Canadians helped at the beginning

Bronček did not want to limit himself to trading wood, so he began exploring ways to process it into the final product. "I started as a sole proprietor, and later I hired two employees. Today, we have 90 people who process approximately a thousand cubic meters of wood per month. At the beginning, we produced wooden pallets and lumber from imported wood, and later we purchased it in Slovakia," describes the beginnings of the business. The turning point came when one of their French partners suggested trying to make typical Canadian log cabins. They facilitated contact with experts from the Canadian province of Quebec, who came to Rajec to assess the capabilities of the Slovak company. "It ended with them passing on their know-how to us, which we became the first in Central Europe to acquire. We gradually paid for it with the delivery of our wooden log cabins. In the beginning, in 1995, we made about five log cabins per year, now it's 80, and their share in the company's total production is almost 70 percent. The rest of the production consists of conventional construction lumber, pallets, wood chips, and briquettes," says Bronček, mentioning that Drevodom's annual turnover is 80 million Slovak koruna.

Unconventional log cabin production

The log cabins are made from solid roundwood, which is advantageous because the outer layers and fibers of individual pieces are not compromised. This prevents the wood from deforming, unlike in typical wooden house construction. The log cabins from Rajec have a lifespan of 150 to 200 years and withstand weather conditions and fires well. They visually select the roundwood in the forest, transporting the chosen logs to the company's handling site. There, they subject it to strict criteria, using only half of the roundwood for log cabin construction. The suitable roundwood must have a diameter of 230 to 340 millimeters, depending on the climatic conditions of the location where the wooden house will be erected. However, European standards require roundwood with a diameter of 270 millimeters, with a strong emphasis on thermal insulation. The selected roundwood for log cabins is manually debarked, allowing the wood to retain its natural curvature and rustic appearance. They further process and number each piece. They seal the joints between the individual pieces of roundwood with thermal insulation material. "Wooden log cabins have far better properties than brick houses, and in that regard, they are cost-effective. Our log cabins are not only used as cottages but are suitable for year-round use, which we also adapt in our marketing," emphasizes Bronček.

Approximately 60 percent of the annual log cabin production is sold in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, while the rest is exported mainly to France, Italy, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Miloš Bronček is convinced that over time, they will sell more and more log cabins outside of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as the original EU countries offer better conditions for that. "It's a matter of certification and more assertive business on our part," he added. For now, Zruby Rajec holds certificates from the Research and Development Institute of Wood Industry in Prague and the Technical Testing Institute of Construction in Bratislava, and they are preparing for the European ETA certification.

Investing in new technologies

Drevodom in Rajec invests six to ten million Slovak koruna annually in technologies and machinery, primarily in improving log cabin production to enhance their characteristics and increase work productivity. For example, the Rajec company is the only one in Europe with wood drying technology, making the log cabins lighter and their walls more airtight. The company has also invested funds from EU grants into new wood drying facilities, handling equipment, and a new production area.

You can read the original article here (in Slovak): [link to the original article]