Mercer International Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of one of Germany’s largest sawmills and a bio-mass power plant, near Friesau, Germany for approximately $55.1 million plus defined working capital of approximately $9 million.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of requisite regulatory approvals, and is expected to complete around the beginning of the 2Q 2017. The Friesau Facility has an annual production capacity of approximately 550 million board feet (mmfbm) on a continuously operating basis and 465 million mmfbm on a customary three-shift operating basis.

The Friesau Facility includes a modern bio-mass fueled cogeneration power plant, built in 2009, with an annual production capacity of approximately 13MW of electricity and 49.5MW of thermal energy. The plant sells electricity pursuant to a long-term fixed price green power tariff that runs to 2029. Mr. David M. Gandossi, CEO, stated: “We are pleased to enter the European lumber sector, with the acquisition of one of Germany’s largest sawmills. The proposed acquisition also expands our existing presence in the bio-mass based electricity market and is in line with our long-term growth objectives. Mr. Gandossi continued: “This acquisition leverages our core competencies of wood procurement, production optimization and green energy production.

We believe it presents a natural fit with our existing procurement activities and our expertise in bio-mass based electricity production.”

Mercer International Inc. is a global pulp manufacturing company.

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: ACL President Hardie Tatum ACL Contract Timber Specialist John Quidachay ACL Board Member and RAF Board of Governors Chairman Robert D’Agostini

Special voluntary donations raised by ACL members via the “Resource Availability Fund”(RAF)  ,  Associated California Loggers has placed John Quidachay on a one-year contract to represent their interests regionally and locally with the US Forest Service and to advise on federal issues.

John has 35 years of forest management experience, including work with the US Forest Service on the El Dorado and Stanislaus Forests.  John is skilled in a variety of areas including environmental documentation, forest transportation, timber sale preparation, and stewardship planning.

SKOWHEGAN – The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine today issued a statement praising a decision by Sappi Ltd. to invest $165 million in Paper Machine No. 1 at its Somerset Mill in Skowhegan as a move that will benefit hundreds of Maine loggers and truckers.

The investment at the Somerset Mill is intended to expand Sappi North America’s manufacturing capabilities and increase the machine’s overall capacity and ability to produce consumer packaging products by early 2018.

“This decision by Sappi is great news for Maine’s loggers, truckers and economy,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the PLC, said. “The Somerset Mill is a major consumer of wood fiber and an anchor for the forest products economy in our state. As other mills have closed, its importance has grown, and we applaud the vision and commitment to the future that this willingness to invest in Maine represents.”

The decision by Sappi comes as various efforts to revitalize Maine’s struggling forest economy are gaining momentum and cohesion.

For the first time, a comprehensive strategy for the state’s forest products industry is in the early stages of development through the efforts of a federal Economic Development Assessment Team task force.

At the same time, a special Commission to Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of the Maine Biomass Industry established by the Legislature has been exploring a wide range of opportunities and strategies for the state’s biomass market and has submitted a report to the Legislature outlining recommendations for encouraging and expanding the market.

Meanwhile, the Maine Forest Service is in the process of hiring a temporary point person – or a firm – to find ways to strengthen and expand Maine’s forest economy.

The goals of these moves include sustaining Maine’s existing forest products businesses; attracting capital investments and developing greater economic prosperity in the forest products sector across the state for both existing and new businesses; supporting the revitalization of Maine’s rural communities as places where people want to live, work and visit; and supporting and encouraging development and commercialization of new and existing technologies and uses of wood fiber, including heat and power, building materials and biofuels.

LIGNA, the focal point and meeting hub for the international wood industry, is just around the corner. The 2017 edition runs from 22 to 26 May in Hannover, Germany, and will feature more than 1,500 exhibitors from 45 nations and attract trade visitors from about 90 nations.

Please find more information in the press release below, which you will also find on our website.

Signature (Deutsche Messe AG): Gruchow concluded the Preview by saying: “LIGNA encourages a progressive approach to the possibilities of new networks. New technological opportunities lead to great gains in efficiency.”

