Like any timber trade fair, the Carrefour International exhibition in France had its share of debate on industry problems. Wood shortages were a popular topic. As one importer at the biennial show in Nantes remarked: “Anyone with a parcel of hardwood to sell is in danger of being killed in the rush of buyers!”
Rising prices and the arm wrestling involved in passing them on to customers were also keenly discussed.
But all this couldn’t disguise the fact that this was an upbeat event, a fact underlined by the attendance. Exhibitors were up from 453 to 468 and visitors hit a record 9,050. Overseas interest increased too, rewarding the organisers’ efforts to market Carrefour as a truly international event. Foreign exhibitors comprised 22% of the total and visitors 15%, with anecdotal evidence that the UK presence was as strong as in 2004.
“We’re also pleased with post-show feedback,” said Samantha Padden, co-ordinator at show organiser Atlanbois. “Exhibitors said the ‘quality’ of visitors was good and business was done on stands. We’ve also had a lot of people signing up for the show in 2008.”
Carrefour not only grew this year, it evolved too. As in much of the rest of Europe, timber-based construction in France is increasing its market share, with annual growth estimated up to 25%. In response, Carrefour dedicated a hall to timber structural systems and ancillary products under the banner “Techniques & Solutions”. This included a programme of seminars and was backed with promotion to building professionals.
Among the exhibitors in the main body of the show was Belgium-based hardwood and softwood importer and international distributor Vandecasteele. UK sales manager Geneviève Standaert said the international trade is currently preoccupied with “sky high prices” and difficulties in supply. “The message we’re getting is that customers are not yet taking this seriously, assuming it’s another trade cycle,” she said. “But this time it looks more structural. Poorer developing countries are not so poor any more and they’re pushing up global consumption and prices. And if we’re paying more, we can’t keep prices the same for customers.”
Given these pressures Ms Standaert urged other distributors and importers to hold more wood to ensure market stability. “It’s important they maintain a functional stock,” she said.
But against this background, Vandecasteele says it’s still trading strongly and reported a busy show. It put this down in part to its strategy of exploring new supply possibilities and new species. “We’ve always tried to be inventive,” said Ms Standaert. “Currently we’re looking at sources in Bolivia and also some Madagascan species, including palisander.”
Emphasising the company’s confidence, Vandecasteele continues to invest heavily in logistical operations. The latest purchase has been 15 new artics at €75,000 a piece.
Species mix
Species diversification was also part of the story at Belgian importer/distributor Willy Carpentier. Recently, said general manager Heidi Carpentier, the company has been developing its Brazilian selection, which now includes tamarindo (rosewood), purple heart and rustic teak for flooring.
Another important new arrival on the stand was Design Wood, a reconstituted through-dyed quarter-sawn veneer hardwood board in a wide range of mainly African species. “This is getting a lot of interest,” said Ms Carpentier. “It gives 100% yield and design repeatability, so it’s especially attractive to the furniture industry, although it’s also available in flooring specifications.”
Carpentier also highlighted its bespoke profiling and planing service, increasing involvement in mixed load deliveries and the development of its decking offer, which now includes ipe and kumaru.
Voorderhaak of the Netherlands put the spotlight on its new and “alternative” hardwoods by featuring several pieces of finished joinery on its stand. Particularly prominent was cladding in Peruvian pumaquiro.
“We see a lot of potential for this across Europe,” said Dirk Voorderhaak. “We’ve used it for cladding on our new 4,000m2 glulam-framed warehouse and it’s also suitable for flooring, staircases and joinery.”
Other species Voorderhaak was promoting included congona, or white mahogany, and tornillo or ‘cedarama’ made into a window frame.
The company reported healthy business in both France and the UK, but is also exploring prospects in the burgeoning timber processing sectors of the Baltic and eastern Europe. As demand rises across a broader range of markets the variety of its timber species can only grow, said Mr Voorderhaak. “There just isn’t enough of the traditionally-used species available.”
French importer and sawmiller Ducerf was also talking up diversification, in its case achieved through more value-added further processing. “Our latest investment has included the addition of 800m3 of pre-drying and 300m3 of kilning capacity,” said Ducerf’s Florence Perrucaud. “Reflecting growing demand for timber windows and components, we’ve also installed a window line, including technology from SCM, Grecon.”
She added that visitors to the Carrefour stand included customers from Germany, Ireland and the UK. “German demand is definitely picking up and the UK continues to be a strong market for oak,” she said. “Reflecting this we have now developed our relationship with Danzer UK. They’ve offered our panel products for a while and will now hold a stock of our boules so customers can economically order, say, just one or two.”
Certification makes mark
To date the consensus has been that environmental certification is less of an issue with French timber buyers and specifiers than their UK counterparts. But that’s clearly changing judging by the number of certificates displayed on stands at Carrefour. The majority were for the PEFC scheme, by some way the most successful in France.
“We now have 4 million ha of French forests certified,” said PEFC France secretary-general Stéphane Marchesi. “This translates into over 40% of French timber production and 1,000 different PEFC products on sale. That must be among the highest PEFC penetrations anywhere as 80% of timber sold in France is home-grown. We also plan to develop the market, helping retailers sell certified products with leaflets and labels.”
Making a big play of its PEFC certification, wood panels specialist Isoroy was also one of the companies in the Techniques & Solutions hall. Products on show included its Agepan OSB range, including 16mm DWD, and bitumen-impregnated wood fibre insulation board Phaltex, both of which were marketed for use with timber frame and prefabricated construction. “Wood construction still only accounts for 8% of French new build,” said Isoroy’s Laurence Castets. “But its growing and gaining publicity due to consumer’s environmental concerns and government action to boost use of sustainable building material.”
Timber building systems companies were also out in force in the Techniques & Solutions hall, including CMB, which specialises in wide-span public and commercial buildings based on Finnforest Kerto LVL frames. “We’ve been in this business a long time,” said a spokesperson. “But customer demand for sustainability is now really driving it forward.”
High-profile projects
Glulam production and construction sister companies Caillaud and Fargeot were equally positive, with both undertaking increasingly large-scale, high profile projects. “Acceptance of these buildings in wood is increasing not just in France, but also Belgium, Italy and Spain, where we export,” said Caillaud technical director Jean-Marc Provot. “Our recent projects include the French rugby centre, which has a span of 60m, and we’re now working on a 38,000m2 warehouse for the post office.”
While not exclusively serving the timber building market, exterior wood products specialist Canjaere is strongly affiliated to it and, it says, is benefiting from its growth. At Carrefour it was making a strong focus of its Nordic pine cladding produced using the Osmose Royale hot-oil process. It is, to date, the only French company using the system and Osmose, which also had its own stand, was on hand to help promote the product with the French edition of its “Creating opportunities for timber” technical and product guide.
“We’re producing about 3,000m2 of Royale-processed cladding a month and demand is growing,” said Jerome Moussu of Canjaere. “So far we’ve focused on the French market, but we’re interested in other opportunities, including in the UK.”
Underlining confidence in the French timber construction business, The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) also took a stand in the Techniques & Solutions hall. And programme director Duncan King used an architectural seminar, which AHEC co-sponsored, to launch the French edition of its brochure on the structural performance of US hardwood species.
The strength of the market was further illustrated by promotions at Carrefour from two other exhibitions focused on timber building; the existing Salon Maison Bois, taking place in October in Angers, and the new Bobât show, which is being launched in Paris in November by the publishers of BoisMag magazine.
Such was the response Carrefour itself received to the timber construction hall, it confirmed that it would be a permanent fixture of the show.
