Jan Hassan, PR and Marketing of Pollmeier has spoken to us on various issues related to the company, market strategies, product developments, innovations of wood based panels and flooring and more.
What are the main strengths of Pollmeier?
Jan Hassan : Pollmeier’s main strengths are, using latest technology to produce innovative products for volume markets at economic prices from European Beech, the world’s most available hardwood from sustainably managed forests.
BauBuche has been one of the most interesting innovations made by Pollmeier. How is the success for this latest product?
Jan Hassan : Since the start of regular production in October 2014 we are facing a continuously increasing demand and tremendous interest in the new BauBuche products. Due to its extraordinary strength characteristics, BauBuche enables slimmer designs and larger spans than softwood products. In addition, BauBuche provides a unique appearance and valuable hardwood surface – all at the same price level as softwood materials. In 2015 more than 20,000 European architects and designers have ordered samples and information material.
How good is BauBuche for flooring industry? What about the abrasion control?
Jan Hassan : BauBuche Panel, a board with veneer layers perpendicular to the surface – is very hard and wear resistant and ideal for flooring. We manufacture BauBuche flooring which has a Brinell hardness HB = 38.2 N/mm² and have done the first projects. Other flooring manufacturers have not picked up this idea yet.
What are the current markets for BauBuche?
Jan Hassan : We are currently selling BauBuche to most European countries; our main markets are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia and the U.K. We also have done first exports to North America, the Middle East and Asia.
Is BauBuche one of the future key products for Pollmeier? What are your future plans on this product?
Jan Hassan : Yes, BauBuche is definitely one of the future key products for Pollmeier. We see a very large potential for it and continue to invest heavily into research and development. In the future we will offer even more advanced BauBuche products with more added value:
We will invest in precutting and varnishing technology to market BauBuche beams that can be delivered directly to construction site, ready for assembly. Another exciting development we are working on is a chemical treatment of the veneers, to make BauBuche weather resistant to enable its use for exterior applications. The third field of our research and development is high-performance connector technology for timber structures.
Beech wood is Pollmeier’s main resource, are you planning to concentrate on any other species?
Jan Hassan : Currently not. European Beech is the most abundant hardwood in the world from sustainable forests. It is readily available throughout central Europe which guarantees availability at stable prices.
How important is sustainability for Pollmeier? How do you manage this aspect?
Jan Hassan : We source our logs exclusively from German forests, mainly from distances of less than 150 km from our mills. Germany has the strictest forestry laws in the world, which ensure sustainable, near-natural forest management. In addition to the principles of sustainability, clear cutting and the use of pesticides are widely forbidden in Germany. For the safety of our customers we are PEFC certified.
Lastly, where do you see the industry in next five years?
Jan Hassan : Wood as a building material is experiencing a revival and will continue to replace non-sustainable and energy intense building materials such as concrete, aluminum and steel. This trend will drive innovation in the timber industry and we expect to see more innovative timber products in the future.
