JNL Timber Processing & LVL Manufacturing Site...

Join the Wellington Branch the Mechanical Engineering Group (MEG) and the Electrical Engineering Group (EEG) for a site visit to the JNL Timber Processing & LVL Manufacturing Plant in Masterton. 

This site visit will include opportunities to see:

• The overall timber processing facility including timber milling, treatment, LVL manufacturing equipment AND
• Final preparations for the installation of the new Veneer Lathe which turns a 3.1m long log into sheets of veneer.

The visit is expected to include:

• An introductory presentation by the chief engineer for the plant including information on the high-level details of the plant and the major upgrade project, which is underway,
• A guided walking tour of the manufacturing processes including a look at the preparations for the new veneer lathe and LVL manufacturing process,
• An opportunity for light refreshments and Q&A.

Parking Details:  The entry gate to the site is at 24 Norfolk Rd.  When approaching from the roundabout on State Highway 2, take the first entry to the site, park in the carpark on the LHS., and follow the signs to the site office. The traffic flow is one way, to exit drive around the administration building and exit back onto Norfolk Road. The yellow exit gate will open automatically.

PPE Required: Closed toe footwear.

We expect many of the participants in this site visit to be coming from Wellington. The drive from central Wellington is about 95km (about 1h 45min) so we propose to facilitate carpooling amongst your peers – please specify your carpooling plans via the registration process.

ABOUT THE PLANT AND PROJECT:

The JNL timber processing plant manufactures sawn timber and LVL (laminated veneer lumber) just south of Masterton.  The team there are in the process of a once in a generation upgrade of the LVL manufacturing facility involving replacement of the veneer lathe after a devastating fire. The status of their major project is roughly as follows.

• Completed the removal of all the fire damaged and redundant equipment including the foundations.
• New foundations have been poured including 30 + tonnes of rebar and fitments and circa 400 tonnes of concrete.
• Electrical infrastructure and LV reticulation have been upgraded/replaced including a new 1.5 MVA transformer and 11kV switch and a new MSB.
• The first shipments of containers are arriving in Wellington from late Jan / early Feb (45 – 50 forty-foot equivalent units [FEU] in total over 5 ships).
• Installation will begin in earnest in mid-February when the Japanese lathe manufacturers arrive for approx. 6 weeks.
• Target production start-up is April 2026.

ABOUT JNL:

Juken New Zealand Ltd (JNL) grows timber and processes it to create custom engineered wood (LVL, Plywood, Panels) and solid wood products, for a diverse range of applications, for the local and export markets.  JNL has nearly 700 New Zealand staff and obtains goods and services from several hundred suppliers across their forestry and wood processing activities.  They have been manufacturing a wide range of advanced and innovative wood products from selectively planted, managed, and harvested Radiata Pine since 1990, and they are well supported by their Japan-based parent company WoodOne Ltd.  WoodOne is a major international housing materials and components company which has invested over $NZ700 million into JNL and the New Zealand forestry and wood-processing industries.  JNL has managed and certified plantation forests in the East Coast and Wairarapa regions of NZ, and it has three modern, efficient, and environmentally clean wood processing mills - located in Kaitaiaand Wairarapa regions.