30 | Pentarch Forest Products If you want a quality finish, you need a quality start! 10 0% SUSTA I NABL E S I NCE 2 0 06 | JNL . CO. NZ POWERED BY JUKEN CMNZ70031 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T T Kelly Deeks Backing strengths through value-added The wider group now employs close to 700 staff across Australia and maintains strong relationships throughout Asia. “We are now focused on lumber, wood fibre, and value-added products. It is about backing our strengths and building sustainable markets.” Pentarch Forest Products is positioning itself for its next phase of growth, reinforcing its long-term commitment to New Zealand’s forestry sector with a new partnership with NZTIF, while strengthening international trade links through a new joint venture in Northland. Pentarch commercial manager, Tim Thorpe, says the company’s evolution since arriving in New Zealand in 2001 reflects a deliberate strategy to move up the value chain and pursue opportunities that add scale and stability. Part of a privately owned Australian owned business which was originally heavily involved in log harvesting and marketing in New Zealand, Pentarch has since shifted its focus. “We have completely turned that around,” Tim says. “We are now focused on lumber, wood fibre, and value-added products. It is about backing our strengths and building sustainable markets.” A first step in that direction was the purchase of Pentarch Technical Services (PTS), a woodchip and biofuel testing laboratory based in Kawerau, which Tim says is one of the largest of its kind in New Zealand. Operating seven days a week, the site provides services to most North Island sawmills as well as a number of locations in the South Island. Beyond forestry, PTS also tests agricultural feedstock including maize silage and grass and is actively exploring further opportunities in horticulture and primary production. “We are always looking at what else we can do,” Tim says. “If there is a good opportunity that fits our capability, we will look at it seriously.” More recently, Pentarch has leveraged its long standing international networks to develop a trading arm, exporting timber products on behalf of other New Zealand companies such as Northpine, Juken Nissho, and Abodo, currently into Australia and potentially into Japan, China, Korea, and India as well. The wider group now employs close to 700 staff across Australia and maintains strong relationships throughout Asia. “That trading platform has grown well over the past couple of years,” Tim says. “We are able to use our international relationships to open doors for other businesses.” The company’s latest move is a joint venture with Nippon Paper Resources Australia to purchase Marusumi Whangarei Company, with settlement on February 27, 2026. The new name for the business is NP Wood Fibre Company. Tim says the acquisition aligns strongly with Pentarch’s expertise in woodchipping and export logistics. “Wood chip is one of our core strengths. We have done it for years in Australia and we have strong connections into Japan, China, and Korea,” he says. “This is about combining those relationships with a partner that has deep links into Japan in particular.” He confirms there will be no disruption to existing operations and existing contracts will be honoured. “It has been a long-standing company in Northland and we see real opportunity to grow it,” Tim says. Pentarch has also become a member of NZTIF in the past six months and is keen to work closely with the organisation to support industry growth. “We are here for the long haul, and we see NZTIF as an important part of the sector’s future,” Tim says. “For us it is about growing market and investing where it makes sense. We are open to partnerships and investment opportunities that strengthen the industry.” With a diversified portfolio spanning wood fibre, lumber, laboratory testing services, and international trade, Pentarch Forest Products is signalling confidence in the resilience of New Zealand forestry and its role within it. “We are prepared to back ourselves,” Tim says. “If there is an opportunity that works, we will certainly have a look at it.”
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