Grant opens a new wood coating division.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: Grant Forest Products

A new coating for wood products is being heralded by Grant Forest Products as a "big breakthrough" for the OSB (Oriented Strand Board) producer now ramping up production at its new $20-million coated structural board mill in Earleton.

Grant executives regard the coating and its 50,000-square-foot facility as a super-secret specialty project with enormous growth potential for a variety of building applications.

The company has developed a value-added, waterproof coating that delivers a smooth surface to strand board or any other structural wood product.

Doug Smith, general manager of the newly created Grant Coated Wood Products division, says the coating is considered a "fairly mature technology" that is relatively novel in its use for OSB.

They're working on new markets for highway signage and new uses in the home building industry.

But like some secret sauce, the substance of the coating is being kept confidential. Grant is being especially careful on what's being said and published about it.

"We're being quite tight-lipped on this project because we think we've got a technology advantage," says Smith.

It's so secret, the company is not allowing any photography of equipment inside the plant. Tours are by invitation only.

The plant, which was commissioned in late November, was built on a greenfield site near Grant's administrative offices in Earlton.

Now with a workforce of 12, Grant intends to staff up to 25 with the potential to double that number over the next couple of years.

Without getting into production specifics, Smith says the plant has much capacity and great scalability.

He also isn't divulging the identity of any customers except to say there's been a "tremendous amount of interest" in the product.

"We had some comments from architects that they've never seen a finish like this before."

The coating is also applicable to plywood, particle board, MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) or any type of wood paneled product.

"We fully intend to and are coating those type of products as we grow," says Smith.

He says there's a huge market to be realized for coated wood products in highway road signs, billboards, real estate and temporary wood signs which typically have a two-year lifespan.

An advantage of their coating is its waterproofing characteristic and the ability to apply it with colours added.

Smith says that opens up a myriad of possibilities with decorative laminates and overlay products along with architectural panels and flooring.

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