Special Top German companies focused on export

FLEXIBLE FLOORS ARE DOING WELL

CARPET AND WOODEN FLOORS ARE IN DECLINE DUE TO AGEING

Patrick Welscheit (Export manager Küberit)

"Commitment to accelerated transition to sustainable production is bearing fruit"

If you talk about profiles among flooring professionals, there is a good chance that the first name that comes up is that of the German company Küberit. And that is not surprising. This company, founded 159 years ago and headquartered in Lüdenscheid, has been the market leader in profile solutions for floor and wall coverings for decades. In other words, it is a more than suitable discussion partner for what is currently going on in the German flooring market (and beyond).

Küberit is currently the market leader in the production of aluminium profiles for textile and resilient floor coverings and profile systems for all hard floor coverings such as laminate, prefinished parquet and solid wood flooring. Küberit concentrated on the materials aluminium, brass and stainless steel. After the European market leaders for laminate, wooden flooring and resilient coverings became customers, Küberit had already made a name for itself as a supplier to the flooring industry by 1990.

Pandemic caused boom

With Patrick Welscheit we talk about how Küberit is now positioning itself in the German - and by extension European and global - market. The opening question was an obvious one: how did the company, which exports to more than 60 countries, wriggle its way through the Covid pandemic?

"I shouldn't say it out loud, but the pandemic was a very successful period for us," he responds. "That is not surprising. Suddenly, a lot of people were sitting at home and renovating. It meant that demand literally boomed." "What we are now noticing, however, is that there is a downturn in terms of floor sales here in Germany and also beyond. We are also expecting a bit less orders in the coming weeks and months, but I don't think this will have a big impact on our results. In any case, we expect the balance will be better by the end of the year. Although you never know, of course..."

Dealing with raw materials

So the war in Ukraine and the accompanying soaring energy prices did not have a negative effect on Küberit? "No, not really, especially not in the area of raw materials. As Küberit we not only have a large stock, but we work almost exclusively with European suppliers, so we have few problems, even with aluminium. The recent extreme increases in raw material prices have caused us problems and we have had to pass these on in the form of a price increase, like all other manufacturers.”

"Our customers who work with wood face much bigger problems, because this material comes in large quantities from Russia and Ukraine. I have already heard producers claim that parquet will become a real luxury product and I am not surprised. Even laminates are affected.”

Energy prices also do not appear to have as great an impact for Küberit as they do for many other manufacturers. This is partly due to a far-reaching programme, which focuses on issues such as the generation of own energy and an in-house striving towards economy and recycling. As a result, price increases could be kept at a reasonable level.

Protecting the environment and resources

Patrick Welscheit: "The energy price, the price of raw materials, increased transport costs and so on did lead to us having to up the price a bit more than usual, but we kept it modest. Especially in the field of energy, we are putting a lot of effort into absorbing the energy and raw material problem as well as possible through various in-house means."

"Enrolling in the ECOPROFIT programme turned out to be an excellent choice. As part of the programme, we developed various measures and succeeded in saving 197.4 tonnes of CO2 and 243,000 kWh of electricity in one year, thus significantly reducing our operating costs. In addition, last year we recycled 215 tonnes of recyclable materials and used 75 per cent recycled secondary aluminium in the production of our profiles and mouldings."

"In addition, we took many other measures: switching to LED lighting throughout the building, for example, which saved us 80,000 kWh of electricity and therefore 28.8 tonnes of CO2. We also reduced the base load in the high bay warehouse and in the off-take stations, saving 48,000 kWh of electricity and 17.3 tonnes of CO2. The spatial optimisation of the business areas resulted in a 115,000 kWh reduction in electricity consumption, which reduced the CO2 balance by 29 tonnes. In addition, the additional installation of a large number of solar panels on the roof is also planned, which means that we will save more and more CO2 from 2023 onwards.”

"If there is one thing I would like to make clear, it is that we, like many other companies in Germany, are fully committed to the transition to not just green energy, but total sustainability. In doing so, we look beyond our own company and do not lose sight of the environment. That is why at Küberit we not only focus on the recycling of raw materials, but since 2020, as a profile manufacturer, we use electricity from renewable resources.”

Sales market and finding personnel

The interview also revealed that the company is hardly affected by the boycott against Russia. 14 years ago, Russia was still its largest export market, but nowadays the focus is mainly on export to Europe and only specifically overseas.

“We want to further consolidate and expand the European market, for which we have already taken the first step and our new internet platforms will be supplemented in other languages in the future. Like so many other entrepreneurs, finding enough people, especially technically trained people, seems to be the problem. There is simply too little supply to meet our demand", Patrick Welscheit responds. "On top of that, the problems for us have become worse because a bridge was damaged nearby and the motorway will be closed for many years. This bridge problem is already far-reaching, not only for transport logistics, but also for colleagues who now need more than twice the time to get to work - under such conditions it is difficult to find new employees. We will train more people ourselves in the future in order to avoid a shortage of qualified workers.”

