Interview with Santiago Riera, President of the Organizing Committee of Fimma

We have promoted the contest visiting South American countries and conducting interviews with distributors of machinery, associations of manufacturers of furniture and wood industry in general, including media technicians and end customers.

The aim has been to publicize the offer of the fair in their two-pronged: machinery, Fimma, and complements, in Maderalia, presenting the contest not only as an enhancer of sales, but also as a communication platform that will present the technology and the possibilities of integration of other materials in the different sectors of our industry. This initiative within Fimma have called + than wood, and will, within the fair trade exhibition, a new incentive for the Exhibitor to show his range of machinery capable of working with alternative materials.

The reality is that there is a great need to meet manufacturing systems in most countries we have visited. This aspect, combined with the advantage of a common language, puts us in a very good position with a view to future collaborations. The commercial proposal of Fimma is having wide acceptance, so that all actors contacted in order to organize reverse trade missions have hosted our ideas with great interest and enthusiasm. Now, associations and business groups across the Atlantic to work engaged in the organisation of visits to this edition of Fimma-Maderalia.

We are determined to exhibit at the fair is easier, cheaper and more profitable. To achieve this, and following the trend of previous years, work on facilitate all steps of the Exhibitor in a single window, and reward the Exhibitor to make demonstrations on fair with lower energy costs. In the same way, we have negotiated with suppliers of cranes and decorators to reduce rates and minimum set-up times, as well as financial institutions to finance the cost of participation without interest or commissions.

This concept is materialized at Fimma is something more than a few booths where sold: is an opportunity to present new solutions, new products; and also a forum where there are talks and lectures on topics such as the entry of our companies in social networks and demonstration zones in which visitors are complete solutions thanks to the intervention of different exhibitors.

"I'm not anything conformist"

Santiago Riera explains that as soon as they had proposed chairing the Committee on this edition of Fimma he was enthusiastic about the challenge. "Everyone aware that we are going through a difficult time, but is in these circumstances when the real challenges and also in complicated moment when we must give everything, and I think the Spanish that we know a little." Anyone who knows me knows that my professional life has been a continuous struggle, a constant improvement. "I'm not anything conformist".

"Size is not so important"”

"In this edition of Fimma I agree with starting a trend of projection abroad, which is a really well-known in other markets fair and foreign visitors find our offer everything you need," says President Fimma. And as part of this grand objective, the organization works to create the foundation of "a real show with Mediterranean projection", with a view to include in future editions may become a real bridge of business between Latin America and North Africa.

Given the current situation, Riera would be satisfied with preserve or increase the number of exhibitors, even at the expense of less sold meters. "The important thing, in any case, is that we have diversity of supply, which visitors find everything". "From this approach, the size of the fair is not the most important thing".

The fairs are the platform companies that have to give to know their products, to project its brand image. Also, a fair makes no sense without the companies. At the moment, Fimma must carry that projection even further what the internal market. The sector needs to go outside, be strong in export.

As companies can be very good and have the most innovative product, but the ideal place to publicize all of that is precisely the fair. In the present circumstances, more than ever, should be at Fimma because if not we show what we are capable of doing, we are hardly going to sell. In addition, given that in recent months we have seen a surge in demand, the last week of October is, probably, the most appropriate time for the holding of a trade meeting of the draught of Fimma.

A company wishing to be in the market, you need to project their image should be at Fimma, both new customers and to those who are already. This event has become a meeting point that the mere presence of a commercial firm loyalty to buyers and sellers. All we are pleased that the company with which we have commercial relationship is an entity with projection. Be at Fimma, moreover, offers us all one point of trust.

Currently, we work to offer the visitor and Exhibitor Fimma, and also our competition's brother, Maderalia, in collaboration with the Organizing Committee, the best programme of parallel activities. Although there are points to outline, I can say that it will be a day dedicated to the field of design and which will have the participation of some of the most renowned designers as Inma Bermúdez, who is the first Spanish designer who has worked for a firm of the importance of Ikea. The other days is dedicated to the application of new technologies to the business world.

That is true, but can not go against the reality of the market. We can not close our eyes to the evidence because, even by doing so, these materials are there and are consumed by our clients. It is the customer of our industry which combines these materials with wood derivatives and, in some cases, these new materials offer better benefits. In my opinion, not be afraid, just to be able to combine everything into perspective. Wood still has long way to go and recover.

