Networked

Every new development starts with an idea. And for Josef Huber, managing director of Solid, the technical aspects of an intelligent production solution should come next. In order to keep quality high and costs low, every flash of inspiration is considered from the angle of technical and financial feasibility right from the start.

Huber and his team collaborate with regional specialists – all of them long-standing partners. “Obviously the price pressure in our industry is intense. But in our experience, when it comes to suppliers, the cheapest is rarely the best. We say no to cut-price offers from abroad on principle. I guess you could say we’re typically Swiss in that respect: very stubborn! If we want sustainable production, we’ve got to do it here. If we outsource it to China, we lose all control of ecology and quality,” says Josef Huber. Apart from a few exceptions like American walnut, most of the wood Solid uses for its furniture comes from Switzerland. Individual requests can be accommodated too, for instance if a customer brings his own wood along to make sure the chair legs are a perfect fit with the table he already has.

Solid chose an unusual way to establish its distribution network. More than 600 Swiss joineries are involved: besides serving as exhibitors and advisors, they also execute some of the orders and handle delivery. “We’re too small to compete with the big furniture companies’ margins,” says Huber. “Besides having the right expertise, the joiners make their love of wood and craftsmanship tangible for customers too.”

SOLID: The little craft enterprise from Central Switzerland develops solid wood tables, benches and chairs. Solid supplies semi-finished products and services to a network of 600 carpentry firms who advise consumers and market the custom-made furniture. Most of them also handle some of the production: Solid provides the plans, wood or table legs, and the carpenters execute the product.

Text: Mirjam Rombach
Photos: Foto Plus, Lucerne

Solid Gmbh
Gewerbezone 82
6018 Buttisholz
Tel. 0041 (0)41 928 08 18
Fax 0041 (0)41 928 08 19
info@solid-holz.ch