Biligom by East Coast Promotions

COMPANY PROFILE

2014

Biligom International

27 15 307 5558 | www.biligom.co.za

company profile

A revolutionary timber alternative Editorial: Tim Hands Production Ajuanne Payne

In the face of the looming national timber shortage facing the construction and building industry, Biligom International (Pty) Ltd has come up with an internationally patented process for moist Eucalyptus timber, giving an alternative to structural pine which will pioneer a platform for entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as provide solutions to some of the industry’s commodity challenges.

The growing of pine which is suitably mature for construction timber purposes is a process which typically takes around 30 years, and as such constant efforts need to be made to ensure the abundance of its supply. However, the very absence of such measures means that the industry can expect the situation only to worsen, and is a principal factor in leading Biligom to step in, in a bid to find an appropriate alternative. Spencer Drake, the company’s Director and Inventor, gives a run-down of the Biligom’s history so far, as well as of his own extensive experience in the field. “I myself have been in the saw-milling and forestry industry since 1972. One of the things that has puzzled me, right from those early days, is why nobody uses eucalyptus timber in roofing structures or construction wood, or anything like that. I would assume that it is due to the fact that, when you cut eucalyptus boards in long lengths, it is prone to twisting and cracking, and all sorts of funny things occur in the drying process. “Over time, back then, I discovered some things about eucalyptus – how to begin to combat that core problem of cracking, for example, and what followed was a lot of research on our part before we were able to find a way to get rid of the tension that causes it and resolve this long term problem. That’s

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how we eventually ended up with Biligom International, with patents all over the world now for this particular product.” The looming shortage of pine in South Africa in the present day was a principal factor behind the company’s formation. “What has happened before now is, because of this looming problem, is a change to the national rotation; instead of the 30 years, most of these guys are cutting into timber of around 18 years old. As a result, we’re getting immature timber coming in, and all the commensurate problems that go along with it – it’s softer wood, it has a lower density – it’s all part of the problem. If you’re making structural wood out of that you really aren’t going to get good grades out of it.” Drake explains how Biligom’s innovations are providing a real alternative to settling for below-par materials such as the aforementioned. “Now, with our timber using eucalyptus, it’s fast growing – we’re using timber that’s between six and eight years old – and so on average we get three rotations per hectare of planted material. This is a great advantage pragmatically, as if you consider a plantation full of 35 year old timber and the whole thing is burnt down, then it’s completely lost, it’s a very precarious situation. Should the same thing happen with our timber then we merely start up again, knowing we’ll get another two rotations

Biligom International

out of the same plantation.” Originating in Australia, eucalyptus is a genus of more than 600 species, and proves exceptionally cost effective due to its ability to become established in conditions which are very marginal for other uses, such as agriculture or farming. This is a very young species in terms of human development, having been commercially used in the world for just four or five generations of improvement, and so still has huge potential for finding the very best genotypes for commercial plantations. Drake goes on to explain how the land given by the government to previously disadvantage people is not necessary being used to its full potential, and how Biligom are thus stepping in to offer a more effective solution: “There are some that are doing ok with these huge tracts of land, but, on average, the timber is just not being exploited correctly and as a result, ends up on the informal market at prices which are way below par. Because we now have the ability to make this a business ‘kit’, we can really focus on helping these previously disadvantaged individuals, or indeed anyone who wants to take part in this, who can approach us for help in putting in these plants.” A central aspect to Biligom’s vision is the way in which it goes about putting together its workforce of around 600, as Drake

explains. “We pride ourselves on bringing our guys through the ranks, which is a very important principle in the business. Anything to do with forestry, be it growing the timber, or building roads, production processes or our plots, they have all worked their way up. In our workshop, for instance, we’ve got a couple of young fellows from the local population here who have been trained up to be excellent artisans. We have supervisors and production managers all over the place, all of whom are from the local people here, a product of the mentor system that we operate.” Biligom is now, having accrued thousands of successful cubic metres of implementation of its product in the informal market, perfectly placed to enter the formal market, as Drake explains: “We have the full backing of the South African Technical Auditing Services, a body which oversees the production processes in the country, and with that we treat to South African national standards, which is the treating process which is done immediately after these boards are manufactured. This timber then goes, in treated form, into the market.” While strongly positioned in South Africa, Drake makes clear that Biligom is aiming worldwide with this product: “We want to get this used around the world, because our research shows that

