18 minute read
Review Carrefour International du Bois (F
20% MORE VISITORS THAN FOR THE LAST EDITION BEFORE THE PANDEMIC (2018)
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Isabelle Polfliet (Vandecasteele Houtimport - B)
‘Carrefour International du Bois was a great success and confirmed the attraction of wood.’
Vandecasteele Houtimport, based in Aalbeke – Belgium, sounds quite familiar to anyone who is involved in the wood industry. You can say the name has a ring of excellence to it.
The family business, founded in 1883 by Louis Vandecasteele, is now led by the fourth and fifth generations (Stefaan & Louis Vandecasteele) and has established a reputation as well in Belgium and abroad as a leading supplier of hardwood from Africa, South-East Asia, and South America, plus Scandinavian softwood, North American soft and hardwood, and European hardwood.
A company like Vandecasteele simply could not afford to miss the latest Carrefour International Wood Show in Nantes. After an interruption due to the covid pandemic, everyone was yearning for the opportunity to meet clients and suppliers in person. Isabelle Polfliet tells us: ‘We were craving a new Carrefour and it was very clear that we weren’t the only ones. "
The Carrefour International Du Bois exhibition in Nantes was a great success for Vandecasteele. The number of visitors who popped by was amazing and the quality was second to none, and with exhibitors coming from near and far, the event was a true international mix. The Timber show is one of the best timber showcases in Europe, and the 4-year gap between the last show and now made the atmosphere even better – definitely well worth waiting for.
There were times when our stand was overlowed with visitors. After the interruption caused by the Covid pandemic, everyone was eagerly looking forward to finally meeting their customers and suppliers again.
Striving for 100% certified wood
At the stand, amongst other things, Vandecasteele presented its extensive range of sawn wood with over 130 different species from all over the world, including several species suitable for parquet floors. Furthermore, there was a broad range of finished garden wood products on display. They highlighted how they not only import timber from all over the world, but also how they purchase timber in a responsible way.
‘The most important message we must remember after Nantes is that wood still proved to be a viable raw material and this even more so than it was in the past. Though it may be an ‘old’ product, but it fits in very well with the climate narrative.’ It’s a completely renewable building raw material that is 100% recyclable and still retains the absorbed CO², even as a finished product.
Own audits with suppliers
‘Obviously, checks are necessary in order to show that this is all true. That’s why we’re fully committed to using only certified wood; we’re not quite there yet, but we are striving to achieve this by 2025. It’s been a few years now since we have employed our own forest engineer, who audits our Brazilian suppliers and their harvesting projects on site. At present, there is also an audit in progress of a partner in Congo. One of the purposes here is to make the public more aware that it is important to use tropical wood. Sustainable forest management is the key to guarantee the safeguarding of the forests’ future, everywhere in the world. Indeed, if the forest generates income for the local population, the forest will remain forever. This ensures the ongoing existence of the forest, so it won’t be used for something else (cattle, agriculture, mining, and other land use). In our case we can say that we are assuring future generations that their tropical forest will be preserved by using only certified timber.’
Apart from Carrefour, we also asked about the immediate future of Vandecasteele Houtimport. They certainly do have plans: ‘Not only are we striving to get our wide range of wood species fully certified, but also we’ve invested in a new client portal where our customers can log in to our stocks and order on-line, we also guarantee a swift delivery.’
Choose life, Choose wood
They are clear about their participation at trade fairs in the near future. Next year in April they plan to take part in Bau in Munich. They will also be present in Nantes again: ‘Both shows are top class, so we simply must attend. Those two appointments are important to us because they generate a lot of face-to-face contacts in a short space of time.’
We all had a long wait for the next edition of the Carrefour International Wood Show in Nantes. Due to the pandemic we’d waited four years for the next show, which took place early in June. At the show there was a clear hunger for renewed physical contact. On Friday 3 June, organiser Fibois Pays de la Loire closed the show after a three-day event with no fewer than 20% more visitors than last time.
The organisers have announced that this year they welcomed no fewer than 607 exhibitors, a figure which considerably exceeds the 563 in 2018. These wood professionals came from about 40 different countries and welcomed over 14,000 visitors to their stands, an increase of 20% as compared to 2018. Moreover, it was also noticeable that there were lots of visitors from abroad, also more than last time. And so, the sixteenth Carrefour International Wood Show certainly lived up to its advanced promises and confirmed itself as one of the major international events for the entire wood industry.
