WBPI: CAN YOU GIVE YOUR ASSESSMENT ON WOOD-BASED PANELS MARKETS AND THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT FOR INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY
CMC: The worldwide situation in the panel industry is going through a flexing period.
However, the development of applied technology goes hand in hand with the search for new solutions and innovations.
The dominating elements are still the same and all oriented towards costeffective service and plants maintenance/ conservation.
This has led to a situation where there is a strengthening of the partnership between manufacturers and the end-users to develop joint, targeted and ad-hoc solutions for the customer.
The exchange of experiences “in the field” allows to evaluate and test the various solutions that can be applied almost immediately in order to collect real information and have an immediate response.
WBPI: WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES FOR CUSTOMERS IN THE PANELS INDUSTRY CURRENTLY
CMC: In a time where the environmental protection is crucial, the use of recycled material is very important while maintaining a high-quality end product.
So, product affordability, both in terms of the product itself and of its production, must also be synonymous of quality.
For this, one of our customers’ main priorities is definitely saving on energy and consumptions, and consequently on the costs, by using more and more renewable and biological raw material with low environmental impact.
This is possible also thanks to the installation of state-of-the-art machines and systems that allow a reduction in the production and processing costs without comprising on an excellent end product.
In an increasingly varied and expanding market, which is constantly changing, our customers are looking for cost-effectiveness but at the same time maximum intrinsic and perceived quality of the end product.
WBPI: PLEASE OUTLINE THE COMPANY’S LATEST R&D, PRODUCT IMPROVEMENTS, INNOVATION ACTIVITIES AND INVESTMENTS
CMC: Over the past year, we have focused on two aspects that are really important to us. On the one side, thanks to our R&D department and our lab, we are making and experiencing significant improvements and modernizations on some of our machines, in order to fully meet the needs of our customers.
Improvements that will allow the customer to save on energy consumptions by lowering the costs.
We are improving and adapting our machines to try to target new markets and sectors, beyond the panel sector, always basing on the needs and requirements of the customer.
In our lab we have prototypes and do tests that we can also show to future and potential customers.
The other aspect, on which we have focused a lot in the last period, is our aftersales service, which we are constantly trying to strengthen and expand.
The constant training of our personnel, especially young people on whom we focus a lot, the various training courses, the onsite training stages with seniors, and the constant collaboration with schools and universities offer the possibility of expanding our level of experience and knowledge.
We are also focusing on the enhancement of our technical and technological department permits “just in time” and “on demand” interventions and assistance with almost no reaction time.
In order to assist and support our customers, we are able to carry out inspections on the plants to evaluate together the best solution to meet every need.
We support and collaborate with our customers during all project phases.
From initial inspections to installation and commissioning, on-site training and constant and prompt support when needed.
This is all supported by a fast and widespread spare parts service with a wide range of articles immediately available in stock.
We constantly seek to improve and invest in the after-sale service because the satisfaction of our customers is, and always will be, one of our priorities.
As a confirmation of this, we can rely on a large (in terms of human resources) and highly competent After-Sales Team.
We also consider this, supported by concrete facts, to be a technological development aimed at improving and increasing the efficiency of plants.
WBPI: CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS WITH PANEL CUSTOMERS AND GIVE YOUR VIEWPOINT ON HOW DIFFERENT WORLD REGIONS ARE DEVELOPING WITH PANEL PRODUCT TRENDS
CMC: From North America to China, passing through India, our presence is widespread and highly supported by several local agencies. Let’s not forget the Far East and Turkey, major players in the wood-based panel market.
The acquired technology is now spread and applied all over the world, from North to South and from East to West.
However, as these countries are very different from each other, with different requirements and different raw materials, the installations are also sometimes profoundly different.
They range from basically the same MDF/ HDF panels to OSB panels with different surface layers and different finishes because, while in the past these kinds of panels were basically considered structural panels, now they too have entered the so-called “common living” world.
Particleboard products offer many more possibilities and greater flexibility of use.
This leads to structural products for furniture, decorative wall-coverings, furnishings and much more.
Obviously, shapes, styles and decorations go hand in hand with the characteristics and tastes of the place so there is no ‘exact standard’ of finish, but there is a ‘standard’ of quality that must always be as high as possible.
WBPI: WHAT ARE YOUR PROJECTIONS FOR 2025 AND BEYOND FOR BUSINESS PROSPECTS
CMC: The goal of every company is to strengthen itself, consolidate its structure and its presence in the market and CMC is no exception to this.
The continuous absorption of experience from the various sectors and markets, as well as the bond of trust and loyalty with customers and the realization of ‘tailor-made’ solutions remain predominant elements for the development of our company.
Even at a time when the world economy is not in good health, CMC continues to invest in research and development, strengthening what is already a primary area of daily business.
Alternative solutions, research of new materials, state-of-the-art technologies and process optimisation are prevalent aspects of our philosophy, and it could not be otherwise.
Special attention is paid to the involvement of young and motivated human resources because the future is today and waits for nobody.
We constantly collaborate with technical high schools and universities and our team is furhermore always supported by fresh and open minds.
The strengthening and continuous market presence of our technicians, technologists and sales representatives, as well as a strengthening of our representative network, provide real and instantaneous feedback on a daily basis, therefore our reaction is almost immediate.
In addition, we strictly monitor our sectors of interest in a maniacal manner, with more than good results.
It is difficult to make accurate predictions considering the general world situation at the moment, but the diversification of products and/or solutions as well as the development of new technologies for alternative sectors, leave us with positive forecasts and feedback.
