Iława became the centre of the world of furniture

For four days in September all roads led to Iława, at least for professionals working in the furniture industry. Szynaka Exposition Centre was once again the venue of the Furniture Manufacturers’ Partnership Fair, organised by Grupa Meblowa Szynaka and partners. Just like every year, Iława was visited by representatives of the furniture industry from Poland and other European countries, curious to see what one of the leading furniture manufacturers in Poland and the world, i.e. Grupa Meblowa Szynaka, had to offer. The furniture presented at the fair in Iława has for many years been establishing new design trends on global furniture markets.

The four-day Furniture Manufacturers’ Partnership Fair in Iława is now over. This year’s ninth fair organised by Grupa Meblowa Szynaka was accompanied by a grand opening of a new storage hall at Szynaka Logistic in Iława. – Today we are combining a huge investment, i.e. opening of a new hall, with exposition of our products – says Jan Szynaka, President of the Management Board of Szynaka Meble. – We want to show our clients not only our new products but also our well-organised logistic network. Today, with the new investment project which cost over PLN 27 million, we have increased our warehousing complex by adding an area of 15 thousand m2. We now have the largest and most modern logistic centre in northern Poland with the total area of nearly 60,000 m2. The high number of visitors from all over the world who attend our fair shows the continuously growing interest in our furniture. We need modern tools, such as the newly-opened logistic complex, to help us meet the needs of our clients and send our furniture all over the world.

— – The fair in Iława has been a family event from the start, which is evident in the atmosphere and in the presence of other companies from the furniture sector – adds President Szynaka. – Here we have more time to talk to our clients, sign contracts and strengthen our business relations, which makes these meetings much more efficient. It really was a perfect environment for talks, as on the first day of the fair a formal evening event was organised at Pałac Mortęgi, while a great culinary experience for all guests visiting the Szynaka Exposition Centre was created by chefs from the Palace.

Today, Poland is the fourth largest furniture manufacturer in the world and the second largest exporter in Europe. Only Italy beats us in this category. Only 15 per cent of furniture produced in Poland stays in the country, the rest is exported. – As a Group we will show our products the fair in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as well as at the High Point in the US. We need to go outside of Europe, we need to fight for new markets – says President Jan Szynaka.

The fair in Iława is a key item in the furniture industry’s calendar, and presence at the fair is simply a must for business professionals. – I have been coming to this fair from the start. The event organised by Szynaka Meble is a great opportunity to learn about the latest products of this company, which is one of our main suppliers – says Grzegorz Czapiewski from a furniture store in Chojnice. – Here we have time to look at products, to engage in business talks and to draw inspiration. Szynaka furniture reflects the latest trends in design, which we show to our customers at our furniture showrooms – stresses Barbara Ozdarska from Junior in Ciechanów. This year’s fair also featured an official ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of a new storage hall at Szynaka Logistic in Iława. It is another large investment project implemented by Grupa Meblowa Szynaka.

Everyone can produce furniture, but the challenge is to sell it and of course to deliver it to the client, which can often be located on another continent. If we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of different pieces of furniture, logistics become as important as production itself. This is why every business needs a modern logistic centre. And the new investment project, the new hall, erected in just slightly over a year, provides Grupa Meblowa Szynaka with such a facility. The centre is enormous. It is the size of ten football fields. After the construction of the new hall the whole complex features 12 thousand running metres of storage racks (mainly 5- and 6-storey ones) with nearly 18 thousand pallet bays. – We have got a lot of innovation at the centre. 50 loading ramps allow us to quickly load over 100 vehicles per hour – stresses Waldemar Górski, Director of Szynaka Meble Logistic Centre in Iława. – This investment will also increase our employment figures by over 100 people across the entire centre. The patronage over this year’s fair was held by the Marshal of the province, Voivode of Warmian-Masurian Province and the Regional State Forests Directorate in Olsztyn.

— – Furniture manufacture and wood processing is one of the three smart specialisations we focus on in our region – says Marshal Gustaw Marek Brzezin. – The new investment of Grupa Meblowa Szynaka goes in the same direction. We are happy that the company is developing, increasing employment rates in our province and that Grupa Meblowa Szynaka effectively promotes our region in the world. 10 per cent of Polish furniture export is furniture from Warmia and Masuria. That is why it is so important to have a large-scale furniture fair in the region well-known for furniture production. That’s the reason why we support such actions. – Furniture has now become the flagship item of our province – adds Vice-Voivode Sławomir Sadowski. – We need to remember that only 15 per cent of furniture stays in Poland, the rest is exported, which grows our economy. We are especially happy about this investment project, as Szynaka Meble is a multi-generation family-run company, based on Polish equity. The site of the new investment project is situated within Warmian-Masurian Special Economic Zone. – The permit was only issued in August 2017, and we’re already witnessing the grand opening – says Grzegorz Smoliński, President of W-MSEZ. – This shows the efficiency, innovation and development dynamics of Grupa Meblowa Szynaka. Products from the logistic centre in Iława reach over 50 countries in the world. So it is no surprise that the world is carefully watching the actions of Szynaka Meble, which is a valued and desired business partner on an international arena.

The theme of this year’s fair was: “Beauty comes from nature”. This is evident in the furniture, inspired by the beauty of natural wood. – Everyone who visited this year’s fair received a seedling prepared by State Forests, which symbolises Szynaka Meble’s dedication to promotion environmental protection – stressed Michał Szynaka, Marketing Director at Grupa Meblowa Szynaka. Despite the furniture fair in Ostróda being cancelled at the last minute, the event organised by Szynaka Meble with Partners met with a lot of interest. This indicates that over the years the Furniture Manufacturers’ Partnership Fair has become one of the most important furniture industry events in Poland and the most important event in Warmia and Masuria. This offers great prospects to furniture manufacturers and owners of furniture stores looking for prestigious expositions where they can meet and talk about the industry’s priorities and products.

Today, the Furniture Manufacturers’ Partnership Fair creates new opportunities for many businesses for development and for conquering international markets. The strategic location of Iława in north-western part of Warmian-Masurian Province guarantees perfect accessibility. The main railway routes meet in Iława, which guarantees direct connections with even the furthest cities in Poland. Direct vicinity of national road no. 16, connecting the Polish border to A1 motorway and S7 express road ensures fast and convenient access for guests from all over the world. – We wish to invite anyone who would like to join other exhibitors next year and show off their products at the largest trade event in Warmia and Masuria. Due to the growing interest in the event, we are open to talks and ready to open up our exposition space to businesses looking for an efficient promotional and marketing tool for their products in this part of Poland – summarises President Jan Szynaka.