A time of challenges and opportunities for the window and door joinery industry

The window and door joinery with "made in Poland" has been one of the most competitive sectors of the national economy for years. However, recent years have been full of challenges for entrepreneurs. Despite disrupted supply chains and the need to search for new markets, Polish companies operating in the window and door joinery industry managed to remain leaders of the EU market. Poland has been holding the top position in this industry since 2015. According to preliminary data from the Central Statistical Office, in the first half of 2022, Poland exported windows and doors worth EUR 1,892.4 million, which is 34.7% more than in the corresponding period of 2021.

There are new threats, but also new opportunities and possible courses of action. The upcoming edition of the BUDMA and WINDOOR-TECH fairs will be an opportunity to talk about the future of the industry and ways to further develop it despite geopolitical and economic conditions such as pandemic, war, inflation or limited access to energy resources.

International scope

- According to experts, in the coming years, we can undoubtedly expect the growing importance of exports for the construction joinery industry, as after years of boom, the construction market in Poland is slowing down. Following these trends, we enable Polish companies to expand into international markets. BUDMA exhibitors – leading manufacturers of windows and doors – will be able not only to show Polish quality, but also to find new contractors from other countries. The International Meeting Zone, which is our new project, will serve this purpose. This is a special space that we will launch at the Budma fair, allowing our exhibitors to build a global business. We will combine knowledge and networking with technology. To ensure that verified participants make the most of the possibilities of building a network of contacts – we will prepare a mobile application that suggests possible contacts, creates a calendar and a map of meetings. Representatives of contractors and distribution networks have already confirmed their commercial visits to BUDMA 2023 as part of the Hosted Buyers program, including companies from the Czech Republic, Greece, Georgia, Spain, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mongolia, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Italy – informs Marta Szydłowska, BUDMA Fair Director.

The leaders of technologies implemented in Polish factories, presenting their offer at the WINDOOR-TECH fair, are also open to the expansion of international markets. The manufacturers of windows and doors present at BUDMA benefit from this, focusing on automation, robotisation or lower greenhouse gas emissions. But the real beneficiary is the final customer who receives a modern product that has a key impact on the energy efficiency of his investment. This trend is supported by thermo-modernization programs that drive renovations of buildings, facilitating, among others, joinery replacement.

- Exhibitors presenting machines, robots, tools and new technologies at the WINDOOR-TECH fair are companies of the future that support window and door manufacturers in the automation of all processes. Their end result is a product of the highest quality. These are companies that are co-creators of the success of Polish window and door joinery on international markets. During the next edition of the fair, WINDOOR-TECH exhibitors will certainly surprise with tomorrow's solutions, which, however, can be implemented now, leaving the competition behind. Today, not only the optimization and change management of production matters, but also the ecological aspect, the product life-cycle. Thanks to technology, openness and an active attitude, companies can make it through the recession unscathed. We expect many visitors from abroad who, guided by a good Polish brand, are looking for reliable partners at the fair. These are our exhibitors: transparent and credible. Nowadays, such a partner is the basis for a successful business – says Mateusz Szymczak, director of the WINDOOR-TECH fair.

Intersecting worlds

Budma and WINDOOR-TECH are organised at the same time and place not without a reason. These are intertwining worlds They create a unique opportunity for the industry to simultaneously see a machine or technology and the finished product that is created using them. Already today, the exhibitors announce that the BUDMA and WINDOOR-TECH fairs will be a key business event for them in the coming year. This will be the place to launch their new products and services We also plan to award MTP Group Gold Medals to products that will set trends in the near future.

- Previous editions of the fair have shown that the solutions awarded with the Gold Medal have become the desired standard in the construction joinery industry in the following months. Soon we will present products awarded with this prestigious award. Our conversations with exhibitors show that these will be real gems. This is not surprising, as the market leaders that announced their participation in the next edition of WINDOOR-TECH will launch their new solutions and machines for the industry. Their offer is modern and of high quality. I really encourage you to visit the stands of such companies as: CAD PLAN, FIMTEC, ELUMATEC, WEGOMA, PERTICI INDUSTRIES, URBAN, HEGLA POLSKA, HOMAG, R&D TECH, SCHMALZ, SCHTEC, STÜRTZ POLSKA, SZKŁOMAL, KLAES POLSKA, ORGADATA, IMAC, INFOTEC, NESTRO - says Mateusz Szymczak.

A real treat for the participants of both events is Monteriada 2023 – live presentations of the assembly process of modern joinery products organized by the POiD Association. As a part of the project, addressed to investors looking for the best solutions for their homes, fitters and representatives of the construction joinery industry, practical demonstrations are planned to show step-by-step how to use the best systems for installing windows, external and internal doors or garage doors.

Trends and development opportunities

The current trends in the construction industry are the result of many years of activities and product development, as well as the increased awareness of investors in the field of choosing modern, energy-saving and functional solutions. Current trends in construction and architecture, reflected in the joinery industry, focus on several important aspects that are highlighted by BUDMA exhibitors, including: smart home, energy efficiency, use of large glazing, comfort of use, original design, aesthetics, interesting colours and tailor-made products. Such solutions are offered by many companies, including in particular: FAKRO, BUDVAR, KOMSTA, MARIOLA windows, UMAKOV, Gdańska Fabryka Okien, MOL, SAINT GOBAIN (Swisspacer), RX Polska, SUN WINNER, NERLIGRUPPEN POLSKA, GRENTON, Z-HOME, OBA, LEON WITAS, METALCOLOUR, POL-SOFT, EKO-OKNA, INTERNORM (IFTM GROUP), PPH OKSAN (TERMO PROFI) and Sesamo Srl.

- The situation in the construction sector poses new challenges for market participants. Until now, Polish products from the window and door joinery industry were winning customers with know-how involved in their production and the good value for money with focus on the constantly improving quality, often significantly higher than offered by foreign competitors. Rising prices of raw materials, increasing charges for utilities, lack of qualified employees, progressing inflation – these are the factors that may threaten the leading position in the production and export of construction joinery. To remedy this, it is necessary to look for solutions that will become an impulse to generate sales increase in windows and doors sectors both in Poland and abroad. The positive aspect is the fact that every threat noticed and defined in a timely manner can also be turned into an opportunity" – emphasizes Marta Szydłowska. The fair has always been a place to present the latest product offer, but above all, it is a place to establish and maintain excellent business relations. During the four days of BUDMA and Windoor-Tech fairs, they are visited by tens of thousands of people directly related to construction, architecture and automation. A large group of them are contractors representing several dozen countries, from five continents. This potential is hard to ignore.  The presence of the most important players on the market: production and service companies, distributors and designers is a great opportunity to exchange experience and contacts.