3 July 2007
The University of Auckland has created a new professorship in Timber Design to help increase the use of wood in commercial structures through innovation and development.
Professor Pierre Quenneville has joined the University from the Royal Military College of Canada to take up the Chair in Timber Design.
Dr Quenneville will develop new timber building solutions and ways to add value to New Zealand’s timber industry and export markets.
"The timber industry is a critical growth area for New Zealand and I am delighted to be able to contribute to its development via this position,” Dr Quenneville says.
“I look forward to creating new market opportunities and to reinforce existing ones through education, research and development.”
Dr Quenneville will lead the new Excellence in Timber Design Programme in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This programme represents a major increase in education and research in timber structural design at the University. It is expected to result in a substantial increase in the use of timber for structures in New Zealand.
Weyco Sells Up In New Zealand
Giant timber investment management group Global Forest Partners (GFP) has acquired Weyerhaeuser New Zealand and Weyerhaeuser’s assets in a Nelson joint venture with GFP.
These assets include about 67,000 productive ha of plantation forests in the Nelson/Marlborough region and the Kaituna sawmill at Renwick, which has a log input capacity on a single shift of 80,000 m³ annually.
The signing of a letter of intent with GFP is seen as a strategic move to focus Weyerhaeuser's international timberland investment on South America.
Weyerhaeuser will acquire complete ownership of the Los Piques plywood mill and half of the 81,000 ha of planted forests that Weyerhaeuser and two GFP investment funds own through separate joint ventures in Uruguay. The GFP investment funds will assume ownership of the remaining hectares from the joint ventures.
GFP currently manages a globally diverse US1.5 billion portfolio of closed-end commingled timber funds and separate accounts on behalf of institutional and other qualified investors.
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