Edited by Leon Louw
Despite Covid-19 disruptions during 2020, Forestra Timber and Board had a good year. Foresta Timber and Board and Foresta Drum Manufacturing amalgamated into one company in 2020. The company is now known only as Foresta Timber and Board.
Specialised timber knowledge, a customer-centric culture, paired with competitive pricing have all been the defining factors that have made Foresta Timber and Board a formidable timber merchant.
- The team at Foresta Timber and Board. Photo by Foresta
- Foresta Timber and Board stock a range of products. Photo by Foresta
As one of Gauteng’s largest wholesalers, importers, and manufacturers of timber and timber-related products, Foresta commenced trading in 1994. The company was founded by timber legend Paul Du Plessis. The company’s market share grew sharply when Duppie Du Plessis (formerly the MD of Prominent Paints) became MD and the majority shareholder in 2004.
Now situated at 2 Arnold street, Alrode, Alberton, after extensive refurbishment and renovations to a site acquired in 2016, Foresta Timber and Board and Foresta Drum Manufacturing amalgamated into one company during 2020, now known only as Foresta Timber and Board. Foresta Timber and Board caters to the trade, the wholesale market and DIY enthusiasts alike. Their customer base is diverse, and includes truck body fabricators, roof truss manufacturers and building contractors. With their wide range of timber products, the on-site Foresta factory shop enjoys tremendous support from the DIY market, as well as the smaller contractors. Loading bays were added to the new sites’ factory shop to speed up service delivery to all customers collecting timber products.
“As a market leader, Foresta, is constantly striving to find new and innovative products to fulfil the needs of their customers.”
Foresta stocks pine timber in various grades and was granted permission to use the SATAS (South African Technical Auditing Services) logo on their S5 structural pine timber, a credible and recognised assurance of their quality standards. A variety of board products such as plywood, chipboard and Medium-Density Fibreboard (MDF) are stocked in a range of sizes. Hardwood timber can be ordered on request, but Meranti and Saligna timber is stocked. Foresta also produces a range of well-priced branded profiled products, namely skirting, flooring, ceiling, reversible decking and halflogs. The best quality Pine and Saligna timber is sustainably sourced and utilised to manufacture their products to stringent quality standards and custom machined products can be made to order.
As a market leader, Foresta, is constantly striving to find new and innovative products to fulfil the needs of their customers. Some additions to their offering include Magnesium Oxide (MgO) boards, for use in panelling and cladding, a budget-friendly half-log (Baby-Log) to build Wendy houses and warehouse decking is manufactured to fulfill a need in the racking and storage market.
Foresta Timber and Board has a large fleet of vehicles that delivers their products to the larger Gauteng area on a daily basis. They also do deliveries in neighbouring provinces.
- Foresta Timber and Board are located in Alberton. Photo by Foresta
- The warehouse in Alrode, Alberton has undergone a total refurbishment. Photo by Foresta