Panamá has the first teak processing plant in the region
Panama participated last year with certified FSC wood producers in the launch of the country brand “Panama Teak
Panamá has the first high-capacity and high-precision teak processing plant from forest plantations.
Ecotopia Teak, which inaugurated the plant on January 28th in the locality of Chepo, is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) chain of custody certified and has the capacity to process 1,300 40-foot containers annually for certified premium markets.
Panama participated last year with certified FSC wood producers in the launch of the country brand “Panama Teak” during the Dubai WoodShow 2022, which generated orders for Panamanian participants, highlighted Carmen Gisela Vergara, General Administrator of the Authority for Investment Attraction and Export Promotion (PROPANAMA).
“This investment (the plant) represents a great innovation for our country, as it allows us to export products with high domestic added value, introducing knowledge and technology transfer to the export timber, which must also comply with the highest international environmental standards to open up new market sectors in Europe, Asia, and North America,” stated Vergara.
Bianca Morán, Administrative Manager of Ecotopia Teak, during the inauguration of the 2023 teak export, explained that this plant enables them to reach European markets with a stabilized finished product, with precision and high quality, not just raw material.
The importance of adding value to export products, as Ecotopia Teak does, lies in the diversification of export offerings and the creation of new jobs in rural areas with a high level of training, providing well-being to the populations.
The President of the Union of Industrialists of Panama (SIP), Luis Frauca, stated, “We value this effort of innovation and investment, especially the projection of adding value to what is exported rather than exporting raw materials because it creates greater value for exports and raises the level of technological advancement in the country.”
Similarly, Victor Pérez, President of the Panamanian Exporters Association (APEX), said, “It is very gratifying to see how in Panama we are evolving from exporting raw materials to exporting certified value-added products such as processed wood.”
The Executive Director of the Sustainable Forest Management Corporation of Ecuador, Juan Carlos Palacios, considered that “this investment in Panama and the region is a starting point because this company is an example, not only for Central America but also for South America since it is one of the few factories that generates a certified value-added product like wood, which reduces our dependence on markets such as Asia for selling our production.”
The General Administrator of PROPANAMA announced that this year they will also participate with Panamanian companies in this fair to promote, through increased exports, the generation of employment with knowledge and technology transfer.
About us
Ecotopia Teak, S.A., we are a family-owned company dedicated to reforestation, harvesting, and exporting wood from commercial plantations. We work under high production standards and with social responsibility to obtain high-quality wood according to the needs and demands of national and international markets. Additionally, we actively contribute to the local economy by creating employment opportunities in the communities where we operate. Our commitment is to lead the industry in sustainable reforestation and wood production, preserving our natural resources and building a greener and more sustainable future.
