Published Friday, 09 March, 2007 at 11:59 AM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
GYMPIE TIMBER SET TO FLOOR THE MARKET WITH NEW PRODUCT
Gympie Timber Company’s revolutionary Eco Board is set to bring beautiful hardwood timber flooring to the masses.
Announcing a $98,000 Queensland Industry Development Scheme (QIDS) grant to the company today Minister for State Development John Mickel said the barriers to many homeowners and businesses installing hardwood flooring had now been removed with this superior product.
“In the past many people have been put off laying hardwood timber floors because of the intensive labour and subsequent costs involved in what has traditionally been a very time consuming process,” Mr Mickel said.
“Because of the many small defects that have to be removed from hardwood, board lengths can vary dramatically, meaning laying a floor can become a really piecemeal, difficult job and ultimately very costly.
“Now Gympie Timber has developed a way to join together these smaller lengths into decent sized 6m pieces of flooring, which contractors already using the product are saying cuts their laying time by up to 50%.”
Mr Mickel said the patented technology behind the new Eco Board meant a much higher structural integrity compared with boards joined by traditional finger jointing and gluing methods.
“Testing has revealed that the joints can withstand nearly twice the loads required by the relevant Australian Standards – that’s quite an achievement without visibly seeing a join line on the boards once they’ve been laid,” he said.
The new product also reduces timber wastage considerably at the mill, previously shorter board lengths were thrown away as unusable.
“This is a great example of value adding – giving new life to an old product and I commend the company on it’s commitment to innovation,” he said.
“Gympie Timbers may be a traditional family company with a long history, but its thinking is futuristic and it’s a great example to other Queensland firms that every industry is capable of change and development.”
Company Product Manager Wesley Corbet said the grant would now enable the company to effectively market the product both here and overseas.
“We estimate that if this product takes off we could be looking at an increase in domestic sales by over $1 million, new exports worth $350,000 and taking on at least nine new staff over the next three years,” he said.
“We’re very appreciative of the State Government’s support. We’re a business that really wants to keep growing and developing and making a contribution to our local economy and it’s great to operate in a State where that’s encouraged and supported.”
Gympie Timber Company has previously received State Government Assistance through a $14,585 QIDS grant for early development of the Eco Board product.
Mr Mickel said almost $1.2 million in industry development grants had been awarded to some 40 firms in the Maryborough region since 1998.
_________________________________________
Company Contact: Gympie Timber Co, Mr Wesley Corbet, Project Manager, 5482 4699.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
Announcing a $98,000 Queensland Industry Development Scheme (QIDS) grant to the company today Minister for State Development John Mickel said the barriers to many homeowners and businesses installing hardwood flooring had now been removed with this superior product.
“In the past many people have been put off laying hardwood timber floors because of the intensive labour and subsequent costs involved in what has traditionally been a very time consuming process,” Mr Mickel said.
“Because of the many small defects that have to be removed from hardwood, board lengths can vary dramatically, meaning laying a floor can become a really piecemeal, difficult job and ultimately very costly.
“Now Gympie Timber has developed a way to join together these smaller lengths into decent sized 6m pieces of flooring, which contractors already using the product are saying cuts their laying time by up to 50%.”
Mr Mickel said the patented technology behind the new Eco Board meant a much higher structural integrity compared with boards joined by traditional finger jointing and gluing methods.
“Testing has revealed that the joints can withstand nearly twice the loads required by the relevant Australian Standards – that’s quite an achievement without visibly seeing a join line on the boards once they’ve been laid,” he said.
The new product also reduces timber wastage considerably at the mill, previously shorter board lengths were thrown away as unusable.
“This is a great example of value adding – giving new life to an old product and I commend the company on it’s commitment to innovation,” he said.
“Gympie Timbers may be a traditional family company with a long history, but its thinking is futuristic and it’s a great example to other Queensland firms that every industry is capable of change and development.”
Company Product Manager Wesley Corbet said the grant would now enable the company to effectively market the product both here and overseas.
“We estimate that if this product takes off we could be looking at an increase in domestic sales by over $1 million, new exports worth $350,000 and taking on at least nine new staff over the next three years,” he said.
“We’re very appreciative of the State Government’s support. We’re a business that really wants to keep growing and developing and making a contribution to our local economy and it’s great to operate in a State where that’s encouraged and supported.”
Gympie Timber Company has previously received State Government Assistance through a $14,585 QIDS grant for early development of the Eco Board product.
Mr Mickel said almost $1.2 million in industry development grants had been awarded to some 40 firms in the Maryborough region since 1998.
_________________________________________
Company Contact: Gympie Timber Co, Mr Wesley Corbet, Project Manager, 5482 4699.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.