AraucoPly Commemorates 20 Years In North America

It’s been 20 years since the first containers of AraucoPly plywood made their way from Chile to the United States in 1997.  Arauco celebrated the anniversary in a special event held at its booth during AWFS Fair 2017.

The company said despite temporary setbacks caused by the economic downturn in 2008 and a wildfire that devastated one of its manufacturing plants in 2012, AraucoPly has made giant strides in growing its customer base throughout the United States and Canada. Michael Vincent, director of Import Panels – Arauco North America, noted that the United States and Canada now account for 40 percent of AraucoPly’s worldwide sales.

The plywood panels are made from 100 percent radiata pine, grown in the company’s own FSC-certified, sustainably managed forests and composed of cores using exterior PF resins for flatness and stability, Arauco said.

As part of the anniversary, Arauco is introducing factory-primed AraucoPly panels at the 2017 AWFS Fair in booth 4609. Primed AraucoPly Siding, Beaded and Sanded products are offered with a consistent, full-coverage prime on five sides (edges included) and a smooth, sanded back. The company says the primed option was introduced in response to growing market demand for the time-saving advantage of a factory-primed wood surface.

Also featured at AWFS, Arauco’s Prism TFL collection has expanded its North American distribution of the exclusive Taction Oak collection. The company says the oak’s natural characteristics are captured and replicated using Embossed in Register (EIR) technology, resulting in a finished panel that rivals the look and feel of wood. Offered in five contemporary colors, Taction Oak coordinates with Prism Accentz neutrals. The Prism collection features more than 80 styles, including 59 exclusive designs.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/awfs/awfs-news/araucoply-commemorates-20-years-north-america

Arauco Announces $325 Million Investment For New Particleboard Mill

Today, ARAUCO North America announced plans to build a new particleboard mill located in Grayling, Michigan, to produce 424 million ft2 (750,000m3)/year of panels, along with full lamination capabilities to support the Prism TFL decorative surfacing program.

This $325 million investment will be the single largest continuous particleboard press in North America, and one of the highest capacity presses in the world. Ground-breaking is estimated for late 2016, with the rollout of the first panel during the latter part of 2018.

This investment will generate approximately 250 direct permanent jobs, and is expected to yield important economic and community development benefits to the Crawford County region. The addition of panel capacity to this geographical area will improve customer access to a stable, cost-efficient supply of high quality particleboard and decorative panel products. The location of this plant will also complement the supply of MDF from our neighboring mill in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Together with the ARAUCO North American Executive Management Team, Kelly Shotbolt remarks, “There is no better way to signal the commitment we have to the renewal and modernization of the North American composite panel industry. Our objective with this investment,” Mr. Shotbolt adds, “is to improve the logistics of our entire manufacturing footprint, and support the growth of our customers in the Mid-Western Region.”

From Arauco North America: https://www.arauco-na.com/resources/media-center/news-and-press-releases/arauco-announces-325-million-investment-for-new-particleboard-mill

Arauco Panel Announces New TFL Brand

ARAUCO is pleased to announce the debut of PRISM, a new brand name for the company’s thermally fused laminate (TFL) products produced in North America. The PRISM brand will represent ARAUCO’s collection of 76 designs, as well as any future exclusive design releases.

ARAUCO’s commitment to future growth of the TFL product line is evident in the company’s investment in additional TFL capacity, acquisition of a paper treating facility and the development of the TFL brand Prism. In an effort to reach designers and architects, ARAUCO completed in-depth market research and sought out to create a brand that will resonate with the audience’s desire for fresh ideas and color variety.

“After a deep understanding of the design community, we saw an opportunity to create a TFL brand that will stand out from the current product offering with a personality that speaks directly to the design community,” explains Sebastian Cremaschi, Director of Marketing. “On every promotional aspect of Prism you will find a fun, simple and clear message that will not be unnoticed, adding value to our customers, specifiers and consumers.”

ARAUCO will debut the look of the new brand, along with two new design series’, Mherge and Reclamation Maple, at the AWFS trade show in Las Vegas this week.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/panel-supply/arauco-panel-announces-new-tfl-brand?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news