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company profile

there is not a single municipality or village council or city council anywhere today that has on its protocols approvals for putting moist eucalyptus into their roofs. When you look at this potential it is simply mind-boggling; anybody that has suitable areas to plant eucalyptus could, within a matter of seven or eight years, have the raw material available. “Take Brazil for example – there is four and a half million hectares of eucalyptus growing there, while Uruguay has about two million hectares. So we’ve registered these patents across the world, in Europe for instance, with a patent pending in the UK, and it’s a really exciting new thing for us. The whole idea is to license new Biligom factories with this technology throughout the world,” he says. While a certain amount of scepticism might be expected in response to such a potentially huge-scale innovation as this, Drake suggests that the opposite has been true. “The response has been overwhelming. I am sure there are people who may see this as a threat, and that’s only natural – it is cheaper than pine, much stronger, and a hardwood as opposed to a softwood - but the myth that Biligom will not stand up to having a nail hit into it is nonsense, Biligom will take a nail just as easily as other pine timber. Just don’t try to remove the nail, that’s the problem!” Biligom’s success so far has entailed improvements to the company’s production facilities, and Drake details how this helps strengthen its position in the market. “The first completed boards came off the production line three years ago. Obviously, with the production process came all sorts of teething problems which we were able to resolve, and subsequently put up a brand new factory which is now operating at full steam. These were production hassles like speeding up the whole process, finding ways to get better quality out, which have all been overcome and we’re running now at full production.

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“Make no mistake, the pine industry is going to have to sit up and take notice of this,” states Drake, on Biligom’s potential to revolutionise the construction and building timber industry, “they just have to, because in South Africa’s formal market around 1.5 million cubic metres of structural timber was sold last year and this market is ready to be serviced as soon as the new Biligom plants going up all over the country start taking off. There’s more area in South Africa planted to eucalyptus than there is to pine, and the price for eucalyptus raw timber is very low, almost a pulpwood price. This particular product is a valueadded product, and it’s absolutely beautiful – first class to work with, easy and simple – the only difference between this and pine apart from its strength is that it is heavier than pine, due to its higher density, but that’s a small problem to overcome.” Drake finishes by underlining the environmental benefits Biligom also offers, particularly when placed next to its alternatives. “Roof truss manufacturing is going over to steel at present, in a big way. With that steel, the only ‘green’ you get is from inhaling the smog which comes out of the smelting works! Per square metre of roof area with steel, as opposed to Biligom, it’s ridiculous how environmentally unsound steel is. “Of course, on top of this, any forester will tell you that water usage of a fully grown 30 year old pine on a hectare of timber as opposed to that of a young eucalyptus of, say, four or five years, is much, much higher. Furthermore, because it’s older, its absorption of carbon dioxide is much less than you see with a younger tree, which will ‘digest’ far more carbon dioxide, another huge plus in terms of the product coming out of a growing scenario.” Finally, Drake says: “Biligom in manufactured from a raw material source that is infinitely renewable and there are very few companies in the world today that can say the same.”

Biligom International

Pressure Treated Timber Timber with a moisture content below 20% cannot rot. This may not always be possible when used outside in exposed conditions as it requires proper application and maintenance of a suitable penetrating and water repellent wood sealer.

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The options are to use either naturally durable but expensive exotic hardwoods, or less costly locally grown non-durable Pine or Eucalyptus (gum) timber or poles, that have been pressure treated with a suitable wood preservative to the desired exposure or hazard class. The H class system is a guide to help you buy the correctly treated timber for your project. Be sure to look for the required H class on the timber as well as one of the two quality marks given below.

Sustainable Timber Resource Timber is the most sustainable building product available to man. It’s naturally renewable. Over 90% of plantations grown in South Africa are FSC certified.

Hazard classes: H2— dry interior above ground H3— exterior above ground H4— in ground contact H5— in contact with fresh water and wet soil H6— in contact with marine waters

For more information on preservative treated timber, or where to find a SAWPA member contact us on 011 974 1061 or sawpa@global.co.za or visit our website at www.sawpa.co.za A member of AUG 14 PAGE 5

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