On May 19 and 20, more than 100 participants from the international wood-based panels industry gathered at the b’mine Hotel Frankfurt Airport at the Dieffenbacher Technology Symposium to discuss new solutions and best practices for the industry’s most pressing challenges. The series of results-oriented expert presentations and personal exchanges comprised the German machinery and plant manufacturer’s second such symposium since 2024.

“We were very impressed by the high level of interest our second Technology Symposium generated even before the event took place,” comments Stefan Zipf, CTO and member of the Management Board at Dieffenbacher. “The symposium was a big hit with our partners and customers. We had to raise the cap on attendance twice during the registration period and still couldn’t offer everyone a spot for this year.”

The symposium program featured prominent guest speakers, including Geert Coudenys, R&D Director at Unilin Panels; Francisco Javier Blanco Fernandez, Plant General Manager of Finsa’s production site in Nelas, Portugal; and Michael Riffel, Senior Consultant at AFRY.

Two other highlights: Timber HP Co-founder and CEO Matthew O’Malia described how his company became a pioneer in wood fiber insulation boards in North America with the help of a Dieffenbacher plant relocated from Germany to the U.S., and Prof. Dr. Mario Beyer, Head of the Chemical Department and Deputy Head of the Chemical Testing Laboratory at the Dresden Institute of Wood Technology (IHD), together with Venla Hemmilä, Material & Technology Engineer at IKEA, shared their insights related to low-carbon boards and bio-based resins.

In their presentations, Dieffenbacher experts focused on hot-button topics, including fiberboard and waste-wood recycling, hybrid boards and special applications, the future of drying technologies and emission control, and the digitalization of wood-based panel plants. In addition, attendees gained insights into new Dieffenbacher products and the company’s innovation process. International event host Camilla Biasio guided the audience through the two-day program.

“Our partners and customers clearly have an enormous thirst for knowledge and a strong desire for personal interaction,” Zipf adds. “Our Technology Symposium helps to fill that need—especially during LIGNA off-years—and we look forward to hosting another symposium in 2028.”

Medite Smartply has announced a €75 million investment at its MDF manufacturing facility in Clonmel, Ireland, supporting the next phase of production as the company marks 50 years of Medite.

The investment reinforces Medite Smartply’s long-term commitment to panel manufacturing in Ireland and will help strengthen supply resilience for customers across the Irish, UK and European construction and interiors markets. Operating 24/7, the Clonmel plant produces approximately 400,000m³ of MDF products annually. 

The investment will focus on the replacement and renewal of the site’s existing biomass boiler system, alongside upgrades to fuel handling, dryer systems and supporting infrastructure that is critical to the facility’s day-to-day operations. The investment will enhance plant reliability, improve process control and reduce downtime, helping to ensure consistent product quality across continuous production lines. It will also support the long-term stability of employment at the Clonmel site and sustain the network of local and regional suppliers connected to the facility.

The project has already secured planning consent through Ireland’s Strategic Infrastructure Development process and includes measures relating to environmental protection, waste management, water supply and ecological monitoring.

Alongside operational improvements, the new system will eliminate natural gas usage by transitioning fully to renewable biomass as the primary heat source. This is expected to materially reduce fossil fuel related CO₂ emissions and support Medite Smartply’s work to reduce Scope 1 carbon emissions as part of its broader climate action commitments.

LP Building Solutions (LP) has announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Alan Haughie plans to retire and that Aaron Howald has been appointed as his successor, effective September 1, 2026. To ensure a seamless transition and continuity through the completion of the company’s 2026 Annual Report process, Haughie will serve in an advisory capacity through February 2027.

“Alan has been an exceptional leader and partner during a period of important transformation for LP,” says Chief Executive Officer Jason Ringblom. “We are deeply grateful for his contributions, particularly his leadership in establishing our disciplined capital allocation strategy and building a high-performing finance organization. We appreciate his continued support during this transition period.” Haughie joined LP in 2019 as Executive Vice President and CFO after a distinguished career spanning public accounting, manufacturing, and business services. 

Howald joined LP 15 years ago and has held leadership positions across continuous improvement, corporate finance, business development, investor relations, and financial planning and analysis. Most recently, he has served as Vice President, Investor Relations and Business Development. He earned an MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Economics from Franklin College.