New trends and production challenges

Beata Piotrowska emphasises that constant change has become the norm at Melaco. The second half of the year brought many new production implementations, often the result of earlier proposals and ideas presented to customers by Melaco.

Beata Piotrowska – ‘We haven’t done the same thing for a long time. We have long since basically forgotten what it is like to do the same thing all the time. Things are changing all the time. We have a lot of new projects, and what is interesting is that these are projects that have come back to us – that is, after our proposals made to clients, after our ideas, ideas presented or certain solutions, clients have come back to us with themes. In fact, the second half of 2024 has been very intense in this respect, because also the trends in the market are changing and this is very noticeable in the orders placed at the moment. And these are indeed big challenges, because the fashion that has come in at the moment for products with deep milling, highly decorative, eye-catching, which from a production perspective are very time-consuming products with a high proportion of machine time. There are products that a machine tool can make in a single shift – 150 to 200 sheets, and there are products that are made in quantities that are -2,-3 times lower… this gives you an idea of how complicated a product is and how much time is required to produce it.’

Adaptation to changing market needs

Although the production of more complex components is time-consuming, Director Beata Piotrowska does not see this as a negative. – ‘No, it is not a negative. Because also more complex designs or products are automatically more expensive, it’s quite natural. On the other hand, we are aware that fashion comes and goes. There was a time when everything was fashionable in white, white gloss, flat, smooth, so now the variety is very wide. On the other hand, this trend will pass in a moment – this moment may last six months, it may last a year, maybe a year and a half. And then again there will be a retreat to minimalist trends and again we will see fashion changing a lot once again.’

For this reason, Melaco is constantly considering new investments to meet the changing demands of the market. ‘We are constantly considering investments because we see where we have limitations as well as opportunities,’ says Beata Piotrowska. The company is looking at the prospects for increasing production efficiency, considering not only investments in machinery, but also in employee development and new technologies.

Looking to the future, Director Beata Piotrowska predicts that current trends will continue to develop. She draws attention to the growing popularity of fluted fronts and elements with rounded shapes and soft lines, which is reminiscent of trends from the early 20th century, referring to the best art deco and bauhaus designs.

SICAM trade fair – a window on the future of the industry

SICAM is an international trade fair for components, semifinished products and accessories for the furniture industry, held annually in Pordenone, Italy. They are a key event for manufacturers and suppliers in the furniture industry, showcasing the latest trends and innovations.

Beata Piotrowska, commenting on this year’s SICAM fair, emphasises its importance for Melaco: ‘We are after a visit to the fair in Italy – this is a fair for manufacturers of materials for the production of a wide range of furniture components, from finishing and decorative materials to fittings and furnishings. Novelties, patterns, design trends are shown, which can then be applied to the finished product.’

Team development and the future of the company

Melaco is not only investing in technology, but also in people. The company has recently expanded its team with young specialists.

Beata Piotrowska: ‘It is certainly related to the desire to strengthen the company in terms of personnel – that is, we want to have more capabilities in terms of the organisation of production, but on the other hand also to develop certain directions, trends. We would like to acquire people who could develop these trends. We wanted to recruit employees from the market who had such potential that it would fit in with the direction we were heading.

And this also requires training, development and competence, but also a fresh approach. I think our team is not lacking in willingness, which they are able to show on many different occasions. But we are also aware of certain limitations. If you can get people today who want to develop – because these are also people who want to develop themselves, so they probably came from places where they reached a certain level, for example, and decided that they want to do something new at the moment, for their own development. We are trying to create such an opportunity. Especially as our team is not very large, but our employees are in many ways versatile, multi-tasking, or able to work in many different directions. As such, we try to provide new people with development opportunities such that the level of skills gained is broader than such exposure to one place and one position. And that then actually provides an opportunity for growth and for us as a company and for our employees.’

Melaco is actively adapting to the changing trends in the furniture industry by investing in new technologies and talent. The company remains open to innovation and is ready to meet the future challenges in the dynamic furniture sector.

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