For furniture manufacturers and joinery businesses, access to the right materials is only part of the production challenge. Increasingly, flexibility, processing capacity, consistency and the ability to respond quickly to changing order volumes are just as important.
Decorpanel, part of Premier Forest Products, has developed its operation around precisely those requirements, combining a comprehensive range of timber panel products with extensive in-house processing and manufacturing capabilities.
Serving furniture manufacturers, joiners, the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom (KBB) sector, construction and interiors markets, Decorpanel provides customers with a single source for both panel supply and precision processing.
Its product portfolio includes hardwood and softwood plywood, birch plywood, decorative panels, OSB, furniture-grade chipboard and MDF, alongside specialist timber products including PAR birch and Accoya® Wood.
That breadth of supply is backed by Premier Forest’s established global supply chain and timber expertise, giving customers access to a wide choice of products and leading brands.
But it is Decorpanel’s ability to combine material supply with processing that provides an important additional dimension for manufacturers.
“It is Decorpanel’s ability to combine material supply with processing that provides an important additional dimension for manufacturers”
An extension of the factory floor
With more than 25 years’ experience in panel solutions, Decorpanel has invested in manufacturing technology and machinery capable of undertaking both straightforward and complex processing work.
Its services include precision cutting, including oversized panels and advanced building materials, drilling, CNC routing, edge banding, profiling, tongue and grooving, laminating, bonding, painting, component manufacture and fire-retardant treatment.
For a furniture or joinery manufacturer, this means Decorpanel can effectively become an extension of its own manufacturing operation.
Rather than investing in additional machinery or permanently increasing production capacity to meet temporary peaks in demand, customers can outsource elements of production to Decorpanel.
That can be particularly valuable when a manufacturer wins a large order, reaches capacity or requires a specialist process that it cannot efficiently undertake in-house.
At the same time, the service is sufficiently flexible to support smaller and bespoke requirements.
This combination of scale and flexibility enables customers to use Decorpanel in the way that best suits their individual production model, from processing individual components to supporting larger production runs.
“Our aim is to make life easier for manufacturers,” says Anthony Hopps, Group Processing Director at Premier Forest. “We can supply the panel product and then undertake the processing needed to turn it into a component that is ready for the next stage of production.
“That means in addition to fulfilling full-scale projects, we can also support a customer when their own factory is at capacity, provide specialist processing capability when required or become a regular part of their manufacturing operation.
“The important thing is flexibility. Customers don’t necessarily want to carry more stock or invest in additional capacity to deal with peaks in demand. We can give them access to that additional capability when they need it.”
An extension of the factory floor
With more than 25 years’ experience in panel solutions, Decorpanel has invested in manufacturing technology and machinery capable of undertaking both straightforward and complex processing work.
Its services include precision cutting, including oversized panels and advanced building materials, drilling, CNC routing, edge banding, profiling, tongue and grooving, laminating, bonding, painting, component manufacture and fire-retardant treatment.
For a furniture or joinery manufacturer, this means Decorpanel can effectively become an extension of its own manufacturing operation.
Rather than investing in additional machinery or permanently increasing production capacity to meet temporary peaks in demand, customers can outsource elements of production to Decorpanel.
That can be particularly valuable when a manufacturer wins a large order, reaches capacity or requires a specialist process that it cannot efficiently undertake in-house.
At the same time, the service is sufficiently flexible to support smaller and bespoke requirements.
This combination of scale and flexibility enables customers to use Decorpanel in the way that best suits their individual production model, from processing individual components to supporting larger production runs.
“Our aim is to make life easier for manufacturers,” says Anthony Hopps, Group Processing Director at Premier Forest. “We can supply the panel product and then undertake the processing needed to turn it into a component that is ready for the next stage of production.
“That means in addition to fulfilling full-scale projects, we can also support a customer when their own factory is at capacity, provide specialist processing capability when required or become a regular part of their manufacturing operation.
“The important thing is flexibility. Customers don’t necessarily want to carry more stock or invest in additional capacity to deal with peaks in demand. We can give them access to that additional capability when they need it.”
From board to finished component
Bringing panel supply and processing together also has practical advantages for purchasing and production teams.
Instead of sourcing materials from one supplier and arranging processing elsewhere, customers can manage both through a single operation.
This can simplify procurement and project management while reducing the logistical burden of moving materials between different suppliers.
Decorpanel also offers flexibility in ordering and delivery, ranging from full loads to pick-a-pack quantities. For manufacturers, the ability to order according to actual requirements can help manage stockholding, waste, cash flow and factory space.
Precision is equally important. Decorpanel’s investment in advanced manufacturing technology enables accurate and consistent production across cutting, CNC routing, drilling, profiling and finishing processes, supported by an experienced production team.
The company operates from three manufacturing locations, providing nationwide delivery and giving it the capacity to support customers and projects across the UK.
Specialist KBB manufacturing
Alongside its wider panel processing operation, Decorpanel has developed a specialist KBB offering for fitted kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.
Decorpanel KBB manufactures and supplies made-to-measure doors, panels, cabinets and worktops, with the capability to produce everything from individual components through to complete cabinetry ranges.
Bespoke cabinet ranges are available in contemporary and classic styles, supported by in-house customisation, made-to-order production and cut-and-edge services.
For KBB manufacturers and suppliers, this provides another way of adding production capacity without necessarily adding fixed manufacturing overheads. It can also provide the flexibility required for bespoke projects, short production runs and larger-scale contracts.
Responsible sourcing
Sustainability and responsible sourcing are also increasingly important considerations throughout the furniture and joinery supply chain. Decorpanel can supply certified products on request, helping customers meet their own procurement and sustainability requirements.
The business also benefits from the wider expertise and market presence of Premier Forest, an award-winning timber specialist and a supplier member of the British Furniture Association.
For Decorpanel, however, the proposition ultimately comes back to manufacturing flexibility: combining access to an extensive panel range with the machinery, people and capacity required to process those materials to a customer’s specification.
“Manufacturers are continually looking at how they can improve efficiency while remaining responsive to their customers,” Anthony adds. “Our role is to give them another option.
“Whether that is supplying the raw panel, producing a precisely machined component or helping a customer fulfil an order when their own production lines are full, we want Decorpanel to be seen as a genuine manufacturing partner rather than simply another supplier.”
