Jan 03, 2011. /Lesprom Network/. Coillte, Ireland’s largest forestry and forest products company, has reported that the domestic wood processing sector in Ireland is experiencing a boom in exports, with an almost 40 fold increase since early 2009, as a result of a strong international demand for Irish construction sawn wood products. Coillte says that construction sawn-wood exports from Irish saw mills have risen from approx 5,000 cubic metres at the start of 2009, to an annualised 200,000 cubic metres plus for 2010. Despite the domestic downturn in the Irish construction industry, certified wood-based construction material is in high demand internationally with exports to the UK rising substantially over the past two-year period, partly as other suppliers withdrew from that market. In Ireland, the forestry sector as a whole is responsible for the employment of about 16,000 people and it is hoped that a renewed focus on international business and exports will help to increase this number. The international demand for wood products is especially strong for Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified construction material, which is what Coillte supplies from its forests. Richard Lowe, Head of Sales & Marketing at Coillte’s Forest Division, commented: “Working closely with our customers, the Irish saw mills, and with the support of Enterprise Ireland, we have created an awareness and appreciation of Irish timber in the UK amongst the timber supply chain. We have done this by maintaining our log supply in difficult market conditions, through a focused media campaign and by being visible at events like last months BEST Build Show in Birmingham, where we were showcasing Irish timber with our customers.” “As buyers become more aware of environmental issues, there is increasing pressure on industry to assure customers that the products they buy are not only fit for purpose, but are also environmentally friendly. Certification and conformity to standards is a key component of providing that assurance for customers,” he continued. In addition to the exports of timber by Irish saw mills, Coillte’s Panel Products division, which manufactures SmartPly Oriented Strand Board (OSB) in Waterford and Medite Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) in Clonmel, has also seen a strong export performance in its products in 2010. Coillte Panel Products exports approximately 90% of the Medite and SmartPly it produces in Ireland and has seen an improvement in the UK and European markets during 2010. Coillte Panel Products is seeing increased sales for their range of products and has also continued to export niche high value products to the US, Singapore and as far as Australia, to meet the specific needs of architects and specifiers for innovative panel products. Coillte Panel Products has been expanding its range of products in 2010 and the company recently exported the first shipment of its newest product, Medite Ultralite, a wood product developed at the Medite plant in Clonmel.