Special in three respects
Jean Piveteau, brand new chairman of the show, expressed his delight after the event: ‘This edition was exceptional in three respects. Firstly, you had the record number of exhibitors, supported subsequently by an increase in the number of visitors. Obviously, we’re delighted with an increase of over 20%! More surprising, however, is the observation that the wood industry is now so much more professional and that it bears no resemblance at all to what it was 30 years ago when the very first Carrefour International Wood Show was organised.’
‘This edition also exceeded the previous one with regard to the enthusiasm of both exhibitors and visitors. Everyone was clearly excited to be together again after such a long period of absence,’ Jean Bureau adds, chairman of Fibois Pays de la Loire. ‘We concluded the show under very promising circumstances. We encountered a euphoric wood market and a market which is responding explicitly to the ecological aspects of wood, particularly for the future.’
Exhibitors confirm positive sounds
The exhibitors agreed wholeheartedly with the organisers’ enthusiastic comments. A good example of that was the local company MDP Finition, an SME from Nantes which took part for the first time. MDF Finition is a subsidiary company of the MDF Group and concentrates on varnishes.
Photo © Dieter Dejonghe
2,500 m3 certifi ed European Oak prompt available
Prompt delivery Furniture, fl ooring & parquet industry
Using timber is good Using certifi ed timber is wonderful
Contact
Bergstraat 25 8511 Aalbeke België vandecasteele.be genevieve@vandecasteele.be +32 56 43 33 00 dave@vandecasteele.be +44 15 94 83 43 32
‘Obviously, we were looking for new clients to enable us to extend our activities,’ says Jacky Bourgeais, finishing manager at MDP Finishing. ‘We’re delighted with the results of our meetings and, in particular, with the quality of those contacts. Various factors mean that we’ve already decided to reserve a prominent place at the next edition.’
We heard a similar reaction from the Spanish company Siero Lam, which took part for the fifth time. Alexandre Flambard, manager of international corporate development with this company which specialises in the first and second transformation of wood from its own forests, responded very positively: ‘We’re a regular client at this unique business event in Europe and we take part mainly to attract clients. Moreover, we felt that this edition had a special tint because we could finally renew our contacts with our clients. In just three days, we reached huge numbers of people, for whom we were able to give product demonstrations face-to-face.’
A few more exhibitors have their say
ADMONTER HOLZINDUSTRIE AG
ADMONTER HOLZINDUSTRIE AG is an international company with approximately 280 employees and an annual turnover of 69 million euros (2021) that manufactures natural wood products for interior design and decoration. All products are 100% made in Austria. Simply timeless, Admonter products are the first choice. The advantages of natural wood last for a very long time: ADMONTER offers wood from sustainable forestry, hand-tested quality workmanship and a timeless design, which creates atmosphere in all circumstances. Timeless natural wood products are of particular interest to architects, designers, property developers and retailers of natural wood products. Admonter offers a concept, all from a single source, for all kind of interior applications. The wood is very versatile and is used indoors as wood flooring, wall and ceiling coverings, furniture, doors, stairs, tables and even kitchen fronts. Thanks to the use in all these sectors, entire room concepts in wood can be created according to the wishes of the customer. Admonter exhibited for the first time at the “Carrefour International du Bois” fair in 2022. The need for interior design solutions in wood is enormous. Discussions with customers and potential new customers at the show made this clear.
Bjelin
Bjelin exhibited at Carrefour International du Bois among many renowned exhibitors from all over the world This year's Carrefour International du Bois fair gave us the opportunity to show our dedicated work. It gave us a good insight into the latest trends in the wood industry, our customer needs, and expectations. This was the first time we exhibited there, but certainly not the last! Our goal is to offer a product, which along with the quality ensures durability and longevity. We have presented our innovative Hardened Wood Woodura® wooden floors with a genuine wooden feel that is several times stronger than other wooden floors and utilizes renewable raw materials in an optimal way. Hardened Wood floors are suitable for almost all rooms in homes or commercial areas that are exposed to normal wear (offices, waiting rooms, shops). We are always open to new cooperation, and new projects. If you didn’t have the opportunity to visit us at the fair, you can contact us at any time. Please send an e-mail to: info@bjelin.hr, spacva@bjelin.hr.
