SVEZA is a dynamically developing company, and one of the leading manufacturers of wood-based panels in the world. The company produces high-quality plywood from the premium Russian birch and is a world leader in its field. Testament to the emphasis on world-class production, the company's Quality Management Systems are ISO 9001 compliant and its products comply with global health and safety regulations as proven by the international and Russian certificates achieved.

Participating in all of the major markets around the world, the company's products have been specified in leading projects including the main stadium and Olympic village of the 2012 Olympic Games in London; the football stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Football Cup in South Africa; the MGM Complex in Las Vegas; the Jordan University in Aqaba; Park Hyatt Hotel in Abu Dhabi; Qatar foundation HQ in Doha; and the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman. The company is represented by Strongwood in this region and is positive of increased growth and demand in 2013. Timber Design & Technology takes a closer look at SVEZA.

SVEZA Products

The world leader in birch, SVEZA offers a variety of products including Interior and Exterior Birch plywood and Film faced Birch plywood. In addition, the company also offers special products including birch plywood manufactured according to a customers` special requirements. This type of plywood is produced for large industrial customers such as transport equipment or formwork system manufacturers. SVEZA special products come in custom sizes, with an option for special packaging subject to the customers` requirements.

SVEZA Interior Birch plywood is a high-quality construction material with excellent durability and resistance to moisture. The plywood is easy to treat and combines beautifully with indoor materials. While it is highly resistant to humidity, this type of plywood is not recommended for exterior trim.

SVEZA Exterior Birch Plywood is a high-quality construction material with high durability and moisture resistance. Through its use of a special glue, the plywood maintains its performance under conditions of high humidity. It retains its shape and resists deforming and can be used in both interior and exterior applications.

SVEZA Film Faced Birch Plywood is high-quality plywood with special film. The laminated surface stops moisture from penetrating and provides resistance to abrasion, aggressive environments, fungus and mold. In addition, edges are sealed with water-resistant acrylic paint. This type of plywood is widely used in the construction industry in formwork systems for cast-in-situ construction. Apart from a smooth surface, a wire mesh surface is also available, which offers slip protection, and so can be used as flooring in vehicles and scaffolding.

Production capabilities

SVEZA annually produces over 1.2 million m3 of wood board including 920,000 m3 of plywood and 310,000 m3 of particle board. The company's mills are located in regions that are naturally rich in birch woods, thereby enabling it to offer ideal logistics for its clients. Founded in 1997, the company has a rich history and its skilled workers have learned their craft from family tradition work at its facilities. Further, SVEZA uses the most advanced equipment and precision instruments including continuous peeling and drying lines from RAUTE (Finland); clipping lines from Schelling and Holzmann (Germany); surfacing-and-jointing equipment from Hashimoto (Japan); and sanding machines from Steinemann (Germany).

Why SVEZA?

Working with SVEZA has several advantages. The company is able to supply a wide product range of high quality plywood. More importantly, SVEZA is able to ensure a stable production of large volumes, with the possibility of extra orders in order to cope with unanticipated increases in demand. The company also offers its clients assistance in developing an individual solution through a personal manager who is able to respond to requests, help with purchase portfolio planning, order status monitoring, and supply information about special offers. As a global leader in birch plywood, the company also offers optimal logistics due to the convenient geographic location of its production mills.

Environmental Credentials

SVEZA is FSC certified. The company has successfully passed the annual FSC chain of custody (CoC) certification audit, which was conducted by an independent auditor - GFA Consulting Group. Based on the results of the audit, which was performed in October 2012, its FSC certification has been renewed for 2013. As such, the certificate confirms that SVEZA's products are processed from legally harvested timber, derived from controlled sources. More importantly, wood of unknown origin is not used in the production and shipment of SVEZA products.

The company has a history of care for the environment and observes the highest environmental standards and principles in the rational use of natural resources. This is extended to its production as well wherein the company builds its processes and use resources with total efficiency so as to minimize waste.

SVEZA in the Middle East

SVEZA is represented exclusively in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait by Strongwood. Confident of the demand in this region, the company will be participating at the Dubai WoodShow 2013 with a view towards highlighting its various products at the show.

SVEZA in figures
- 1,200,000 m3 of wood boards annually
- 200+ sizes and thicknesses
- 100 percent birch veneer
- 70 purchasing countries
- 6 mills

SVEZA - 100 % Birch Plywood
- Hardwood core
- Attractive surface and edge
- High strength to weight ratio
- Endurance
- Stability of form
- Minimal voids
- Keeps its properties through a temperature range of -40°C
to +50°C (-40°F to +122°F)
- Easy handling and fast installation

Q&A WITH MAXIM KOLENKO, HEAD OF SALES TO ASIA AND AFRICA, SVEZA

SVEZA is a global brand. Could you tell us a little bit about your sales to the Middle East and the outlook for SVEZA in this region?

The Middle East is considered by SVEZA as a promising developing market. SVEZA was barely known in 2008 in the Middle East when I joined the company. My task was to create the market for SVEZA in the Middle East especially for its film faced plywood. I believe that today the SVEZA name is well established in the market but of course there is much to do in the coming years. Figures are usually self-explanatory. In 2012 SVEZA sold about 5,000 m3 of plywood to the Gulf countries, which is 30 percent higher than in 2011. In addition, we also supplied more than 3,000 m3 to Lebanon and Jordan, which represented a 15 percent increase over 2011 figures. Further, we sell more than 1,000 m3 of film faced plywood per month to Iraq, which has recently grown to become one of the major export markets for our company.

What range of plywood does SVEZA sell in the Middle East?

We sell mainly film faced plywood which is widely used in construction projects thanks to our distributors. At the same time, I am trying to develop the sales of exterior birch plywood in the region. This type of plywood can be used for interior decoration, flooring and furniture production. We believe that interior birch plywood will find its customers in laser-cutting and furniture industries.

What can you tell about agency cooperation between SVEZA and Strongwood?

Strongwood was nominated as our agent for UAE in 2010. Since that time our agency cooperation has brought nice results. Today this partnership covers the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Our joint participation at Dubai WoodShow this year shows that we are eager to develop our cooperation and increase birch plywood sales in the Gulf region.

© Timber Design & Technology 2013