Innovations

To finish off, we sounded off about the innovative things that Küberit is currently working on.

"For 2022 we are launching some new profile solutions and an additional and new finish in the colour black anodised. New are our twopart screw systems “PPS®” in anodised black and for some of our clip systems we added the black colour in powder coating. Also new are two new stair nosing profiles for parquet that is glued to stairs, and the range of rounded corners is further expanded."

NEW!

with rounded edges

STAIR NOSING PROFILE 845

· easy to install · insertion for floors and carpets up to 3 mm · decor matching or contrast on stair nosings with the same or different coverings · suitable for advertisement or indications on stairs with our digital-printing technology Floor Forum International 125 www.kueberit.com 37

In previous editions we’ve talked about Germany as a wood country. This time we’re considering the place which Germany occupies on the flooring market in the European Union. Our information is based on a recent report by the India-based Mordor Intelligence Institute, which draws up reports of industries all over the world. Recently, the company examined the German flooring market.

In the report ‘Germany Floor Covering Market – Growth, trends, COVID19 impact, and forecasts (2022-27)’ we read in the market overview that Germany has demonstrated a high level of maturity during the study period in combination with stable growth. Mordor expects an average growth of over 1.9% per annum in the next five years, although that figure might have to be revised due to the unexpected war in Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis.

The report states that the market is driven mainly by renovations, which result simply from the strong DIY traditions. Most consumers prefer products which are easy to install and don’t take up much time. Although more and more specialist online players are shaping the distribution channel in the country, the trend of going to the store still dominates the market. People go to a specialist store to speak to an expert and ask for help by means of recommendations and to look at the physical product before proceeding to a purchase.

Slowing economy

As a result of covid 19 the industry seems to be facing an economy which is slowing considerably. Obviously, that also affects the flooring market and expectations suggest it will take a long time to recover during the early years of the forecast period. This trend is expected to continue in other major Western European countries, such as the United Kingdom and Spain.

The report states that the German flooring market in general is rather fragmented. This is due to the presence of lots of big players with a varied profile of high-quality products. Many big players named in the report have a large market share all over the European Union, especially in Western Europe.

Major market trends

The report presents a detailed study which includes the underlying factors for the variations in market growth trends for floor covering. The main point is that the market is being stimulated mainly by a construction industry which is still growing and has the biggest share in the European Union. Income from the industry shows average growth of 1.8% on an annual basis. The high degree of specialisation in niche markets, such as in the field of acoustic and pre-fabricated building systems contributes to the market growth and forms the driving force behind the flooring market in the entire country. If we go back a few years in time, we see that even in 2015 the German construction industry generated about 60 billion euros per annum from residential and non-residential buildings. The following years witnessed gradual growth in line with the figures quoted above.

The flexible flooring segment is growing

What’s particularly interesting in the report is how the researchers found that there has been a major noticeable shift from traditional floor covering in Germany during the research period. With the gradual increase in the ageing of the population, the younger generation has been looking for more modernised solutions. Here, people have shifted towards vivid colour combinations which go together easily with the interior and which are continuing to grow. In terms of products, it is clearly flexible floor coverings which are growing (an interesting additional point is that the researchers state that laminate is becoming increasingly flexible and that there is a new sort of natural element has made its entrance), and forecasts suggest they will continue to grow during the prognosis period (2022-27). By contrast, people have lost interest somewhat in carpets, certainly not dramatically, but nevertheless noticeably. Less good news for our industry is that the researchers state that in Germany, too, the wooden floor segment will yield negative results in this same period.

Source: Mordor Intelligence: ‘Germany Floor Covering Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)’.

OSMO

Innovation as tradition Many years ago, Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG developed a new product in their own coating production: Polyx®-Oil Original. The wood coating is based on natural oils and waxes and offers durable protection for wooden floors and furniture in indoor areas. This product revolutionized the surface treatment of wood all over the world. In addition, the range has been expanded to include further interior products, products for the exterior and care and cleaning products for treated surfaces. Today, the Warendorf-based global player is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of modern wood products and specializes in the effective surface treatment of the natural material. +49 (0) 25 81 - 922 – 219 - marlen.meierzuwickern@osmo.de - www.osmo.de

