The Joubert Group : a strategy of international conquest, accompanied by a strong capacity for investment.

JOUBERT
Panneaux de contreplaqué

Les Eliots - Rue des Epinées - 16170 Auge - St Médard France
Tel : 05 45 21 62 23 - Fax : 05 45 21 63 49
e-mail :
Site web : http://www.joubert-group.com

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Mercredi 23 Mai 2007

As a multifunctional material, plywood can be used everywhere! Whether in interior or exterior use, or for structure or fittings, it is light, manageable, resistant and it restores all the properties of wood. The international plywood market has among its main actors a French manufacturer, born from an industrial family history which began in the 30s : the Joubert Group. Co-leader on the French market for Okoume plywood and second on the European market, the Joubert Group is the heir of a tradition of quality. It pays great attention to the production of its plywood : a constant preoccupation, proven by the numerous labels and certificates that the Joubert plywood panels have! The industrial company in Charente also stands out thanks to its environmental voluntarist policy, embodied in each stage of the production process: preservation of the natural resources with a guarantee of the wood supply (they all come from European or managed tropical forests), management of the production sites and the production process (in collaboration with the forestry partners) aiming to ensure the tracability of the products. The Joubert Group also rises up to the challenge of ecocertification : a step in line with its inherent commitment, initiated well before the notion of "durable development" started appearing on the media scene. With 370 employees, a turnover of 50 million euros, an annual production capacity of 70.000 m3, on 3 different sites, the Joubert Group has won renown through its reactivity, its innovative spirit and its financing capacity. Proof, the latest investment of 2.300.000 Euros, made in 2006, was for a press guaranteeing optimal working conditions and a significant improvement in the production capacity. While the Joubert Paint (a plywood panel covered with a white melamine film, ready to be painted) has already become a reference in Holland, the Joubert Primed (an acrylic painted panel) is on the way to seducing the most demanding markets!

A family trend for quality

The industrial Joubert story began in the 1930s, in the small town of Auge St Médard, near Rouillac in Charente (16). André Joubert, a young farmer, decided to create a sawmill, in order to repair the rooves on his farm himself.. Did he have any idea what would come of this wonderful initiative?

All types of jobs then followed little by little, André Joubert's reputation grew until he had become the local supplier for the villagers.

The requests multiplied and André Joubert started to build on the land around the farm, for a real forestry undertaking. Specialised in sawing and peeling poplar, there was quick demand from regional wood transformers..

In 1966, Guy Joubert took over his father's business and developed the peeling side of things : making the most of the abundance of poplar in Charente, Joubert was actively participating in the economic dynamism of the region by creating a good number of jobs.

Besides the easy supply of poplar trees, the Joubert Group also had another major advantage : it's closeness to the port of La Pallice at La Rochelle, the main European port for the importation of logs, situated right in the middle of Charente Maritime (17). The Joubert Group was able to supply itself with tropical wood species.A geographical opportunity which, together with the amazing Joubert "savoir faire" in log peeling, enabled Joubert, as of 1972, to launch itself into the production of plywood panels.

A tropical wood species particularly interested the Joubert family : Okoume, imported into Europe since 1899. Very tender and light, a quite dark salmon pink colour, it has exceptional transformation and longevity qualities. Ideal for the production of plywood panels, it is equally made up of inner and/or outer veneers (crossed veneers).

With nearly all of the global production of Okoume coming from Gabon, the company installed a wood peeling mill in 2000, in partnership with the forester CBG (Compagnie du Bois du Gabon). The unit at Port Gentil today produces 40% of the Okoume supplying the Joubert mills.

These new "productions" brought about clear success and in 1992 the Holding Etablissements Guy Joubert SA was set up, created following the acquisition , 2 years earlier, of a second production unit established in Saint-Jean d'Angely (17). Thierry Joubert, the President, today manages the family group whose offices have been set up in André Joubert's old renovated farm at Auge St Medard (16) on "Les Eliots" site.

High performance mills and international renown.

