Östmans Snickeri acquired Koskisen Zero furniture board at the customer’s request
In 1977, brothers Tor and Kaj founded the carpentry company Östmans Snickeri. The Östman family had a strong tradition in woodworking, as the brothers’ father was a boatbuilder and their childhood home had a small carpentry workshop.
The company’s original name has remained unchanged through the decades, and craftsmanship continues to thrive. Today, the company has transitioned to modern kitchen production and offers fully customised kitchen solutions to its customers. Its strong foundations stems from a long history, and its operations are continuously being developed.
At Östmans Snickeri, fulfilling the customers’ wishes and ideas is a matter of honour. The company listens to customer requests with great sensitivity. Östmans Snickeri was introduced to Koskisen’s Zero furniture board precisely through a material request from a customer.
Consumer choices have a significant impact on the market
In a log house under construction, sustainable choices were considered essential. During the supplier selection process for furniture, the customer wanted to know precisely where each material was manufactured. They searched for information about the origin of different materials and ended up on Koskisen’s website, where they discovered the innovative Zero furniture board. In this board, the fossil-based binder has been replaced with a renewable wood-based binder, lignin.
Zero furniture board was chosen for the kitchen cabinet frames due to its no added formaldehyde composition. Östmans Snickeri was specifically requested to use Zero boards in the kitchen furniture.
The construction project shows that consumers can recognise their influence over the products offered in the market. Consumers play a significant role in determining which products are introduced, and their choices guide product development and supply. Each consumer aims to choose the healthiest materials for their home, which is why it is considered important that they are aware of how their decisions shape market direction. Increasing consumer awareness and emphasising their influence is believed to lead to the wider adoption of healthier and more sustainable products.
Towards a Low-Emission Future with Zero Furniture Boards
“The world is steadily moving toward lower emissions. Even though standard melamine boards already have low emissions, Zero is a leap forward in meeting the tightening requirements of the future,” says CEO Tonny Östman.
Zero is made from 100% renewable raw materials, and its wood content is sourced from Koskisen’s manufacturing side streams. Thanks to its versatility and durability, Zero is an excellent fit for the furniture industry. Compared to non-renewable materials, wood-based boards have significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions. They also store carbon for decades to come.
A longstanding partnership with Koskisen
Östmans Snickeri has been using Koskisen furniture board since the early 1990s. Deliveries began with so-called “Friday loads,” where melamine-coated particle boards and other materials were picked up from the distributor’s warehouse and transported to the factory.
This long-standing collaboration has been supported by the high quality and easy workability of the raw materials. Smooth logistics and reliable deliveries have also contributed to the continuation of the partnership to this day.