Nature and nurture

Having long outgrown its native Poland, this month’s cover star, Forte, enjoys an increasingly assured foothold in the UK marketplace, delivering stylish self-assembly collections tailored to local tastes. This month, Furniture News meets Maria Florczuk – a member of Forte’s management board, and the daughter of Forte’s CEO, Maciej Formanowicz – who shares her experiences of growing up in the family business, overcoming recent challenges, and setting new standards in environmental and ethical practice …

What does your role entail? How has it changed over the years?

I started working at Forte in 2005, although it sometimes seems to me that I’ve been there since my childhood! I grew up in a house where Forte was present almost 24 hours a day, where it was born, and where it grew, and where I learned step by step how the company works. I got to know the industry and business naturally, during conversations with my father, and accompanying him on business trips.

Within the company (officially) I started by building the supply chain in Asia, and in the following years I was responsible for the purchase of direct production materials, then for the development and implementation of Forte’s purchasing strategy, the management of its central purchasing policy, and the optimisation of our raw material supply chain investments. In May 2014, I joined Forte’s management board.

What part of your job do you most enjoy?

Business is created by people, for people. Creative, open conversations with clients, suppliers and the team, during which we develop constructive solutions and ideas for further joint development, are my favourite element of my work.

What’s the most challenging area of your work right now?

The past few years have been very demanding. First Covid, then the war, which, apart from a lot of unnecessary suffering, also brought a number of economic challenges, including inflation, decline in demand and an unprecedented increase in the cost of basic raw materials. Through this accumulation of negative factors affecting the furniture industry, a key challenge is the efficient management of uncertainty.

From an operations perspective, would you say your processes have improved thanks to Covid-19?

The pandemic surprised everyone and turned our lives upside down, but at the same time it was a test of corporate responsibility. At Forte, we passed this exam – mainly thanks to the commitment, understanding and co-operation of the entire team. We took care of many things and processes, efficiently switched to remote work, and introduced a number of rules and procedures regarding health and safety during meetings, receipt of goods and moving around the production and warehouse halls. When the environment changed again, we didn’t stop production, and that pandemic experience is now really paying off.

What challenges does the ongoing conflict in Ukraine present?

It is difficult to estimate the effects of the war. Today, like most companies, we are facing a huge increase in energy and material prices, while soaring inflation and growing social unrest create a drop in demand for furniture.

Does the scale of your business create any benefits that your competitors cannot boast?

Our unquestionable advantage is the access to our own raw material, thanks to our own chipboard factory. It is a very modern investment, with many environmentally friendly solutions.

Thanks to our presence in over 45 countries, we have a very well-developed logistics network, which allows us to flexibly adjust to suit various customer needs.Another advantage is our stable, repeatable and coninuously improved processes around quality, safety, environmental compatibility and the legality of obtaining raw materials, which are confirmed by our ISO, ICS and FSC certifications, and the positive result of our SMETA audit.

Forte’s efforts in the field of sustainability have been well publicised – can you share a summary of the current highlights of your strategy?

Our mission is to create better homes, and that is why all our activities can be summed up in three main ideas – designed for people, designed for planet, and designed for partners. We produce furniture which is safe, functional and well designed, for different consumer needs.

The production of high-quality furniture, safe for both users and the planet, has always been the focus of our attention. That is why we care about the product at every stage of its creation, starting from the selection of raw materials and components, to material control, through design and production (in accordance with the requirements of European safety standards) and daily quality monitoring, to delivery to the customer.

We have our own laboratories that confirm the quality and standards required by different markets. We also pay a lot of attention to reducing electricity consumption as much as possible when manufacturing furniture. To this end, we develop energy-saving technologies and invest in machines and devices with low energy consumption and long lives – and we invest in energy from renewable sources. With a view to preserving natural resources, we implement solutions in accordance with the concept of the circular economy. Currently, our focus is mainly on closed-loop processes for woodwaste, in which waste generated is treated as a raw material in subsequent production stages. Today, 95% of that woodwaste is put back into the process. www.company.forte.com.pl/en/

We attach great importance to controlling the legality of the origin of the wood raw material we use in production, and we use only that from proven sources.

Forte’s commitment to sustainable development is also visible in the social area. We support the local communities, building a diverse and inclusive workplace, where our employees can develop to unleash their full potential. We are pleased with the positive ratings we’ve received from social audits –in two of them, carried out in accordance with the international standards of SMETA and ICS at the end of 2021, covering working conditions, occupational health and safety, business ethics and ecology, we received excellent results. At Forte, we apply the best practices in accordance with the international code of ethical conduct (the ETI Base Code).

Do you think it’s important to convey Forte’s eco credentials to the consumer – or is ‘being green’ just something that should be taken for granted? At Forte, it has always been important to us to create value in the long term and to perceive it not only in financial terms, but also in environmental and social terms. This way of thinking has been with us for many years, although we’ve not always spoken about it out loud.

In business relations, sustainable development is – and will become increasingly – important, also due to the legislation that will support such a direction. Already today, for example, obtaining financing is sometimes dependent on proven activities supporting ESG goals. When it comes to consumers, awareness of sustainability is growing. The research we conducted among consumers in Poland and Germany showed that over 30% of consumers pay attention to sustainability issues when choosing furniture. This percentage will certainly increase over the coming years.

Do any ranges epitomise Forte’s green directions?

All our furniture is designed and manufactured in a sustainable way. Our teams make sure that, from conception until production and shipment, our products are designed in an eco-friendly way. One of the collections that reflects our ‘green’ direction is Polypody, launched in 2022. We designed that primarily for people who like to surround themselves with plants. Polypody furniture, in addition to its basic functions – a chest of drawers, bookcase, desk or table – allows you to display potted plants without having to buy additional stands.They have a special place, a recess, made of a special material, for inserting pots with flowers or herbs. We also ensured friendly packaging, removing plastic elements and fillings. The packaging is 100% recyclable.

Still on the topic of CSR, is the way Forte treats its staff evolving at all?

I believe that a company is people, not just a place of work. It is a team of people who trust and respect each other and speak the language of shared values. For many years at Forte, we’ve been making sure that this is the case. Working to shape a friendly and safe workplace is a process covering a number of areas, ranging from working conditions and atmosphere, to skills development opportunities. We want to create an ambitious, customer-focused and energetic team, and we want every employee to feel well, safe, have a sense of agency and their professional needs fulfilled. Among the benefits offered to employees are bilingual company nurseries, the offer of education and qualifications at the Forte Academy, preventive health care, co-financing for recreation, and support for sports activities. Diversity and equal opportunities for our employees – regardless of gender or nationality, both at the level of available positions and salary – is also very important to us.

How does your performance in the UK measure up against your other markets?

The UK accounts for a relatively small share today, but it is growing steadily. This market is very important for us, and we want to develop here, creating strong partnerships that bring measurable benefits to both parties, and an offer that best meets customers’ expectations, for delivery both in-store and online. We participate in key interior design fairs, and for many years we’ve had our own sales office in the UK which supports local sellers. We talk to our customers, and study their needs and preferences, as well as looking into the market’s latest trends in interior and furniture designs. Thanks to this, we can create an offer tailored to the market’s specific needs.

Finally, where do you see the business going in 3, 10, and 50 years’ time?

We see ourselves as a leader of sustainable transformation, present worldwide, and staying true to our ‘Create Better Homes’ mission with a superb team of passionate people.