SF Resources: Flying the flag for Indonesian wood in flooring and decking

Indonesian grown logs at SF Resources

“We have good wood security” is a refreshing quote from an Indonesian flooring producer, committed to sustainable and legal wood supply, and is a message that the world needs to hear if the country is to take its rightful place in the global market. That’s important given the long term increasing demand for flooring developing within the Asian domestic markets, especially in China and within Indonesia itself. SF Resources runs a plant of 2,500 people in Java. Michael Buckley recently visited its operations in Java:

SF Resources represents the lifelong work of its Chairman, Goh Ah Tee. “Discover beauty, discover wood, discover us” is their slogan, subtitled with the offer of a ‘legal and reliable source of quality hardwood flooring and decking, stairways and rails’. The reference to decking reflects the company’s past strength in the Australian market, but its future clearly rests with its growing business of flooring in other markets. The claim of being legal and reliable reflects the company’s FSC®️ CoC certification by The Rainforest Alliance, its SVLK (TLAS) export license by the government, its Legal Verification System by CertiSource, as well as certification by Singapore’s Green Label and the CE Marking for EU standards. The company is also a member of the National Wood Flooring Association of the USA. SF Resources Group headquartered in Singapore, which began in the 1970s as a timber trading enterprise by three Singaporeans, now operates in Jombang, Indonesia as PT Seng Fong Moulding Perkasa.

Sorting Teak for Flooring

Teak in open sun to enhance the colour

Engineered fl ooring using local plantation species

In 2012, the group became the appointed agent of the state-owned forest enterprise Perhutani, with whom Mr Goh has maintained a long and close relationship. The significance of this move is rooted in Goh’s determination to rely upon and develop markets solely for Indonesian hardwood species in all its products. The flooring plant does not use imported species and the company is confident in its ability to satisfy international demands for legal and sustainable hardwood products. It actively denounces the destruction of the environment and seeks recognition for its corporate governance and social responsibility. Most importantly, Perhutani as a major employer among the local community with 24,000 employees, also seeks to improve and satisfy the social criteria required to maintain its forest certification.

Merbau Logs

Hardwood material is not only sourced from Perhutani’s plantations but also from many local Javanese private and community plantations as well as other parts of Indonesia. Merbau logs for example, verified legal by CertiSource, are shipped from Indonesian Papua to Java for conversion to flooring and decking. However for the longer term, SF Resources is trialing new, more sustainable and faster growing species such as Sonokeling, Mahoni and Acacia and is now majoring on plantation Teak. The Javanese plantation Teak differs slightly in character from that naturally grown in Burma and Thailand although they are all identical species. Java has the ideal climate with a distinct dry season that Teak demands and much of the soil is suitable for it. The colour of Javanese grown Teak, being somewhat darker, also differs in grain pattern as it can do with many other species depending on their growing localities. But all Teak (Tectona grandis) with its natural characteristics is highly suitable for flooring, decking, furniture and a range of other specialised uses.

Teak Lumber Selection

PT Seng Fong’s integrated flooring facility in Java, commissioned in 1990, includes a log yard, sawmill, kiln drying, moulding and laminating machines, two Finished Products warehouses, eight sawn timber warehouses and a shipping capacity of about 120 containers per month on an 11 hectare site. Average monthly production varies between 1,600 m3 to 2,400 m3 per month of flooring and decking. The plant operates a two-shift six day week and is considering a third shift to be introduced shortly. Solid flooring and decking are major items as well as 2-layer and 3-layer 15mm and 20mm engineered flooring – all in 100% Indonesian hardwood throughout. Sizes range from 19mm x 90mm to 19mm x 140mm for solid decking and 90mm to 120mm lengths for solid flooring in 15mm and 18mm thickness. Engineered flooring is available up to 185mm maximum length and is produced mainly T&G 2 or 4-side, although recently an L2C ‘Clic’ locking system has been added as an additional option. Profiles are

Teak Lumber

numerous with over 2,000 cutters in stock. The company projects an increase

Maximising sawn lumber yield

in engineered flooring although solid still represents 50% of production. Finishing is UV and UV-scratch resistant oil, supplied by Klumpp. In addition to quarter and flat sawn Teak, faces include local species Linngua (Pterocarpus macrocarpus), Komea (Manilkara Kauki), Mahoni (Swietania spp), Acacia (Acacia Mangium), Merbau (Intsia palembanica), Torem (Manilkara kanosiensis) and Sonokeling (Dalbergia latifolia).

Teak headrig bandsaw

Solid Teak flooring

Merbau long-length lumber

Teak open-air conditioning

Project references can be seen locally at Bukit Golf in Surabaya, at the Maya Ubud Hotel in Bali and the Hotel Sudirman in Jakarta as well as installations in 40 overseas markets. Currently, the Australian and Chinese markets are running neck and neck as number one destination and the EU third. But China is seen as a real growth market and expected to take priority. “For the future”, says Goh Ah Tee, “we intend to fly the flag for Indonesian wood in a range of sustainable and legally-grown species, secure in the knowledge that we have good wood security.”

Wood Flooring Asia, VOL 1,2013