MEISTERWERKE

MeisterWerke is a family oriented business founded in 1930. Under the leadership of Mr. Johannes Schulte, Guido Schulte (third generation) and Mr. Ludger Schindler, MeisterWerke now employs over 700 people and realises an annual turnover of more than €150 million. MEISTER is the main brand and has a clear focus on wood specialist trade. Currently, MeisterWerke exports its goods to more than 80 countries worldwide. The main products are laminate and parquet flooring, vinyl without vinyl floors, rigid core floors and panels. MEISTER has always focused on innovation and is the industry´s innovation leader with the unique flooring product Lindura, based upon wood-powder technology. This real wood flooring is the ecological alternative to standard parquet. It is now even suitable for humid rooms. MEISTER has also added a waterproof rigid flooring collection which up to 24h water-resistant and therefore bathroom-proof. This is also true for part of the new MeisterPanels range for which MEISTER has been rewarded the Red Dot Award 2021 (SP 800). +49 (0)2952 816-0 - Andrea.Henze@meisterwerke.com - www.meister.com

No matter if it is for exterior or interior. OSMO: THE SOLUTION FOR YOUR WOOD.

CARL PRINZ

The Black Edition Perfect finish and classic elegance The center of attention Classic, elegant, distinguished and exclusive - these adjectives have always been associated with black. New trends are coming faster and faster, and often disappear just as quickly. However, the color black always comes back. A classic that manages to be the center of attention again and again. Grocers have been following the trend for some time with lavish redesigns: the fresh produce sec-tions appear like a marketplace thanks to black cobblestone floors and wooden crates. Modern cof-fee shops and restaurants use black Metro tiles in the open kitchen area, large format chalkboards, matte black dinnerware and simple decorative accessories. In combination with stainless steel and natural wood surfaces of the table tops and solid floorboards, black creates the desired, urban and cozy atmosphere. Especially compared to the fast, loud and colorful world outside, there is some-thing calming, soft and unobtrusive about dark and natural color combinations. The collection Prinz has united these trends in one collection now: "The Black Edition" offers a wide range of dif-ferent profile types, from subtle transition profiles to elegant, black powder-coated skirting boards. The range is rounded off by the particularly elegant, matt black anodised system profiles of the PROFITEC Master and PROFI-DESIGN series. Thanks to the classic appearance, black profiles can be perfectly combined, either color-coordinated, or as a lively contrast to light and earthy color nuances. +49 (0) 2823 9703 19 - pascal.thiel@carlprinz.de - www.carlprinz.de

ZIRO

Lothar Zipse founded the company in 1980 as a sole proprietorship. He started selling cork floors for glue-down. After the unexpected death of the 64-year-old company founder, the southern German company was transformed into a different legal form in 2020. The main shareholder and managing director is his brother Thomas Zipse. Today the company employs 130 people and markets around 1.3 million m² of floor coverings every year. The turnover in 2021 was around 39 million euros. The floor specialist ZIPSE stands for customer orientation and innovation. In its core competence, floor coverings made of cork, wood and vinyl are successfully marketed throughout Europe under the ZIRO brand. At the beginning of 2022, the company launched the sustainable natural flooring collection NATURALAN under its own brand. At ZIRO, customer service is the focus of his thoughts and actions. The company is characterized by high flexibility and individuality. Due to the extensive storage at the ZIPSE headquarters, delivery times are relatively short. +49 (0) 7644 – 9119 79 - stephan.zipse@ziro.de - www.ziro.de

KÜBERIT

In 2022, Küberit has launched a number of new profile solutions and a new finish in black. Also new are the two-part screw systems in anodised black. Furthermore, the German company has also add-ed the colour black in powder coating for some of its clip systems. Powder lacquered black profiles and also anodised black were produced for the first time about 18 years ago, but the current trend in black profiles has increased in recent years. Today, Küberit offers 73 different profile types in black. Also new are two new stair nose profiles for parquet which is glued to stairs. They also mention that they have further extended their range of rounded corners. These unique solutions (only made by Küberit) provide extra safety on stairs. Küberit is launching its novelties for 2022-23 for the first time in the summer. For more info: https://kueberit.com/en/ novelties +49 (0)2351 9507 110 - patrick.welscheit@kueberit.com - www.kueberit.com

www.Auer-Metallprofile.de

QUALITY PROFILES MADE IN GERMANY of stainless steel, brass, aluminium

Tools Day - in autumn 2022!

Look, ask, try it out for yourself

This was the motto of the first TOOLS-DAY at our factory on 6 and 7 May.

What did we offer?

✔ Various live demonstrations ✔ Tours of our production facilities ✔ Trying out tools for yourself ✔ Interesting discussions with our technicians, trainers and mechanics. In our opinion, it was an all-round successful event! Unfortunately, you couldn‘t take part this time? Never mind!

You can look forward to our next Tools Day - in autumn 2022!