The massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked the heart of Chile’s forest products manufacturing region at the end of February left wood panel plants shaken but largely unscathed.

The UK is due for a major increase in the use of wood fuel, according to Guy Bewick of agent PLS UK.

Tight cost control has helped to vastly improve UPM’s Q4 operating results, with the group reporting profits of €186m (2008: €46m loss).

Uniboard, a leading producer of engineered wood products in North America, has been approved as a manufacturer of Ultra Low Emission Formaldehyde (ULEF) particleboard by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Panel producers in the US are pressing the federal government to change its mind on a biomass subsidy programme they fear could thwart its ability to source wood fibre, according to industry newsletter Random Lengths.

Press belt manufacturer Sanvik Process Sustems has appointed Jörg Kaufmann to the poijtion of global product manager for thbe wood based panels market, with reposnibility for all gregions except Asia and Turkey.

Weyerhaeuser has posted a net loss of US$545m for 2009 with its wood products division having a tough trading time during Q4.

Demand and new applications for wood-plastic composites (WPC) are on the rise, delegates at the German WCP Congress in Cologne have hard.

Weyerhaeuser and Mitsubishi Corporation have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding to explore the possibilities of collaborating in the biomass-to-energy business.

The 7th China International Wood & Wood Products Conference takes place April 28-30, 2010 in Guangzhou, China. www.mujiaohui.com/en

UPM has joined the United Nations Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate to confirm its commitment to responsible use of water resources in all its operations.

Weyerhaeuser has pledged US$250,000 worth of building materials to help with the Haiti rebuilding effort and is to provide technical assistance to help explore opportunities for building earthquake-proof buildings in the country.

Three workers have lost their lives in an explosion of a thermal oil boiler at the Brilon particleboard plant which is one of six German plants of the Egger group.

Uniboard, a subsidiary od Pfleiderer AG and a leading producer of engineered wood products in North America, has just put into operation a new plant for MDF and HDF in Moncure, North Carolina.

The potential of future prosecutions arising from the sale of palm-core plywood into structural end uses was mooted at a packed London meeting of plywood traders.

Weyerhaeuser is helping US builders construct more energy efficient wall framing with its Javelin software.

Finnforest parent Metsäliitto has posted a €329m loss for 2009 (2008: €233m loss). Sales fell to €4.8bn (2008: €6.4bn).

JOSB Done, the UK campaign to drive the use of OSB, is embarking on a fifth year of action.

Andreas Weidenholzer has assumed role of purchasing and benchmarking manager of Swedspan International.

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LP) has posted a US$117m annual loss which narrowed from the US$565m loss in 2008, while Q4 losses were down to US$47m (2008: US$339m loss). Net sales for 2009 totalled US$1.5bn (2008: US$1.37bn).

The ZOW supplier fair for the furniture industry and interior design, which took place in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, between February 8-11, 2010, was well attended with 663 exhibitors from 35 countries, an improvement on the number of trade visitors to East Westphalia than in 2009.

Louisiana-Pacific (LP) has developed a flame-resistant OSB panel that does not rely on traditional fire treatments.

Nice, France, February 10, 2010: This day saw the signing of what it is hoped will be an historic agreement between the Social Partners in the European woodworking industries in the form of a joint declaration on the REF-Wood Social Partner Project concerning formaldehyde emissions in the workplace.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has issued a statement in response to the US Department of Agriculture’s release for public comment of its draft regulations foe the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP).

Chris Chase has joined Professional Service Industries Inc (PSI) as an international CARB mill inspector based in their Eugene operations office.

Participants sought by Forestry Faculty of Belgrade University for the International Scientific Conference First Serbian Forestry Congress, under the title Future with Forests, to be held November 11-13, 2010, Belgrade, Serbia. www.sfb.rs

Leading event for the wood processing industry, Wood Tech Show 2010, takes place March 9-11, 2010 at the Oregon Convention Center. www.woodwideweb.com

Raute Corporation plans to transfer the production activities of the Jyväskylä plant to the company’s plant in Nastola.

Spanish wood panelling and wainscot manufacturer Galiperfil has introduced new panelling products which are said to automatically fight mould and mildew build-up.

Engineered wood manufacturer Pfleiderer has concluded a rights issue, raising €34.7m to further pay down debt.

The wood processing plant of Holzwek Gebr Schneider GmbH based in Eberhardzell, Germany, recently began construction of a new plant at the company’s headquarters.

2009 figures provided by Acimall – the Italian woodworking machinery and tools manufacturers’ association – show that Italian production decreased by 48.3% as compared to 2008.

Following organisational changes to BU Europe Joan Padrós has recently joined Ignacio Rivera as joint managing director of Coveright Surface Spain SA and Surfaces Spain SL.