Fri, 1 Jul 2022
With Russia continuing to wage a cruel and ruthless war in Ukraine, not only against their brave troops but also the civilian population, at Grant Westfield, we have taken the decision to stop the importation of all Russian goods, which means cessation of procurement of Russian sourced plywood, which currently accounts for around 85% of the global Birch plywood market.
Since the illegal invasion began, our quality team have rigorously tested alternative materials to find the best replacement for Russian Birch, with the goal of maintaining our high standards of product quality and sustainability.
Following this extensive testing, we have selected Forest Stewardship Council, (FSC) certified Medite Exterior Grade MDF as our preferred replacement for Russian Birch plywood. We found the material to produce exceptionally flat panels with excellent machining qualities, ensuring that the performance of our market leading Hydrolock joint is unchanged. The new core is designed to be used in extreme environments and meets the requirements of class D4, durability category, of BS 4965, making it a suitable substrate for use in areas of frequent prolonged exposure to running water.
Aside from the high performance of the material, it is also produced much closer to home, providing excellent sustainability benefits along with increased security of supply.
We will start to phase in the new core in June and the transition will take place over the next 6 months. In H2 we will continue to use Birch plywood, however this is from Latvia not Russia. As of June, we will no longer be using any Russian raw materials in the production of Multipanel.
This change will not impact the aesthetic design, the performance or the environmental properties of Multipanel and the same features, benefits and warranties will continue to apply.
Below are some questions you may have about this transition. In the meantime, thank you for your continued support.
What about Multipanel wall panels is changing?
Only the core is changing. There is no change to the decors, all designs and colours will be available as usual.
When are you introducing the new core?
We will start to manufacture panels using the new core in July with the transition taking place over the next 6 months.
When will you stop using Russian Birch?
As of June, we will no longer be using Russian Birch, the Birch plywood we will use in H2 2022 is from Latvia.
What if I receive an order of panels with different cores?
The thickness and Hydrolock profile are exactly the same and we have conducted extensive testing proving that the quality of the finish and connection is the same whether it is Exterior MDF or a combination of Plywood and Exterior MDF.
Why have you selected exterior MDF instead of MR MDF?
Exterior is the only grade of MDF that meets the requirements of class D4, durability category, of BS 4965, making it a suitable substrate for use in areas of frequent prolonged exposure to running water. It has also been tested to withstand extremes of weather for external use, further proving its durability.
When is the new Tile Collection launching?
The new collection launched on the 6th June, please contact your BDM for more information.
Will the warranty change?
No, there is no change to the installation or performance of the product so Multipanel will still carry a 30 year warranty.
