President of the Republic of Gabon Omar Bongo has opened the Rougier Group’s new €6m forest and industrial complex in the country.
The facility at Mbouma Oyali, near Franceville, has a monthly capacity of 5,000m3 of logs and 1,000m3 of kiln dried okoume sawn timber. Further developments are planned for 2006 which will grow capacity by 50%.
France-based Rougier Group has operated in Gabon for 50 years, producing 300,000m3 of logs and 30,000m3 of okoume plywood annually.
The company said the new production of kiln dried okoume sawn timber will help broaden the range of its products on the international markets.
It said the capital investment made in Central Africa is in line with its strategy based on sustainable management of forest concessions, development of environmental certification and growing local processing of its production.
