“In woodworking, innovation only matters if it improves performance in the customer’s process.” – Sigurgísli Melberg.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Sigurgísli Melberg, Vice President of Industrial Manufacturing at MIRKA, a global leader in sanding and abrasive solutions. Sigurgísli shares valuable insights on how MIRKA is driving innovation, efficiency, and sustainability within the woodworking industry. As the industry continues to evolve, Sigurgísli explains how the company remains at the forefront by focusing on creating long-lasting, sustainable solutions for its customers. Excerpts.
WPE: How is MIRKA helping to drive innovation and efficiency within the woodworking industry?
Sigurgísli Melberg: In woodworking, innovation only matters if it improves performance in the customer’s process. That is where we focus. We help customers reduce variation, improve consistency, strengthen dust control, and deliver longer, more stable production runs. That also means helping customers get more usable life from the product, reduce changeovers and downtime, and lower the amount of waste created in the process.
Importantly, this value does not come from the product alone. It comes from combining high-performing abrasives and tools with the support of technical teams who understand the application and can help optimise the full process. When product performance and technical support work together, customers achieve better quality, higher uptime, and less waste.
WPE: The sanding and abrasives market is highly competitive. From your perspective, what are the key strengths that distinguish your company from others in the industry?
Sigurgísli Melberg: What differentiates Mirka is that we increasingly see our role as a solution partner, not only a product supplier. In industrial production, customers are looking for more than a good abrasive. They want longer runs, less downtime, more stable quality, and support when they need to improve performance on the line.
That is where our strengths come together. We combine product technology with technical expertise, engineering support, process understanding, and growing automation capability. The outcome is not only better product performance, but better process performance over time. In the end, customers remember who helped them improve productivity, extend product usability, and reduce waste.
WPE: Sustainability has now become the industry buzzword. What does sustainability mean to you, and how do you translate this vision into practical strategies and innovative solutions?
Sigurgísli Melberg: There is a lot of talk about sustainability, but our view is quite simple: actions speak louder than words. In manufacturing, sustainability has to be visible in the process. It should mean less waste, less rework, better use of materials and energy, and safer working conditions for the people doing the job.
That is also why we do not separate sustainability from performance. If a customer can run longer before changing product, reduce downtime, and cut production waste that would otherwise go to landfill, that is a real sustainability gain. The same applies when better dust extraction and ergonomics improve the working environment. For us, sustainability becomes credible when it is supported by measurable operational improvement, backed by the right technical support.
WPE: MIRKA is widely recognized as a global leader in sanding and abrasive solutions across woodworking and several other industries. What core strategies do you follow to ensure your products consistently stand out in the market?
Sigurgísli Melberg: I would frame it slightly differently. In a crowded market, products do not stand out because of claims. They stand out because they create proven value. That is the principle we work from.
Our strategy is built on focus, expertise, and evidence. We stay close to the applications and segments where we know we can make a real difference. We invest in understanding materials, process requirements, and customer needs in detail. And we work to show value in a way the customer can actually see, whether that is better quality, lower rework, longer usable product life, improved throughput, or less downtime. That is also why the solution partner aspect matters. We are not only trying to sell a product. We are helping customers improve process performance.
WPE: From your perspective, how does the development of advanced sanding technologies reflect the current trends and evolving needs within the woodworking industry?
Sigurgísli Melberg: The direction is very clear. The market is moving toward greater control, better repeatability, and cleaner, more efficient processes. Advanced sanding technology is developing in direct response to that need.
Woodworking will always value craftsmanship, but today the sector is also facing a very practical challenge: it is becoming harder to find skilled workforce in many markets. That is one reason customers are looking for solutions that reduce dependence on manual variation and make output more stable. They want better dust management, improved ergonomics, more consistent quality, and in many cases a clearer path toward robotics and automation. So the future is not less craftsmanship. It is craftsmanship supported by better technology, better control, and more repeatable performance.
WPE: Could you share some of the latest innovations or technologies that you are focusing on which could help shape the future of the sanding industry? Are there any new sustainable solutions you plan to introduce in the near future?
Sigurgísli Melberg: The most important innovations are the ones that make performance more repeatable and sustainability more practical. That is where we are focusing our efforts. We see strong potential in areas such as improved abrasives technology, dust-free solutions, robotic sanding and polishing, and stronger integration between products, engineering support, and automation.
Robotics is becoming increasingly relevant because workforce availability is a challenge not only in Europe and the United States, but globally, including in Southeast Asia. Customers are asking for solutions that can improve repeatability, productivity, and process control while maintaining quality. The same logic applies to sustainability. We are interested in solutions that genuinely reduce waste, extend usable product life, improve resource efficiency, and create cleaner, safer processes. That is the kind of innovation that lasts.
WPE: Finally, beyond Europe, how would you describe MIRKA’s current presence in the U.S. market? Do you see opportunities for further expansion into other international regions, particularly Southeast Asia?
Sigurgísli Melberg: The U.S. is an important market for Mirka, and we see clear long-term potential there. It is a market where performance, technical credibility, and customer support matter, and that fits well with how we want to compete.
More broadly, yes, we do see opportunities in other international regions, including Southeast Asia. But our approach is disciplined. Growth is not about being everywhere. It is about being relevant where we choose to play. That means having a clear segment focus, building the right competence in the right places, and making sure we can genuinely support the customer over time. The demand for greater automation and robotics, driven in part by workforce shortages, is not limited to Europe and the U.S. We see that need more broadly across global markets, and it strengthens the case for a solution partner approach backed by strong local support.
