The door to success Fenestra

THE DOOR TO SUCCESS

High-quality door and window solutions company Fenestra Oy is increasingly bringing its ecoresponsible products to a wider European audience beyond its Finnish heartland. EmmaJane Batey spoke to CEO Tom Blomqvist to find out more.

Formed in 1992 following the merger of two leading Finnish window companies, Fenestra Oy has roots that go back more than 120 years, with a particularly strong tradition in wood-based building materials. The company manufactures both interior and exterior doors as well as a range of window solutions, with all products manufactured according to the ISO 9001 quality assurance system which is implemented across its operations.

CEO Tom Blomqvist told Industry Europe that Fenestra reports a turnover of approximately €113 million, thanks to the continued skill and enthusiasm of its 700-strong workforce and a quality-focused product portfolio. He told us, “We produce great products from doors to windows, and the products are supported by excellent sales, after-sales and service installation. The reputation of Fenestra products in the European market is second to none, with our hold over our domestic Finnish market especially strong.”

Continual development

The continual development of Fenestra ensures that this market-leading position is retained, with Mr Blomqvist clear that the everchanging regulations for the building and construction industries regarding the performance of windows and doors are a key driver for the company. Recent developments have focused on the capacity of the products to keep heat or cold inside or outside of the buildings, with the company’s R&D team committed to performance excellence.

Fenestra offers complete solutions and installation for windows and doors, and while its products are not considered the cheapest available, they are certainly of a high standard. Mr Blomqvist said, “Quality is always a bit more expensive. We continue to guarantee the quality of Fenestra products by continually investing in our equipment and by training our workforce to operate the machinery accurately and effectively. We also have a strict quality control policy which involves lots of checking

throughout the manufacturing, installation and post-installation process.”

Fenestra operates 13 different sales offices and production facilities, with its head office in Finland’s second largest city, Espoo, and its specialist manufacturing locations positioned across Finland, including the largest exterior door factory in Finland, based in Viitasaari, producing 100,000 doors each year. All the company’s 240,000 annual interior doors are produced at its production plant in Alavus in the middle of Finland, with 340,000 units of frames and thresholds for doors manufactured in Posio in northern Finland and 1.6 million window components produced in Kuopio and assembled in Forssa. Products in demand

The Fenestra product family is centred on windows and doors, with Polaris, Primus, Fenair and Plus windows recognisable Fenestra brands, and a range of unique, modern and classic doors for interior and exterior applications including balcony, sauna, workshop and garage doors. Mr Blomqvist explained, “We work across all the building and construction sectors and can basically produce whatever our customers require. We keep in close contact with the industry so that we are producing what is wanted, particularly with regard to the energy regulations, the desirable styles and products appropriate to the current economic situation.”

All Fenestra products are created with ecologically responsible performance in mind, both for the comfort and cost-saving of the building’s end-user and in order to satisfy the strictest building regulations. Energy efficiency plays a key role in the day-to-day activities at Fenestra, with the company staying one step ahead of the ever-tightening regulations. Mr Blomqvist explained how as the energy efficiency ratings of a building gets higher, the need for windows and doors that support that performance increases, with the most important issue in energy saving being the ‘solution package trio’ of insulation, tightness and functionality.

Fenestra has a strong hold on the Finnish market, with just eight per cent of its production being exported. Current export markets include Germany, Russia, Norway and Sweden, although Mr Blomqvist is clear that this is an exciting development opportunity. He said, “We see the export market as an important ingredient in our future success. We will initially focus on building our presence in our neighbouring Sweden and Norway, with Russia the next target. Our Finnish market has steadily grown through our use of carefully selected agents, representatives and sales people and we intend to replicate this model in our target export territories.”

Mr Blomqvist pointed out that the company’s ambitious plans for growth outside its Finnish base are likely to be supported by the growing trend for building new apartments and offices in these geographical areas, so the Fenestra expertise in manufacturing and delivering windows and doors that meet the strictest ecological requirements will stand the company in good stead for being the specified brand in new-build projects. He concluded, “We are open-minded about how to move into these markets as we have a long history of utilising different sales channels according to what best suits our target customers. We have some people selling directly as well as our network of dealers and we can also be flexible as the market and economic situation dictates.” n