Obituary: Ken Dixon

30 August 2007
New Zealand timber industry giant Ken Dixon has died following a short illness. Before starting Global Timbers in Rotorua in 1982, Ken had a distinguished career in the Commercial Division of the NZ Forest Service. He was instrumental in developing offshore markets for NZ lumber produced by the two State owned sawmills at Conical Hill in Tapanui and Waipa in Rotorua.
He was the first president of the NZ Pine Manufacturers Association and his vision and standing in the industry were the prime reasons why the PMA got off to such a fine start.
He was one of the first processors to sell value-added components in a consistent fashion offshore, to both Australia and the US. In 2005 after a lifetime career in the timber industry he sold his business and retired.
Ken will be remembered by all those in the timber industry as a big man, not only for his physical stature but for his deeds, as a leader, a pioneer in marketing, a real visionary and one who was really passionate about the timber industry and its people.
Ken is survived by his wife Joye, his son Kelvin, daughter Chandra and three grandchildren.
(Our thanks to Lawrie Halkett for these obituary notes.)

Dirty Chinese Laundry on Plywood Web Site

The Australian plywood industry has moved quickly to explode claims by a large Chinese manufacturer that its products have been certified by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA).
Tainuo Plywoods, with annual production volumes of 540,000 m2 at its Wuxi Province factory near Shanghai, plagiarised the web site of EWPAA member Austral Plywoods.
“This illegal practice by Asian producers is why we are ever-vigilant about the standard, safety and reliability of plywood imports,” the general manger of EWPAA Simon Dorries said.
“EWPAA’s on-going testing of imported material is exposing massive discrepancies in product claims and the potential for disaster is enormous.
“There is a thorough code of standards in Australia for plywood and its required components in specific applications. These requirements take into account not only the durability and safety of a product, but also its use under Australian conditions.”
Gary Holmes of Austral Plywoods in Brisbane said the company’s website had been copied and used by the Chinese producer.
“Thankfully, after quick action by the EWPAA, Tainuo Plywoods had removed this information from its website – www.tnwood.com,” Holmes said.
Tainuo markets its TaiNuo brand of structural and marine plywood in the USA, Japan and Eastern Europe.

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