HoutPro+ review

Earlier in November, Roto took part in HoutPro+, the biggest trade fair in the Netherlands for the carpentry and wood-processing industry, including wood window and door manufacturers.

The event took place in Den Bosch over four days. Roto was present with a permanent stand, co-hosted with our group colleagues from Deventer, who showcased the range of weather seals.

Well attended

“For the Dutch team it has been very good”, said Hans Scholing, Technical Sales Advisor. “We have made a lot of new contacts that we will be following up with after the fair. They are asking for a lot of information. The fair has been very well attended, especially Thursday where there is a late finish of 8 pm”.

“It has been busy on the stand”, said Subana Akhmedova, Marketing Specialist. “People are impressed by the products, especially Roto NX | C and Inowa”. The concealed tilt and turn hardware and tightly-sealed sliding system are still attracting interest from manufacturers of premium windows and doors who want to maximise the offering they can make to customers in terms of aesthetics, ease of use, functionality and performance.

Sizes and weights

“Most customers are interested in Roto NX | C, especially because of the wide range of window sizes that are possible, and the high maximum weights”, said Gerry Claassens, Sales Manager Benelux. “Patio Inowa is also attracting interest for the sizes that are possible, plus the very high insulation values that come from our tightly-sealed locking system”.

“Thanks to everyone who visited us, especially our current partners. It has also been great to meet new interested companies”, Gerry continued. “Also big thanks to our partners HPkozijn, for making excellent quality windows for the stand. Finally, to Erik, Hans, Kees and Subana for representing Roto and to Jean-Paul and Ilona from Deventer”.

Chris Cauwenberghs, General Manager Roto Western Europe, visited HoutPro+ on the second day of the show. Roto More caught up with him to find out his impressions.

Hi Chris, what has been your first impression?

“The first thing I noticed was that we have a really nice stand and concept. It is a credit to the team and partners who put it together. All the elements are of an extremely high finish. It’s one of the best I’ve seen in terms of attention to detail.

This stand will have made a very good impression on the woodworkers, as they appreciate such high quality workmanship.”

Are you pleased with the attendance?

“Yes. The fair was not overcrowded but there was a decent amount of people. What was noticeable was the high level of interest and detailed questions from the visitors. Many of the other exhibitors I spoke to agreed. On the Wednesday when I attended there was also a constant flow of delegates rather than spikes – this helped the team give full attention to each visitor.”

Which products stood out for you?

“There has been a high level of interest in Patio Inowa – that’s not a surprise because we are very used to this. Another key product is a new door solution, our flex striker, which has been designed for the Netherlands market. It assists with user comfort by making sure it is always easy to lock the door. Regulations in the Netherlands say that a door key should require no more than 1.5 Nm of torque to operate it, even if the door panel is deflected by up to 8 mm. This new striker concept means we can provide door manufacturers with a reliable solution.”

Are fairs still important in the digital age?

“I think yes, more than ever because people still want to have events where they make a real life connection with others. Here we participated with colleagues from Deventer and it is great to be able to work with them, showing how Roto hardware and Deventer seals are a perfect match. Several of our partners were present and it is always good to see them and catch up and exchange ideas about the market, challenges etc. Thank you to everyone who attended, to our team and all the partners who made another successful edition of HoutPro+.”