE. IN PIAROTTOLEGNO, MOREOVER, THE EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT, THE GREAT EXPERIENCE IN GLUING, THE EXPANSION OF

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SPACES AND WORKERS HAS ALSO ALLOWED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRODUCTION OF THREE-LAYER GLULAM PROFILES FOR THE WINDOW AND DOOR INDUSTRY, SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR EXTERNAL PROFILES. THE EASE OF USE OF THE TEXWINDOW AND THE HUGE COST SAVINGS MAKE THIS PRODUCT IRREPLACEABLE. IN GENERAL OUR PRODUCTS ARE DISTRIBUTED ALL OVER THE WORLD, BUT WE ARE ALSO STUDYING OTHER USES AND NEW MARKETS FOR OUR PRODUCTS».

AND WHAT ABOUT THE RAW MATERIAL? «70% OF RAW MATERIALS COME FROM SOURCES MANAGED BY PIAROTTOLEGNO. OUR SUPPLY CHAIN IS FSC CERTIFIED, FOR US AN ADDED VALUE, TOGETHER WITH THE FACT OF HAVING A GREAT VARIETY OF STANDARD PRODUCTS

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IN STOCK, AVAILABLE IN FOUR THICKNESSES WITH WIDE STAVE OR NARROW STAVE».

THE DIFFERENT TRENDS THAT DETERMINED THE CHOICE OF NARROW OR WIDE STAVES, ACCORDING TO THE COUNTRIES AND THE MOMENTS, I THINK IS CONDITIONED BY THE DESIGN. «WE ARE PROUD TO BE ADMIRED AS THE ARCHITECTS OF A MARKET THAT IS ATTENTIVE TO THE DESIGN OF WOODEN INTERIORS AND AS" SUPPLIERS "OF ITALIAN STYLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE NATURAL DESIGN OF WOOD SEEMS TO US THE MOST CONVINCING AND ITS BEAUTY DERIVES FROM THE USE OF HIGH QUAL I T Y WOOD T O C R E AT E

PRODUCTS OF REMARKABLE STABILITY, DURABILITY AND EASY WORKABILITY».

• VIGOLUNGO WWW.VIGOLUNGO.COM WITH ANOTHER WOMAN, VERA VIGOLUNGO, WE CLOSE THE CIRCLE OF INTERVIEWS TO THE CARREFOUR DU BOIS 2018. VIGOLUNGO EXHIBITS IN NANTES FOR THE SECOND TIME AND AT THEIR

STAND WE TALK ABOUT PLYWOOD AND MULTILAYERS. «I’M AN OWNER OF THE FIRM TOGETHER WITH MY BROTHERS, WITH WHOM I REPRESENT THE FIFTH GENERATION. I PERSONALLY TAKE CARE OF THE FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL AREA. THERE ARE FEW COMPANIES LEFT ON THE ITALIAN MARKET TO PRODUCE POPLAR PLYWOOD, BUT WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN THIS PRODUCT THAT HAS GAINED VALUE IN RECENT YEARS, AND ABOVE ALL ABROAD GROWTH HAS BEEN CONSTANT SINCE 2013. FOR THE SECOND YEAR WE ARE PRESENT AT CARREFOUR DU BOIS IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR FRENCH AGENTS, AND WE ARE PLEASED TO SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF EUROPEAN AND NON-EU VISITORS».

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A DIVERSIFICATION OF THE MARKET BUT NOT OF A PRODUCT? «IN REALITY OUR BUSINESS STRATEGY LED TO AN EVOLUTION IN BOTH AREAS: THE MARKET BECAUSE WE HAVE TURNED A LOT MORE ABROAD THAN IN THE PAST, AND OF PRODUCT BECAUSE WITH THE SUPPORT OF PIOPPO, WHICH IS OUR CORE BUSINESS, TODAY WE PRODUCE

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PANELS COVERED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF MATERIALS. THE EVOLUTION OF THE MARKET LEADS US MORE AND MORE TO "DRESS" OUR PRODUCT».

DOES POPLAR PLANTATION NOT SET LIMITS ON AVAILABILITY? «UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE LIMITS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS PERIOD THAT IS PROVING A LITTLE 'MORE COMPLICATED THAN IN THE PAST REGARDING THE SUPPLY OF RAW MATERIAL. HOWEVER, THE COMPANY IS ORGANIZING ITSELF TO COPE WITH THIS SITUATION AND THE TRUST PLACED IN THE PANEL PRODUCED WITH THIS WOOD SPECIES REMAINS HIGH».

WHAT DOES THE VIGOLUNGO BRAND BRING WITH IT? « I T BRINGS

WITH IT THE" MADE IN ITALY IN MANY SECTORS SUCH AS THE AUTOMOTIVE, THE "DO-IT-YOURSELF", THE CONSTRUCTIONS AND THE BUILDING, THE FURNITURE AND THE DESIGN, THE NAUTICAL INDUSTRY, THE PACKAGING, THE FAIRS AND SHOPS. THE STRENGTH THAT ALLOWS THE COMPANY TO RENEW ITS PRODUCTS, UPDATE THE PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES AND REFINE THE MARKETING METHODS, BORN FROM THE PASSION FOR TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN WHICH WE HAVE ALWAYS INVESTED. WE HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETED OUR NEW PRODUCTION FACILITY, WHICH IS NOW OPERATIONAL AT ALL STAGES OF PROCESSING, ENSURING EFFICIENCY AND MAXIMUM PRODUCTION CAPACITY».

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Via Valla, 16 - 20141 Milano Italia telefono +39/02 84173130 telefono +39/02 84173121 (marketing) fax +39/02 42101945 amministrazione@webandmagazine.com redazione@webandmagazine.com advertising@webandmagazine.com registro degli operatori di comunicazione - roc 23567 www.webandmagazine.com www.webandmagazine.media editor in chief pietro giovanni ferrari redazione@webandmagazine.com edited by Pietro ferrari I nomi, le ditte e i prodotti citati redazionalmente sono pubblicati senza responsabilità dell’editore; testi e fotografie, anche se non pubblicati, non vengono restituiti Names, firms and products wich are quoted editorially are published without publisher’s responsability; texts and photos, altough unpublished, are not returned Informativa Ex D. Lgs.196/03 – webandmagazine s.r.l., titolare del trattamento tratta i dati personali liberamente conferiti per fornire i servizi indicati. Per i diritti di cui all'art. 7 del D. Lgs n. 196/03 e per l'elenco di tutti i Responsabili del trattamento rivolgersi al Responsabile del trattamento, info@webandmagazine.com.I dati potranno essere trattati da incaricati preposti agli abbonamenti, al marketing, all'amministrazione e potranno essere comunicati a società esterne per la spedizione del periodico e per l'invio di materiale promozionale.

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