Uruguay
Weyerhaeuser Productos S.A., Weyerhaeuser Uruguay S.A., Colonvade S.A. and Los Piques S.A. are all operations wholly owned by Weyerhaeuser
Company in Uruguay.
In 1996, Weyerhaeuser established its presence in Uruguay with a joint venture and formed Colonvade S.A. In 2001. The joint venture acquired
Los Piques S.A. from West Fraser Timber Company of Canada. In 2004, in an effort to develop forest plantations in the eastern part of the
country, Weyerhaeuser Uruguay was established as an independent entity from the joint venture. Between 2007 and 2008, the joint venture
was dissolved and Weyerhaeuser now holds the name and some of the assets of both companies (Colonvade and Los Piques). In 2009, Los Piques
S.A. changed its name to Weyerhaeuser Productos S.A. and launched the Lumin™ brand of sustainable plywood products.
Weyerhaeuser’s total land base in Uruguay is 138,704 hectares. These lands are distributed in the Departments of Rivera, Tacuarembó, Cerro
Largo and Trienta y Tres. About 50 percent of this land is planted with pine, eucalyptus and poplar.
Depending on its suitability, non-forested land is destined to other uses such as cattle and sheep grazing, agriculture for biofuel crops,
apiculture or left in its natural state as environmental reserve tracts.
Harvesting operations began in 2005 with the first commercial thinning operations on company land. In 2007, the company harvested 150,000
cubic meters of wood. By the end of 2011, the company projects it will harvest a total of 1 million cubic meters. Harvesting and transportation
of raw materials to mills is performed by mechanized systems using contract crews that are required to adhere to Weyerhaeuser’s strict
safety standards.
The company’s first plywood and veneer mill began operating in Tacuarembó in June 2006, and the mill now exports product to Europe, Latin
America and the United States. In 2007, the company announced the continuation of its industrial growth with new industrial investments
in Tacuarembó complemented by expansion of its plantation acquisitions. In 2010, the company began operating a co-generation facility producing
renewable energy that is consumed at the mill and also sold onto the national power grid. Weyerhaeuser is conducting analysis and due diligence
for additional investments that will include renewable energy and industrial wood products. Because of the positive economic impact these
investments will have on the interior of Uruguay and its regional economies, Weyerhaeuser’s investments have been designated as “Projects
of National Interest” by the Government of Uruguay.
Currently, Weyerhaeuser Productos S.A. has a total of 690 employees primarily concentrated in the city of Tacuarembó but also operating
in the cities of Melo, Rivera and Montevideo. The company also has a contractor work force of 1,200 workers. Weyerhaeuser’s direct and
indirect impact on local employment will continue to grow in the coming years in line with its harvesting, manufacturing, transportation
and sales operations. Ninety percent of these jobs will be based in the interior states of Uruguay.
The forest sector of Uruguay will have a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country, especially its interior regions.
In this journey, the company is committed to sustainable forest production and is leading the effort to establish a national certification
system developed by UNIT (National Standardization Institute) that will be endorsed by PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).
Weyerhaeuser operations in Uruguay are designed not only in accordance to legal environmental regulations in the country, but also to Weyerhaeuser’s
highest operational and environmental corporate requirements in its commitment to preserve soil, water and air quality, as well as community
well being.
Contact Information:
Weyerhaeuser Latin America
Weyerhaeuser Uruguay Commercial Department Jose A. Iturriaga 3589 Montevideo, Uruguay
Phone: 598.2.6234470
