To gain more insight into this sector, we visited the Mapo Group, one of the major European players on the market. In 2023, this Mapo Group comprises four separate entities in four different places: Mapo (Houthalen-Helchteren -B), Vepola (Genk - B), V-Finishing (Oudsbergen - B), and Mapo Print (Malle - B).

The four entities together have a total production surface area of no fewer than 15,000m². The heart of the group is coating contractor Mapo, which operates in the treatment of wood and in the finish of indoor walls, terraces, and wall cladding. Vepola, taken over in 2015, specialises in wet-lacquering, treating, and protecting synthetics and wood and metal surfaces. After the takeover of Vepola, V-Finishing and Mapo Print were also formed. V-Finishing specialises mainly in wet-lacquering door and window profiles, whilst Mapo Print is responsible for personalised wall and floor panels.

Indoor and outdoor wood
We have an appointment with managing director Jan Schoonbrood. His assistant is Lieke Kelchtermans, who works in the different companies and therefore has a ‘panoramic view’ of all the activities. Together with them, we consider the specific approach to both wooden floors and indoor applications and treatments on offer for outdoor wood, walls, terrace planks, and construction wood.

Both interviewees immediately stress what will prove to be the main theme of the discussion: Anyone who contacts Mapo can count on maximum flexibility and finishes which are made using the latest production techniques. Moreover, they take on both big and small jobs where the job is finished tailored to the client’s wishes at a competitive price and with rapid delivery terms.

Jan Schoonbrood explains: ‘If you want to offer the best possible finish, you shouldn’t hesitate to invest in your company. That’s why we operate two production lines here in Houthalen-Helchteren. One of them is 240 metres long and is a flat line for parquet floors and panels, whilst the other is a spray line 140 metres long, which is used for things like wall work and panel material. Thanks to these lines, we can take on highly diverse finishes. These range from the smallest herringbone up to wall claddings and panels up to 1.20 metres wide and 6 metres long. These include all traditional finishes: scouring, brushing, distressing, colouring, smoking, etc. This goes together with UV lacquering and UV or oxide-oils.’

‘Our long lines make us highly flexible,’ Lieke Kelchtermans adds. ‘We can cope with lots of operations in one passage, so we can guarantee short delivery periods to keep our prices competitive.’

From very big to very small
Jan Schoonbrood stresses how important it is to say that Mapo doesn’t only do big jobs: ‘We can finish for commission at the client’s request. Anyone can call upon us! No job is too small!’
‘We only do coating contracting here, so we don’t want to compete with our own clients. Let me illustrate how we work. We always look for the most innovative production techniques, so we can sit down with clients to present the treatment of their products in a manner which is responsible both economically and ecologically.’

Over the last decade, various smaller production lines have appeared on the market so that people can apply a finish in situ. Doesn’t that provide competition for the Mapo Group?
‘Not really,’ Mr Schoonbrood replies at once. ‘First of all, there’s the quality, which is way beyond that of small production lines. You don’t save anything either. We’ll almost always prove cheaper, in combination with a constant and better quality finish. And so, we offer our clients a high degree of certainty thanks to our big production lines.’

Treatment methods
Obviously, we also have to discuss the treatment of wood. Our interviewees stress how Mapo particularly wants to give wood products a nice skin.
‘Our slogan is “We give your wood the perfect skin,” and with good reason,’ Lieke Kelchtermans tells us with a smile. ‘We give a fully customised treatment. Together with the client, we choose the right finish depending on the substrate, both aesthetically and functionally. We have experience with various sorts of wood and finishes, always depending on the expected result.’

‘For the treatment of wooden floors and most indoor applications a protective or aesthetic treatment of one flat side on our oiling and lacquering line will suffice,’ Jan Schoonbrood continues. ‘The circulation time of the treatment is about half an hour, and up to no fewer than seven coats can be applied! Lots of products are dried with UV light and can be packed at the end of the treatment.’
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We treat walls, terrace planks, and construction wood on three or four sides to guarantee proper protection. In that case we plan the treatment in our vacuum coater or spray line. Walls can be treated with a covering paint or a transparent system, which may or may not form a film. The latter is also extremely attractive for terrace planks. Brushing out the grains before the treatment gives the planks more character and stresses the natural character of the wood. Thanks to the high drying capacity of our finishing lines, several steps in the treatment process can be combined, and that keeps the application of the “skin” attractive as regards the price and the technique.’

Dreaming of one location
The managing director will turn 60 this year, but he has absolutely no intention of leaving the company. Moreover, he cherishes plans of fulfilling a major ambition, namely to accommodate the four companies at one and the same location. He continues: ‘There are lots of attractive projects being rounded off just now, so there’s no question of stopping, even though we have acquired some new workers in recent years to guarantee some continuity. We consider all the possibilities at the same time in order to extend our range to include composite, fibre-cement, and synthetic materials. There are tests in progress at the moment with the laboratory results expected within a month. We are ready to start the production for the first of these three in August or September, and the other two will follow in a later phase.’

‘Then, there’s my great dream. Oh, yes, I can’t yet say very much about that, except that we’re looking for a suitable location for a plant in the triangle of Houthalen – Genk – Oudsbergen. The fact that we’re looking in this region is due primarily to the make-up of our own staff. Our people show maximum flexibility towards the company, so the management has to return the favour. We don’t have a specific location as yet, but I continue to dream of finding the ideal spot very soon!’