Uruguayan specialist wood importer Maguinor Maderas opened its doors in 1996. The market has evolved rapidly since then, with the range of wood species and treatments available expanding year after year. With innovation taking a leading role in the industry, Maguinor Maderas is focused on being a leader in terms of offering products with higher R&D investment, while also honoring the company’s specialization in traditional solid woods.
Maguinor Maderas was the first company in Uruguay, and one of the first in the region, to sell thermally modified wood, beginning around 2016. With the market now much more familiar with thermal modification and its benefits, many lower-quality versions have inevitably become available since then, which can damage the reputation of the products. That’s why, as a distributor, it’s important for Maguinor Maderas to maintain its focus on delivering only the best products and advice to its customers. And according to Company Director Agustín Hughes, emphasizing the fact that Thermory’s products are from the world’s largest manufacturer of thermally modified wood goes a long way to reassuring them.
Maguinor Maderas’ relationship with Thermory began in 2018, when the company began exploring the possibility of bringing our products to the Uruguayan market. After spending two years meticulously researching our broad and varied selection, the first order was finally placed in 2020.
Agustín Hughes picks up the story from there.
In a small market like Uruguay, it’s important to introduce a product that’s “unbeatable”; something that’s different from everything else, that offers possibilities that are unique from other traditional products, yet that at the same time is competitively priced – so although we’d been aware of Thermory and interested in working with them for many years, it was important to get to know the products thoroughly in those early stages.
We took plenty of time to study the entire range, its variants, recommended uses, values, designs, finishes, and so on, in a process that involved lots of exchanges in virtual meetings, with Thermory sending us numerous samples and marketing materials. The first product we launched was Kodiak, and it was a great success. An extremely strong brand image was created for Thermory in our market, and the feedback was very positive. This laid the groundwork for us to introduce the variety of species and products that we work with to this day.
I would say the partnership is excellent; they’re always willing to advise and dedicate time to all the questions we have. We’ve already worked with several different salespeople, and it’s clear that regardless who you’re in contact with, the company’s policy is always to provide very good service, which adds value to the product quality that we already know about. They have a great willingness to work, to grow with us, and to always be present and attentive to our needs. We really couldn’t be more satisfied.
We currently work with spruce Kodiak (decking D4 and cladding C15), Benchmark pine C32, spruce Ignite C15, spruce Stripes CAR10, thermo-aspen Kyte S and aspen Wall Panel STF, and each one serves a specific function. We try to work with variants that don’t overlap with each other, and that provide architects with unique design options compared to more traditional products. The products we offer all have really outstanding features, but I would highlight the stability of spruce once it’s been thermally treated.
We like all Thermory products at Maguinor Maderas, even those that we haven’t yet introduced to our local market. Their design department puts in a lot of hard work and effort, which is clearly visible in the well-designed, high-quality products they create. However, I think that personally I’d have to choose Kodiak cladding, which was the product that opened the way for us to introduce Thermory in Uruguay.
Working with a prestigious brand like Thermory, especially as the exclusive representative for our market, undoubtedly also enhances our prestige as a company. We often work with European clients residing in Uruguay, and knowing that they can get the same quality wood products as in their own countries brings them peace of mind when planning their home developments.
After years working with thermally treated products, we know how to tell when the raw material selection is adequate, the process has been done well and the post-treatment material selection is appropriate. Thermory’s development of thermal modification furnace programming is carried out by internal specialists, backed by years and years of experience. I believe that this specialization and continuous improvement is fundamental to Thermory’s quality levels.
With Thermory, everything is simply perfect, from the products to the marketing materials. There is a special attention to detail, which we value highly.
And finally, innovation – we constantly see Thermory launching new, groundbreaking products that don’t resemble anything being done by anyone else. After a few months of course, the competition launches similar products, but by that point Thermory is already innovating again with something new. I believe that’s what it’s all about – being different. Being the ones who take the time and effort to study the market needs with architects and designers, and then to develop products that genuinely meet that demand. Although it’s easier for others to imitate these developments once they’ve been accomplished by Thermory, this path of innovation is extremely enriching for the company, as well as for its distributors and customers.