[14/03/2013]
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Press release, 13 March 2013
The first Gremo machines in full operation in Panama
During the autumn of 2012, the machinery manufacturer Gremo AB supplied a forwarder and a harvester head to Forwood AB, which has operations in Panama, Central America. The two machines, a Gremo 1350VT and a Gremo 1750H, are in operation and are now being used for thinning and felling in FSC-certified teak plantations in Panama. The new machines have been important for the management of the company’s own plantations. At the same time, the demand for felling has increased, as other players on the market have also experienced a shortage of forestry workers.
The climate and the tough terrain have been the greatest challenges in Panama. The conditions are extreme at times, including rainy periods which mean that machines are required with a good bearing capacity on the clay soil, as well as steep stony ground and a hot climate. This is ideal for the Gremo machines, which have the right properties for the task. After a few months of felling with the new machines, we can state that things are going well. For Gremo AB, this entails a unique opportunity to develop the market in Central America alongside Forwood AB.
Prior to delivery of the machines, the Site Manager, Service Manager and operators from Forwood attended a week-long course at Gremo AB in Ätran. During this time, they received intensive training on the machines as well as operator training. 
Forwood owns, manages and cultivates land and teak plantations in Panama, conducts international trade in timber, and carries out planting, felling and management assignments on behalf of institutional forest owners in Central America. Forwood is environmentally certified and, through an active environmental effort, is a secure and long-term supplier of forest-related products and services.
With its proximity to the Equator, Panama offers the perfect conditions for cultivating teak. As a result, with good, professional management it is reasonable to expect extremely good growth and timber quality. From an export perspective, the Panama Canal offers exceptional potential to reach different parts of the world cost-effectively.
The demand for teak has been increasing for decades, and everything points to this trend continuing. Teak is extremely durable, easy to process, attractive and strong. With reduced access to teak from natural forests, plantations are an increasingly important source of timber to meet the demand.
Increasing environmental awareness has prompted significant resistance to the use of teak from natural forests – and so the answer is cultivated teak, of course.
Forwood aims to safeguard biodiversity and the natural jungle flora, which is why the company now owns approximately 400 hectares of untouched jungle. This area is consequently protected from illegal felling or burn-beating, ensuring a rich environment for all the jungle’s inhabitants.
Gremo designs, manufactures and markets machinery for modern forestry.
Gremo is part of the Weland Group, a family-owned group that develops and manufactures its own products for the construction sector, materials handling and forestry. Weland has around 900 employees and a turnover of approximately SEK 2 billion.
For more information about Gremo. Web. www.gremo.se
For more information about Forwood. Web. www.forwood.se
For further information, please contact:
Roger Edström, Export Manager, Gremo AB, +46 (0)734-425 225
Source: www.forwood.se
