HS Timber Productions involved in active dialogue

Public consultation on the topic of log purchasing areas and ways to mitigate risks

- Regular stakeholder debates play an important role in the company’s actions to assure a secure and sustainable supply chain.

- The series of public consultations organized by HS Timber Productions will continue.

Over 120 participants comprising forestry specialists, local authorities, companies, as well as other stakeholders, attended the public consultation on log purchasing areas and ways to mitigate risks, organized by HS Timber Productions on Thursday, 30 January, in Rădăuți.

This is the seventh event of the kind, hosted  by HS Timber Productions in the context of the implementation of the action plan for a secure and sustainable supply chain, developed by the company in Romania.

Dan Bănacu, general manager of HS Timber Productions Romania said: “The awareness on the topics and the issues we debated are of great interest and bring forward matters which we would like to come to the attention of those interested in the well-functioning of the local and national economies.”

HS Timber Productions representatives presented the latest news with regards to the company’s activity, log purchasing areas for the Rădăuți sawmill and ways to mitigate the risk of uncontrolled timber entering the supply chain, the conclusions of the last public consultation, which measures were implemented and the auditing programme for 2020.

At the same time, the event also presented information on matters of interest for the companies active in the forestry sector: the evolution of the local and international markets, the competition rules which are applicable to Romania, the advantages of the modern technologies in low impact forestry activities and opportunities for upgrading the equipment.

Vlăduț Ciobîcă, supply chain, control and certification officer at HS Timber Productions Rădăuți highlighted the strengths of the Timflow GPS traceability system, and the fact that companies that operate logyards are interested in implementing the innovative system developed by HS Timber Group. One of these companies has already implemented Timflow at the end of 2019, to ensure wood traceability and to better control its own fleet.

A pressing issue in this sector is the availability, training and specialisation of the workforce. Constantin Stoica, the manager of a logging company in Prahova county, illustrated an example of good practices regarding the education of the forest workers in the context of dual education. "I am passionate about my job, and at this moment, the technologies we use in the forestry sector have evolved far beyond the skills and knowledge that the young graduates entering the labour market acquire during their studies. And then, it is more efficient for companies like than the one I represent, to invest in the training of future workers in the field. The experience so far proves that we have made the right decision,” he said at the event.

The event concluded with an interactive questions and answers session, and the series of public consultations with stakeholders interested in both the activities run by HS Timber Productions and the evolution of the sector at large, will continue.