SOME 20 years ago, local cutting consumables and capital equipment supplier First Cut began distributing the products of global French timber industry specialist Forezienne MFLS in South Africa.
First Cut Consumables division Director Gary Willis said Forezienne had been supplying them with circular saw blades, chipper knives and planer blades since 2000. The French manufacturer currently supplies First Cut with a range of circular saw blades – universal, scoring and panel blades. The latter are specifically aimed at the woodworking market.
In addition, Forezienne supplies First Cut’s timber/sawmilling sector with multi-ripping blades; as well as cross-cut and multi-gas ripping saws.
“The products which Forezienne supplies us with are quite specific and all very much targeted at the woodworking and also timber industries,” Willis said.
First Cut’s timber programme, which the company has been actively driving for the past 16 years, is focused on the timber growing and processing regions of South Africa: the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
“For this reason, we were particularly pleased to acquire a long-established and well-known local business, blade sharpening and cutting consumables provider Bremsaw, based in Mbombela, Mpumalanga,” he said.
“We could see the possibilities for growing the business further in this pivotal timber-producing region, by expanding the range of capital equipment, consumables and services offered to the local timber industry in particular.”
Elaborating on other synergies between Forezienne and First Cut, Willis said, “The relationship with a world-leading timber industry supplier such as Forezienne is very much to our strategic advantage – and our customers’ too. For example, as Forezienne are a major player in the global timber market, they produce a 400-page annual catalogue of their product range, which we refer to and source from accordingly.”
He said the quality of Forezienne’s products also stands distributors such as First Cut and its local timber industry customers in good stead. “For example – as far back as 1989 – Forezienne’s Forestill trademark was registered for the steels required to manufacture band saw blades used in the timber industry. Following extensive research, the Forestill steel was specially developed to manufacture extremely high-quality band saw blades.”
He said the blades are made from very pure ore according to a strict specifications and protocols: heat quality, hot then cold rolling, including multiple quenching and tempering.
“With Forezienne’s quality and specialised timber industry products, our drive to expand our product range and service to the South African timber industry has not only gained more impetus, but also a dash of French flair.”
