Wood is highly in demand, but do we really have enough trees in the forest to cover the wants and needs of everyone? The owners of Bjelin analyzed this question two decades ago and concluded that no; especially the slow growing oak trees that are immensely popular in interiors, would not be nearly enough for everyone.
This insight made the company group invest heavily in innovation and research. The scope was to minimize the use of oak trees and in addition, once a tree was cut down, to maximize the good use of the material. The R&D is based in the south of Sweden in Viken, Skåne but the production facilities are placed close to the oak-forests in Croatia, to avoid unnecessary transportations.
Johan Larsson, CEO Bjelin Sweden AB
It took fifteen years of groundbreaking research and development for the elegant and revolutionizing solution “hardened wooden flooring” to become, a ready to market innovation. The patented technology behind this innovation is called - Woodura.
This new flooring technology means in effect that, fewer oak-trees needs to be cropped and more of them can be left growing in the forest. At the same time gaining more durable and sustainable flooring in the process. In fact, as much as ten times the volume of oak-flooring can be made from one single tree.
How is this even possible? Johan Larsson goes on to explain.
“Firstly, we do not use a saw, instead we cut it with a special knife-blade that does not generate any sawdust. Already in this stage we save material. Secondly, we produce the floorboards in extreme heat and pressure that makes even thin layers enormously durable. In fact, these wooden floors become more durable than normal wooden panels.”
Bjelin are now pioneering in the Nordic market by bringing this invention, called Hardened Wood, to consumers in all Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. This flooring novelty has been very well received indeed in all markets.
