Company Profile

Innovative Leaders in the world of wood processing

The story of NPIL is one of a local enterprise that thanks to the vision, dedication, and hard work of many people over the years, along with serendipity, has become a world leader in its field, producing award-winning wood products for customers in New Zealand and abroad.

The Nelson region provides the perfect environment for sustainable forestry, where our log suppliers manage plantations of radiata pine. NPIL uses the wood to make two high performance building materials – Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) – that slots right into our high-tech age. Using a sustainable resource, we can supply the material to construct multi-story buildings out of LVL, and fill them with panels, floors and furniture made of MDF.

GoldenEdge® MDF and NelsonPine® LVL are recognised as leading brands in New Zealand and in worldwide export markets. This parallel status is based on the strategy of consistent, high-quality products delivered to key markets by reliable and frequent shipping services.

NPIL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sumitomo Forestry Company Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan. The Sumitomo Group was established in Japan in 1691, in the field of mineral exploration. The Sumitomo Forestry Company Ltd. (SFC) was formed in 1948 and is now one of Japan’s largest forestry-based companies. SFC markets NPIL’s MDF and LVL in Japan and other Asian countries. The Japanese emphasis on quality and service meant these core values became intrinsically woven into the culture at NPIL.

The NPIL story has a strong environmental angle. Our log suppliers are FSC® certified, meaning we guarantee our natural resource is sourced responsibly. NPIL holds FSC® Chain of Custody Certification, which verifies FSC® certified forest products through the production chain. NPIL’s environmental policy is shaped by our commitment to such environmental standards, which we believe can help us enjoy long-term supply of radiata pine and consequent reliability in supply to export domestically and internationally.

In the community

NPIL contributes social and economic benefits to the Nelson economy in a number of ways:

• The company provides direct employment for about 270 people involved in forestry, processing and administration and marketing. Typically for every one job generated in this sort of production sector, there are another four service-related jobs created in the community.

• The company’s operation results in more than $200 million per year flowing into the local economy for materials, labour, electricity and services.

• GoldenEdge® MDF turns a low value wood residue into a valuable product.

• The use of GoldenEdge® MDF and NelsonPine® LVL made from sustainable radiata pine plantation forests, in New Zealand and in our export markets, helps save the world’s remaining indigenous forests.

• NPIL is a strong ‘corporate citizen’ providing a number of sponsorships in arts and sports, and donating product for numerous local projects.

  ---