Going Global
International Sourcing Drives U.S. Manufacturing
High-end architectural and design applications are benefitting from the diversity of wood and wood products available from global wood suppliers.
In today's economy, retailers and consumers are pressuring suppliers to provide ultimate value for the dollars expended on plywood and other building materials. Fortunately there is a wide range of wood options from which to choose, both from the U.S. and abroad.
The United States, for example, has abundant reserves of oak, maple, birch and other hardwoods available for use as plywood faces and backs. Meranti/lauan (Shorea spp.) from Indonesian and Malaysian suppliers is plentiful and is valued by American manufacturers for its smoothness, lightweight and structural soundness. Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana) from Africa is another smooth, lightweight species that is used extensively by American hardwood plywood manufacturers.
Many domestic manufacturers have developed unique value propositions that incorporate imported components into their production processes, providing specialty and/or custom products for high-end applications. As a result, U.S. consumers are benefitting from the wide variety, affordability and availability of species from virtually all parts of the world.
Eggers Industries, a diversified wood products producer located in Wisconsin, is one company that incorporates imported components with great success. Eggers recently provided custom plywood to create balance, strength, durability and lasting appeal in a project in Mobile, Alabama for the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA). Barry Schoening, regional sales manager, explained the application.
"The RSA project contains plywood panels made with A-grade quartered primavera (Cybistax donnell-smithii) veneer from Central America with a sunburst sketch face pattern," said Schoening. "The sketchface plywood panels for this project were manufactured at either 0.75" or 0.125" finished thicknesses. Both thicknesses consisted of a three-ply construction with an MDF substrate, veneer faces and veneer backs."
Above: For the RSA project in Alabama, plywood panels were created with A-grade quartered primavera veneer balanced with okoume to match the sunburst sketch face pattern.
Frequently asked questions
What wood species are commonly imported for U.S. hardwood plywood production?+
Meranti/lauan (Shorea spp.) from Indonesia and Malaysia is valued by American manufacturers for its smoothness, light weight, and structural soundness. Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana) from Africa is another smooth, lightweight species used extensively in U.S. hardwood plywood manufacturing.
What veneer was used for the Retirement Systems of Alabama project in Mobile?+
Eggers Industries provided custom plywood panels made with A-grade quartered primavera (Cybistax donnell-smithii) veneer from Central America, featuring a sunburst sketch face pattern.
How were the RSA project plywood panels constructed?+
The panels were manufactured at either 0.75" or 0.125" finished thicknesses. Both used a three-ply construction with an MDF substrate, veneer faces, and veneer backs, with okoume balancing the primavera sunburst sketch face.
Which U.S. hardwoods are abundant for use as plywood faces and backs?+
The United States has abundant reserves of oak, maple, birch, and other hardwoods available for use as plywood faces and backs.
How do U.S. plywood manufacturers use imported wood components?+
Many domestic manufacturers incorporate imported components into their production processes to create specialty and custom products for high-end applications. This provides U.S. consumers with wide variety, affordability, and availability of species from around the world.
Who is Eggers Industries and what do they produce?+
Eggers Industries is a diversified wood products producer located in Wisconsin. The company creates custom plywood products, including sketchface veneer panels for high-end architectural applications such as the RSA project in Alabama.