Bona France
BONA France took part in the Carrefour International Wood Show 2022. The BONA France team were delighted with the excellent turnout at this year’s event. Visitors had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with new products from Bona, such as the ‘Bona box’, which is used to store accessories for the Bona Flexisand sanding machine. This is an innovation which saves time when using the machine and prevents damage to the tool. At the same time it was an opportunity to present the Bona adhesive assortment, which is suitable for all sorts of surfaces and situations. There was also the launch of the new Bona Traffic HD Raw lacquer, which offers the raw feel of parquet with an ultra-matt look. Julien Josse, sales director at Bona France comments. ‘We had a lot of very good feedback from visitors at our stand and we’re delighted with the meetings which we had at the show. We’re planning to take up a top position for the next edition! We’d like to register now for 2024!’
Denderwood
For this 2022 edition, Denderwood was present at the CIB of Nantes. This year, the JAVA TEAK range was highlighted with in particular the 3D wall and the shipdeck flooring with black Sika rubber. Other products are appearing such as exotic wooden tiles for raised floors. New species that have been “tested” for about 12 months have been introduced and will be launched in September this year. As usual, Denderwood continues to promote PADOUK, which it has been importing for thirty years. Convinced by the advantages of this specie, you can find different products at the importer place: decking, cladding, paneling, flooring and laminated scantling. Denderwood continues its supplies on a regular basis of rough sawn timbers and 3-ply KKK & DKD. Those who are open to new ideas have found solutions or alternatives in the various products. For those who have not had the opportunity to visit the fair, no problem! Contact us at info@denderwood.com.
Design Parquet
June 1st marked the opening of the Carrefour International du Bois 2022, a show that had been cancelled for the past two years. On this occasion, many professionals from the sector came to the show and took the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations and developments in the wood industry. The French and international teams of Design Parquet were able to welcome numerous business
Wide planks in
Hardened wood
Hardened oak VISTORP
VISTORP is a hardened oak floor in the select sorting finished with a white matt lacquered surface.
See the entire collection of colors at
www.bjelin.com
partners, establish new contacts and discuss the wood market and its current problems. Design Parquet was also able to present several new products, such as Rivoli (brushed, distressed and matt varnished) and Bastille (brushed, stained and matt varnished), chevron parquets with character and authenticity. The fair was an opportunity to highlight the revival of exotic wood floors, such as Wenge, Jatoba and Teak. Exotic species that are also found in the Navylam+ range, which has been specially developed for wet areas such as bathrooms. An offer for floor parquet without limits of solutions So as to meet all comfort constraints in homes and places open to the public (high resistance, laying on heating /cooling floors), Design Parquet is able to present: solid support, semi-solid Loft Pro (multilayer support in birch plywood that combines the durability of solid wood with the great stability of engineered). The parquet floors are available in many aspects: old fashioned, structured, band saw marks light or strong, heavy brushed, with or without bevels. At Design Parquet, the floors are adorned with natural varnished, oiled finishes, Roc varnish for heavy traffic, or decorative design colors (white, grey and brown). With its unique collection for the bathroom and in particular its Navylam+ range, Design Parquet is a benchmark brand in the floor parquet. Design Parquet, customized excellence The ultra-modern production tool guarantees it an almost unique specificity on the market: its ability to offer bespoke panels (Versailles, Chantilly, Wagram, Chambord, Aremberg, etc.) and customizable, with more than one million combinations. In 25 years, its innovative positioning has enabled it to become a key player on the French market and to develop internationally. Lamett
Lamett looks back with satisfaction on its presence at Carrefour International du Bois. The rustic wood collection Cottage 300 was in the spotlight. These planks have a length of up to 2.2 m in combination with a width of 30 cm, resulting in an impressive floor! The showpiece however was the new Nakuru collection, the quietest floor on the floating vinyl floor market. This Parquetvinyl collection easily reduces noise transmission by 21 dB ΔLw and 10 dB ΔLlin. It therefore meets the most stringent acoustic standards that apply to the project market in the Netherlands, and therefore the European standard too. It is ideal for projects with neighbours everywhere, but equally for anyone who loves peace and quiet. Parquetvinyl unites lots of assets such as 100% watertightness, a sublime wood look and structure, low maintenance,
© Marc Roger
shock resistance, etc. The result is a qualitative top floor and that's what the visitors also thought!
