Uniboard Invests $7 Million in Innovative MDF Production

LAVAL, QC -  Uniboard is proud to announce an investment of over $7 million at its 91-employee Mont-Laurier MDF plant. Uniboard says the investment will increase the productivity of the plant through what it says is the use of a revolutionary new wood fibre mat-preheating technology.

This process innovation is a first for North America and will allow Uniboard to better service our customer base in Canada and the United States. The Mont-Laurier MDF/HDF plant produces Excel+, Excel, and NU Green/PMDI-NAF and HDF panel products. Uniboard's overall network of particleboard, MDF and thermally fused laminate facilities are at locations in Sayabec, Val-d'Or, Laval and Mont-Laurier, Quebec. 

Overall Uniboard has an installed capacity of over 640 million square feet of raw particleboard, high-density and medium-density fiberboard, of which over 50% is converted into value-added thermally fused laminate and laminate flooring products. Uniboard's mills in Val-d'Or, Sayabec, Mont-Laurier and Laval employ over 800 people. Its products are sold to retailers, distributors and finished goods manufacturers, which cater to the kitchen cabinet, furniture, office, home renovation and construction industries, as well as to the floor covering industry.

Since its original start-up as Panfibre in 1987,  Mont-Laurier's capacity has been expanded in multiple steps. In 2012, Uniboard was acquired by the owners of Kaycan Ltd., a leading manufacturer of building products in North America, with its head office located in Montreal, Quebec. Kaycan Ltd. and its  group of companies offers a full range of products for both the exterior and interior of the home, including vinyl, aluminum and engineered wood siding products, PVC windows & patio doors, particleboard, MDF, thermally fused laminate and laminate flooring.

"Operational Excellence is the foundation of our strategy and process technology innovation is one of the key pillars," says James N. Hogg, President and CEO of Uniboard Canada Inc. "The announcement of the new preheater today takes us another step forward."

Hogg says Uniboard has invested heavily into product development, launching new color collections including WoodPrint Technology, North America's first registered embossed thermally fused laminate panels, as well as expanding its successful NU Green range of low and no-formaldehyde products.

Previously Uniboard announced $90 million in investments at Uniboard's mills in Sayabec and Val-d'O over the next two years.

"We greatly appreciate the strong commitment of the owners, the engagement of our employees and the community as well as the financial support of federal government agencies, Natural Resources Canada (NRC) through its Investments in the Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program and Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, all of which have facilitated Uniboard to move forward with this project while securing quality employment in Quebec's Laurentians region," Hogg says.

Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, UNiboard parent Kaycan is a leading vertically integrated manufacturer of vinyl, aluminium and engineered wood siding and accessories, PVC windows, aluminium rainware and coil, particleboard, MDF, thermally fused melamine and laminate flooring, with over 2,000 employees operating 18 manufacturing facilities across North America. 

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