In this edition of what we are sure that visitors will be quality, and in this we have determined from Fimma organization. We want to promote the use of new technologies and new materials, attract new exhibitors and visitors from other sectors because we have among our objectives as fair be prescribing trends. In this sense, look forward to welcoming visitors from a wide typology - architects, quantity surveyors - and, above all, wish to emphasise to attract a significant number of foreign visitors of quality.

The surprises, surprises are and little more can I say. Yes we can anticipate what you will have much to do with new technologies at the highest level.

The medicine we have applied is the more work, more research and enhance the foreign market. In situations like the present survives who makes decisions and moves. In general, the Spaniards costs us go out and sell abroad, but we have to raise our sales growth is in other markets; Although the internal better, hardly grow in the percentages for the past 10 years.

Without a doubt. Who does not go home will be relegated to a role focused on services and will lose market share to not be able to innovate. In Rierge have opted for change in the development of machines and accessories adapted to machines for which they are most productive. It is the way to differentiate us from the competition.

The second hand market is affecting much, given that there is little demand for machines and in addition there are second hand in very good condition and price. But here it is necessary to stress that there is a problem that in many cases the customer does not value.

These machines have to implement them later and, very often, the seller is not responsible for this very important aspect, which leads to operational problems that often affects us manufacturers.

Asian machines have also some damage to the market because the prices are incredibly low, as did its quality. Luckily, there are markets that reject these machines because they are giving problems, not only because of its precarious quality of response by the manufacturer and the importer to the breakdowns. However, they are in the market and can not ignore. What we need to make European producers against such competition is therefore improve our performance and image quality.

Stop thinking about Spain only. Spain us has remained small and the world is there and we must go after him. That with regard to the manufacturers. Sellers of machines, which undoubtedly have more difficult internationalization, they should opt for the service already not worth selling only, must be a value consisting of a support service of real quality to the client. In addition, the client will have to start thinking about that has a cost and should collaborate in taking it. Today sales channels have changed: every day it works more on the Internet, customers traveling to fairs, they know what they want and where to look. That is why the work of the seller to lead necessarily to other complementary services.

Yes, we need to regain ground in the use of wood. We ourselves have caused wood has stopped using in many cases. There were a few years that not working as it was due and the wood had very bad press, mainly in carpentry. But I also believe that, for a time, we are recovering the assigned field.

We tend to abuse the new stuff, but long each thing in its place. Resins are good for applications where the environmental conditions are so aggressive that elements of wooden or panel deteriorate in a short period of time. In places where resistance is necessary to chemical agents, in places where there are risks of contamination or infection, in such cases, resins are best result.

Exact. What does not make sense is to renounce the warmth of the wood, the cozy atmosphere that generates. These benefits may never be generated by materials that in many cases are presented as imitations of wood. As I said before every thing has its usefulness, instead. Not be doubt that must be recovered wood and in our hands is that this process is carried out effectively, working well in all the different processes: from the Court, through the drying, the tilth, finishes and the installation. We need to professionalize our sector and using the technological resources that we have available.

The truth is that our product is exportable, our quality is good. In terms of competitiveness, we are perhaps a little weak, but the reality is that there is market for our machines.

Spanish manufacturers offer greater flexibility in the manufacture of a machine, we are more likely to produce what the customer demands, unlike our competitors who sell what they have in series.

It is a fact that our quality is well proven and has nothing to envy to our German and Italian colleagues. We should remove us once and for all the tag 'Spanish machine' and begin to see our product as 'machines European', that our continent all manufacturers have access exactly the same materials. Having said which, I believe that what really makes us competitive, differentiated from the rest of European manufacturers, precisely, is our flexibility.

Very long that it trusts me. In the current situation the medium-term is not contemplated, move quarter to quarter. Global Economics and politics affect us very directly. Everything that happens in the world affects us. If the euro/dollar parity changes, affects us. If us collapses, its fall drags us. And so everything. As a result, I think that the situation will normalize and, gradually, companies will adjust to the situation and we will be getting new markets that will help us to grow sales. The internal market reequilibrará and supply will be more tailored to demand.

Yes, but is essential for Spain can overcome these difficult times that the Government put in place programs to export financing. We are focusing on sector manufacturer of machinery for wood, our main competitors - Germans and Italians - Yes enjoy such financing, which puts us in clear disadvantage in trying to enhance our sales abroad. Today in Spain there is only funding so for large investors.

Of course. Our Government tells us that we export, but every day there is less support and they take longer to reach companies, as happens, for example, with the return of VAT whose refund takes seven months. We need implementation of active policies encouraging export and external promotion rather than reducing them as it has happened in recent years from government bodies.