This image in higher resolution available for free download here

Here you’ll find more Press Releases of LIGNA Preview:

German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers’ Association: Sales at record levels – Digitalization a key driver of growth

Germany’s woodworking machinery manufacturers had a record year in 2016, topping the all-time high of 2007. Provisional figures indicate that the industry surged past the forecast 5 percent mark to achieve double-digit sales growth. More…

LIGNA 2017: Processing of Plastics and Composites

LIGNA 2017, which runs from 22 to 26 May, will show that the processing capabilities of today’s woodworking machines extend far beyond “just” wood, encompassing plastics and composite panels, insulation materials, building materials and more. More…

LIGNA 2017: Immersive Industry 4.0 experience at RFID Factory in Hall 11

The RFID Factory activity zone will be back again for a second season at LIGNA 2017, which runs in Hannover, Germany, from 22 to 26 May. Organized by abaco Informationssysteme GmbH, Germany. More…

LIGNA Training Workshops for joiners, cabinetmakers, carpenters, assemblers and installers

LIGNA 2017 will be held from 22 to 26 May. Throughout the show, Deutsche Messe and Germany’s Sprint Academy will be running courses – the LIGNA Training Workshops – for joiners, cabinetmakers, carpenters and mobile assemblers and installers. More…

LIGNA 2017: Wood Industry Summit (Hall 26) to focus on “Access to Resources and Technology”

Following its successful premiere at LIGNA 2015, in 2017 the Wood Industry Summit will once again be staged by Deutsche Messe and the German Forestry Council (KWF), with major emphasis on the topic of “Access to Resources and Technology”. More…

LIGNA 2017 At a glance

LIGNA – the world’s leading trade fair for machinery, plant and tools for the woodworking and timber processing industry – at a glance. More…

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LIGNA 2017 (22 to 26 May):

LIGNA 2017: Innovations showcase ready to roll

–        More international participation, more exhibitors, more booked space

–        New layout successfully implemented

Hannover. LIGNA, the focal point and meeting hub for the international wood industry, is just around the corner. The 2017 edition runs from 22 to 26 May at in Hannover, Germany, and will feature more than 1,500 exhibitors from 45 nations and attract trade visitors from about 90 nations. The show will occupy 10 exhibition halls plus the venue’s extensive open-air site. All the global market leaders will be there with impressive showcases to highlight their latest products and process innovations. They will be joined by a sizable number of other exhibitors, some of whom will be appearing at LIGNA for the first time. With pleasing growth in terms of its exhibitor lineup and a significant upswing in the amount of space booked by various exhibitors, the upcoming LIGNA is set to once again serve as the global wood industry’s top summit and source of innovative technology.

The show’s organizers, Deutsche Messe and the German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers’ Association, have successfully implemented a new thematic layout in time for the 2017 season. “The new approach and, more importantly, the new physical layout have been extremely well received. The business climate in the wood industry is positive, offering a wealth of market opportunities. LIGNA captures those opportunities perfectly,” remarked Dr. Andreas Gruchow, the Deutsche Messe Managing Board member responsible for LIGNA, at the LIGNA Preview in Hannover, adding that: “This year, the exhibitors are presenting a wide array of innovations for intelligent, networked manufacturing systems, not to mention new ideas and strategies for the many value-creation networks at play in the wood processing and woodworking industries.”

This year’s action-packed, five-day showcase covers all the technologies that wood industry companies need to succeed in tomorrow’s Industry 4.0 world. The range includes tools and machinery for custom and mass production, surface technology innovations, wood-based panel production solutions, sawmill technology, wood-energy technology, machine components, and automation and forestry technology. “LIGNA 2017 is where key solutions and applications will be showcased. It’s where business relationships and networks will be built that will benefit the entire wood industry for years to come,” commented Gruchow.

The central focus of LIGNA 2017 is on intelligent concepts for integrated manufacturing across multiple links in the wood processing chain. The solutions on display promise growth and efficiency. They give wood industry companies a route to business development that does not depend on being big. And they provide a rapid roadmap to the capabilities needed to meet growing market demand for custom production.

LIGNA also scores highly in terms of international participation, with Italy, Austria, Spain, Turkey, Denmark, China, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands following Germany as the show’s top 10 exhibiting nations. In fact, several exhibitors from Italy, Austria and Spain have opted to increase the size of their displays for the upcoming show. All up, LIGNA 2017 will occupy more than 122,000 square meters (1,313,000 sq. ft.) of net display area and feature all the latest wood industry process and product innovations.

