6 | News


Matti Rantanen to succeed Clive Pinnington as managing director of EPF


from Mr Pinnington, who will leave EPF at the end of June 2025. In a letter to EPF members announcing the news, Pablo Figueroa López, EPF chairman, said Mr Pinnington, 59, joined EPF in 2015 after a career in business, culminating in a role as senior vice-president for a multi-national adhesives and resins company supplying to the wood-based panels sector.


“Merging the tools of


Above left: Clive Pinnington is set to leave the EPF Above right: Matti Rantanen will be the new MD of EPF


Matti Rantanen has been appointed as the new managing director of the European Panel Federation (EPF), after long serving MD Clive Pinnington’s decision to step down and pursue


new opportunities. Mr Rantanen, currently


director of the European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA), will take up his new functions with EPF on May 5. This will allow for a transition


Greenlam produces first board on new particleboard line


Greenlam South Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Greenlam Industries Ltd, produced the first board on its new high- end particleboard plant from Dieffenbacher on January 23, 2025 in Andhra Pradesh, India. In addition to the CPS+


continuous press with press emission control system, the large Dieffenbacher scope of


supply for this project ranged from the forming station and forming line with pre-press to the raw board handling system and dryer.


Also included were the


EVORIS digitalisation solution, engineering, electrics and plant automation for the complete plant and Lukki raw board storage system.


Above: The Juken Gisborne facility


True Blue Timber has announced that Millari Group Australia (True Blue Timber, True Blue LVL, True Blue Plywood) has entered into a sale and purchase agreement to acquire 100% of Juken Gisborne’s New Zealand facilities.


The deal will include


LVL, plywood and sawmill operations of Juken Gisborne, which closed in 2023. Millari Group Australia is


Above: Celebrating production of the first board WBPI | February/March 2025 | www.wbpionline.com


set to start producing LVL, plywood, and timber for the Australian timber products


industry with advocacy, he has been able to deliver success in his 10 years at EPF through focus, target setting and a results-oriented culture,” said Mr Figueroa López. “He leaves EPF on his request to pursue new opportunities and to spend more time with his family in London.”


Finnish national Mr Rantanen, 40, brings experience in trade


associations (he was managing director of FEPE, the Federation of Envelopes, light packaging, and e-commerce packaging before joining EPPA) and, before that, in politics (including advice to the then Prime Minister Party of Finland on international relations and in co-operation with the European and Nordic political organisations) since graduating with an MBA from Turku University of Applied Sciences.


He is married with two children and has lived in Brussels since 2014. EPF represents €25bn in


turnover and 100,000 jobs in the wood-based panel sector, a role model industry in the circular bioeconomy.


NZ plywood and LVL mill in acquisition by Millari Group Australia


industry after recently agreeing to acquire the 25ha Juken Gisborne facilities in the North Island of New Zealand, to be rebranded as Millari NZ. Completion of the agreement is expected soon. “Our Millari NZ facility in Gisborne will be on track to increase the output capacity of LVL, plywood and timber production over the next few years as we invest in new machinery and technology for the 35,000m2


factory,” said


True Blue Timber owner and CEO Ryan Yari. “With these exciting facilities alongside our True Blue Timber operations, we will continue to offer the Australian industry a reputable and reliable ongoing source of high-quality engineered wood products and timber products and deliver them directly with quick turnarounds.”


News


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