Wood-based panel products manufacturer PG Bison has received approval from parent company KAP Industrial Holdings for the purchase of a new melamine-faced board (MFB) press and an additional hot coating line.

The MFB press and hot coating line will be located at its Boksburg site, in Gauteng, and will be installed alongside the existing production lines without any disruption to current capacity.

Once these are commissioned in the third quarter of 2022, PG Bison will have seven MFB presses and two hot coating lines.

PG Bison CEO Gerhard Victor says that investing in the new MFB press and hot coating line is a response to the company’s ranges that have continued to grow in popularity across all segments of the market.

This is influenced, in part, by significant changes in local furniture retailers’ buying behaviours, as they are increasingly looking for local solutions and new product category opportunities.

Security of supply has come under the spotlight on the back of the pandemic, and many of PG Bison’s customers are shifting away from imported products to buy locally instead, says Victor.

“The investment will not only assist in meeting the growing demand for our Proudly South African MelaWood and Premier ranges, but the additional capacity will give us the flexibility needed to drive further innovation.

“This, coupled with the PG Bison team’s focused approach to colour range and finish management, is ensuring our ranges stay on trend with international markets, while remaining locally relevant.”

These investments are over and above the company's R2-billion capital investment plan over the next two to three years.

The broader PG Bison capital expenditure plan includes a major capacity expansion to PG Bison’s existing facilities in eMkhondo (Piet Retief), in Mpumalanga, as well as the installation of an additional new medium-density fibreboard plant at the same location.