The revamped layout includes a new “Tools and Machinery for Custom and Mass Production” display in halls 11 to 15 and 27. The display encompasses machinery for processing solid wood, plant and machinery for industrial-scale furniture production, and machines and hand-tools for crafting custom products from both solid wood and panel products. It will present a comprehensive range of solutions for companies of all sizes at one convenient location and in a way that is supremely quick and easy for visitors to navigate. “The new layout of themes reflects the fact that, in modern woodworking, the type of technology used is more about what’s needed to get the job done than about the size or scale of the user’s operation. In other words, new technologies and their applications are converging. LIGNA brings these innovations to life, making it easier for visitors to experience all the most relevant innovations for their particular needs,” explained Gruchow.

Under the new layout, the “Surface Technology” area remains in Hall 17, but now stars as a full-fledged display category in keeping with its growing importance within the LIGNA universe. “The Surface Technology area has won a large number of major international players as new exhibitors, and many of those already on board have opted for significantly larger displays,” said Gruchow.

The “Machine Components and Automation Technology” showcase in Hall 16 has also become a full-fledged display, thus reflecting the rapidly rising importance of integrated manufacturing and automation. These technologies promise greater efficiency, improved accuracy and shorter production cycles for a wide range of applications.  This is the world of Industry 4.0, where machines are increasingly being networked with one another and robots have also entered the scene. Automation translates into significant efficiency gains – for small-scale joinery and carpentry firms as well as for large industrial processors and manufacturers. Industry 4.0 is on a growth trajectory and offers major opportunities for niche providers of the many products that go together to create fully integrated, automated production processes. Demand for integrated, networked solutions is growing worldwide, and the uptake of robot technology is forecast to increase sharply, especially in the CNC machining segment.

The “Wood-Based Panel Production” and “Energy from Wood” displays in Hall 26 and the “Sawmill Technology” displays in Hall 25 are fully booked, thanks to strong support from global market leaders and a host of other exhibitors back for another season or joining the show for the first time.

Meanwhile, the “Forestry Technology” displays will feature on the open-air site and in the pavilions beneath the EXPO canopy with a fresh new look. These outdoor displays will boast a new layout that more accurately reflects the various links in the wood value chain. With an outdoor demonstration site, “avenues” addressing specific themes, an activity zone and the Wood Industry Summit, the enhanced LIGNA is putting forestry technology on center stage.

The other big highlights at LIGNA 2017 include an array of displays themed around “Integrated Manufacturing,” a “Processing of Plastics and Composites” showcase that profiles the non-wood uses of today’s woodworking machines, a series of training courses for joiners, cabinetmakers, carpenters, assemblers and installers, and, of course, the Wood Industry Summit. The many highlights of the Wood Industry Summit include innovative solutions for timber harvesting and primary processing, advanced technologies for integrating all the processing steps involved, and a strong showing by international delegations.

Gruchow concluded the Preview by saying: “LIGNA encourages a progressive approach to the possibilities of new networks. New technological opportunities lead to great gains in efficiency.”

 Deutsche Messe AG

From its headquarters in Hannover, Germany, Deutsche Messe AG plans and stages leading capital goods trade fairs around the globe. The company ranks among the five biggest tradeshow organizers in Germany, with 329.3 million euros of revenue and a profit of 9.4 million euros in 2015. The company’s event portfolio includes such world-leading events as CeBIT (digital business), HANNOVER MESSE (industrial technology), LABVOLUTION with BIOTECHNICA (lab technology and biotechnology), CeMAT (intralogistics and supply chain management), didacta (education), DOMOTEX (carpets and floor coverings), INTERSCHUTZ (fire prevention, disaster relief, rescue, safety and security), and LIGNA (woodworking, wood processing and forestry). With approximately 1,200 employees and a network of 62 sales partners, Deutsche Messe is present in more than 100 countries.

Your contact for further information:

Anja Brokjans

brokjans PR//Media Advisory

Tel.:        +49 511 89-31016

Mobile:   +1 705 817 4123

E-mail:    anja@brokjans.com

For related press releases and images, visit:

www.ligna.de/pressservice

In February 2015, System TM invited customers to a demonstration in Melbourne, Australia, of our optimizing cross-cut line with Microtec scanning technology. Auswest Timbers participated in the demo event and had their wood tested. The test result were positive, and after visiting System TM and seeing a reference line in Germany, Auswest Timbers decided to invest in System TM equipment.

