Mark the dates into your diary – if you’re a sawmiller. Two years ago – over two weeks – the WoodTECH conference series run by the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) achieved a record turnout of sawmilling companies. They were drawn from throughout Australia and New Zealand. Over 400 delegates from all major sawmilling companies in the region in addition …
Mills looking for markets!
In comparison to this time in 2018 — when all lumber markets were active and supply was the constraint — the situation in 2019 is quite the opposite. When we look at the key global producing and consuming markets, there is a consistent theme: too much supply chasing markets amid slowing demand in most major markets. Whether this is temporary …
Former MD of Gunns passes away
John Gay, the long-time former managing director of timber company Gunns, has died aged 75. John was born into a third-generation sawmilling family in Deloraine in 1943. After attending boarding school in Hobart, he went to work at his father’s sawmill at the age of 15. He was operating his own mills at Oatlands and Bridgewater by the age of …
Introducing Scale-Up NZ: The gateway to innovation ecosystem
A free online platform has just been launched to connect New Zealand businesses with funders, incubators, multinationals and other collaborators. Scale-Up NZ, from Callaghan Innovation, shines a light on our thriving innovation ecosystem.It delivers accurate insights on ambitious, innovative New Zealand companies, removing information gaps that too often prevent our businesses from achieving their potential. The late physicist and entrepreneur …
NZ Timber Design Guides launched
Following a one-day conference that discussed why wood manufacturing matters, especially in our regions, NZ Woods’ Timber Design Guide Manager Andy van Houtte launched “Design for Fire Safety,” the first of NZ Wood’s design guides in booklet form. The guides are aimed at architects, engineers, developers, quantity surveyors, building consent officials and other professionals to enable them to better understand …
Streamlining the green mill with vision technology
Waipapa Pine at KeriKeri, New Zealand is investing to improve the efficiency of its sawmill edger and trimmer lines . Following its successful carriage update utilizing USNR’s optimization and scanning system (read more), Waipapa is focusing its efforts downstream to implement more productive and innovative systems through the rest of its green mill. Both edger and trimmer lines will take …
Manufacturing still matters
“Manufacturing still matters,” Dr Alison Pennington (photo) told delegates at the Wood Processors and Manufacturers’ Association (WPMA)’s conference in Christchurch recently. Dr Pennington is an economist at the Centre for Future Work within the Australia Institute, and was a keynote speaker at the conference. “Manufacturing drives innovation,” she explained. “It continues to open new frontiers in innovation and technology, and …
Working together means we can all breathe a little easier
No one can deny the importance of local timber mills for regional jobs and the economy, however the often-aging infrastructure has, in the past presented challenges with air pollution and quality. Even before purchasing the Jubilee Highway Sawmill last year, OneFortyOne was in discussions with the South Australian Environment Protection Authority on air quality to meet legislative requirements for the …