LIGNIA modified wood has come a long way in the last three years.

As a brand name it has actually been active in the UK for over 10 years, initially as an imported product from New Zealand, with several wood product manufacturers using it for various applications.

A re-launch with new management, investment, direction and R&D has changed the course of the business, now known as Lignia Wood Company.

It has recently completed a 50,000ft2 modern factory in Barry, Wales, making it the first UK-based manufacturer of modified wood. It is also on the verge of distributing its modified timber worldwide.

A UK and Ireland deal to distribute the product was signed with distributor Timber Connection earlier this year, with the company now taking delivery of its first volumes from the Barry factory.

The factory fully equipped with bespoke manufacturing equipment has enabled LIGNIA to start commercially producing and distributing its range of modified products to both the construction and yachting industry.

LIGNIA’s timber comes from FSC-certified radiata pine from managed plantations which is modified on-site using the patent-pending ligniafication process, involving a resin impregnation process.

The business is built around a market desire for a beautiful and durable product which is a more sustainable alternative to some traditional tropical hardwoods.

Investment and expansion

In recent weeks the company secured up to £5m additional development capital funding from its institutional investors, bringing LIGNIA’s total fundraising to £17m over the past three years.

The money will support the planned expansion by funding working capital and the additional capital expenditure needed to increase production capacity.

Three high-profile appointments were also recently made to its leadership team, as it looks to commercialise LIGNIA in the UK, USA and Europe.

Dale Warren, Anthony Carroll and Chris Palmer joined LIGNIA as purchasing manager, senior technical sales executive and production manager respectively. Together, they have over 100 years of industry experience between them

“This new investment from our institutional investors will support the expansion needed to meet the growing demand for LIGNIA products, and is a great expression of confidence in the LIGNIA team,” said Hans Ng, LIGNIA’s CEO.

Reaching global markets

Over the past two years, LIGNIA has been building up a portfolio of long-term distribution agreements across the world, from the USA to Europe to the Middle East. Three major-league American distributors are now on board.

Most recently, the company announced a new distribution partnership that covers much of Scandinavia and the Baltics and South East Asia with A/S Global Timber. Given that the distributor has the largest warehouse in northern Europe for hardwoods, this presents a significant sales-boosting opportunity.

And, of course, the five-year agreement with Timber Connection will see the product distributed across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Timber Connection told TTJ earlier this year that it sees massive potential in LIGNIA and is expecting significant sales in the coming years.

Increasing product demand

With the sector experiencing an increasing demand for sustainable timber, LIGNIA’s product range is gaining traction.

In particular, LIGNIA Yacht is now well established as a real-wood, sustainable alternative to Burmese teak in yacht decking and has already been laid down on several yachts.

The company says the product has been accepted as a viable teak alternative in terms of performance criteria – from strength, durability and aesthetic beauty. Going forward, the company plans to build on this success by competing against synthetic decking providers for increased market share.

Meanwhile, the company’s standard product, LIGNIA, has already been specified for a number of cladding, decking, flooring and joinery projects in the UK.

Developers at London’s One Tower Bridge – a modern, luxury development – used LIGNIA’s modified timber for the property’s cladding, having discovered that it offered visual beauty combined with durability.

Finally, LIGNIA Fire is due to be sold across America after being classified as Class A in the ASTM -E 84 fire retardancy market. To help capitalise on this new marketplace, the company is set to exhibit at the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas in July.

Going forward

The company says it aims to continuously develop its products to ensure they remain one step ahead of the industry. Later this year its R&D lab is planning to collaborate with dedicated university research teams in the UK that specialise in new timber technologies.

In a broader sense, the company plans to further highlight the sustainability issues surrounding hardwoods and how finding eco-friendly alternatives does not mean compromising on quality.