Sault Ste. Marie-based Flakeboard, which manufactures composite panel products, has changed its name to Arauco-North America.
Arauco-North America integrates the U.S. distribution subsidiary Arauco Wood Products Inc. and Flakeboard Co. Ltd., which has eight manufacturing facilities located in Oregon, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Brunswick and Sault Ste. Marie.
Arauco, which is based in Santiago, Chile, is a global leader in the development of sustainable forest products, manufactured composite panels, plywood, millwork, lumber and pulp that are procured from company-owned and managed forests throughout South America. Arauco’s North American headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Sault Ste. Marie operation has been a permanent fixture in the city for the past 20 years. Recently, it celebrated two major milestones, according to a news release.
On Nov. 1, for the first time since the mill’s establishment, Arauco SSM celebrated one year with no recordable safety incidents.
Arauco has also attained ISO 14001 Certification (Effective Environmental Management System) and OHSAS 18001 Certification, the best benchmark for occupational health and safety management. In the release, the company said a new name also brings a “new and exciting opportunity for Arauco to continue its growth in Sault Ste. Marie.”
