Sveriges producenter och leverantörer av limträ : en studie om deras marknader och kundrelationer

Abstract: The aim with this paper is to elucidate the current situation of the Swedish glulam market. This thesis paper will also consider prospects for the future and analyse the relationship between customer and producer and what makes a specific supplier attractive to their customer. The companies that are included in the paper are: Martinsons Group AB, Moelven Töreboda AB and Setra Group AB, Långshyttan. These three companies are the members of the organi¬sation Svenskt Limträ AB and produce the largest part of glulam in Sweden. Together they produce 140 000 – 150 000 m3 a year. The study is based on interviews with all three producers and a customer survey, where I have interviewed five customer to each producer. The task for the producers and the customer was to answering the same questions about how well the producer performe in different respects and what is important when you purchase glulam. The answer would show how the communi¬cation between producer and customer works and which variance there is in the opinion be¬tween them. During the interviews with the respondents of each producer a qualitative method was used. The idea was that the respondents would answer my questions freely without being inter¬rupted. This study shows that the glulam market has been very good the last years and it looks like it will remain in that way in the future. The demand for glulam is high all over the world. The biggest part of glulam that is exported from Sweden goes to Japan. The rest of the export goes to the European market. Moelven Töreboda is the only of the three companies that don't export to Japan any more. The Swedish domestic market is also important now and has in¬creased the last years. A big problem on the market is that there is no uniform strength classification for glulam. The lack of that kind of classification creates technical trade obstacles which make it hard to enter the market in some countries. In the future it is important for the Swedish producers to follow the development that possibly comes. If a uniformed classification system for glulam is introduced in the EU area and the de¬mand changes negatively, it is important for the producers to be prepared before it happens. If the companies have good contacts and well established relationships with their customer it will not give them any reason to change supplier when the competition on the glulam market increases.