About us
Introduction
Kimberley Timber Corporation (KTC) currently owns plantation assets of Indian Sandalwood and African Mahogany on prime Ord River irrigated land. Our first trees started as seedlings back in 1997. Inclusive is a modern nursery capable of meeting all foreseeable seedling requirements and the infrastructure to house a future timber mill.Senior Management
Max Correy
Executive Chairman & Director
Graduating with Honours in Agriculture from the Narrogin Agricultural High School, Max pursued an agricultural career for many years until moving into the rural property sector. Max holds a Rural Property Real Estate Agency License and is a qualified licensed Auctioneer.An active community patron to the Geraldton region Max chairs many boards including the Geraldton Cemetery Board www.boards.dpc.wa.gov.au/index.cfm, a Church Finance and Facilities Committee, two community based investment groups and is a life member of the Geraldton Tennis Club. He has been instrumental in the building and development of several community based infrastructure projects.
Max's vast experience within the rural property industry coupled with his leadership within a major rural community gives KTC a solid base of experience and leadership.
Rick Ferdinands
Corporate & Market Consultant
Rick graduated with a Bachelor of Business from Curtin University. He has worked in the US and the UK establishing a consulting firm in London. Rick has worked in a variety of industries including telecommunications, insurance, pharmaceutical, property and government including the ATO in Canberra.Rick has successfully established and consulted to companies from concept to commercialisation, as a corporate adviser; developing Business, Financial and Market Plans including the management and development of R&D business structures.
Rick is also the Chairman of registered charity, Calcutta Stations Mission (CSM). CSM provides educational, employment and food aid to the 3M+ poverty stricken people in and around the train stations and outer villages of Kolkata, India. www.calcuttastationsmission.com
Rick's depth of experience across many diciplines is invaluable in creating the right environment for KTC to exploit business & market opportunities whilst maximising shareholder returns.
Harry Weir
Agribusiness Consultant
Harold (Harry) Weir Dip. Ag. Dip VFM has over 40 years experience in rural agribusiness management consultancy in Western Australia. He has clients throughout the mid-west Agricultural and Pastoral Regions of that State, and in the higher rainfall South West Regions.Harry has extensive experience in land resource management in both Agriculture and Forestry Enterprises, and previously completed a four year term as a Director of a renewable energy and hardwood Production Company.
Harry is also the past Chairperson of an Incorporated Not for Profit organisation, Planned Individual Networks Inc. (PIN) www.pin.org.au. PIN is active throughout the Perth Metropolitan area and also provides information to families who have a member with a disability in Regional WA.
Harry's role within KTC is to advise on plantation and general agribusiness development and management.
Background
Director Max Correy with a young Indian Sandalwood
Indian Sandalwood
Indian Sandalwood is the premium aromatic wood demanded by the worlds perfume companies and highly prized in Asia for its use in incense. Both these markets are experiencing strong growth and KTC has positioned itself to be a long term supplier of Indian Sandalwood. Our existing Indian Sandalwood resource was one of the first to be planted in the region and consists of approximately 150 hectares. We are on track to commence processing and sales within six years and maintain supply until additional plantation resources comes on stream. We are investigating European markets and processing methods, but have established strong links with Chinese and Indian buyers who also distribute and process Indian Sandalwood.
African Mahogany
African Mahogany is a flexible and widely used timber for light construction, furniture, flooring, interior joinery and boat building. Suited to the Kimberley, African Mahogany displays features such as rapid growth, ease of maintenance, reasonable drought tolerance and good resistance to insect pests.KTC will use its existing African Mahogany resource as a keystone species in its plans to develop a plantation resource of high value tropical timbers that can meet the growing world demand. We have commenced product testing and logs harvested from our plantation are currently being assessed for milling and drying properties. The results to date are better than predicted with both yield and stability well above expectations. This research will allow KTC to develop appropriate value adding strategies to maximize shareholder returns.
At this stage, but subject to the final results of the trials, KTC plans to mill, dry and process timber in Kununurra to supply African Mahogany flooring and other timber products to the domestic and export markets making it a totally integrated operation. As harvesting of this resource is expected to commence within the next few seasons it is planned that the mill and processing facility will be operational shortly after. We expect to grow our employment and training opportunities for the local community as this plan is implemented.
Strategy
The KTC strategy is one of continuous and sustainable income generation based upon supplying high value Indian Sandalwood and tropical timbers such as African Mahogany to the global market.KTC's timber plantation has been established by experienced forestry contractors and is now fully supervised by a dedicated plantation management team. The property has its own nursery within the plantation that has the capacity to service other plantations and provide an additional sources of revenue. The planned mill and processing plant is expected to also generate additional revenue from third party sources.
The plantation assets combined with the company's in-house & contract management team will allow KTC to achieve sustainable growth over the long term. Our combined experience provides expertise in plant propagation, forestry plantation establishment and management, property and project management, marketing and financial markets.
KTC Circle of Life
From seedlings to milled timber, from milled timber to living objects that enhance our lives... that's the KTC Circle of Life.
Seedlings from the KTC Mahogany Project 1 just before planting in May 2006.
Processed timber from phase 1 of the African Mahogany Processing trial in August 2006.
KTC African Mahogany flooring. It displays the sought after hardwood characteristics of light pinkish blond colouration and being termite resistant. Photo taken in February 2007.
A vase turned as part of the KTC R&D program which commenced in May 2005
All photos on this page were taken by KTC personnel at the KTC Plantations and with milled KTC African Mahogany at an offsite mill.
