Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Large Greenheart shipment leaves for New York
Rafeek Khan with a part of shipment of Greenheart piles at the GNIC wharf yesterday
Amid all the bad news- at least one of them involving a fatality- on the hinterland roads, there is some good ones.
A large shipment of Greenheart piles and timber is currently being loaded for New York with the local company involved noting that it is a success story.
The shipment, at the GNIC wharf, Lombard Street, is for critical maintenance work for the Staten Island Ferry service docking areas.
According to Rafeek Khan, Managing Director of Woods Direct, the shipment is about 1,000 m3 with about 80 percent of it piles and the rest, Greenheart timber.
The shipment is continued testimony to the faith in Greenheart.
Khan disclosed that the wood is destined for the New York City (NYC) Department of Transportation (DOT).
DOT has been using Greenheart for several decades now with Woods Direct and Durable Wood Products, two companies related to Khan, supplying New York City for about 20 years.
“This has been among our most challenging shipment due to significant delays,” the businessman explained.
He said that the deplorable road conditions in the hinterlands have been wreaking havoc with stakeholders in the forestry business.
Many trucks were left stuck and in one case, about three pieces of heavy-duty equipment had to pull one the trucks loaded with Greenheart from where it was stuck.
“This is due to heavy rainfalls which played a major factor in the delay. Many of the forest suppliers both large and small worked under extreme conditions to make this shipment possible.”
Khan disclosed that his company, Woods Direct International, outsourced supplies from 22 concessionaires who all have families and workers.
This shipment is valued at $80M, with the wood ready to work with.
DOT and US buyers are very particular and Guyana has to ensure quality and standards are present.
“We are talking about almost 1,200 m3 with this shipment,” he explained.
Woods Direct has been investing, recently bringing in kilns to cater for more value adding.
“This shipment represents a success story. You will recall we suffered a downturn in forestry. We lost the UK market for Greenheart. Upper Berbice too suffered after a reduction in activities. We had at least 50 percent of the supplies coming from a dozen remote villages in the interior forest of Guyana.”
According to the businessman, the villages includes Bissaruni, Ituni, Kaburi, Omai, Hururu, Maicobe, Malali, and other villages along the Unamco, Potaro, and Mabura road.
“Our appreciation goes out to all smaller loggers who helped to make this shipment possible. Woods Direct also sourced a significant portion of timber from Variety Woods & Greenheart Ltd.”
Khan insisted that the majority of the business would impact the local content.
“We have been talking local content. When you buy nails and almost every step of the way was providing employment, at a difficult time, then it is appreciated how difficult this shipment was.”
Khan said that Greenheart wood, ideal for Marine applications and wharves, especially for its use as piles, is expected to be shipped twice yearly to DOT for use on the Staten Island Ferry maintenance programme, among other things.
Greenheart is one of the resilient woods, ideal for use in water.
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