It has now been more than 10 years since we traveled to Slovenia to meet our new producers. After a short night in the capital Ljubljana, we set out to find a breakfast restaurant to get to know the local cuisine a little better. The hearty cheese pockets were a somewhat unusual start to the day, but they provided us with the energy we needed for the journey ahead. This time, we were headed to a small father-son family business in the north of the country. There were no highways here, just a country road that wound its way through small, sleepy villages and the most beautiful forests in Slovenia – unspoiled nature as far as the eye could see. When we were almost at the Hungarian border, we reached the small village and our destination for the day. Boris and Marius were eagerly awaiting us and welcomed us at the entrance to the farmyard on the street. After we got out of the car, Marius greeted us warmly in broken German with “Welcome to our home.” Boris hurried into the house to inform his wife Katja of our arrival. Boris and his wife also welcomed us warmly and invited us into their home. There was a huge cake on the small wooden table in the kitchen. It was called “potica” and was a yeast dough cake with a twisted nut and poppy seed filling. “This is a Slovenian national dish that my mother only bakes on holidays,” Marius explained to us. We all sat down around the small table and began to get to know each other. Later, Marius showed us the old barn that serves as his workshop. Here stood two large sawing machines, a lathe, and a grinding machine. Together with his father, he showed us the daily work in the workshop, and we philosophized together about possible new products. This was the beginning of a business relationship that has lasted for years and continues to this day, and which we respect and nurture with pride.

Family business – what does that actually mean?

In a family business, family members run a company. This refers to the ownership structure and management. The size of the company is irrelevant. Family businesses are characterized by the fact that members of a family have a significant influence on decisions. In most cases, two extreme forms can be distinguished based on the size of the company:

• The company is 100% owned by a family, and they are responsible for its management. This means they have full control and bear the entire risk. This situation is common in many small and medium-sized enterprises (e.g., craft businesses).
• In large companies such as stock corporations, families often own a minority stake, with external managers taking over the management. However, they exert an important influence on the company through their minority stake.

Most of our long-standing manufacturers are also family businesses. Ownership of the company and the work has usually been in the hands of the family for many generations. Many of them have owned their own forest areas for many years, which they manage independently and sustainably, thereby providing secure jobs for their children and future generations.

And how does wood production work?

We asked our suppliers to answer this question. Here you can find out everything from the felling of trees in the forest to the finished cooking spoon. 
The first 60 to 80 years of production are relatively unspectacular and take place in the forest. Without human intervention, the tree grows on its own and naturally during this time.
Once the trees have reached the required circumference and optimal height, they are selected based on their external quality and then felled by trained employees. Once the wood has arrived at the sawmill or veneer factory, hardwood manufacturers must decide on the best use for each piece of wood. Based on their many years of experience, the experts can now decide which log will be used for what, so that each log is cut in the best possible way. Before the first cut, each log is debarked. The best machines and the experience of our employees ensure that waste during debarking is kept to a minimum. For our spirit levels, for example, the wood is also thermally modified. This means that the wood is heated to at least 160°C in the absence of oxygen.
The raw wood can then be processed into sawn timber. The German sawmill industry is by far the largest consumer of raw wood in Germany and thus the most important link between the forestry and timber industries. Several million cubic meters of wood are cut and processed in local sawmills every year.& nbsp;

After cutting, the wooden boards must be dried. This prevents rot and allows the wood to shrink during the drying process. The wood can be air-dried or kiln-dried, depending on the desired moisture content for the product. The better the drying process, the higher the quality of the end product, meaning fewer cracks and a lower risk of discoloration.

As a rule, the fewer knots and defects the sawn timber has, the more valuable it is. The experts at the sawmill select only the best quality sawn timber for our products because we want to offer our customers only the highest quality products.

Once the wood has dried and reached the perfect degree of dryness, it can be processed into the desired wood product in the master carpentry workshop. 

The master carpenter or joiner places the sawn boards into the professional sawing machine in the workshop. If, for example, he wants to make a breakfast board, the machine cuts the boards to the desired sizes.

The individual boards are then sanded using a long-belt sander and, depending on the product, also with edge sanding machines, thus completing the finishing process. Once the products are finished, they are transported to our warehouse, from where they find their way to you. 

Carpentry or joinery – what is the difference?

There is basically no difference between a carpenter and a joiner. The professional field is identical. However, the official job title according to the Crafts and Trades Regulation Act is carpenter. The designation varies depending on the region or country. In Switzerland, the term “Schreiner” is used, whereas in Austria the term “Tischler” is more commonly used. 

Carpenters have a wide range of tasks. In short, they are responsible for the design, construction, and manufacture of a wide variety of furnishings and everyday products. Apartments, workplaces, restaurants, theaters, and churches are designed and built by carpenters. They manufacture wall paneling, ceiling paneling, and stairs. They also design doors, windows, and facade elements. Carpenters mass-produce furniture and wood products for kitchens and households, always tailored to the personal wishes of their customers.