Lahti, Finland, Nov. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oy Lunawood Ltd and Atlanta Hardwood Corporation are pleased to announce the formation of a joint venture, Lunawood LLC. This new entity will oversee the procurement, production, and sales of ThermoWood® and other thermally modified products across North America.
Effective January 1, 2025, all North American Lunawood sales, including products manufactured at Lunawood’s Finnish facilities, will be managed through Lunawood LLC. Under this joint venture, Lunawood LLC will build a production facility at Atlanta Hardwood Corporation’s plant in Cleveland, Georgia. The plant will be dedicated to producing thermally modified timber products from locally sourced hardwood for the North American market, with additional global distribution. Lunawood is the first Finnish company in the mechanical wood industry to establish production in the U.S. Production at the North Georgia facility is expected to begin mid-summer 2025.
Lunawood, a pioneer in thermal modification of Finnish pine and spruce since 2001, was instrumental in developing the patented ThermoWood® process. The joint venture combines Lunawood’s expertise in thermal modification, production, quality control, and commercialization with Atlanta Hardwood’s market knowledge, logistics and profiling facilities. Lunawood LLC will stock the full range of Lunawood products for sale within North America at Atlanta Hardwood’s facilities in Cleveland, GA, and Clarksville, TN.
“Lunawood is known as a growth-driven company exporting already to over 60 countries. Having found a partner that shares our ambitions and is committed to serving the North American market comprehensively, we recognized a joint venture as the ideal solution to leverage both of our core competencies and enable our growth”, says Arto Halonen, CEO of Oy Lunawood Ltd. “We are also happy to be able to serve the Northern American market with shorter delivery times for Lunawood Collection products, thanks to local inventory,” he continues.
According to Hal Mitchell, President of Atlanta Hardwood Corporation, and brand manager for AHC Hardwood Group, “We have partnered with the best producer of the most environmentally friendly building product on the planet. This joint venture will allow Lunawood to become the world’s leader in thermal modification in both North American and Nordic species. We are excited to offer volume production of these quality-tested, sustainable and durable products to the North American market. Scaling the manufacturing of U.S. lumber has been a dream since our first thermal modification kiln was installed 10 years ago. This joint venture allows us to accomplish that goal.”
The growing demand for thermally modified timber in the United States is driven by the increasing demand for sustainable building materials for both indoor and outdoor applications and a strong trend toward green building construction. Demand is especially strong in design applications, including interior architectural accents, exterior cladding, and decking, as architects and builders seek durable, sustainable alternatives to chemically treated wood or exotic hardwoods.
Oy Lunawood Ltd, established in 2000 in Finland, is the pioneer and global leader in sustainable wood innovations that positively impact architecture, well-being and emission reduction worldwide. We re-connect nature with people by bringing the natural benefits of the forest into daily life. We have two production units in Finland and world-wide partner network to serve building professionals.
Atlanta Hardwood Corporation has operated from its base in the metropolitan Atlanta area since the mid-1950s and is doing business as AHC Hardwood Group in Cleveland, Georgia and Clarksville, Tennessee. Atlanta Hardwood Corporation also offers domestic trucking as AHC Logistics, which specializes in the transportation of lumber and building materials.
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