Sawmill to engineered timber group Glennon Brothers paid host to a visit from the Irish minister for agriculture Brendan Smith at its Fermoy plant last week.
Mr Smith met the company’s joint managing directors Mike and Pat Glennon and acknowledged the importance of the sawmilling sector to the wider Irish economy and the progress it’s made in recent years.
“It’s modern, efficient and customer-focused and, through innovation and marketing, is securing increased export market share, particularly in the UK,“ he said, adding his congratulations to Glennon Brothers on its recent €1.5m contract to supply timber to France.
The minister also touched on the importance of securing sufficient raw material for the timber sector, especially given the rapid growth of the biomass energy industry.
“Extraction of timber from the existing forest estate and new planting in the future are necessary to meet these demands in the short and long term,” he said.
Pat Glennon welcomed the minister’s visit, describing him as a key player in the Irish forestry industry.
“We’re looking forward to working with him and his department to address the difficult economic challenges that lie ahead in our sector,” he said.
