About Us – Cameroon Timber Exploiters

Presentation

In March 1991 the Cameroon Timber Exploiters was officially born. It is involved in logging, wood processing and trading. It started with 15 forestry employees under the itinerant management of one man, Antoine Darazi. The company acquires forests as a subcontractor, which enables it to produce 2,500 m3 of wood per month in the first year. It obtained its first sale of cut in 1992. That year, its turnover reached 250 million CFA francs by selling its production exclusively to the local market.

Today, Cameroon Timber Exploiters has 800 employees in its ranks, divided between the 7 farms it owns in the South Cameroon region (5 in its own right, 2 in partnership), the Ebolowa industrial sawmill and the Management, located in Douala. In 2017, the “Cameroon Timber Exploiters” produced 220,000 m3 of logs. Its turnover exceeds 16 billion CFA francs.

Below is a walkthrough on how we operate:

1) Exploitation

The Cameroon Timber Exploiters owns 5 Forest Management Units (UFA) located in the South Cameroon region. To these are added two other concessions, the fruit of a partnership.
Out of 352,534 hectares in area, approximately 10,500 hectares are harvested each year.
The Cameroon Timber Exploiters produces an average of 18,000 m ³ of logs per month, 60% of which are processed in the Ebolowa sawmill. The remaining part is exported in the form of logs or delivered locally to partner companies. In 2017, the Cameroon Timber Exploiters produced 220,146 m3 ^of wood.

The Cameroon Wood Export Sarl (CAMWES) Cameroon has been the leading provider of sawn timber to the UK between January and August 2017 - Business in Cameroon

2) Transport

39 trucks take care of delivering the logs either to the factory or to the ports of Douala and Kribi.

The Cameroon Timber Exploiters has its own technical workshop in its premises in Bonapriso, and therefore ensures the systematic maintenance of the trucks between trips.

The Technical Department takes care of the logistics and the follow-up of the trucks in all the forestry sites as well as at the Ebolowa plant.

3) Transformation

The Cameroon Timber Exploiters has 3 sawing lines in its Ebolowa sawmill, the last having been installed in June 2016. Its production capacity can thus reach 5000m3 of cuts per month. 80% is for export.

400 people work on the transformation of the 42 species of wood exploited. The wood is cut into planks or dried and planed to be ready for the construction of terraces, saunas…

Cameroon Timber Exploiters largest market is Asia, with Vietnam, India and China. Then comes Europe, with outlets in France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. Finally, North America and the Middle East. The Cameroon Timber Exploiters achieves around 95% of its turnover from exports.

Competitive equipment

The Cameroon Timber Exploiters has a 2nd transformation unit which allows the production of finished products such as decking boards (Deck) and planed S4S and E4E joists which serve as support for parquet floors, terraces, etc.

The Cameroon Timber Exploiters also has six drying cells, three of which were commissioned in July 2016. The drying cells have a capacity of approximately 600 m ³ of KD (Kiln Dried) or cycle-dried wood, i.e. 1500 m ³ per month.

The sawmill has its own stuffing service before transport to the Autonomous Port of Douala. This provision helps to speed up the procedures for exporting and delivering customer orders.