After over a year of “transformative investment”, the upgrade of Medite SmartPly’s OSB factory in County Waterford has been completed.
For over 25 years, the business has been supplying OSB to the construction industry, “steadily building the brand over time”. From 2016, the firm reports it has been focusing on investment and product innovation. An initial investment of €59 million was made to the facility, which saw the creation of a new forming and finishing lines with a new state-of the art continuous press. This was described as the beginning of the next generation of SMARTPLY OSB – the panels were smoother, flatter and underpinned by the brands strong environmental ethos.
€44 million was invested for this latest significant upgrade to the drying, energy and screening facility including the construction of a biomass energy plant which ensures that SMARTPLY will operate on 100% renewable biomass material for process drying and heating.
The “crucial upgrade” is said to mean that SMARTPLY OSB will have an improved output, at a time when demand is high and is predicted to grow further throughout 2022. Moreover, with the UK’s built environment reportedly responsible for almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions and with the initial embodied carbon accounting for approximately 30% of this, the increased use of renewable timber products will help to deliver a solution.
Chris King, Managing Director – Commercial at MEDITE SMARTPLY, said: “We are extremely delighted with the completion of this project. Not only will this upgrade allow us to deliver more sustainable best in class timber panel products, but the increased output of SMARTPLY OSB will enable us to support existing customer positions and develop new market sectors and opportunities as part of our strategy and growth plan.”
The completed upgrade follows the successful launch of SMARTPLY SURE STEP, a T&G structural OSB/3 panel with improved slip resistance and durability. This joins a range of sustainably produced speciality and technical products, from moisture resistance to flame retardance.
Indeed, MEDITE SMARTPLY says its product ranges are supplied carbon negative to the factory gate and are used in applications that lock in the carbon within the lifetime of their use.
For more information, visit: mdfosb.com
