Investment programme boosts European timber supply

Weyerhaeuser has commenced shipments of Forrestar eucalyptus and pine plywood to the UK from its new state-of-the-art plywood mill in Uruguay.

International forest products company, Weyerhaeuser, announces major investment programme to boost European timber supply.

Weyerhaeuser, has commenced shipments of Forrestar eucalyptus and pine plywood to the UK from its new state-of-the-art plywood mill in Uruguay.

Completed at the end of 2006, the plant is just the first phase in a major expansion programme in South America that over the next few years will build further plywood mills and a number of lumber processing operations.

This major investment is designed to ensure the continued production and supply of innovative, high quality timber materials from a sustainable source.

This investment in Uruguay is part of the company's strategy to focus on plantation eucalyptus and pine as sustainable alternatives to tropical or endangered wood species.

Its forest resource is ISO 14001 certified is planned to achieve PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) recognition in the near future.

The Forrestar eucalyptus and pine plywood offers superior qualities to many existing panels and is aimed at both the appearance and structural end user markets.

A pine / eucalyptus combination panel and a full hardwood eucalyptus panel to substitute for endangered tropical panels will be key products for Europe.

Customers throughout Europe have responded positively to the first shipments.

Specialist UK distributor of plywood to industry, Forest Boards, was one of the first UK based companies to take shipment of the new plywood material.

Managing director, Richard Philpot, said: "We were immediately interested to hear of Weyerhaeuser's new timber resource, as there are very few sustainable new wood sources that are able to offer high quality products.

We provide plywood for a range of construction and specialist industrial applications and were confident that this material is something our customers would be interested in." European commercial director for Weyerhaeuser, John Guerin, said: "Weyerhaeuser is fully committed to investing in the future.

There is no doubt that continued supply of timber is dependent on the industry's ability to identify and develop sustainable and innovative raw material resources and products.

"We have been exploring and investing in new wood sources for over a decade and found the fertile and favorable climatic conditions of Uruguay ideal for the production of extremely high quality wood raw material for a range of products.

We are working closely with our Uruguayan partners, and already we have employed over 1000 local people to work at the plant and in the forests." Weyerhaeuser sells to Europe through Weyerhaeuser Products Limited, headquartered in Belgium.

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