Brickworks Ltd. and Auswest Timbers
Auswest Timbers is owned by Brickworks Ltd., an Australian-owned group of companies. Brickworks Ltd. is one of the nation’s leading providers of building supplies and Auswest Timbers is part of their Building Products Group. Auswest Timbers was established in 1996, and today the company consists of four sawmills, two value-adding facilities and more than 200 employees.

They manufacture a wide range of timber products ranging from large heavy structural sections, such as floor joints and roofing timber, to value-added kiln dried and dressed products, such as floorboards, decking and furniture timbers.

Ligna 2015 Tech tour
At Ligna 2015, Auswest Timbers visited the System TM stand and after joined tech tour to our facilities in Denmark. During the stay in Europe, our Australian/New Zealand partner, Southern Cross Engineering, also invited them to see a reference line in Germany.

The entire project process went really well, and Auswest Timbers decided that the System TM solution with Microtec’s Multi-Sensor Quality Scanner Goldeneye 302 was the right choice for their production.

The optimizing cross-cut line
Before the installation of the cross-cut line, Auswest Timbers manually crayon marked each workpiece for defects before they were cross-cut. With the installation of the Goldeneye 302 scanner it is now possible to automatically quality grade each workpiece. Furthermore, the optimizing cross-cut saw Opti-Kap 4003 cuts the workpieces according to the scanning and optimizing results.

After the cross-cut saw, the workpieces are sorted as waste, according to different qualities for finger jointing components. Due to limited line space, System TM developed a system where workpieces can be transported both left and right, and stacked manually from two positions. This makes it possible to run with four different qualities in each production.

High return on investment
The equipment of System TM and Microtec is very strong and solid, hence capable of handling the hardwood in the production of Auswest Timbers. Installing this solution has resulted in a high wood utilization with a minimum of waste, leading to a fast ROI.

It has been a positive design process for this solution, and System TM is very satisfied with the partnership.

Niagara Sawmilling purchases a major System TM line; a solution that includes a large optimizing cross-cut line, a horizontal and a vertical finger jointing line.
The company produces sawn timber for New Zealand and export markets. As a result of the investment, a substantial optimization of the production will be attained as a result of System TM’s equipment.

System TM’s equipment ensures optimization of resources

System TM recognizes the importance of meeting Niagara Sawmilling’s market needs. These will be addressed by creating a line which includes a cross-cut line, along with a horizontal and vertical finger jointing line – all within one complete system. Niagara Sawmilling’s equipment will be designed and built in accordance with System TM’s commitment to utilize wood and staff resources to the fullest. In other words, cutting and forming wood in the most efficient manner to minimize wood loss, as well as achieving maximum capacity utilization and minimum labor costs.

What will Niagara Sawmilling’s machinery consist of?

Niagara Sawmilling’s machinery will be characterized by an optimizing cross-cut line. It will include an automated infeed system, followed by a planer, of which the incoming packs will be fed into. These will come out as dressed four sides. Subsequently, wood will be transported to a Microtec Goldeneye multi sensor scanner model GE502, which will include an X-ray.

This will assess wood quality, as well as uncover wood defects and their respective positions. Thus, scan results will be processed and wood will be optimized in conformity with System TM’s concept of maximum wood utilization. Next, workpieces will be cut with high speed and precision once they arrive at the three optimizing cross-cut saws, model Opti-Kap 5003.

After being processed by the cross-cut saws, the workpieces will proceed to a sorting belt of three different sorting options. The first option will be designed for blocks that have to undergo re-ripping. The second option will be intended for finger-jointing blocks, and finally, the third sorting option will be intended for long fixed lengths.

The workpieces that have to be finger-jointed will subsequently be transported to the outfeed walking floors and eventually onto two finger-jointing systems – a horizontal model Opti-Joint H-200 and a vertical model Opti-Joint V-7. Each finger jointing system will consist of automatic infeeding, jointing and stacking.

 Responding to market needs

Providing quality timber is of the essence at Niagara Sawmilling. Niagara optimizes its production by utilizing every tree to its maximum capacity. Thus, this allows the company to offer a wide range of products. As a result of their investment in System TM’s machinery, Niagara will experience lower cost due to a optimization of staff and wood resources.

