The landmark US deal will see Fibre7’s Lignia brand of modified softwood produced outside New Zealand for the first time.
"The combination of Fibre7’s commercially viable impregnation process and our unique resin technology will create a successful partnership," said Dale Plante, MSC’s forest products division president.
Paul Duncan of UK-based Fibre7 said the US deal was a significant moment for Lignia modified wood.
"We have also been working on establishing a plant in Europe and have found an engineering firm to make the hardware and are in the final throes of finding a production site," said Mr Duncan.
He said two or three site options were being looked at, with Slovenia being one possibility. It is hoped that the development will be agreed in the new year, when a European distributor should also be appointed.
"We are still a long way off seeing someone turn up at Alsfords or Jewsons and buying a few sticks of Lignia. It will happen but it will take a while," said Mr Duncan.
Wood species being considered for the European plant include Iberian radiata pine, German whitewood and a softwood from outside the EU.
Fibre7 has concentrated initially on working with several manufacturers – including door, flooring and worktop manufacturers to establish markets for Lignia products.
It is also launching a paint-grade version of its Lignia XD, exterior product, which is expected to go head-to-head with rival modified wood Accoya in the joinery market. Fibre7 says because its normal Lignia wood colouring technology is not necessary for this paint-grade product during the modification process, the product can challenge Accoya on price.
Lignia is modified through the densification of New Zealand radiata pine in a pressure impregnation treatment process.