Sonae Arauco is a company with a recent history. It resulted from a joint venture between two well-known companies in the wood-based panels sector, Sonae Indústria in Portugal and Arauco in Chile. Since its establishment in 2016, the company has focused on developing sustainable wood solutions that offer high added value for the furniture, interior design and construction sectors.
With 11 industrial units and 12 wood recycling centres, and around 2,600 employees, Sonae Arauco operates in nine countries, with its products available in around 70 markets. Its internationalisation began in the late 1980s when Sonae Indústria acquired a company in Northern Ireland. The following decade saw further acquisitions in Spain, Canada, Germany and France, and investments in greenfield projects in Brazil, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom.
At the beginning of the century, the company continued its expansion in these countries, diversified its product portfolio and invested in the modernisation of its industrial assets. By 2007, wood panel production had increased to 10 million cubic metres (m³), compared to 2 million m³ in 1997. After 2007, and in a context of global crisis, the company was forced to move forward with a restructuring plan to increase efficiency and flexibility, including the closure of some uncompetitive industrial units and the sale of others in France and Brazil.
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