Manufacturer in Tasmania Denies Using Old-Growth Wood

Contrary to allegations from the Australian NGO Markets for Change and Greenpeace, forest products manufacturer Ta Ann Tasmania (TAT) has denied supplying eucalyptus flooring procured from "old-growth or primary forests" for the 2012 London Olympics.Alan Ashbarry, media/external relations for TAT, clarified that his company produces its eucalyptus flooring using "re-growth billets" that are between 8 inches and 28 inches in diameter; some of the company's material is procured from plantations, as well. The company receives its source materials from Forestry Tasmania, a state-sponsored logging company.

Further, Ashbarry said his company's rotary peeling equipment—located in Tasmania's Huon Valley and the town of Smithton—are not equipped to handle larger-diameter logs from old-growth timber. After the veneer is peeled, it is exported to Malaysia where it is made into plywood, wood flooring and a range of other products."Ta Ann Tasmania holds a long-term wood supply contract with Forestry Tasmania that specifies the billets in terms of length, diameter and quality," Ashbarry said. "Billets received are inspected and those not meeting specification are rejected."

Massachusetts reports that large retailers like Walmart, Whole Foods and BJ's Wholesale Club are bypassing the possibility of a concrete moisture problem (and the cost that comes with it) by choosing a polished concrete floor, which breathes and therefore doesn't trap moisture, instead of one with a floorcovering. This is not good news for the floorcovering industry because it represents hundreds of thousands of square feet of lost sales in every location, and it makes it imperative that the industry find a way to fix concrete moisture issues, regain the trust of these major retailers and win back this business.


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