The worldwide customer base of Niagara Sawmilling calls for vertical and horizontal finger jointed components. To accommodate both needs, System TM will supply Niagara with both vertical and horizontal finger jointers. This will provide Niagara with the flexibility to produce face-to-face and edge-to-edge joints simultaneously.

System TM highly appreciates its collaboration with Niagara Sawmilling. One that has also brought about a unique bond, as System TM is always met with hospitality and friendliness at Niagara Sawmilling. Thus, System TM looks forward to a prosperous cooperation of mutual benefit in the future.

Four months before Elmia Wood opens, the organisers confirm it will be the world’s biggest forestry fair ever.

“By January we’d already sold more stand space than at the previous Elmia Wood in 2013,” says Exhibition Manager Jakob Hirsmark.

Elmia Wood has been the world’s leading forestry fair for many years. Decision makers from around the world come here to experience the latest technology in use. This time the fair will be bigger and broader than ever. Work continues daily to build new roads and lay out new areas in the forests south of Jönköping, Sweden.

Three new sections will welcome visitors. The biggest of these is Load & Transport with its theme of forest roads, logistics and timber handling. Big-name exhibitors planning major programmes in this section include MAN, Liebherr, Volvo and Tatra.

“It’s unusual to have such a strong and immediate response for a new section,” Hirsmark says.

Another new section is the Drone Zone. As the name suggests, the theme is drones. Elmia is cooperating with UAS Forum, which organises the Nordic region’s leading conference on unmanned aerial vehicles. The exhibitors are leading suppliers of aerial products and services. Several times each day there will be aerial shows, demonstrations and talks.

Hunting is the third new section. Wildlife management is part of active forest management and the Hunting section brings together exhibitors, target practice ranges, food made from game and other activities.

New knowledge to acquire

Forestry decision-makers can gain high-quality knowledge from the programme of seminars in the Event Tent. The seminars planned so far are entitled: Invasive species, Precision forestry, Careful logging, Remote sensing, and Technological leaps for future forestry. Germany’s KWF is also holding daily discussion forums for the German-speaking public.

The fair as a whole is more clearly divided by theme to make it easier for visitors to find the exhibitors they want. This is also reflected in the fair catalogue and other information. This arrangement is necessary because Elmia Wood is growing and would otherwise be hard to navigate.

“We recommend a couple of days at the fair so you can have time to discover everything that’s happening in the forest industry,” Hirsmark says.

The fair’s international representatives are working hard now to help forestry professionals from some 50 markets to arrange their travel to the forests south of Jönköping in June. Everything is coming together so that the world’s leading forestry fair can be the biggest and most visited ever.

Elmia Wood 7–10 June

Elmia Wood is the world’s leading forestry fair and is held every four years outdoors in the forests south of Jönköping, Sweden. The last Elmia Wood (2013) had over 500 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors from around the world and was widely reported on by the international trade press. On 7–10 June 2017 the global forest industry will meet again.

www.elmiawood.com

Exports of Southern Pine lumber in 2016 reached a record 688 million board feet valued at more than $413 million, according to the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA). Within that volume, exports of pressure-treated lumber also reached a record, with more than double the shipments from just five years ago.

SFPA partners with the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (SLMA) to unite the common export objectives of Southern Pine lumber producers under the Southern Pine Council (SPC) promotional banner. Working together, the associations leverage USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)-administered programs to promote exports of Southern Pine lumber.  These cost-share programs, including the Foreign Market Development (FMD), Market Access Program (MAP) and Emerging Markets Program (EMP), allow the industry to reach emerging markets that were, until recently, untapped.

Exports have jumped sharply to regions targeted by SPC’s international market development efforts. Record sales were achieved in China and in emerging markets recently targeted by SPC in Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America. “Rising demand for Southern Pine lumber is undeniably linked to the industry’s efforts to introduce this species to buyers worldwide,” noted Jerry Hingle, SPC’s international consultant.

The new KETO 873 processor is designed for processing larger trees in demanding conditions of North America and elsewhere. Keto 873 is the latest model of Keto product family. This 3360kg/7400lb head can be installed on 30+ ton tracked base machines. Kone-Ketonen and Quadco Equipment Inc will introduce the KETO 873 in the 79 th Annual Oregon Logging Conference in Eugene, between February 23 rd to 25 th, 2017.

