Panel maker Masisa do Brasil has announced investment plans worth more than US$40m at the sites of its two board production complexes in the south east of Brazil.
In recent months, the company has seen a significant top level management shake-up with the choice of a woman president, Marise Barroso, replacing its last ceo Jorge Hillman. He becomes a consultant and non executive director on the Masisa do Brasil board.
Marise Barroso was formerly a successful executive at a former Masisa sister company Amanco, a Brazilian plastic pipe and fittings manufacutrer, She started at Masisa in March.
Meanwhile, on the Brazilian firm’s original industrial site at Ponta Grossa in Paraná state, Masisa is investing around US$30.3m. It will expand the plant by 22,000m2, introducing a new melamine laminating line and a new overlay paper impregnation line and will hire another 35 workers, it said.
The new laminating line, the plant’s third, and the Tocchio impregnation unit are being housed in a new US$18m 7,500m2 finishing hall.
In addition, Masisa is installing a new thermal plant and a new log yard at the Ponta Grossa site, work which the company embarked on towards the end of last year.
