A good but stressful year

The discussion at BIFE-SIM 2021 with Adrian Echert, manager of Wood-Mizer Romania, revealed to me the current picture of the whole industry: a state of well-being in terms of orders and sales, in an uncontrollable and uncertain world, without predictions, neither in the short term, nor in the long term, a daily adaptation to the economic, industrial and medical reality.

Despite the lack of expectations, Wood-Mizer came to the fair because that's what it has been doing for 12 years, since the subsidiary of the American manufacturer of saws for primary wood processing was established in Romania. They saw the fair more as an opportunity to meet partners in the market, old customers, than as an opportunity to find new customers, for which they are now accessing other sales channels.

The main problem - long delivery times

The lack of new machinery on the stand compared to previous years is explained by the focus on production and delivery at the expense of innovation. There are, however, improved versions of old machines, especially those that customers have particularly appreciated, but without spectacular appearances.

The difficult period in terms of raw material and semiconductor shortages led to considerable increases in production time. Paradoxically, the delay is also due to a very good period for the wood industry which has led to a significant increase in demand.

The promise is that things will improve for Wood-Mizer customers in Romania from next year onwards. The machines for Europe are made in the Polish factory, which has been focusing on increasing production during this period. Another hall has been built and will be put into operation soon, so delivery times will be more reasonable.

However, compared to the parent company in the US, where production times exceed a year and a half, 2-3 month lead times are much more acceptable.

The complicated times we are going through have not left us unaffected either. Restrictions have meant that we travel less and meetings are fewer than in other years. That's why, in addition to our impressions of the fair, we also wanted to know how 2021 was for Wood-Mizer.

In terms of orders, Adrian Echert is satisfied. The main challenge of the year was not finding customers but fulfilling orders. Wood-Mizer is now a well-known and appreciated brand in Romania and customers are not very hard to find. Especially at a time when everything has led to an increase in demand.

What made 2021 a stressful year was the delayed deliveries as everyone was rushing around. The high demand for wood mass for furniture production and industrialised timber for construction, the increase in the price of timber led to the need to increase supply. Unfortunately the machines could not be delivered as quickly as customers wanted, which was a major stress factor.

Watch the full discussion with Adrian Echert from BIFE SIM 2021 below.