The African hardwood industry had a better year this year.


Woodbois, an international African hardwood oriented firm, has reported a significant rise in sales and a reduction in pre-tax losses.

Woodbois Ltd, formerly known as Obtala, has undergone a period of reorganisation and has announced an annual revenue of USD13.4m for 2020.

Woodbois Ltd, which is traded on the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange, has manufacturing plants in Gabon and Mozambique.

This year, the Gabon sawmill received new Shenyang vertical bandsaws, which were supplemented by new Mebor and Woodmizer edgers acquired in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, new Techdri kilns with a capacity of 1,000m3 will be constructed at the sawmill, allowing full processing to take place on-site.

The veneer plant, which debuted at the end of 2018, has a full Cremona peeling and drying line as well as a new custom-built heating system. Okoume and Ilomba veneers are available in thicknesses ranging from 0.5mm to 10mm.

A plywood plant constructed in 2019 maximises recovery rates from veneer manufacture. The products are mostly used for concrete shuttering in Africa.

In Gabon and Mozambique, the Group administers and runs over one million acres of natural forest concessions. Woodbois’ headquarters are in London, where Paul Dolan serves as CEO.