NP ROLPIN, the Landes company of reference in the maritime pine industry, announces a vast investment plan over 3 years. 10 million euros will be deployed until 2021 to modernize its production apparatus and optimize its manufacturing processes. An update from Christian Desmé, the company’s General Manager.
Anchored in the heart of the Landes de Gascogne forest, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, NP ROLPIN has a recognized know-how for nearly 50 years in the manufacture of wood elements (plywood, panels, panelling) for interior design .
Bought in 2014 by the Japanese group Nankai Plywood, the company benefits from a new expertise in terms of managerial organization and research and development.
In order to accelerate its deployment in the interior design market and to offer exceptional products that are ever more innovative and stylish, the company is launching a vast industrial investment plan. “The first phase will be spread over three years, until 2021, with a budget of 10 million euros. Several investments will be aimed at modernizing our workshops and training our employees as part of the optimization of our production facilities,” explains Christian Desmé.
More flexibility and energy autonomy
The first investment concerns theenergy supply of the Labouheyre site in the Landes region. This is a major challenge for a process that requires reliable and simplified control of energy inputs. The wood needed for the production of plywood, for example, is steamed for 24 hours before being unrolled on the production line. This process consists in exposing the raw material to steam, at about 80°C, to stabilize the color of the product and make it more resistant. The veneer is then placed in a dryer to remove residual moisture from the wood.
Previously supplied by a biomass boiler, the Landes site will be equipped by January 2020 with France’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) installation, transported by truck. The company Cap Ingelec will be in charge of managing the studies and the construction site, for this more modern installation that requires less raw materials.
“Thanks to this new equipment, we gain flexibility and management autonomy. This LNG boiler allows us to optimize the needs and the steam supply in real time with an expected flow of 28T/hour. Production monitoring is simplified, as is the maintenance of the equipment. This is a strategic investment of 4 million euros which will have a strong impact on the efficiency and energy cost.
Eventually, two LNG gas boilers will supply the site, for a total capacity of 20MW PCI and an investment cost of 4 million euros.
An offensive production strategy
Over the next three years, the company will invest an additional 6 million euros, in particular “to optimize the yield of the raw material in an environmental approach”.
NP ROLPIN has a real asset to transform its production tool in depth: its proximity with a large Japanese group. “Managers have a different approach and are coming up with innovative technical solutions to optimize energy yields and costs. We are currently testing this in Japan and Australia.”
An innovative management method
The company NP ROLPIN has reoriented its entire economic strategy towards an ambitious “lean” management . It can count on the expertise of Christian Desmé, its General Manager, who is used to restructuring and reorganizing companies following his years spent in the fast-changing automotive sector.
Originating in Japan, this “lean” management method engages the company in the search for performance, thanks to its continuous improvement on crucial points such as productivity, deadlines, costs and quality.
The company has added the Kaizen* method, a fusion of the Japanese words “kai” and “zen”, which mean “change” and “better”, while associating the well-being of its employees with its development.
So many tools to make NP ROLPIN, a key player in the maritime pine industry. The Landes company will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2020. It currently employs 110 people and has a turnover of 16 million euros.
