July 2021 Pulse: Paintbrush & Paint Products
With the COVID-19 pandemic kicking off a DIY trend that some are projecting to extend through 2021, we took the time to catch up with product manager Nadja Essler of ZAHN Pinsel GmbH in our July/August issue to get an update on the paintbrush and paint products sector.
How would you characterize your current volume of sales in the paint products category?
I think we are on target. But there are, of course, a lot of new materials and also shapes for the brushes for craftsmen, which we are currently testing and developing. We are always trying to develop new and better materials and also shapes, which are helpful for easy working.
What has been your best-performing product or line of products in the paint segment over the past 12 months?
We use a special filament – we call it Falbex. With this filament, we have created an all-encompassing program of different types of brushes. For example – flat brush for varnishing, angular liner for the shapes, bent brush, round brush and so on. The specialty of this type of very high-quality fiber is that the fine filament will create a smooth surface without leaving any marks.
Are there any specific product areas in the segment that have underperformed in the past 12 months?
No!
How would you project the overall sales/business outlook for the next 12 months for the paint segment?
We are very positive that we will grow in this area. First, we have a lot of new products which we will launch in the next 12 months. And we also have many requests for brushes handmade in Germany that are high quality and also able to incorporate private labeling. And that’s exactly what we offer and what we are!
Can you comment on your biggest challenges over the past year and any current issues?
Currently, our biggest challenge is COVID-19 and faltering raw material supplies – causing long delivery and shipping times. In general, we’ve had some problems in the past. Because we had so many requests, we were not able to give all of them an offer with good delivery times. But we have built a new factory and moved into our new building one and a half years ago. Since then we are able to produce faster and we have also increased our staff levels.
Do you have any unique new product applications or customer scenarios that you would like to share?
We are currently working on news for a few very interesting and innovative products. We will launch them toward the end of summer.
Any final thoughts?
We are always trying to find the perfect solution together with our customers. Whenever they have a special need or application they can come to us and we try to develop the perfect brush for their demands.
