As one of the UK’s most distinguished timber and timber products resources, James Latham needs little introduction, but what of its suppliers? Editor John Legg travelled to Italy and then Croatia alongside the company’s timber sales development managers, Justin Hayward and James White, to better understand the character and capability of its key timber supplier, Florian.
Although an Italian business, the growth and development of Florian is based in Croatia. Politically, Croatia’s history is more complicated than most – with marauding armies and changing empire rule, being broken up and put back together in differing forms, echoes of the past still resonate in this part of the world. But from a forestry point of view, the value of its natural resource has long been understood. Croatia has a proud 250-year tradition of organised forestry.
According to state-owned Hrvatkse Sume (Croatian Forests), almost half the land is covered by forest, and of that 2.7m hectares, 2.1m is state-owned and 581,000 is privately-owned. In 2002, Croatian Forests was awarded FSC certification. Hrvatkse Sume’s annual allowable cut for commercial purposes averages at 5,800,000m3, and for timber businesses that encourage more upstream processing in Croatia – rather than plain lumber exports – the greater the access to the raw material becomes.
Federico Florian began in 1950 as a small woodworking concern and he steadily developed his business until 1974 when Florian Legno was established at Riese Pio X in Italy. Federico’s son, Elvio is now the long-standing president and CEO of the business. Along with a family team, Florian has become one of the most capable and powerful timber processors in Europe.
Florian today is a substantial business and one of James Latham’s key suppliers. And amongst almost 3000 customers, James Latham is Florian’s single largest customer.
Twenty years after Riese Pio X (above) was set up, the company established Elda Drvo Doo, in Zagrabia, Croatia to co-ordinate the local timber supply and to manage the sawmill manufacturing, ensuring a local presence.
In 1998, Magyarplan was set up in Hungary to make solid wood panel and laminated profiles. Two years later, Iskralegno (above) was set up in Monfalcone, Italy to focus on beech for use in the furniture and construction markets.
French and Czech sales offices then followed in 2011, and a year later a flooring and cladding production site, Flo.it (above) was set up in Riese Pio X. A transport management facility was also opened in 2011 in Barcs, Hungary.
Di Cazma, Cazma, Croatia
In 2012, another Croatian mill was acquired, one which it was decided would become a blueprint for Florian’s modernisation programme. Lipovljani Lignum Doo has been subjected to considerable investment and reorganisation by Elvio and the team to become a highly-efficient mill with world-class goods inward stockyard, primary processing, kiln drying, secondary manufacturing, further processing and finishing techniques – all boosting its capability, capacity and commercial value.
Elvio says the Lipovljani site is the benchmark standard Florian is rolling out – in different ways for different mills – to all his manufacturing and processing plants over the coming years.
James Latham timber sales development managers, Justin Hayward (left) and James White (right) flanking Florian president and ceo, Elvio Florian at the Lipovljani facility
Interestingly, with Florian’s increased focus on increasing upstream processing to provide more value-added product in the country of origin, Elvio has been able to secure greater access to the raw material, courtesy of the decision-makers who grant the permits to access the forests’ resource.
Elvio Florian pictured at the company’s impressive Lipovljani plant
Florian’s calm authority has been built on steady, organic growth allied to a drive to expand whilst always focusing on delivering a quality product to its customers. Today the emphasis is still on selected European wood of the finest quality, primarily oak, beech, ash and walnut.
The company currently enjoys a 310,000m3 timber supply and makes over 10,000 customer deliveries per annum. The company’s main output is sawn and finished timber, an increasing offer of semi-finished products for furniture and joinery applications. Florian also has an impressive range of flooring and it also manufactures several ranges of finished furniture items to certain markets, including hotel and office furniture.
Views from inside the Lipovljani facility demonstrating a highly efficient model which is the benchmark to which the rest of the group’s companies are being elevated over the coming years
To deliver a consistent quality timber product offer, Florian has an impressive overall drying capacity of 19,000m3 with over 120 dryers, some mills having energy capture systems. At its Iskralegno plant in Italy, the company has invested over €11m in recent years to expand the property by 20,000m2, quadrupling the number of drying cells including dryers and evaporators – all capped off by an impressive co-generation plant to deliver hot water and electrical power.
Thankfully for UK manufacturers, James Latham has unfettered access to Florian’s impressive resource.
Currently that offer primarily extends to oak, walnut and beech, all of which is available from stock in the UK and Ireland through its 12-strong network of distribution depots. Latham’s has access to Florian’s lime and poplar too.
The positive relationship between the two firms extends to regular training and insight programmes at Florian’s mills for members of James Latham‘s timber academy as part of their commitment to improving knowledge of its products and supply chain.
Having spent time in the company of Florian and James Latham personnel on this trip, visiting four different facilities ranging from the business-like to the world-class, it is clear to see that Elvio and the family team has executed an impressive master-plan to become a European timber powerhouse – achieved with guile, entrepreneurial insight and a no doubt a tremendous amount of hard work and a bit of luck here and there.
And as supply chain partners go, with Florian’s resourceful production capability allied to James Latham’s market intelligence and highly-effective distribution model, this partnership is very much a symbiotic relationship founded on integrity and strong family ideals: Florian and James Latham – a confidence-inspring partnership.
