Hyne Timber has welcomed Taiwanese export visitors to the Tuan Mill near Maryborough for a tour of their manufacturing plant.
For over 18 years, Hyne Timber has been exporting large volumes of processed, plantation softwood from both Maryborough (QLD) and Tumbarumba (NSW) to countries such as Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand and the Philippines.
In the last 12 months alone, over 2500 containers full of Hyne Timber product has left Australian shores to meet international customer needs with one export customer alone buying 40 to 50 containers each month.
Each container is also a truck from the Mill so that's over 2500 Australian trucks freighting timber into Australian packing depot's.
The Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne ports are all utilised to ship this timber into South East Asia, a product grade which is currently excess to Australian market demand.
Export customers use this grade of pine to manufacture pallets and crates which ship goods all over the world. It is also used to make furniture such as bed frames, some of which makes its way back to Australia.
Mr Jeffer Kuo, General Manager, Enhanced Forestry Co., Ltd. (EFCO), Hyne Timber's export agency, said the visit to the Tuan Mill near Maryborough was extremely interesting for the party and provided insight into the full product range, treatment capability and high speed processes of an Australian timber manufacturing plant,
"Our export customers want consistently good quality products from a reliable source which is why Hyne Timber has secured export relationships over many years.
"Learning about the whole sustainable process, the wide range of products and by-products was very interesting and you get a good appreciation of the complexities of timber manufacturing on this large scale.
"Our Taiwanese customers had a great stay in Hervey Bay overlooking Fraser Island and enjoyed a tour of a local plantation forest before visiting the Hyne Timber mill." Mr Kuo said.
The visiting party of seven also toured other regional areas of Queensland and New Zealand operations as part of their Australasian stay.
Warren Tye, Hyne Timber's National Sales Manager said it was a pleasure to take the Taiwanese visitors through the Tuan Mill and have the opportunity to showcase Australian manufacturing standards to this international audience,
"Many mills around the world are not comparable to our large scale softwood processing operations.
"The Tuan Mill near Maryborough processes enough timber to stretch from Hervey Bay to the Gold Coast every day. You can't manufacture a quality product at that scale other than with a high tech facility.
"Our highest quality structural framing products stay right here in Australia for the domestic construction industry. Therefore, our international customers don't always appreciate the scale and standard of our operation until they visit.
"It's also an opportunity to showcase the region. None of our visitors to date have ever been disappointed with their stay." Mr Tye said.
Now in its sixth generation, Hyne Timber has been operating in Maryborough since 1882. Today, the company is one of the largest, privately owned plantation softwood processing operations in the Southern Hemisphere.