“When customers come to us, we are able to provide a wide range of solutions for their projects,” says Managing Director of Rothoblaas New Zealand, Felix Scheibmair. “Others can only provide parts of each range that we offer.”
Multi-national company Rothoblaas is headquartered in the Alpine region of northern Italy and is currently operating in more than 70 countries, including New Zealand. Their speciality is in holistic, adaptive solutions for designing and building with wood. “We’re a relatively young and dynamic company and we’re always striving to push limits and challenge norms,” Felix says. “I’ve been involved with Rothoblaas for about 10 years as their New Zealand distributor. In 2021, we decided that the local market was ready and launched a New Zealand subsidiary.”
With a background in structural and timber engineering, Felix knows well the challenges of building with wood, and says that Rothoblaas is streamlining the process for industry professionals all over the world. Their considerable product range includes fastening, airtightness, waterproofing, soundproofing, fall protection, machinery and tools. “This one-stop approach to timber building reduces the workload for our clients and ensures that all systems work together as they should. There is a price advantage to this approach as well,” he says. “Additionally, our product and innovation teams get feedback from a wide range of sectors which enables us to continuously improve our products and offerings.”
Rothoblaas does all of its product development internally, allowing the team to manage the entire process from idea to market entry. “Much of our range can be used in any country internationally, but some will need additional certification work or a deeper understanding of the local market. We have staff active in each market we sell into to ensure we have that understanding; we believe that it’s critical to ensure the correct products are available for each customer’s specific requirements.” One of the principle considerations for each individual market is compliance, Felix says. “Safety and compliance play a large role in what we do. The stringent quality control procedures at our main Italian warehouse include a rigorous testing regime. Most of our products are certified to ISO/EN [International Organization for Standardization/European Standards] or similar established standards.”
The business also has a strong sustainability focus, Felix says, with a Quality, Health and Safety and Environmental framework underpinning all of their decision-making. “If you look at our [automated, energy-efficient and highly optimised] HQ building, it’s easy to see our commitment to environmental responsibility. Reducing power usage and waste, reduced dependence on natural gas and investing in photovoltaics are no longer new or niche ideas at Rothoblaas, they are expected. Environmental policy is always front-of-mind and there is a drive to constantly reduce our footprint on the environment.”
Despite its recent growth into a multi-national company, Rothoblaas is proud to maintain its family-business roots and high level of customer service. “We have a large but very close-knit team and are extremely proud of the culture in the business,” Felix says. “The aim is to foster the growth of not just the business but also each individual within it. Each subsidiary and technical sales staff member has close ties back to the rest of the team which ensures that the service received by the end customer is as consistent as possible.”
For Felix, it’s the challenge that keeps him most excited about the work. “I’m passionate about finding those small wins which lead to bigger ones further down the road. It’s an exciting time for the construction sector in New Zealand, with so many opportunities to explore and make our own.”
The business is very much in a growth phase, Felix says, particularly here in New Zealand. “We are adding members to the sales team, exploring further warehousing options and working to understand how best to continue to introduce our vast range to this beautiful country. I look forward to the challenge of pushing that growth forward.”
Felix is eager to connect with New Zealand architects, engineers and construction companies who are struggling to find a solution for their project. “In New Zealand, we often like to reinvent – that’s great and it makes Kiwis who we are – but sometimes it’s worth looking at what is already available to ensure that the client gets the most reliable and cost-effective solution possible. The Rothoblaas range is vast and the solution you need could be right here on the shelf.”
To learn more and connect with Felix, visit https://www.rothoblaas.com/ and follow Felix on LinkedIn.
