Summary
¦ Hublet of Belgium sources its oak from France.
¦ All Hublet’s output is square-edged and air-dried before kilning.
¦ Lower moisture content oak is increasingly in demand.
¦ Fellow Belgian trader Carpentier has rebranded as a hardwood solutions supplier.
¦ It has also refocused predominantly on oak.

Belgian international oak wholesaler Hublet is clearly doing something right. It buys most of its timber from around 50 French sawmillers – mainly small, independent family firms – and then sells a good percentage of its kilned, square-edged production back to France.

Managing director Jean-Francois Hublet puts his company’s ability to do the oak equivalent of selling coals to Newcastle down to its focus on quality, notably in kilning, and to its grading and capacity to adapt quickly to the evolving product and business needs of the market.

“The emphasis is on quality control throughout,” he said. “In drying, for instance, we prefer to air-dry for six months before kilning, which means the wood is less stressed when it goes into the kiln, and we focus very closely on ensuring sticking is right.”

“We’ve also responded to customers’ changing requirements,” said the company’s Geoffroy Corbisier. “For example, we’re increasingly being asked for 8-10% moisture content, as well as the traditional 12%. This is due to improved insulation and air-tightness in housing, which has resulted in a drier interior climate. That means even more quality checking.”

Hublet’s annual sales are around 10,000m³. It’s all square-edged, either by its suppliers or in its own mill. The most popular dimension is 27mm and 100% of output is dried in its 300m³ capacity modern kilning facility.

Large stocks

The company also maintains large stocks – an average of 5,000m³ – which, it believes, are among the highest of any European producer.

“This has enabled us to cope reasonably well in the recession,” said Mr Corbisier. “Business was difficult six months ago but, while other suppliers reduced stocks, we maintained ours so we could respond to customers’ preference for holding less timber themselves and placing smaller, more frequent orders.”

Hublet sells principally direct to the joinery and manufacturing sector, including solid and engineered flooring producers, kitchen furniture, cabinet and door makers.

“But we could work with agents if we can establish the right partnership,” said Mr Hublet. “What we’re looking for is long-term relationships with customers.”

The UK market is important for Hublet and, while its sales here dipped in 2009, customers started buying more strongly again from the beginning of this year.

“We have a range of UK customers; some who only want French oak, others who buy French oak or American white, which we also sell, depending on their relative prices,” said Mr Corbisier.

“And the UK buys a range of grades, with rustic being especially popular,” said Mr Hublet.

Like other French producers, Hublet has also benefited in the UK market from the conjunction of a weaker euro and tighter supply in American oak.

Looking forward, it sees market challenges but, overall, the outlook is upbeat, including in the UK.

“We’re increasingly exploiting opportunities to market via our website www.hublet.be,” said Mr Corbisier. “And in the UK, while we don’t expect business to be easy, we see better prospects ahead, especially with the 2012 Olympics.”

• For more information contact jf@hublet.be