Hyne Timber announces that their much anticipated, new Continuous Drying Kiln (CDK) has begun operations at the Tuan Mill following an official ribbon-cutting event.
Since the initial announcement in March 2021, around 60 additional team members have been recruited to support the expansion of the Tuan Mill with another 20% capacity to be added over the next few months.
Having invested significantly over its 139-year history, this latest milestone is yet another chapter for the Hyne history book, Hyne Timber CEO Jon Kleinschmidt said.
“We are currently experiencing significant demand for our products so this $14.5 million investment for expansion is timely and can bring the construction sector some comfort as we ramp up production over the next few months.
“The CDK not only delivers efficiency for the Tuan Mill in addressing the timber drying bottleneck, but it will also improve the consistency of drying quality and overall quality of our timber in addition to delivering energy efficiency.
“We have had dedicated teams working on this highly specialised project for months and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge them. They include several Tuan Mill team members led by David Spencer and Paul Ryan supported by contractors including Civil Mining and Construction, Wolff Power, Brisbane Electrical, Platinum Fire, Windsor and representatives of The University of Queensland, Centre for Future Timber Structures and ARC Future Timber Hub. I hope they all feel very proud of this achievement as part of our history and for our future,” Kleinschmidt explained.
“Scaling up our expansion project is paralleled with us working collaboratively with our suppliers including HQ Plantations, Richers Transport and Log Management Solutions, creating more jobs for the region.
“I would like to thank the Queensland Government, Bruce Saunders and the team at State Development and the Fraser Coast Regional Council for their ongoing support for growth, jobs and expansion in our region.” Kleinschmidt added.
To officially mark the CDK’s operational milestone, Kleinschmidt was joined by Member for Maryborough, Bruce Saunders, Fraser Coast Deputy Mayor, Darren Everard, Hyne family members, Chris Hyne and Kelly Hyne, Hyne team members David Spencer, Paul Ryan and two of the newest recruits to join the team as part of the expansion, Giaan Muller and Abby Zipf.
The event coincided with the 35-year anniversary of the original installation of kilns at the Tuan Mill.
The Tuan Mill now employs around 300 people and is one of Australia’s largest suppliers of softwood framing.
Image: Representatives from Hyne Timber, Maryborough Member, Bruce Saunders, and
Fraser Coast Deputy Mayor, Darren Everard
