Product Innovation

Our drive to develop quality products comes from two areas; firstly to utilise all parts of our forest resource and secondly to deliver value-added finished products to the end consumer. In order deliver a finished product to the customer we invest in the research and development of value added products. To improve lumber recovery we develop products and markets to accept the variety of grades contained in our feedstock.

Our lumber recovery is made up of :

• 70% High Grade which is transformed into untreated Clearboard™ for interior DIY projects and Paint Grade Contour Exterior™ and Contour Interior™ moulded products.
• 15% Tight Knot Grade which can be turned into cavity battens.
• 5% is classed as Knotty and can be used as door cores.

Feedstock

Pacific Wood Products has an established history of providing quality feedstock for manufacturers both in New Zealand and in other major export markets.

Research & Development

This process is about understanding the customer’s needs and desires and converting these into technical solutions. We have a focus on continuous product improvement.
We are in regular contact with customers to ensure their needs are met ahead of time. This is augmented by research in key markets looking at consumer drivers. In effect we are trying to understand what our customers are looking for in the future and seeking to develop products that meet this future need.

Advanced engineering methods such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD) are used to interpret these customer requirements into technical parameters that lead to product improvement.

Unique research such as the ‘Watershed’ project have characterised and analysed our resource allowed us to manufacture end products scientifically. This scientific platform will provide the basis for new and emergent products, which will be released to market in the future.

Our pursuit of product excellence has seen us always looking for proven technologies that give the finished product an environmental or technical advantage. We were one of the first sites to utilise Purbond Polyurethane Adhesives – Formaldehyde free and fully waterproof (awarded Purbond customer achievement award for 2007).