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Topuni Timber is offering on-job training.
It is already a major employer.
Wood peelings are used as “biofuel”.
David Chamberlin
Burgeoning demand for timber, driven by a housing boom and growth in the kiwifruit orchard market, has prompted Topuni Timber to ramp up production.
In an effort to alleviate the pressure it is now producing eight times the volume of house poles than it did formerly, for example, and is even selling its product to Carters – ironically, a division of New Zealand’s largest timber producer.
General manager David Chamberlin says the mill is still unable to produce enough to satisfy demand and everything in its yard is sold even before it is finished.
He adds Topuni Timber is urgently looking for new staff to alleviate the pressure and the business wants to double in size within the next four years.
Meanwhile, the timber industry is also under pressure from exports to China.
Exports have driven up the cost of a log from $105-$120 per tonne to $130-$135 per tonne. David says forestry companies stop harvesting when export prices go down, adding to scarcity.
Topuni Timber suffered a major setback in September last year when a fire burned down a peeler machine.
“But, we decided to take the opportunity to expand with much bigger machinery, which will double the output of cut logs. It will be completed in 18 to 24 months,” David says.
Meanwhile, current production has been helped after Topuni designed a process to reduce timber drying time from two months or more to about a week.
Waste woodchips power a boiler that is heated to 640C. The boiling water is pumped into a steamer with green logs inside. Pressure is built up over three hours. When the pressure is released, up to 70,000 litres of water explodes from inside the logs in a geyser of steam.
The boiler also powers a unique wind tunnel, which is run constantly to complete the drying of the wood. The wood is then treated with copper chrome arsenic and dried for a further three days.
Topuni Timber was founded by managing director Robert Grimmett 18 years ago when he bought the mill from Carter Holt Harvey to prevent it from being closed.
It is a major employer in the area with up to 35 staff at peak times.
