Newsroom

NEW FACILITY IN CHATHAM COUNTY
CREATES 104 JOBS IN THE REGION

Montreal, Quebec (November 14, 2008) – Uniboard, a North American leader of manufactured engineered wood products, is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of a new Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) and High Density Fiberboard (HDF) plant in Moncure, North Carolina. Uniboard will invest $160M through 2009 for the construction of this world-class facility, with an annual production capacity of 400,000 cubic meters (226 million square feet, ¾ inch basis).

“It is with pride that we announce the construction of our new world-class facility,” said James Hogg, President and CEO of Uniboard. “The Moncure plant is a sound investment, and will have a tremendous impact on economic development in the surrounding area, creating 104 new jobs. Together with the existing facilities for particleboard and thermofused melamine we will develop an integrated mega-site offering cost efficiencies and one stop shopping to our customers.”

Strategically located in North Carolina, the MDF/HDF plant is optimally positioned to service clients in furniture, flooring and distribution throughout the South, Midwest and Mid Atlantic States. The facility has excellent access to wood fiber and other raw materials and is serviced by truck or rail transportation. This new facility will allow the company to further solidify relationships with existing clients and increase its customer base in the eastern United States. The Chatham County plant will also supply material to Pergo, a sister company in the region that develops, manufactures and markets laminate flooring for both homes and commercial areas, as well as Uniboard’s thermofused melamine operation located at the neighboring Moncure particleboard facility.

About Uniboard (a subsidiary of Pfleiderer AG)
Uniboard is a leading North American manufacturer of engineered wood products, with installed capacity of over 900 million square feet of raw particleboard, high density and medium density fiber board, of which over 50% is converted into value added melamine and laminated flooring products. Uniboard remains the only producer of laminated flooring products in Canada. Its annual sales exceed $550 million and it employs close to 1,400 employees. Its products are sold to retailers, distributors and finished goods manufacturers, which cater to the kitchen cabinet industry, the furniture industry, the renovation and construction industries, as well as to the floor covering industry. Uniboard is the largest supplier of thermofused melamine panels in North America.