SPAIN - Garnica will open a new factory in Uruguay, the first factory in the Americas, in whose final stage finished plywood panels will be produced. The factory will be located in the city of Treinta y Tres, located in the northeast of the country, in the region of the same name.

The objective is to progress gradually through a project whose final stage will involve the production of finished plywood panels. The forecast is that, in the final phase, Garnica will have created more than 150 jobs, which will be a major source of quality employment in the area.

The new plant in Uruguay will provide a double opportunity: on the one hand, it provides access to a new wood species, eucalyptus grandis, grown in local FSC certified plantations and, on the other hand, it consolidates Garnica's sustainability strategy of promoting the use of plantation wood and fostering innovation and development in rural regions.

Over the last three decades Uruguay has actively promoted the country's forestry sector as a strategic sector. There are currently more than 1.1 million hectares of sustainably managed forest plantations that provide a guaranteed supply for a thriving forest industry. Garnica chooses Uruguay because of the high professionalization of its forestry sector, its stability and access to quality raw material with the highest sustainability standards.

"For us this is an incredible opportunity to continue to grow and strengthen our international presence. The strategic location of this new mill in Uruguay will allow us to increase our production capacity, diversify our raw material and increase our product portfolio," says Christian Michel, CEO of Garnica.

The construction process is scheduled to begin in the coming months and production is expected to start in 2024.