Mike Beardsell, Jon Kleinschmidt, Tom Bruce-Jones and Belinda Lengenberg in Forest Corporation NSW Plantation Estate
The new chairman of the Hyne Group Board Tom Bruce-Jones has arrived in Australia to visit operations following the merger of Hyne and UK-based James Jones & Sons Limited. Source: Timberbiz
Mr Bruce-Jones spent time this week in Tumbarumba with JJSL director Eddie Balfour, Hyne Group CEO Jon Kleinschmidt and Strategic Relations Manager Katie Fowden, for a meeting with the Snowy Valleys Council.
The Hyne Group announced the partnership with JJSL earlier this month with JJSL holding the majority interest, almost 60%, with more than 40 per cent being retained by the Hyne Group’s existing shareholders, including the Hyne family.
Mr Bruce-Jones welcomed the opportunity to reassure the Council that it is business as usual for the Tumbarumba sawmill including no changes to the Hyne Community Trust which will be calling for its annual applications once again in the lead up to June.
“Eddie and I have loved our visit to Tumbarumba, and we welcomed the opportunity to meet the Mayor, Councillors and CEO of the Council in person and we look forward to the ongoing relationship and support,” he said.
Tom Bruce-Jones, Jon Kleinschmidt, Eddie Balfour and Katie Fowden with the Snowy Valleys Council Mayor and Councillors
“The Hyne Community Trust is an excellent initiative, and I am so pleased so many organisations have benefitted from this providing lasting benefits to the community.
“As we already knew from our due diligence, prior to entering our partnership with the Hyne Group, the sawmill in Tumbarumba is world class. Due to travel restrictions this is first time we have been able to meet the highly professional and skilled team members and are both very impressed and delighted with what we saw throughout the site.
“It was really interesting to learn about all of the innovations that have been employed, and indeed by the scale of all the different areas.
“Our visit to Forest Corporation NSW also provided us with a greater understanding of the terrible impacts from the bushfires, but also gave us reassurances for the opportunities ahead. We visited a two-year-old forest area which was planted after the bushfires as well as the plantation nursery, which will provide future carbon negative products to build homes and secure the future of Tumbarumba jobs and the long-term viability of the sawmill,” Mr Bruce-Jones said.
“The visit to Tumbarumba was part of a two-week, packed itinerary including Hyne Timber’s Maryborough and Brisbane sites and the XLam facility at Wodonga, Australia’s pioneering Cross Laminated Timber plant.
“It also enabled us to spend time with the Hyne family who have retained just over a 40% share in the business and for the new Board members to get acquainted properly,” he said.
The Hyne Group and JJSL partnership brings together a combined 320 years of family-owned sawmilling heritage to pursue growth opportunities in Australia and New Zealand.
