August 10 (SeeNews) - Austria's JAF Group announced that it is provisionally closing its raw veneer plant in Romania's Brasov in October due to a challenging market situation regarding raw veneers.
The JAF Group’s decision is in response to the commercial challenges of the past few months, it said in a press release posted on its website at the end of July.
The other production areas and sales activities at the group's J. F. Furnir subsidiary in Brasov, in central Romania, will remain unaffected by the halting of veneer production in October. Thus, grading activities and splicing of veneers will continue at J.F.Furnir.
"The extensive sales activities related to veneers at the trading centre in Brasov, as well as the main veneer hub in Salzburg-Aupoint and at the other national and international branches are an important mainstay of the JAF Group. The JAF Group will therefore continue to serve its customers to the full extent and with the usual service," the group said.
According to Romanian media reports, some 90 employees of total 210 at J. F. Furnir will be affected by the production stoppage.
The JAF Group commenced operations in Brasov in 2007. The group has subsidaries also in Bucharest, Timisoara, Cluj, Constanta and Iasi.
The JAF Group, known in Austria as J. u. A Frischeis, is a supplier of timber and wood-based materials with 58 sites on three continents.