Sateri execs answer questions about FR
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, July 12, 2004
Valkeakoski, Finland — Eero Mannisto's corner office here looks out over the Sateri factory where he has worked for three decades.
In the near distance, the waters of Lake Mallasvesi beckon invitingly. The company's lake-side location and the abundance of trees nearby led the company to establish its factory here. Trees and water both contribute their part to making Visil fire-resistant fibers.
It is from Mannisto's fourth-floor perch that Sateri has planned its entry into the United States, where the company believes it has a major opportunity in the emerging market for FR materials. The first opportunity is in the mattress industry, where the company's U.S. agent, Harrison Murphy of New Avenue in Virginia, is already sampling products.
Mannisto, Sateri's managing director, and Kari Parviainen, deputy managing director, shared their thoughts on the U.S. market and the growing importance of safety in consumer products in a wide-ranging interview with Furniture/Today.
Question: There are some questions about when California will begin enforcing its open-flame mattress standard. How are you dealing with the uncertainty?
Mannisto: "The uncertainty is still there. We have accepted it and can live with it. We need to be able to react immediately to the latest news from the States."
Q: Is Sateri surprised by the way the mattress flammability issue is developing in the U.S.?
Parviainen: "The FR business is driven by legislation. It has been quite surprising to follow how the state (California) and federal legislation is developing."
Q: You supply your Visil FR fiber to several countries. Do companies in those countries market safety messages?
Parviainen: "This is done with the European Union for certain products like upholstery in public interiors, airplanes, trains and ships, and for protective clothing and uniforms."
Q: Should bedding producers and retailers market improved mattress safety in the U.S.?
Parviainen: "Why not? Consumers should be more aware of safety issues."
Q: Does safety sell?
Parviainen: "Yes, safety does sell. We can see that in the car industry. Look at Volvo."
Q: Is concern about product safety growing around the world?
Mannisto: "Yes. Safety is becoming more and more important all the time in the Western world, and globally."
Q: Whose job is it to tout safety messages?
Mannisto: "We have to be able to solve the needs of our customers. It is up to them to say what they will do in their market."
