Pfleiderer starts construction of new fiberboard plant in Russia
Pfleiderer AG has started the construction of a new fiberboard plant in Podberesje near Novgorod in Russia.
As the company already announced in July 2007, in addition to the existing particleboard plant, a new technologically leading plant is to be built for the production of medium-density and high-density fiberboard (MDF/HDF). The new production facility with an annual output of up to 500,000 cubic meters will probably go into operation during the third quarter of 2009. As a result of this investment of €144 million, the Pfleiderer Group will be able to fully utilize synergy potential with its existing plants in Eastern Europe.
The production site in Novgorod is strategically well located for supplying the Russian market and for exporting. Pfleiderer has been investing in this site for nearly two years now, and operates one of Russia’s most up-to-date particle-board plants in Novgorod. This ultramodern facility for the production and surfacing of particleboard with an annual capacity of approximately 500,000 cubic meters went into operation in the autumn of 2006. In view of last year’s high demand for surfaced particleboard, Pfleiderer AG has meanwhile taken the required steps to increase its production capacity for raw particleboard to more than 500,000 cubic meters and its volume for surfaced particleboard to 20 million square meters.
The new MDF/HDF plant will be operated as a 50-50 joint venture between a 100% subsidiary of Pfleiderer AG and the Polish company Pfleiderer Grajewo S.A., which is majority owned by Pfleiderer AG.