With responsible procurement and long term forest cultivation, the Danzer Group therefore strives to secure a high quality worldwide source of wood. This includes the intensive promotion of sustainable forest management and well-managed forests.

Responsibility to secure high-quality timber from well-managed forests

Securing high-quality timber ressources from well-managed forests is our most important concern for the future. As processors of wood - the most versatile and renewable resource - we have a particular responsibility to protect and conserve it. Although the volume of wood growing in the David R. Webb’s main sourcing areas of the North Eastern United States and the South East of Canada has been increasing for decades, the proportion of the high-quality timber needed for decorative uses is exhibiting the opposite trend. Thanks to the continued development of our manufacturing techniques, we have been able to supply our customers with a consistent quality of veneers they expect from us at a competitive price.

Our procurement of North American Species is ISO 14001:2004 certified

"Danzer Group North American Procurement" as PDF-File (226 KB)

We implemented an Environmental & Safety Management System (ESMS) for our procurement of North American species. It was successfully certified to the ISO14001:2004 standard and is annually audited by the independent company SGS of Switzerland. The system ensures that the direct impact through our procurement is continually reduced as well as the indirect impact on the forest where our wood originates. This requires a close and trustfully cooperation with our suppliers.

Sustainable management of forests owned by the Danzer Group

We are also playing an active role in shaping the future with our own long-term projects. Since the early 1990's we have annually planted high-quality deciduous and evergreen species on our currently 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of land in northern Argentina, which we cultivate very carefully. In North America, our Danzer Forestland company owns an area of 48,000 acres (20,000 ha). This land is environmentally well-managed by our experienced and trained foresters and included in the ESMS system (see above). Our aim is to use optimum forest management to supply an ever-increasing proportion of timber requirements from our own forests.

In North America we have planted a seed orchard where, in co-operation with Purdue University and the state of Indiana, we are producing superior seeds in order to grow premium trees in the state nurseries in the future.

We are confident that a sustainable, environmentally and economically viable forestry program can be established in the tropical forests as well. At our concession in the Republic of Congo we set up a plan for sustainable forest management and want to achieve certification to FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) until 2009.