MANILA, Philippines - Wood is the most misunderstood construction material,” says Charlie H. Liu, chief executive officer of Matimco Incorporated. Increasing deforestation worldwide, which has resulted in excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, has been blamed for causing climate change. The popular belief is that cutting trees is bad for the environment.
“But it’s all about responsible forest management,” Liu remarks. Wood used as construction material can actually help fight climate change. Processing timber uses less energy, over 25 percent less than that required to process other construction materials such as cement or steel. “It uses little energy to harvest, process, and construct,” Liu goes on to explain. Wood is renewable and recyclable. In fact, it is the only renewable construction material.
Wood stores carbon. It is computed that growing trees absorb one kilogram of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for every cubic meter of growth. The carbon is trapped in the trees and the wood products from the trees, which will continue to lock in the carbon for all of its life. “One half of the weight of the wooden chair you are sitting on is made up of carbon,” Liu points out.
“But trees absorb carbon only during its growing years until it reaches maturity, which is about half of the tree’s life. That’s when you can harvest the timber so it can give way to new trees,” Liu says. “The focus is on planting timber species and away from exotic hardwood products.”
The important thing is to replant more trees and to use properly sourced wood products coming only from tree plantations and not from natural forests. Given this, wood may very well be the greenest construction material on the market.
The elegant beauty and warmth of wood makes it an attractive choice for homeowners. Matwood, Matimco’s flagship brand, has given life to countless design concepts since it was introduced 10 years ago as the first branded wood in the country. Its product line includes moldings, doors, jambs, framings, stair components, and paneling. With its 10-year warranty, you are assured of Matwood’s superior kiln-dried quality and proven-safest wood treatment technology using the double-vacuum treatment process with light organic solvent preservative Solignum, which allows a deeper penetration of the preservative in the wood than the traditional technique of brushing or dipping. Recently, it launched its pre-stained line and also introduced a new set of door designs, classic floors, and a cabinet line.
Another Matimco brand, PCW, is engineered wood that uses “advanced wood technology, state-of-the art processes and innovation, making it easy to use, durable, and affordable,” says Matimco marketing director Billy Arrienda. “The products are straight and consistent in size compared to conventional solid products, and their strength is assured and proven accurate by test results.”
PCW products include frames, moldings, doors, jambs, handrails, fascia boards, and cabinet doors.
Weatherwood, Matimco’s “outdoor lifestyle wood” is “100-percent architectural authentic natural timber of the best Pinus radiata stocks sourced only from sustainably managed tree farms around the world, and superiorly treated to ensure long-term wood protection intended for outdoor designs.” Arrienda adds, “It has a 25-year warranty against the top three common wood enemies: termites, wood borers, and fungal decay.”
Weatherwood is lightweight, easy to install, DIY, with an easy snap-on plastic base. There is no need to paint over it since it is pre-coated with an anti-UV decorative oil stain. You can extend your living space by using Weatherwood as deck flooring. It is also best for trellises, arches, and gazebos.
The newest brand of Matimco is Trusswood, which is a “tropic-friendly alternative to home building.” Combining the versatility of timber and the strength of steel, this new technology from the west is suitable for two-story designs, steep-sloping sites, seaside estates, and poor foundation conditions. The Trusswood prefabricated building systems include a roof truss system, floor truss system, and wall frame system.
Trusswood building is strong, easy, and fast. “Being an engineered solution from design to fabrication, Trusswood systems minimize unnecessary wastage of material associated with unplanned cuttings as the building components are cut to size, prefabricated and labeled upon delivery onsite,” Arrienda explains. “Employing the most advanced software system, Trusswood’s design program is the most powerful detailing and estimating software program in the prefabrication market today.”
The very first Trusswood House was unveiled recently. Located in Pasig, it is Matimco’s newest showroom and the first to use all of its product lines. Trusswood was used for the structural wood requirements, while Matwood, Weatherwood, and PCW were used for all the finishings. “The unique structure serves as proof of the superior capabilities of the Matimco brands,” Arrienda said.
From its humble beginnings in the early 1960s as a lumber dealer in Cebu and a small sawmill in Cagayan de Oro started by Charlie’s father, Leo Lim Liu, today, Matimco and its affiliate companies run the largest wood-processing operations in the country, with over 300 employees producing more than 500 products. With a network of over 2,000 dealers nationwide, Matimco has the largest and most expansive timber distribution network in the country.
But it’s not just business at Matimco. Even before CSR became fashionable, the company had already been practicing responsible citizenry. They have been supporting tree farms and reforestation projects such as the 500-hectare tree plantation in Morong, Bataan, as well as the 50-hectare reforestation project in upland Naga in Cebu. They have 25 years to fund and manage the project. It takes 15 to 20 years before the first harvest. It’s a long-term investment. “It’s a legacy,” Liu says.
Their success, Liu says, is anchored on innovation, resiliency, and corporate responsibility. It’s the company culture. “You cannot survive without being good at something,” Liu says. In the case of Matimco, it’s wood. Their tagline says: “Matimco is wood; wood is Matimco.”
“Cut my vein and sawdust will come out,” Liu says.
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For more information, visit www.matimco.com.