Carter Holt Harvey Extends Its Reach

Date: 11 February 2002

Carter Holt Harvey Extends Its Reach Into North America Through Customwood Alliance

Carter Holt Harvey has announced an alliance with California-based SierraPine Limited which will see the US company import and market Carter Holt Harvey’s Customwood medium density fibreboard (MDF) in North America.

“As one of the largest composite panel manufacturers in North America, SierraPine is the ideal partner to have acting as our exclusive agent in that region,” says Ian Myers, Carter Holt Harvey’s Chief Executive Pinepanels. “This presents some exciting opportunities for us to significantly grow our business in what is obviously a very sizeable market.”

This arrangement will enable Carter Holt Harvey to tap into one of the composite panel industry’s finest customer networks and product lines.

“We see considerable benefit in aligning ourselves with a strong domestic supplier, like SierraPine, who can provide us with extensive market coverage and who have solid customer relationships already in place,” says Mr Myers. “We believe the partnership will benefit both companies and most importantly, our customers.”

For SierraPine, the alliance with Carter Holt Harvey significantly enhances the company’s product offering, positioning SierraPine with the widest range of MDF products in the US market.

Manufactured from 100% radiata pine, Customwood MDF offers strength and superior machining and performance. SierraPine will broaden its product line by offering Customwood’s Thin and Ultra Thin panels in thicknesses of 1.6mm and 2.5mm. The company will also market Customwood’s Ultra Light panels, a 520kg/m3 density panel.

Carter Holt Harvey is the Asia-Pacific region’s leading manufacturer of MDF and has a 40% share in the Australian market. The company has a total production capacity of 450,000m3, with output split evenly between facilities in Oberon, NSW and Rangiora, New Zealand.

The MDF exported to North America will come from both Australian and New Zealand plants, reflecting the growing importance of Carter Holt Harvey’s Australian operations in its overall business.

“By having MDF facilities on both sides of the Tasman we have production capability close to both the local Australian and New Zealand markets, as well as the scale of production, cost effectiveness and quality required to tackle key global markets such North America,” Mr Myers says.

ENDS

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