News

07/09/2011 /  Our new business-management system — to help ensure a high-level of customer service

In order to optimize performance, UAB Juodeliai has inaugurated a new accounting and business-management system. The EU support of the programme, “E-business LT”, aimed at promoting micro / small / medium-sized enterprises to implement information technologies, in order to enable favourable conditions for increasing enterprise productivity and exports. Applications could be submitted by private legal entities that belonged to the category of micro / small / medium-sized enterprises, and which were operating for no less than one year (except for those cases where a company was controlled by another company, which was operating for no less than one year).

After submitting the application, UAB Juodeliai received fifty percent of the funding for the installation of this accounting and business management system. The EU contribution amounted to 122,500 litas; the same contribution will be provided by UAB Juodeliai. The intensive procedure of installation and programming will begin soon. The team of UAB Juodeliai is expecting that in 2012, this new business-management system will be operating, will help perform all of the work faster and better, and will ensure a high-level of customer service.

18/08/2011 /  Prospects for Pallet element Production for Autumn 2011

Pallet element production and sales planning are affected annually by Western European pallet manufacturers (for example, PAL and CP). From the first week of August, and into September, is the time when the majority of suppliers are decreasing their production, due to the vacations season and facilities renovations. Such factors are the main causes for the increase in inventory and the decline in demand. Additional factors that drew the attention of all producers were the results of the decline in financial indicators and in the credit rating of the USA. However, a continuous market analysis and close links with major partners allow us to relax even in the presence of these pressing issues. Foreign partners are informing that the recent “financial undulations“ do not directly influence their companies.

Major pallet-manufacturers are trying to maintain slightly reduced, but stable, production volumes. A continuous optimization of the production planning, as well as communication with clients, allow UAB Juodeliai to provide the continuation of the production supply without reducing the production/sales volumes. Active efforts with current potential customers are now providing optimistic hopes for the autumn 2011 trade perspective. Although the summer vacations season has not ended, there is an increase in production orders for the autumn – not only from regular customers, but also from potential new pallet element buyers.

A positive mood could also be created by the current news from the Far East. The market received the news about agreements between the EU and the People’s Republic of China, regarding the simplification of the international standard of phytosanitary measure labelling by ISPM-15 (“Instructions for Wood Packaging Material in International Trade”).

02/08/2011 /  Changeable Summer Weather Affects the Quality of Round-wood (Logs)

Currently, Lithuanian forests and the quality of wood have been greatly affected by the changeable summer weather. Hot and humid weather cause coniferous wood to turn blue. A significant damage has also been done to the raw material of deciduous wood, which resulted in decrease of the quality of the raw-material.

Recently, UAB Juodeliai has been facing this quality-maintenance issue quite often. A large portion of the timber from Lithuania’s forest enterprises is affected by the changeable weather. To reduce the degradation of the product quality, every shipment of wood is being carefully examined: by inspecting the wood, and returning damaged and/or inappropriate logs back to their suppliers. The company’s representatives are continually visiting timber storage sites of Lithuania’s forest-enterprises in order to select the proper wood at the first stage of manufacturing.

Compared to 2010, the volume of low-quality coniferous wood has increased by forty percent (40%). The continual cooperation with the representatives of Lithuania’s forest-enterprises helps to monitor the current situations of Lithuanian forests. Lithuanian forest enterprises believe that the quality of round-wood (i.e., logs) should increase by the middle of August, and predict expansion in the quantities of raw material.

12/07/2011 /  The results of the company’s activities for the first-half of 2011

The first-half of 2011 was successful for UAB “Juodeliai“. Compared with the first-half of 2010, the production increased by 37%. After the upgrading of the production facilities, and the optimising the production process, the company has maintained the top position in the Baltic States among the manufacturers of wooden pallet-blocks. The continuous training of workers, the improvement of business-process management, and the optimization of the production capacity, all enable usage of 100% of the production capacity. The company’s two (2) sawmills are working three (3) shifts daily, and are producing up to 7,000 cubic meters of sawed timber per month. A high-quality timber pallet has been approved by a list of long-standing customers, as well as a growing range of interested new customers. During the first-half of the year, there was a significant increase in the number of active customers: exceeding sixty (60) new customers. The main outlets for the production continue to be Germany (46%), Belgium (18%), and Holland (16%).

A continuous market-analysis, consistent work in the fields of marketing and sales, and also an on-going optimization of the production, enable us to expect potentially better activity results in the second-half of the year.

08/07/2011 /  Meeting with the Minister of Environment, of the Republic of Lithuania, regarding the round-wood trade policy

On 4 July 2011, the Director of the Wood-processors Association, Juozupas Zimnickas (General Director of UAB “Juodeliai”) attended the meeting with the Minister of Environment, G. Kazlauskas. The topic of the meeting involved the regulations of the round-wood trade (auctions). The discussion also concerned other important topics.

It is notable that the Minister supported (presently, only verbally) the proposal of the Director of the Association: to move the current order (with minor improvements) of the round-wood trade into the digital space, and to refuse to hold the auctions.

Unfortunately, this position was not supported by the association “Lithuanian Wood”, which was also attending the meeting, and which was clearly protecting the interests of large companies and bio-fuel producers.

Mr. Zimnickas outlined his idea of an alternative energy to the Minister of Environment; that straw and energy crops (willows) could effectively replace bio-fuel, and thus protect the wood that is suitable for cutting, from the de-forestation. The Minister agreed to this idea, and promised to help implement as much as possible such idea of the alternative energy.

We should also be proud that we have received the support, regarding the order of the round-wood trade, from the Directorate-General of State Forests, which sent a letter to the Ministry of Environment with the suggestion to maintain the current process — that is, to move it to the digital space.