Sondermann Profile GmbH grew rapidly and is now a medium-sized company with around 25 employees operating worldwide. Already in the Netherlands and France, but not yet in Belgium, but that may soon change. To find out more about its response to the professional market for LVT, PVC and vinyl flooring, we contacted Frank Sondermann, whose name alone makes it clear that this is a true owner-managed family business. It is based in Drolshagen in southern Westphalia.

Previous history in profiles
Above all, we want to know what drives someone to launch themselves in this sector. The owner-founder's previous history speaks volumes here.
"For 21 years, I increased the turnover at Küberit and helped them 18 years as managing director to grow, is probably the most succinct answer to this question," smiles Frank Sondermann.

"The founding dates back to May 2015, after which the first eight months were spent merely investing in machinery, tools, purchasing raw materials, building a warehouse and developing new products. Only in January 2016 did we realise our first turnover."

"We continuously invested in flexible production, which allows Sondro to deliver customised aluminium profiles even in small quantities. In doing so, there are (almost) no limits for our company, which has a 22,000 m² factory site."

First participation in BAU
Sondermann Profile recently took part in the BAU trade fair in Munich for the very first time in its history. There it presented its latest market- and demand-oriented solutions in the areas of floor covering, staircase and wall profiles. As a first, for example, it presented the new, slim profile system Sonclick Eco, a two-piece system that intervenes in the trajectory of the top profile into the guide channel of the 22 mm wide base profile and, thanks to an intelligent shield, allows height adjustment from 7 to 14 mm. It can also swevel in both directions, if the flooring heigh on both sides are different. On top of the profile surface, the company offers 24 new digital printed decors and its 18 best seller decors, so in total Sondro increased its range to 44 decors at the BAU.

"Sonclick Eco dovetails with our other system lines, where we always strive for European patenting," we learn. "Two of our profile systems already have that patent, I am talking about Sonwood Flexo and Sonclick. With over 7,000 items in stock, Sonwood Flexo and Sonclick grew to become the flagship of our young, dynamic company. Also interesting to mention is our special 'Black Line since 2016’, with which the company is best known in the outside world. As one of the very first on the market, we offered a comprehensive range of black anodised profiles back in 2016. A hit, especially now that you see how popular that colour black remains."

When we probe a little deeper, we quickly learn that the focus at Sondro is on profile systems that score in detail through the use of the latest technology. These innovations, combined with included fixing materials (colour-matched screws), make it easier for the end user or craftsman to handle all Sondro profiles on site.
Earlier in the conversation, Mr Sondermann mentioned that, above all, they like to work to customer specifications. A press release further tells us that in 2022, around 11% of total sales were even generated with special profiles. Why this choice?

"We mainly work on behalf of sometimes very large floor manufacturers, for whom we can also do custom-made work, whatever they want. In addition, individual customers can also come to us; architects are increasingly finding their way to us because we can not only handle highly personalised orders, but also do so for very small volumes. We can literally make anything, right down to corners and skirting boards, in any size and colour. The customer lets us know what they want and we then make the calculation before it goes into production."
Trend towards smaller profiles
Sondermann built itself a name as an innovator on the market in recent years. So it makes sense to specifically sound out which new developments they are responding to.
"In particular, we see an increasing demand for smaller profiles. In addition, the demand for stainless steel is also rising," Frank Sondermann comments. "Every year you also see changes in the decors, which we produce with digital printing. The nice thing is that you also see different accents in the market. For example, people in the Netherlands like it self-adhesive, while a

German prefers to screw."
"Another notable trend: the growing popularity of stone decors, which of course have to be matched to the floor. That said, solid classics also remain visible. In the last five years, for example, you see a huge amount of oak. More than 60% of our production consists of over 30 oak designs, and that is more or less the same for LVT, PVC and vinyl as well as laminate. Something I would also like to add: we are increasingly producing customised skirting boards from stainless steel and aluminium and are seeing black becoming even more desirable than before. In these days, RAL 7022 Umbragrau matt is in production for a new customer to give him the best service and make it possible for Sondro to produce special skirting-corners for the building".

We have not yet seen Sondermann Profile's products in Belgium so far, but we already saw them turn up in the Netherlands and France and in many other places around the world. Are there any plans here?
"That is hard to predict," concludes the manager. "We are obviously not averse to this market, quite the contrary, but someone also has to want to take us in. Like in the Netherlands, where we work with wholesalers. If anyone feels called, they are always welcome to get in touch."