Jura Placage acknowledges that synthetic foils pose a challenge for the wood veneer sector. They’re tough to match in price and have led customers to demand in veneer something approaching the uniformity they get in the man-made product. But the company seems to have risen to the challenge.
Part of the Danzer international hardwood group, Souvans-based Jura Placage (JP) is one of the biggest veneer producers in Europe, with annual output, mainly in oak, beech, chestnut and ash of 14.5 million m².
“It’s not an easy market, but we compete,” said sales manager Patrick Guitton. “Ten years ago we employed 80 people and had two slicers, now we have 120 and three slicers.”
Key to the company’s strategy are rigorous quality controls throughout the production process.
“We have numerous checks, from slicing to packing, so end users get precisely the material they want; and in oak alone we have 85 different selections,” said Mr Guitton. “Proof we get it right is that, while some customers still select themselves, 75% of sales are now pick and ship. That shows they trust our quality.”
JP, he added, also keeps detailed bar code records so it can track orders back to the log, enabling it to supply repeat orders months later that match the original batch.
