Miro Forestry started planting trees in Sierra Leone and Ghana just over a decade ago.
It now has over 20 000ha of plantation – in tracts large enough to be seen from space – ready for processing and is creating a local treated timber industry in a region stepping up its electrification programmes.
Miro is Dolphin Bay’s latest customer and the first timber treatment plant in Sierra Leone. We signed a CCA chemical supply agreement with the company recently. During our commissioning of their treatment plant, we helped to streamline its treating process, designed a material flow, trained their operators, and advised them on health and safety.
Miro has established more new forests than any other company in Africa in recent years and has become a magnet for investors. The company is now producing treated timber, plywood and edge-glue panels in treatment plants set up within the last year. The diversity of products ensures that all trees, and all parts of the tree, can be used.
“Dolphin Bay has an excellent reputation across Africa. Many suppliers are sleepy – Dolphin Bay is just the opposite. This has been the best service of any company I can think of, ever.”
Sierra Leone previously had to import utility poles, but Miro is now receiving and fulfilling orders, providing them locally, at a much lower cost.
“Dolphin Bay’s Darren Marillier helped us to re-engineer a timber treatment plant that we bought from another company – he has so much knowledge that we would have struggled without him – and then with training our people. He has always been there for us and has been so helpful,” said Miro Group CEO Andrew Collins.
“Dolphin Bay has a very good reputation across Africa, and has given us the best service from any company I can think of, ever. In hindsight, we should have chosen Dolphin Bay much earlier, and for much more.
“When you’ve got many pokers in the fire, it makes such a difference to have someone like Dolphin Bay watching your back.”
In Sierra Leone, only about 23% of people have access to electricity – well below the sub-Saharan average of 30% – and these are in urban areas. The country is stepping up its electricity programme, with help from the World Bank.
In Ghana, 43% of people can access electricity. The country uses mainly pine and teak for its utility poles, unlike most other countries in Africa, which use eucalyptus. Forestry owners are motivating to have eucalyptus accepted for utility poles.
“I have spent a lot of time with Miro, and they have a very nice culture running through the business, which comes from the leadership,” said Darren. “It’s a culture in which people are recognised, feel listened to, are motivated to do their best – a really nice vibe.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my work with the company.”
Said Bertus: “We are thrilled to be supplying our CCA products in Sierra Leone and to be working with Miro, whom we are proud to be associated with. It is a company that is making a positive impact in the country. Its industry and its impact will undoubtedly grow in the coming years.
“There is so much more we wanted to write about Miro Forestry, but could not fit it all into one story. We are looking forward to telling you more about Miro in the future.”
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