Siparila supplies InterFaca with hundreds of thousands of running meters of exterior cladding panels yearly. The companies have a common goal: promoting and making the use of wooden claddings even easier.
InterFaca is a company operating in the Netherlands. It specializes in wood cladding of facades, and imports and markets Siparila products through its dealers to different target groups, from designers to construction companies.
InterFaca's slogan, “Laat hout leven” (let wood live), describes well what the company's operations and also cooperation with Siparila are all about: the goal is to make the excellent properties of wood, a genuine natural material, better known and to promote the use of it in modern, sustainable construction.
In the Netherlands, stone and concrete have had a stable position in construction for a long time, and even 20 years ago, wood was an undervalued building material. However, the valuation of wood has increased little by little, and thermally modified wood, in particular, has gained the status it deserves.
"Finnish wood has a great reputation in the Netherlands. We know that due to its growing conditions, Finnish wood is of better quality than our local wood, and thermal modification improves its properties even more. Finnish wood is considered a renewable natural material, which is a sustainable solution in many ways", says Rudolf Wijnans, director of purchasing and innovation at InterFaca.
Cooperation is much more than a relationship between a supplier and a buyer
The cooperation between Siparila and InterFaca started in 2015 when InterFaca was looking for a suitable partner.
Today, InterFaca buys hundreds of thousands of running meters of wooden panels from Siparila yearly. Their product series, VäriWood and DumoWood, are manufactured by Siparila. Most products are surface-treated, and more and more are installed with a clever hidden fastening system.
Wijnans has been involved in the cooperation for two years now. He finds it very rewarding.
"The quality of Siparila's products is what our customers expect, and Siparila delivers the ordered products in the requested time. However, success doesn't come only through good products – communication also plays a big role in cooperation. It works very well with Siparila. They always meet customers' needs and solve any problems immediately. These things make cooperation successful."
"Our relationship isn't just a relationship between a supplier and a buyer, but a partnership in which we strive for a common goal. We are not aiming for a quick profit, but long-term cooperation", Wijnans describes.
"Both of us genuinely want to help each other, and mutual appreciation is emphasized in communication: the partner is not taken for granted or belittled, but is truly equal."
"Our cooperation is also not limited to a single contact in the company, but we deal with managers as well as people responsible for transportation, and we visit each other regularly. Communication works at every level."
Recently, when the construction industry has faced surprising changes due to the world situation, the cooperation between Siparila and InterFaca has been a supporting force for both.
"We look forward side by side. Even though the industry has been turbulent and the last two years have been a rollercoaster, we have stayed afloat together and moved on. The cooperation is very close, and we seek solutions to various situations together."
The common goal is to promote the use of wood
As for Siparila, also for InterFaca, the customer's needs are the most essential starting point for developing the best solutions.
"Our customers have different needs depending on the object to be built. The sites vary from small cottages to large, multi-story houses. We listen carefully to our customers' needs and explain to them what the best solutions for their project could be. We take into account both the customer's wishes and how to implement them as efficiently as possible so that they can complete the project on schedule", says Wijnans.
In addition to the fact that customers expect facade solutions to have the appearance they want, they also look for a smooth construction process.
"When we take care of things as agreed and quickly, and we are available and answer questions, we aim to create peace of mind for the customer."
One way to make the customer's projects easier is to develop smarter ways for installing the exterior panels, and InterFaca has worked closely with Siparila on this. The secret nailing system and the “Safe-Zone”, that makes fixing easier, are great examples of this.
"We work with Siparila consistently to meet customers' needs and improve the product's features. Our common goal is to make the builder's life easier and to promote the use of wood and, in particular, wooden facades."
Thermally modified wood as the building material of the future
Wijnans sees that renewable wood is the material of the future, and its popularity will rise even more. He sees that during the last ten years, the valuation of wood has already grown considerably, even though it has required a lot of work.
"In the Netherlands, the way we build is changing all the time, and above all, we want durability from construction. We see wood as a durable and valuable material, and especially Finnish wood is valued because it is known to be of high quality."
"We strongly believe in wood as a material for sustainable construction. Our entire team has long experience working with wood, and we want to increase the use of wood in construction, both in exterior cladding and other products. Wooden buildings are interesting, beautiful, and sustainable – both from the point of view of lifespan and the environment."
Wijnans also believes that thermal modification lowers the threshold for using wood.
"Building with wood is easier when handling it is no longer so time-consuming or difficult. The good properties and benefits of thermally modified wood have made people believe in the product: it is durable, relatively light, does not mold, and does not require much maintenance. Paints have also improved considerably in recent years and enhanced the wood's properties."
"In particular, thermally modified wood is a great solution for facades because of its properties. It withstands changes in weather and humidity without any chemical treatments. With surface treatment, however, you can change its color to exactly what you want", concludes Wijnans.
