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Thebault Group invests €100m in new LVL manufacturing operation


particular for construction and industry.


The new site will see the


construction of a 25,000m2 factory on 15 hectares of land located in the Sud Auvergne Business Park, in Lempdes-sur- Allagnon. Eventually, the plant will produce 100,000m3


of LVL


entirely “Made in France”, with a first phase at 70,000m3


. Above: An impression of the planned LVL production unit


Leading French plywood producer the Thebault Group has announced the creation of a €100m new LVL manufacturing unit.


The Group, which currently


has five processing sites and a turnover of €100m annually, said its sixth wood processing sitge will be located in Auvergne. This new factory


is intended to unroll silver fir logs, then to assemble the veneers for the manufacture of LVL – Lamibois panels and beams.


A specialist in the peeling and production of plywood, the Group is thus pursuing its industrial development in the manufacture of wood products intended in


Bio-based particleboard launched in France


A French partnership of bio resin producer Evertree and wood-based panels manufacturer Seripanneaux have launched what they claim is the first 100% made-in-France bio-based particleboard. The move, the partners


say, is a much-anticipated development for the furniture industry that will help accelerate its shift toward sustainability.


The new product is called


PANTair and is made at Seripanneaux’s production site in Saint-Vincent-De- Tyrosse, south-west France. The partners believe the product has a big potential market due to particleboard being used in 63% of all furniture manufactured


for the European market, as well as the current emphasis on sustainability, environmentally-friendly products and carbon emission reduction. Evertree’s resin products


are developed using sunflower and rapeseed oilcakes, which are the by- products of the vegetable oil refining process.


Seripanneaux specialises in the manufacture of raw and melamine-coated particleboard and has operated since 1962. It operates out of a 10ha site in the Landes department, employing a workforce of 90 employees who produce 120,000m3


of product each


year and generating €35m in turnover.


The start-up of the site is scheduled for 2025 and will allow the creation of 85 direct jobs, mainly from local employment pools. “Our industrialisation project will support the development of new solutions for low-carbon and off-site construction, as well as renovation, ” said Antoine Thebault, president of the Group.


The choice of a new and fourth species with silver fir is strategic. With okoumé and poplar panels, as well as


maritime pine and silver fir for softwoods, the Group is aiming to be a manufacturer offering the widest range of species.


This new production unit is part of the Group’s strategy of expanding its range, in synergy with the species already processed, while securing its wood supply for the coming decades. These products will bear


the PEFC and Bois de France sustainable management labels, and global


certifications, all of which are popular in the construction sectors for which LVL beams and panels are intended. The Group is sharing


its investment with a first partner, the company CBD Bois, which specialises in sawing softwood based in Craponnes-sur-Arzon. Thebault Group will


represent at least 75% of the shareholders.


Kleiberit presents new solutions in surface technology


At Ligna 2023, Kleiberit will utilise its exhibition area of approximately 600m2


to


present a whole range of solutions for surface finishing using the HotCoating process. For the first time at a trade


show, a running line will be used to demonstrate how what Kleiberit calls “a whole new dimension in surface quality” can be achieved using electron beam curing (EBC) under the name “HotCoating extreme”.


Examples of applications include particularly highly stressed horizontal surfaces such as worktops or exterior applications. This technology is particularly aimed at large panel manufacturers. The EBC technology is designed to be integrated into a HotCoating system. Therefore, Kleiberit says, it is possible to switch from UV curing to ESH curing without any major technical difficulties.


West Fraser 2023 OSB shipments


West Fraser says it expects its North America OSB shipments in 2023 to be similar to 2022 at around 5.9 to 6.2 billion ft2 (3/8in basis).


In its Europe EWP segment,


it cites 2023 OSB shipments guidance of 1 to 1.2 billion ft2


(3/8in basis), moderately above 2022. www.wbpionline.com | April/May 2023 | WBPI


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