MEISTER
Herringbone, water-resistance and innovative ultra matt lacquer: MEISTER present their new Lindura range at the Carrefour International du Bois. The resource-efficient Lindura château planks are now impregnated with AquaStop edge impregnating agent, making them waterresistant for 24 hours and suitable for humid rooms. An innovative ultra matt lacquer provides greatly enhanced stain-resistance and high resistance to micro-scratches. Lindura’s signature Wood Powder is now lighter and more harmonious with the wood surfaces to result in an extremely natural overall look. In addition to the two château plank formats, an elegant new herringbone format (700 x 140 mm) has been launched in eight ultra-matt-lacquered surfaces. Design flooring MeisterDesign. rigid: with integrated soundabsorbing cushion The waterproof rigid core flooring range from MEISTER is now available in 36 variants. The rigid core floors, are characterised by high stability and brilliant decors, and – like all other MEISTER floors – are made in Germany.
PLASTOR
Our commitments, your successes PLASTOR, specialist in the protection and decoration of wood floors
Custom-made
LOFT PRO
C
M
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CM
MJ
CJ
CMJ
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OAK PRIME-BIS PARQUET
Chevron Laying Finishing : Natura oil Section : 16 x 90 x 600 mm
Tongue & groove - 4 bevels Semi-solid parquet with birch plywood base www.designparquet.com
for more than 60 years, was present at the International Carrefour International du Bois trade show from June 1 to 3 in Nantes! Thanks to its great technical expertise, the brand provides a dedicated sales force to provide professionals with all the necessary support and never stops meeting its partners and applicators. The PLASTOR team is delighted to have met with you during these three days, and would like to thank the many visitors for these friendly, quality exchanges. For more information, please visit our website: www.plastor.com. See you soon on a next exhibition ! The PLASTOR team
SOBOPLAC
Successful Carrefour International du Bois for SOBOPLAC It was a real pleasure to meet each other again for this 2022 edition after four years of absence and restrictions. The general sphere was good, with a real dynamism and positive spirit, despite the problems and uncertainties in the past and future. This was a dynamic edition full of optimism. For Soboplac, this show provided an opportunity to meet lots of clients and prospective clients, plus colleagues and partners, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. To be precise, it was a chance to present their new products, especially the recently launched Panelio line wall cladding with wooden strip effects, which was a great success. The Panelio range, available in four collections with three references per collection, offers a range of 12 decors, all in a wood strip spirit with the nicest effect. They also presented the new INTENDANCE XL range with hard vinyl planks. This is a collection of four very realistic products with a finely processed synchronous effect for a very realistic effect. The long and wide planks make it possible to offer high-quality products with a distressed effect which will charm wood lovers. These products will be available from July and will be complemented at the end of the year with new collections of hard vinyl to complete the series of options for their clients. Finally, they were able to present their new parquet products, their lacquered look of raw wood in Hungarian point and herringbone composite wood, as well as the extension of their O'tantik range, with even more refined products and wider strips in 220mm width with the O'tantik Premium range. They are looking forward to the next edition and the opportunity to see everyone again.
THE ULTIMATE INVISIBLE FINISH
Välinge
BEST SOLD PRODUCT for a natural finish
35% BIO-BASED CONTENT SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS ULTRA MATT APPEARANCE
EXCELLENT STAIN & SCRATCH RESISTANCE
For Välinge Flooring, this first participation at the Carrefour International du Bois was an opportunity to measure the impact of the brand on French territory. Little known for the moment, or at least more known for its licenses than its flooring, the presentation of the Välinge Flooring collections was a real success. Not a moment of respite during the show which was punctuated by visitors from all over France and around the world – from our European neighbors to Africa or Oceania. David Sarcinella, General Manager France and Thomas Hamelin, Regional Sales Manager were present during the show and were supported by Simon Darbyshire, General Manager UK and Andreas Nilsson, Key Account Manager Europe. The team was very satisfied with the attendance, whether from a quantitative or qualitative point of view. A first participation that predicts many upcoming meetings and promotes an acceleration of the development of the brand in France, the next edition is also already validated with even greater ambitions. The floor coverings presented and above all the technologies such as Woodura®, the concept of surface densification based on wood powders, the 5G®Dry™ technology resistant to water 24H or the latest concept of indoor air purification Hygienius™ were all appreciated at their fair values. For sure, an edition that will go down in history and portends a bright future for Välinge Flooring.
