“The majority of the profit is attributable to timber industry clients; this is around 75%,” WhatWood spoke with Management at Metadynea (Metafrax Group) – Russia’s largest synthetic resins producer

Today, phenol-formaldehyde resins are widely applied as a binding agent to produce wood-based panels. Metafrax Group is the largest producer of formalin and synthetic resins in Russia.

What share in the revenue structure is attributable to timber industry clients, how timber enterprises’ needs for binding agents changed over the past 5 years, what are the latest trends in the resin market, why resins with lignin need to be developed, how Covid-19 impacted the company’s business – WhatWood Agency discussed all this with the management team from Metadynea (Metafrax Group).

– Please tell us a little bit about your company

– Metadynea (Metafrax Group) is Russia’s leading producer of glue solutions for woodworking, production of heat insulation materials and specialized goods. The company’s core product is resins applied in the construction industry to produce various wood-based panels (particleboards, MDF, OSB and plywood), and also as a binding glue agent to produce mineral wool heat insulator used in industrial manufacturing and residential construction. Metadynea currently operates 3 production sites: in Gubakha (Perm Region), Orekhovo-Zuyevo (Moscow Region) and Krems (Austria).

– What share in your revenue structure is attributable to clients from the timber industry? Have orders from timber enterprises become more or less numerous over the 5-year period? And what do you think is the reason?

– The majority of the profit is attributable to timber industry clients; this is around 75%. Despite negative pricing factors for timber industry products in 2019, the product output increased due to commissioning new capacities and the export.  The volume of shipped resins was correspondingly growing until Q1 2020. As quarantine measures were introduced in the Russian Federation and globally, the volumes expectedly reduced, but not significantly.

– What are your company’s key timber industry clients?

– These are leading timber industry players like Egger, Swiss Krono, SVEZA, Segezha Group, Syktyvkar Plywood Mill, Zheshart PBL, Plyterra – the largest producers and exporters of plywood, particleboard, laminated particleboard and MDF.

– How did the needs and requests of timber industry clients change over the past 5 years?

– They grew more interested in resins for special applications, like low-emission resins or resins for manufacturing moisture-proof boards. Due to plywood market’s export orientation, the trend for low formaldehyde emissions has emerged over the past few years for the sake of compliance with CARB, ULEF and E05 standards; also, glue solutions are required for new glue application systems – extruders and pouring machines – because of increased production automation.

Read the full interview in Russian Timber Journal 08-2020.