The two French production units of the Joubert group (established on 270.000 m2 of land of which 58.000m2 is production surface), together with the CPBG (Compagnie des placages des bois du Gabon) in central Africa, have an exceptional production capacity : 70.000 m3 per year (compared with only 5.800 in 1981!) for a turnover of 50 million euros. To meet the changing demands of the market and to assure its position of 2nd European manufacturer of Okoume plywood, the Joubert group does not hesitate to invest in its production tools with a machine depot always more and more modern and high performance.

For instance, in 2006, Joubert improved, on the Rouillac site (16), the painting line for the production of the Joubert Primed panels, semi-finished and pre-painted : a quality improvment at a cost of 300.000 euros.

Each year, the Joubert group invests more than 3 millions euros to keep up an excellent standard
of technology, to ensure the training of its employees and to modernize the transformation processes in all its mills : as an example, at the beginning of 2006, the sprinkler system on the two French sites which cost 1.500.000 euros.

Still in 2006, the site at St Jean d'Angèly (17) was equipped with a line with a new rapid cycle press of 20 levels, for the production of panels measuring up to 250 x 153 cm, a "productivity" investment costing 2.300.000 euros!

Always innovative and creative, the Research and Development department anticipates the changes in the market and adapts to the required needs, often very specific, as with the pre-painted Joubert Primed plywood, for the Dutch market. It is also thanks to the efforts of this Research and Development department that the Joubert Group has obtained national and international renown.

A spirit of "conquest" also illustrated by the proactive communication policy of the Joubert group : a dynamic marketing and a commercial policy with tool destined for architects and sales deciders, update of the website news.

The site at St Jean d'Angély

The St Jean D'Angély site, acquired by the Joubert group in 1990, occupies 110.000 m2 in the heart of the Charente-Maritime (17), in a regional environment particularly favourable for supplies. An exceptional geographical location enabling the mill to obtain for raw materials not only through numerous local producers, historically linked to the economic and social dynamism of the region, but also in the African countries, where the tropical species, in abundance and of good quality, are commercialized at competitive prices.

The mill at St Jean D'Angély boasts a large production surface of 24.500 m2 : 2.000 m2 are allocated for stocking the finished products. Thanks to machines that are competitive and high performance, the Joubert group benefits here from a top of the production tool, from where its whole range of plywood, which conform to the most strict international norms come from each year.

The latest investment of the Joubert group in 2006, was the 20 level press, with hydraulic piloting regulating the thickness of the plywood and with a pressure of 18 bars and a temperature of 130° C. This investment of 2.300.000 euros improves even further the work conditions of the employees and the productivity of the site : each team now manages about 25 m3 instead of 18 m3 per day, increasing the total annual production by 5.000 m3.

The mill at St Jean D'Angély has impressive "human and technical means" :
-119 employees
-2 log depots
-4 steamers for tropical species, of 200 m3 capacity each
-6 sorting teams
-3 peeling lines
-3 dryers with heat atmosphere control
-1 rolling bridge
-5 jointing machines
-2 pasting lines
-1 calibrating and sanding machine
-1 finishing line with a capacity of 15 panels per minute
-4 wood grinders
-9 forklifts from 4 to 12 tons
-3 loaders from 15 to 35 tons

The Joubert plywood : the search for excellence, testified by international certificates.

The Joubert group knows how to make the most of the mechanical and aesthetical properties of the selected wood species : okoume, sapelli, poplar, igaganga..Monitored at each stage of their transformation - by the selecting of veneers, pasting, pressing, sanding - the Joubert plywood panels are certified by the most demanding international norms : the regulation CE S (validated by the Centre Technique du Bois et de l'Ameublement) certifies their conformity as regards the norm EN 13986 (relating to panels intended for construction use) and the quality stamp NF-EXTERIEUR CTB-X 44 and 48 guarantees that they are perfectly adapted to exterior use. Another proof of quality : the Joubert plywood panels correspond both to the Dutch norms KOMO Productcertificaat n° 32621/95 and n° 32622/95, controlled by the SKH (Stichting Keuringsbureau Hout) laboratories and the British specification BS 1088 Lloyd's Register for the panels intended for nautical construction.

The Joubert offer, diversified and innovative, includes 5 large families : Joubert Classic, Joubert First, Joubert Expression, Joubert Marine and Joubert Force. In total, there are no less than 13 different references, adapted to every need and to the multiple uses for the Joubert plywood.

