Page 19 - Parquet International december 2014

Isolmant,
green inside
Tecnasfalti-Isolmant
has announced its decision to use only renewable energy
sources, thus strengthening its commitment to protecting the environment. It has made
public its recent agreement with Repower aimed at putting into practice a radical
change in its energy procurement policy.
Thanks to its “Verde Dentro” project, Repower produces 100% renewable energy, with Tüv Süv Industrie Service GmbH certification (green origin
and resource traceability). After careful analysis of its energy consumption, Tecnasfalti-Isolmant has chosen the solution best suited to its needs and those of the environment, investing in a choice that rewards quality as opposed to the ‘bottom line’ in order to get an energy supply from 100% renewable sources. More specifically, the energy used by Tecnasfalti-Isolmant comes from
the wind farm in Corleto Perticara (PZ) and satisfies
the requirements of Tüv Süv’s Standard CMS 83: Generation EE (10/2011). www.isolmant.it
U.S. sawn hardwood exports
to Europe rise 12% on the back
of strong UK recovery
U.S. sawn hardwood exports to Europe were 201,000 m3 in the first six months of 2014,
a 12.4% gain compared to the same period
the previous year. Export value increased 20% to $154.6 million. Trade was boosted by a 40% rise in the volume of exports to the UK, which amounted to 53,910 m3 during the six month period. Such was the pace of exports that the UK overtook Italy to become the largest volume market for U.S. sawn hardwood in the first half of 2014. Exports during the first six months
of 2014 were also buoyed by a recovery in exports to Germany (+10% to 26,550m3), Spain (+13% to 14940 m3), and Sweden (+31% to 7,460 m3). However, exports declined to Italy
(-8% to 46,910 m3) and Portugal (-8% to 9,820 m3) during the six month period. The second quarter of 2014 was particularly strong for exports to Europe coming at the end of the long hard winter in the U.S., which constrained supply and with some signs of improvement in the EU economy, particularly in the UK. Oak remains very fashionable in all sectors in Europe from furniture and joinery to architectural interiors. It is therefore no surprise that American white oak is the number one species exported from the USA.
In fact, exports of sawn white oak to Europe were 87,740 m3 in the January to June 2014 period, 13% up on the same period in 2013. Exports of white oak to the UK, Sweden, Spain, Denmark and Poland have recovered strongly this year, offsetting a decline in exports to Italy, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. www.americanhardwood.org