Rubio Monocoat is an ecological company in Izegem, Belgium, that makes high-quality wood protection and colouring in one layer. Their products are highly ecological, sustainable and innovative. In addition, the extensive colour range ensures endless creative options. Rubio Monocoat wants to invest in the future, by making innovative products, but also by fully taking up their Corporate Social Responsibility. The company is making investments to go carbon neutral and have started to support the charity Aynimundo for the long term.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Rubio Monocoat: Our products protect and colour your wood in one layer. With our three main products Oil Plus 2C, Hybrid Wood Protector and WoodCream, we offer a solution for every wood species and type. Our range includes solutions for interior and exterior and for all kind of surfaces such as claddings, floors, furniture.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
R.M: Our main product for interior protection is Oil Plus 2C. This product has always been very ecological: it contains 0% VOCs, is based on linseed, is child and toy-friendly and thanks to the one-layer system the product requires a smaller production site, less packaging and less transport. The product has therefore already received many certificates such as Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold, Food Contact Compliance, Food Safety.
The latest certificate was obtained in 2022. The improved formula of Oil Plus 2C received the label GreenGuard Gold, which proves once again that the product is safe for the environment and human health. The GreenGuard Gold label shows that Oil Plus 2C is safe to use in schools and healthcare facilities and that the product meets some of the world’s most rigorous, third-party chemical emissions standards.
Our newest exterior wood protector is WoodCream. This exterior product can be used for vertical surfaces and is a wax cream with water-repellent and self-cleaning properties. It’s very easy to apply and is available in 27 colours.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
R.M: The Rubio Monocoat product range offers solutions from A to Z when it comes to wood finishing. Our products can be used for interior and exterior wood, horizontally and vertically oriented surfaces, every wood type and all wood surfaces. Whether it’s for a residential project or public spaces like restaurants, museums, government buildings, we can offer you the ideal product.
The protective products Oil Plus 2C, FR Oil System, Hybrid Wood Protector and WoodCream can all be applied in one single layer and maintain the natural look and feel of the wood. They can also be combined with a number of preparation, pre-treatment and maintenance products. In cooperation with our technical service, we offer industrial solutions as well.
Lastly, our colour range is endless: lots of standard and poppy colours, the possibility to mix colours with each other or with pre-treatments, custom colours.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
R.M: Rubio Monocoat is active in both B2B and B2C. In the past we have operated a lot in industrial markets. For example, a lot of furniture stores and floor manufacturers apply our oils industrially on their wood and then sell the treated furniture and floors to end consumers. Also included in our B2B customer base are parquet installers, furniture makers, renovators, … This last sector was really booming during the COVID lockdowns.
As for our B2C customers, this market has a lot of potential and is ever-growing. On our YouTube channel we offer a lot of how to videos that are especially relevant for this target audience.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
R.M: During the COVID lockdowns, a lot of people have started renovating. This created a big growth for us in 2020 and 2021. Now, we see that the number of renovations have started to drop again to normal levels. In contrast, a lot of people also took up woodworking during the lockdowns and we see that these people are still pursuing their new hobbies. This has created a bigger market share in B2C for us.
Since the energy crisis in the autumn of 2022, we see that industrial clients are struggling with the high energy costs. This has caused a decrease in demand on the market in general.
Since the lockdowns, a general design trend that is being observed everywhere is that people want to use more natural materials. They want to go back to basics and revert back to nature. One example of this is the use of wooden claddings in modern constructions or wooden slats in interiors.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
R.M: Our most innovative products are our wood oils for interior and exterior: Oil Plus 2C and Hybrid Wood Protector. They are both based on molecular binding. This means that our oils can protect and colour wood in one single layer by adhering to the upper microns in the wood within a couple of minutes. This unique technology has set Rubio Monocoat apart from other wood protection products for many years.
Thanks to this technology, customers enjoy many advantages:
- Strong and durable protection;
- Extremely economical: 30-50 m²/L;
- Less product needed thanks to molecular binding;
- Very ecological;
- Less packaging, transport, production site needed thanks to economical usage;
- 0% VOC;
- Natural look and feel;
- User-friendly;
- Unique colours;
- Suitable for all wood types;
- Easy to maintain;
- No overlaps possible;
- No film forming, no saturation.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2022?
R.M: A lot of 2022 will depend on the economic and energy crisis due to the war between Russia and the Ukraine. The market is already feeling a stall in demand. This decrease has already started to show in the construction sector.
https://www.rubiomonocoat.be/en
