Montigny is the largest privately-owned, integrated timber company in Swaziland. The company owns over 55,000 ha of timber and sells to markets around the world, steadfastly committed to sustainable, profitable and ethical business practices, that benefit the local economy and add value to the Swazi Nation.
Montigny is a proudly Swazi-owned and operated timber company, and stands today as the leading integrated timber grower in Southern Africa. It was founded in 1997 by entrepreneur Neal Rijkenberg, since which time Montigny has grown from a small family business into the largest private timber owner-operator in Southern Africa. It is positioned to service approximately 40% of the regional wet-off-saw timber market, and boastsdiverse timber-trading interests in South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Japan.Andrew Le Roux, Executive Director, sums up Montigny’s unique approach to maximising value in everything it does. “What makes us stand out from our competitors primarily is the way in which we add value to every part of the tree. We are able to extract and utilise up to 95% of the tree’s value because of the breadth of our markets.”
Montigny oversees more than 85,000 ha of land, out of which some 55,000 ha are under active timber management. These plantations extend all the way from Nhlangano in southern Swaziland, to the Usutu region in the North. The company has created in excess of 5,500 jobs during its lifetime, which makes it one of the biggest employers in Swaziland, particularly as it also engages with an extensive network of local subcontractors. Its wide range of eight sawmills and plants consists of four sawmills at Bhunya and Nhlangano, one Essential Oil plant, one chipping plant, one chipboard plant and a rented sawmill at Bulembu. Fire management is a primary concern of Montigny’s, essential to its continued successful operation, and as such its staff complement is bolstered by a large workforce of trained rangers, dedicated to safety and security both in Montigny plantations and the surrounding communities.
The diverse range of products which Montigny exports to markets throughout Southern Africa weighs in at a colossal 250,000 cubes of sawn timber per annum. Through its innovative approach to product development and supply, it focuses on extracting the maximum value from the timber at itsdisposal. Its product range has expanded accordingly over time, and now takes in everything from standard lumber to finished products, which are provided to customers across the planking industry, pallet users, the mining industry, charcoal consumers, paper manufacturers, furniture makers and construction companies.
This has all been achieved through Montigny’s industry-renowned competitive pricing and an unwavering commitment to excellence, both in the quality of its products and service it delivers. Going about its business in such a fashion has seen Montigny establish long lasting relationships across the board, with suppliers, service providers and clients around the world. On the environmental sustainability side, Montignyalso commits significant resources to developing sustainable forestry practices as well as supporting local enterpriseand giving generously to social responsibility projects. It remains deeply committed to sustainable forestry, and as such is careful to protect the biodiversity and those delicate ecological areas found within its forests. This is also evidenced in its quest to gain as much value as possible from felled timber, with the remaining waste then used to generate energy.
In a similar vein, Montigny also takes seriously its responsibility toward firemanagement, and associated awareness initiatives. This is of special significance given its location, as every year, and in particular during Swaziland’s dry winter months, fire poses a significant risk to its people and property, andMontigny strives to promote public awareness through education initiatives and targeted media campaigns. Furthermore, its fire ranger programme trains rangers to proactively patrol and protect plantation areas. To further underline its commitment to social responsibility, Montigny’s founder also co-founded Bulembu, a former mining town which has been transformed into a dwelling for more than 350 orphaned and vulnerable children. On a wider scale, with more than 3000 residential units existing within the bounds of Montigny Usutu plantations and villages, covering an area that includes five constituencies and 38 chieftaincies, it is charged with actively engaging with thesecommunities through a variety of projects, from school support initiatives, study scholarships, health clinics through to sports events.
Montigny’s Usutu Forest Complex represents one of the largest, continuous man-made forestry estates in the world, boasting extensive and well-developed infrastructure alongside the shortest average stump-to-mill distance in the region. The purchase of Usutu Forest Products Company from SAPPI Limited was concluded by Montignyin 2014. At the time a representative for Sappi spoke of its significance moving forward: “This transaction is a positive for the country because it brings total ownership of this important asset back to the hands of Swazi business people; a first since the inception of the company.”