MALAYSIA'S LAMTEC EARNS GOOD REPUTATION IN GERMANY

From Siti Hawa Othman

BERLIN, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Lamtec Malaysia, Malaysia's very own registered
trademark for premium wooden laminated scantlings, has earned a good reputation
in Germany with its product being used by window maker PADO Elementebau GmbH
here.

The Braunschweig based PADO has been using between 50 and 60 per cent of
Malaysian timber for its products besides local wood such as spruce.

Lamtec's window frame which has geomatrical panels and grooves is very
sturdy and designed in such a way it enables the window to not only open but
even tilt from the upside.

Besides Germany, these frames have found their way to markets in Austria
and as far as the United States.

Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Bernard Dompok who visited
the factory was clearly impressed with the usage of a Malaysian product by a
credible window maker, saying that people would pay a premium for quality.

Improvement in technology has also made the product durable, he said.

"The more sustainable the timber is, the more the market is restricted and
people pay a premium for it," he added.

Dompok is leading a 20-member delegation on a working visit to Germany, the
Netherlands and Belgium.

The brand Lamtec is the brainchild of a collaboration between four
established timber organisations, namely, the Malaysian Wood Industries
Association (MWIA), Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Malaysian
Timber Industry Board (MTIB) and Malaysian Timber Council.

Formed in 2004, the alliance aims to raise the standards of product quality
by enhancing production processes and quality control and to this end, only
certain mills are specially selected to work closely with the alliance in
meeting the stringent quality demands of the German and European markets.

With a defect-free and uniform wood colour, Lamtec has superior wood density
and comes with a 10-year warranty.

The timber is also obtained from legal and sustainable resources.

According to Goh Chee Yew, the honorary assistant secretary general of MWIA,
the Lamtec project has been funded by the levy funds from the exports of timber.

He said there is a huge demand for Lamtec but the supply is inadequate.

Currently about four mills have been involved in producing the product while
another eight companies have applied to participate.

Goh said the product was only meant for export and they have a distributor
in Europe. The types of timber used are the meranti, kasai, bintangor and
gerutu.

Lamtec Malaysia was launched at a trade fair "Fernstenbau/Frontale" held in
2006 in Nuremberg.

To meet the expectation of window makers in Germany, the raw material used
are subject to careful screenings, durability, workable and quality tests.
-- BERNAMA