After years of working with Woodpecker Just on joinery, the Dutch company has entrusted its entry into timber construction to the Kairos 620.
Tifa Lemele was founded in 1999 as an evolution of a construction company and today has over 55 collaborators. If you were to introduce the company to those who don’t know you, what are the three elements that make you unique on the Dutch woodworking market?
Tifa Lemele started as an independent window frame producer from a construction company that made its own window frames. Because of that, we have a practical, project-focused approach. We not only understand how products are made, but also how they need to function on site in real life.
On top of that, we manage almost the entire process ourselves: from engineering and production to on-site assembly. This way, we can guarantee quality, act quickly, and offer our customers a complete solution.
Finally, what sets us apart is our strong focus on wood as a sustainable building material. With our expertise in wooden window frames, timber frame construction, and prefab solutions, we actively contribute to making the construction sector more sustainable.
In 2024, on the occasion of your 25th birthday, you adopted the new motto “Constructed by Nature”, which puts wood, sustainability and biobased construction at the centre. What does this philosophy represent for you and how does it actually translate into your production processes and technological choices?
“Constructed by Nature” reflects the core values of our company. We believe that wood is not just a versatile building material, but also one of the most sustainable resources for the future of construction.
This vision is evident in our daily work. We use certified wood, invest in prefab production techniques, and increasingly apply bio-based materials in our projects. This way, we reduce the environmental impact of our activities and contribute to CO₂ storage and circular building.
Your business ranges from wooden windows and doors to prefabrication and wooden frame construction, up to assembly on the construction site. What is your typical customer profile today and which markets (new construction, renovation, private individuals, businesses) represent your main growth directions?
Our customer base is broad and includes contractors, building materials suppliers, housing associations, and private clients.
At the moment, we see the biggest growth opportunities in prefab timber construction, biobased building solutions, and facade solutions for new construction and renovation projects, with sustainability at the heart.
At the same time, the demand for high-quality wooden window frames, doors, and prefab facade elements remains strong.
You had already chosen Saomad in the past with Woodpecker Just for the production of windows and doors. How did the first meeting with Saomad come about, and what were the aspects of the machine and the company that had convinced you back then?
At the time, we were looking for a reliable and high-quality solution for the production of wooden frames and doors. During our market research, we came into contact with Saomad and got to know the Woodpecker Just. What immediately stood out was the combination of precision, flexibility, and production efficiency.
In addition, both Saomad and their Dutch partner Gerretsen Wijhe showed that they understood our production processes well and could think along with us in a practical way. That gave us the confidence that this investment would contribute to our long-term ambitions. In practice, that has indeed proven to be the case.
After a long time, how do you judge the experience with the Woodpecker Just? What concrete results did it allow you to achieve in terms of productivity, precision and quality of windows and doors?
Our experiences with the Woodpecker Just have been very positive. The machine has helped us increase productivity with fewer staff, while at the same time maintaining a consistently high level of quality. Our process operator enjoys working with this machine, and its user-friendliness allows him to make the most of it.
Thanks to its accuracy and reliability, we can efficiently and precisely produce complex window frame and door parts. This has reduced manual work, improved dimensional accuracy, and enabled us to deliver consistent product quality to our customers.
With the new Kairos 620 you take an important step: it is a 5-axis working center dedicated to structural beams and X-LAM panels, therefore to the world of wooden house and prefabrication. What needs and goals have driven you to invest in this new technology?
The demand for prefabricated timber construction and timber frame construction is growing rapidly. To support this development, we wanted to further automate our production and prepare our company for future growth.
With the Kairos 620, we can process larger structural elements, beams, and panels more efficiently and accurately. This increases our production capacity with fewer FTEs while maintaining the flexibility to handle both series production and complex custom projects.
In addition, we carefully compared different suppliers and machines on the market. After a thorough evaluation, the Kairos 620 turned out to be the best match for our needs, both technically and in terms of ease of use.
The choice to remain with Saomad even for a production area other than that of windows and doors is significant. What factors weighed most heavily in this decision: the positive experience with Woodpecker Just, confidence in the relationship with the company and the dealer, the technical characteristics of Kairos, or a combination of these elements?
This decision was based on a combination of factors. First of all, over many years we have had very positive experiences with the Woodpecker Just. The machine has proven to be reliable and delivers the quality, precision, and efficiency we need every day.
At the same time, we didn’t make this choice lightly. We carefully researched and compared several competing machines and suppliers before making a final decision. We looked not only at technical specifications but also at the experiences of the people who work with the machine every day.
Our operator expressed a clear preference for the Kairos 620 because of its ease of use and user-friendly software. That was an important aspect for us, because user acceptance and efficient work are essential for the success of a new investment.
Also, the strong relationship with Saomad and their Dutch partner Gerretsen played an important role. Over the years, we have built a collaboration based on trust, short communication lines, and reliable support. In the end, the combination of proven reliability, technical performance, ease of use, and trust in the collaboration was the deciding factor.
Which features of the Kairos 620 you consider most decisive for your work: the flexibility of 5-axis technology, the ability to process beams and large elements, load automation, structural robustness. And what new production possibilities will it actually open up to you?
The most important features for us are the flexibility of the 5-axis technology and the precise machining of (large) wooden elements. This allows us to produce more complexly, efficiently, and with consistent quality.
In addition, further automation optimizes our capacity and staff deployment. The Kairos 620 thus offers growth opportunities in prefabricated timber construction and timber frame construction.
Beyond machines, what do you value most about Saomad company as a partner?
We think of the direct relationship, advice, assistance and after-sales service, also thanks to the presence of Gerretsen as a reference in the Netherlands.
A successful collaboration is about much more than just technology. What we value most is direct communication, proactive thinking, and reliable support.
Service and aftersales are essential for an efficient production environment, and in that area, both Saomad and Gerretsen have proven themselves as committed partners.
The fact that we can rely on strong local representation in the Netherlands gives us extra confidence and ensures we can act quickly when needed.
Looking ahead, how do you imagine Tifa Lemele’s evolution in the coming years? How automation and technologies like Kairos will help you respond to industry challenges, from sustainability to a shortage of specialized personnel, to the growing demand for wooden construction?
We are convinced that timber construction, prefab production, and biobased building will continue to grow strongly in the coming years. Our ambition is to keep playing a leading role in this.
By investing in automation and advanced production technology, we can work more efficiently, maintain a high level of quality, and respond to challenges like staff shortages and the increasing demand for sustainable building solutions.
Technologies like the Kairos 620 help us to keep growing without compromising the flexibility, quality, and craftsmanship that our customers expect from us.
?One last question: if you were to recommend Saomad and its machines to another manufacturer in the industry what would you say? What do you think makes this collaboration different from others?
We would say that Saomad offers much more than just machines. The combination of reliable technology, practical solutions, technical expertise, and excellent support creates real added value for a manufacturer.
What sets this collaboration apart from other supplier relationships is that Saomad and Gerretsen truly understand our business operations and act as a long-term partner rather than just a machine supplier. That approach has really contributed to the success of our collaboration.
