Don, David and Chris at AKD’s green mill.
AKD’s Caboolture Sawmill will recommence operations on September 14 following a storage shed fire in June. The company says the reopening had been made possible due to the rebuilding of the fuel handling system which will make for a safer and more sustainable business in the long term. Source: Timberbiz
AKD has also announced new growth and investment plans for the Caboolture site.
“AKD is incredibly proud of the team that have worked hard together to get us to this point, and they will now lead us through this period of growth”, AKD CEO Shane Vicary said.
Through key investment in additional processing capacity and people, AKD intends on at least doubling the log intake.
Working collaboratively with and supported by its log supplier, HQPlantations, this will secure the current jobs as well as provide additional permanent roles.
The company says the investment re-affirms its commitment to the Queensland market and will more than double the volume of timber available for their customers, providing security of supply.
To support the doubling of sawmill capacity, AKD will be purchasing and installing a new Continuous Drying Kiln (CDK) to lift drying capacity. AKD currently has this technology deployed at its Colac mill, where it has proven to be most effective at producing a stable and consistent product for the market.
“AKD would like to thank our loyal Queensland customers for their ongoing support during the fire related closure, and we are very proud that we were able to maintain consistent supply from our southern mills,” Mr Vicary said.
This next step of growth and investment for AKD will be aligned with increased supply availability from AKD’s southern sawmills. AKD has the capability to increase supply to meet responsible market demand and growth, and service customers seeking supply security.
AKD recognises that its mills need to be internationally competitive and this investment is consistent with reaching that standard.
The company is focussed on improving the long-term viability of its Queensland site and meeting market demands.
They are committed to the industry in Queensland, and encourage responsible sourcing and supply relationships, which is now highly recognised with “Buy Local” market sentiments and which the company is promoting under the Buy Aussie Timber First campaign.
The company said it was incredibly proud of the Caboolture team for their resilience through this difficult and uncertain period and the whole industry are eagerly looking forward to the growth of their site.
