Danzer (Dornbirn, Austria), one of the largest manufacturers of decorative hardwood in the world, re-opened its Souvans, France, facility Sept. 7 after a $15.6 million renovation to meet demand for sliced wear layers in engineered wood flooring.
The renovation included the addition of an energy-saving boiler, drying kilns and a Danzer V24000 veneer slicer, which produces sliced veneer instead of sawn. The process eliminates sawdust and reduces waste by 30–40 percent, the company said in a statement. The updated facility will also be able to produce engineered flooring deck layers.
The company expects the facility will be able to reach a production volume of 20,000 cubic meters once at full capacity in early 2018.
“In recent years, the global demand for engineered hardwood flooring has increased steadily—a trend that will continue,” said CEO Hans-Joachim Danzer in a statement.
