Mexico’s forestry industry is divided into two main sectors: natural forests and plantations. According to FAO, the country has approximately 64 million hectares of temperate forests and jungle that cover 32% of its terrain and that are home to its enormous genetic diversity.
Conversely, plantations are areas where there were originally no trees, but where a forestry company has planted ones of a particular species for commercial ends. The National Forestry Commission (Conafor) estimates Mexico has 15 million hectares of land suitable for this type of use.
Proteak is one company that decided to exploit Mexico’s ideal weather conditions to plant teak trees. Founded almost two decades ago by a group of businessmen, this is the length of time it takes the teak tree to reach maturity. To generate cash flows in the shorter term, the company purchased eucalyptus plantations and created an alternative line of business that was to evolve into the largest forestry project in the country.
At the turn of the century, most of the medium density fiberboard (MDF) sold in Mexico was imported, mainly from Chile and Brazil. This changed in 2014 with the startup of the Tecnotabla plant in Tabasco. A division of Proteak, Tecnotabla uses cutting-edge technology to produce MDF.
The real turning point came when the company decided to switch from planting seeds to cloning its trees, resulting in improved growth indices and a careful selection of the best species. Tecnotabla now has a genetic base of more than 80 clones, which means it can obtain trees with the desired characteristics, i.e. ones that are identical in height, diameter and shape, and whose wood has similar physical-mechanical properties, by means of constant genetic improvements, thereby guaranteeing quality standards.
Tecnotabla’s sustainable processes include a plant that produces the resins used in the manufacture of MDF and whose emissions of volatile organic compounds are low, helping preserve indoor air quality and reducing emissions from waste. And because its facilities are certified as meeting environment regulations, the company can export its products to the U.S.
In support of the sustainable development of the forestry sector in Mexico, Tecnotabla will be participating in MEM Industrial 2020 (www.memindustrial.mx) at Centro Citibanamex on January 22-24, the country’s leading woodworking and furniture tradeshow, whose main themes this year will be furniture design, sustainability and entrepreneurship.
BY ADRIANA GUTIÉRREZ
PROTEAK MARKETING MANAGER FOR TECNOTABLA
ADRIANA.GUTIERREZ@PROTEAK.COM
