News in international markets


Timberline Announces $63 Million Investment in Bell Bay Operation

Timberlink, one of Australia’s leading national timber manufactures and distributors, has announced that it is investing $63 million (AUD) in its Bell Bay operation as part of a plan to substantially increase its structural timber output. When completed the project is expected to increase the timber manufactured at the site by more than 50 percent, providing material for an estimated 7000 new houses.

Greenlam Industries to Enter Plywood and Particleboard Business and Expand with Third Laminate Plant

Greenlam Industries, Asia’s largest laminate manufacturing company, announced today (12-13-21) that is planning on investing Rs 959 crore over the next 2–3 years to set up a third laminate plant. It will also venture into the plywood and particleboard business. The company says the expansion will help move the company from being a decorative surfacing manufacturer to a leading player in the wood panel industry.

lida Group Holdings Buys Majority Stake in Russian Forest Products

Iida Group Holdings (IGH), a leading Japanese real estate development firm, announced on Wednesday (12-8-21) that it has received Russian Government approval and is buying a majority stake (75%) in Russian Forest Products for nearly $530 million. IGH says the acquisition will provide the company with access to one of the world’s largest forests, spanning roughly four million hectares in the Russian Far East.

New Zealand Log Export Volume and Prices Continue to Decline

New Zealand’s forestry industry continues deal with significant declines in the demand for export logs. China remains New Zealand’s largest customer for logs. Chinese construction companies, several with copious amounts of debt, are teetering on failure, without government intervention. As a result, the expectation for construction activity in China in 2022, is approximately 20% or more below 2021 levels.

Holmen Wood Products Investing SEK 400 Million in Upgrades to Iggesund Sawmill

Holmen has announced they are investing 400 million SEK in their Iggesund Sawmill. The investment will increase production at the sawmill by 20% and will enable the mill to switch from lower grade joinery spruce to construction timber in both spruce and pine. This will increase the value added and improve the market mix by increasing the share sold to Scandinavian builders’ merchants.

Timberlink Announces New Brand Name for their CLT and GLT Product Lines: NeXTimber

NeXTimber by Timberlink is the new brand name for Timberlink Australia’s forthcoming engineered wood building solution products. NeXTimber by Timberlink will manufacture cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated timber (GLT) products, providing an Australian-made renewable and carbon-positive timber building solution for commercial, residential, and public projects.

Dongwha Enterprises Celebrates Opening of New Laminated Flooring and Medium-Density Fiberboard Facility in Vietnam

Dongwha Enterprises, Korea’s top wood materials manufacturer, held an opening ceremony for its Dongwha, Vietnam unit’s new laminated flooring and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) facility located in Thai Nguyen (near Hanoi) on December 2, 2021. The factory is located on a 500,000 square meter site and was built with a total investment of 180 billion won ($152.6 million).