Gouda Invest AB, a small family business in Sweden, relies on established networks and a long tradition of keeping promises, says Karim Gouda, the company’s Sales Director.
“Presently, we are exporting 400,000 cubic metres of sawn timber to Egypt per year,” he says.
According to Gouda, the annual Egyptian imported sawn timber market amounts to around 3.5 million cubic metres, with the Nordics providing the majority of the total volume.
“Finnish and Swedish sawn timber each amount to about one million cubic metres,” he explains.
One of the key players in the market is Metsä Fibre, which has been providing sawn timber to Gouda Invest since 2018. During that time, Karim Gouda came to appreciate the product and the ease of doing business together.
“We’re very happy to distribute Metsä Fibre sawn timber products to Egypt. Due to their quality, they are very attractive in the Egyptian market – making them easy for us to sell,” he says.
Both pine and spruce from the North are imported into Egypt. Gouda says that pine is, traditionally speaking, the number one in construction, while spruce is used mainly in the furniture industry.
Wood in high demand
Karim Gouda says that, as a timber market, Egypt is a rather unusual case. With no forests of its own, Egypt is always dependent on sawn timber imports – and with the launch of several ambitious government construction projects in recent years, the need for wood has grown dramatically.
Housing is a big priority, since the population is growing fast: while there were 60 million Egyptians in 1990, there are now around 109 million people in the country.
“Nordic timber is used in all building projects, including infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewage planning”, Gouda says.
In addition to construction, the fast-developing Egyptian furniture industry needs wood. Gouda explains that the local furniture industry wants to challenge countries such as India and China and become a true global player in the sector.
“Egypt has the expertise and competitive labour costs to make it work.”
The local furniture industry still relies on traditional craftmanship, in which items are made to order.
“The furniture produced is both for the local market and for export to the Mediterranean.”
Nordic timber is used in all building projects, including infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewage planning.
Karim Gouda, Sales Director, Gouda Invest AB
Committed to customers
Gouda visits Egypt regularly to meet the company’s clients, get a feel of the local market and stay up to date with the market situation. What motivates him the most in his work is salesmanship.
“I love sales in general but having a physical product like sawn timber – which you can actually feel – is really great. You can quickly tell if it’s good or bad.”
Currently, the state of the Egyptian sawn timber market is not as promising as it used to be. With a pressing financial crisis, there is less and less money available to launch new development projects. The financial situation in Egypt has been dire for a couple of years now and Gouda sees no immediate relief in the future.
“The wood market is pretty saturated, even though the population keeps growing,” he says.
Nevertheless, Karim Gouda is quite accustomed to the ups and downs of the market and is not easily rattled.
“I enjoy the pressure that comes with the territory,” he admits.
Even in trying times, Gouda is convinced that customers appreciate the consistency that Gouda Invest tries to nurture. Reliability and keeping one’s promises means the world in this business.
“We are not a hit-and-run company. We want our customers to know that we are here for them today and will be tomorrow.”