Wood product manufacturing and Covid-19: some considerations

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on every economy in the world, including the wood product manufacturing industry. Consumers, too, have changed their habits and shopping behaviours, while new trends and preferences have emerged.

Manufacturers and suppliers now need to transform their businesses to adapt to this new normal. Let’s discuss the topic in the following article.

3 significant trends in the wood product manufacturing industry

Knowing your customers, their preferences, and needs is critical to offer successful products in line with their requirements. Your catalogue should reflect the most recent market trends and clients’ requests to stay ahead of the increasingly competitive market.

An important consideration of concern is the supply chain crisis we are experiencing. The supply of goods is strained all over the world because of the unexpected rebound of consumer demand that surged after the end of lockdowns.

The world economy hasn’t been able to respond to this rapid growth, leading to chaos in the global supply chain, from food and drink to clothing, books, electronics, and toys. Empty shelves, rising prices, and long delays are the consequences.

As ports are congested, those companies that relied especially on China for most finished products and components are now suffering debilitating supply chain shortages.

This complex context has led clients to evaluate the possibility of finding manufacturers in their own countries to avoid uncertainty and delays that could affect production as well as commercial activities.

This is the first trend.

Manufacture wooden products in your own country

Many companies and suppliers of wooden products have decided to find makers of wooden components in their own countries. In fact, choosing a European or an American manufacturer lets you:

• avoid uncertainty and delays
• cooperate with your partner without dealing with distance
• see and touch a representative prototype of your products to understand if some modifications are necessary
• talk with experts and understand more about the wood manufacturing processes they implement, ensuring they use cutting-edge machinery and tools as well as digital systems
• have private stocking of the components you ordered, allowing you to order specific quantities just in time according to your actual demand
• produce wooden items in small lots and apply the desired finish on demand depending on the market trend and clients’ preferences

Thus, producing in your own country is a great advantage in terms of quality, productivity, prevention of risks, and competitiveness. That is why most suppliers are choosing this solution.

Preference for sustainable items

In this article by Jennifer Stansbury, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Benchmarking Company, she writes that people have always considered sustainability an important issue, especially in the cosmetic industry. With the Covid-19 emergency, however, it has become even more important for them.

She reports that:

• 75% of respondents considered sustainability very important before Covid-19
• 59% of people became more aware of environmental issues after the crisis
• only 28% of consumers say their attitudes toward sustainability didn’t change
• 98% of people who were interviewed say that when the Covid-19 emergency is over they will consider eco-friendliness an important factor before making a purchase

This data demonstrates that sustainability is becoming increasingly important for consumers, so including green products in your catalogue is now mandatory to increase competitiveness.

Remember that offering sustainable products doesn’t mean just offering recyclable raw materials. You must ensure the entire production process is sustainable, from the collection of raw materials to production and distribution. You should choose a manufacturer with an overall eco-friendly approach that pays great attention to respecting the environment and its resources.

Have a look at the video below:

Attention to safety and hygiene

The Covid-19 emergency outbreak has emphasized the importance of cleanliness and hygiene as a means of controlling the spread of the virus. You should take this into consideration when evaluating the raw materials to offer in your catalogue.

Besides the fact that recent studies have proven that close-grained wood especially is less likely to absorb bacteria than plastic, it can also be treated with special finishes to make it water repellent, avoiding the proliferation of bacteria and mold. Moreover, when bacteria or germs contaminate a wooden surface, they cannot multiply and eventually die.

This is particularly important for those wooden products normally placed in a humid environment, such as cosmetic containers, toothbrushes, and cutting boards.

Why Minelli

Finding a wood manufacturing company that:

• has production plants in your own country
• adopts sustainable production processes
• can create safe products for people and the environment

is not easy.

The Minelli Group, however, can rely on several production plants in both the U.S. and Europe that provide clients with major advantages:

• if any issue occurs at one of the plants, we can quickly switch production to another plant without any negative consequences
• we can cooperate with you and communicate easily
• you can see and touch a representative prototype of your wooden objects before moving to production

When required, we can also set up production lines for your products, allowing you to order specific quantities and customizing them on demand according to your clients’ requirements, and also providing customizable private stocking solutions to guarantee just in time delivery.

Our approach integrates an environmentally friendly vision (we were among the first to be certified by the FSC) with the design of unique and distinctive objects customized according to clients’ needs.

Thanks to our deep experience in wood manufacturing combined with the use of the latest technologies and cutting-edge machines, we can ensure the highest quality standards and the safest products for customers’ health.

We pursue a responsible wood product manufacturing model that respects the environment as well as all ethical aspects of business.

If you are looking for a reliable partner that can help boost your business and satisfy the most demanding clients’ requests, do not hesitate to contact us!