October 20, 2009 BVV Press Center – The 11th International Fair of Machinery, Equipment and Materials for the Wood Industry WOOD-TEC was ceremonially opened in the new hall P. It was attended by Franz- Josef Butfering, President of EUMABOIS, Karlheinz Wismer, Commercial Deputy of CEO BVV Trade Fairs Brno, other VIP and representatives of branch-related unions and associations. This important project for Central Europe in which 248 firms from 14 countries participate, will last by Friday, October 23.

Economic crisis which affected not only the woodworking industry due to a substantially reduced demand for products in EU and worldwide, but also producers of a high added value and others. Ministry of Industry and Trade CZ (MPO) has prepared a number of measures to cope with it. “They are in particular resources of the Bohemian-Moravian Guarantee and Credit Bank and the Czech Exportation Bank with the Exportation Guarantee and Insuring Company. Another support is offered by the Operation program Business and Innovations,” informed Eduard Muřický, Manager of the Division of Strategies and Trends, MPO CZ, at the ceremonial opening of the WOOD-TEC Fair.

Wood, an integral part of a sustainable development is the name of a four-day specialist seminar staged by the Faculty of Forestry and Woodworking, MZLU in Brno. “Global markets and crisis have one common denominator, which is the not fully clear strategy and view by individual branches dealing with the production and utilization of wood,” said Petr Horáček, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Woodworking MZLU. Based on him, we live so-to-say in a virtual world, when foresters, woodworkers, furniture makers, builders, producers of paper etc. live „closed“ in their own environment. Just the above seminar and the whole fair should be aimed at turning up these uncompatible views and at looking for a common denominator.

The drop in the woodworking branch production was noted in particular in sawmills, where a considerable investment freeze took place. This situation will last until the time, when firms producing woodworking machines acquire important orders. „However, at present we have signals that the situation starts improving, for instance the exports of machines to Poland, but also to Germany and Western Europe have been increased. The WOOD-TEC Fair will present our new and innovated technologies to the visitors and could help increase the demand for this equipment. The fair also should help overcome the present situation“, stated Zdeněk Bezděk, President of the Union of Woodworking Machinery and Equipment Producers.

The period of crisis in the sawmilling industry started more than a year before the economic recession. From the development since 2003 it follows that the prices in the first half-year 2009 were, within about the past ten years, of a record-low standard. If the sales of sawn timber are low in winter, its prices could be ever lower at the turn of the year. „At the turn of 2009 and 2010, due to reduced sales of sawn timber, both in the Czech Republic and in other countries, also the prices of raw materials will be lower,“ added Petr Pražan, Chairman of the Association of Woodworking Enterprises.