The Joubert Classic range, proposes various products, of proven quality, which fit all the requirements of interior fittings, decoration and traditional joinery :enjoying the aesthetical performances of okoume, the Joubert Classic offer includes Okouplex (250 x 122 cm, 310 x 153 cm, 250 x 153 cm, 310 x 183 cm, 310 x 122 cm and door sizes), Panoflex (122 x 250 cm or 250 x 122 cm) , bendable plywood, ideal for fitting out offices, hotel trade, communities and Combiplex (250 x 122 cm and 310 x 153 cm).

The Joubert First offer, made from carefully selected high quality wood, combining stability, resistance and high performance, is for use in exterior joinery. Joubert Garant (250 x 122 cm, 310 x 153cm, 310 x 122 cm and door sizes), and Okoumé Rainuré - grooved plywood (on one or two faces, 250 x 120,7/124,3 cm, 310 x 120,7/124,3 cm) are offered with three types of groove (trapezoidal, U-shaped and V-shaped) : cladding, garage doors, eaves fascia, rear entrance doors..

The Joubert Expression range (Joubert Primed et Joubert Paint Garant) was born from a voluntarist innovation policy. The Joubert Primed (250 x 122 cm, 310 x 122/153 and door sizes), okoume throughout plywood with its two faces covered with a layer of white acrylic paint - 80 microns thick on each face, a quality to be painted - comes from the realisation that 80% of panels go on to be painted.

Essentially commercialized in Holland, it enables considerable time saving on the building site, which, at a time when there is a growing lack of manpower, makes it a promising product for the future. Another product which is much appreciated on the Dutch market is the Joubert Paint Garant (250 x 122 cm, 310 x 153 cm and door sizes), okoume throughout, resistant to bad weather and easy to work, particularly valued in exterior use (construction, eaves fascia, cladding, doors and shutters.)

Symbolic of the Joubert group, the Joubert Marine products use the most noble wood species. Okoume, sapelli..their exceptional mechanical resistance meets the special demands of nautical construction. They all have the Lloyd's Register Type Approved quality certificate and have become a reference in the USA. Marine Ply (250 x 122 cm and 310 x 153 cm), Super Marine Ply (250 x 122 cm and 310 x 153 cm with thin plies) and Sapelli Marine (250 x 122 cm and 250 x 153 cm), jewels of the Joubert group; show the excellence of their manufacturer by their aestheticism and their durability.

Used for the structures and fitting out of prestige yachts, they have also convinced the skipper Bob Escoffier who used Marine Ply for the construction of a cruise catamaran measuring 24.60 metres with a capacity for sleeping 24 people.

Always innovation with the Joubert Force plywood. Conceived to meet the special needs of industrial applications, the Joubert Panofeu Sécurité (250 x 122 cm and 310 x 153 cm), 100% okoume and fire retardant throughout, corresponding to the CTB certificate M1, is particularly recommended for use in public buildings.

The Joubert group commits itself to the environment

Since its creation, the Joubert group has always been in favour of the environment: a long term commitment, written in the heart of its economic policy long before users and distributors realized this now major stake.

Its environmental move materializes very clearly at each stage of the production. Supplies respect the tracability policy followed by the producers of the tropical wood. Therefore all the species, whether they are European (PEFC label) or African (soon to have a PAFC label - Pan African Forestry Control - which should shortly be in force in Gabon), come from managed forests.

The difficulties encountered by these producers, as far as the putting in place of an ecocertification process, clearly illustrates the complexity of such an action : this environmental problematic not only involves the wood supply factor but also social, economic and political factors.

To preserve the natural resources, the Joubert group rises up to the challenge of ecocertifcation by the putting in place of a Quality Security Environment chart, making the most of the use of raw material and minimizing the waste coming from its transformation. The Joubert group hopes in this way to be able to offer ecocertified plywood panels in the course of 2007 : an example to follow..

Press contact:
Agence Schilling Communication
2, Place Cap Ouest - B.P. 169
17000 La Rochelle Cedex 1
Tél : 05 46 50 15 15 - Fax: 05 46 50 15 19
e-mail: Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir.
site internet : www.n-schilling.com

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