KETO 873 was created based on the vision of CEO Lauri Ketonen, designed and produced by the engineering team lead by designer Mika Myllyniemi, and utilizes the best proven components available today.

One of the most fascinating newness’s of KETO 873 is the ROTOBEC rotator, which spins 360 degrees and beyond. This offers a totally new world of freedom and efficiency to operators.

KETO 873 design incorporates a well proven PARKER valve system. Functions are proportional and operate only on-demand, which are key factors in optimizing the fuel consumption of the base machine and running the system at the lowest possible temperature.

Track feed motors are made by DANFOSS like in other KETO models. The 500cc motors produce the stunning level of nearly 4kN of true net pulling power making sure that even the toughest trees can be pulled and delimbed quickly and efficiently.

Like in any KETO head the length measuring is done by the TWO feeding tracks. This has proven and unique KETO feature, considered to be the most accurate measuring system in the industry. It is simple, extremely reliable and low cost to maintain. A larger front knife cylinder together with the bottom arm cylinder provides the needed holding power when pulling big trees from the deck.

The geometries of the 3 moving and one fixed knives and arms have been optimized to handle the full range of diameters. Another very important feature in the KETO 873 is the shortest possible tilt frame with a very wide working angle. The short tilt minimizes the unwanted head sway caused by the boom movement, thus making the head easier to control.

KONE-KETONEN OY

Kone-Ketonen Oy was founded 1984. For over 30 years it has been producing numerous models of harvesting heads for thinning and larger heads for clear-cutting and processing. About 5000 heads have been produced so far. Kone-Ketonen exports about 80 percent of its products to Europe, Japan, South and North-America. On key markets, late last summer, Kone-Ketonen made its history’s biggest single sale, 74 Keto Forst heads to be delivered to Belarus together with Swedish processor producer Vimek AB, full financing provided by The World Bank. This sale has already brought significant spin-off sales. Japan is another a very strong 25-year old market for Ketos, over 100 heads this year. Especially Keto 150 Eco processor and Keto 500HS are well known among Japanese professionals. Belarus and Japanese contractors appreciate and demand the simple, robust user and service friendly conventional KETO design.

More information on this new exiting product, or any KETO product:

Kone-Ketonen Oy, Sales Manager Jari Hakala + 358 40 808 5902 jari.hakala@kone-ketonen.fi
or in North of America, Quadco Equiment Inc. Erkki Kukkonen, VP – International +1-514-944-0263,

The partnership aims at developing a forwarder with rubber tracks that can protect the forests and soils while improving productivity and access to weak forest grounds. Consortium members were especially looking to set more stringent thresholds for damages, to adopt improved operations practices and to better regulate ruts’ creation and treatment.

PRINOTH’s PANTHER undercarriages which have a very low ground pressure, as low as 4 psi (pound per square inch) or 281 g/cm2 provided the best solution to the consortium. The PANTHER undercarriage has a unique undercarriage system equipped with rubber tracks and an exclusive high travel large wheel/tandem that were developed to work together to provide the best off-road capabilities with minimal impact on the environment. This distinctive feature will help reach one of the project’s specific objectives to significantly diminish wheel rutting and soil disturbance compared to a regular wheeled-forwarder.

Project member Tommy Blom said: “We have tried other products from other companies before hearing about PRINOTH’s PANTHERS but none could provide the low ground pressure or the off-road capacities that PRINOTH can.”

The project will comprise of PANTHER undercarriages assembled into a PONSSE timber forwarder. “We are quite confident that the payload capabilities in extreme off-road conditions that our undercarriage system can provide is the solution that this consortium has been looking for,” commented Alessandro Ferrari, VP of Sales for the Tracked Utility Vehicles Business unit at PRINOTH. The PANTHER undercarriages will also provide speed and as such, increased productivity for businesses. More specifically, this forwarder will allow for exceeding machine utilization rates for contractors which will, in turn, translate into a more constant wood supply not dependent of weather conditions.

For PRINOTH, as a manufacturer, this project means that the undercarriage expertise developed over the years will transpose to a very demanding industry like forestry. The company is always eager to develop new markets for its products. “Having such a versatile product, we know we can meet any customers’ needs. This new partnership with PONSSE and the consortium is really exciting for us and we look forward to seeing the tests’ results,” said Alessandro Ferrari, Vice-president of Sales for Tracked Utility Vehicles at PRINOTH.