Focus on Italy: IMAL PAL Group | 25


SEES OSB INDUSTRY INVESTMENT GROWTH


IMAL PAL GROUP


WBPI’s annual Focus on Italy feature kicked off by talking to Modena-based wood-based panels plant supplier IMAL PAL Group. CEO Loris Zanasi updated Stephen Powney with company developments


and how equipment supply to the panels industry has progressed through the pandemic


Above: IMAL’s new office building at the headquarters in Modena I


MAL PAL Group CEO Loris Zanasi has seen and experienced a lot in his over 40 years at the company, but 2020 brought something entirely new.


This was the ability to negotiate and


conclude a major contract for the supply of a complete new wood-based panels plant without actually travelling to the new customer and meeting them in person. The contract in question was a complete


OSB plant for Monolit-Stroy LLC (Latat brand) in Tomsk, Russia.


“It was a strange situation last year in that we started to learn about making


promotions by video conference,” explained Mr Zanasi. “For the first time, we worked last year to get the order for a complete OSB plant in Russia, without any travel. I was not able to meet the customer personally [due to the Covid-19 restrictions]. In the past you would not think of things like this for such a big order. “We have already shipped a large part of the equipment and we are now installing the plant,” he added.


The project features a 30m-long continuous press, which is 100% designed


and manufactured in the north of Italy, with components only being sourced from Europe – steel, for example. “In order to compete against our


competitors we have no choice but to try to be better,” said Mr Zanasi. The Latat contract is a landmark project for IMAL PAL. The line will have an annual OSB capacity of 250,000m3


and according to a statement


earlier this year by the Governor of the Tomsk region, Sergey Zhvachkin, the project has a value of RUB5bn and will create about 600 jobs.


www.wbpionline.com | October/November 2021 | WBPI


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