Biodiversity in the Congo Basin awards Interholco

22.04.2023. According toWWF’s Living Planet Report 2022, wildlife populations have plunged an average 69% over the past 48 years. Just as tropical regions are facing a devastating drop, ‘IFO management actions allow the maintenance of populations of priority species Gorilla, Chimpanzee and Forest Elephant and the ecological integrity of the forest.’

Wood you be my friend? Celebrating International Day of Forests 2023 with Kosipo and Tali

21.03.2023. Rest is an important time to recharge one’s batteries and have a healthy approach to daily work. Sitting by the pool, facing the river Sangha, an ingeniously built hut entices our colleagues in the Republic of Congo to kick back and enjoy their spare time. With long-lasting friends: Kosipo, a magnificent 8 meter long slab of wood hosting lunches and barbecues; and beautifully durable Tali, alternating with Padouk and Wenge, which artfully results in a superb decking.

Forests, natural capital for sustaining food production

26.09.2022. When you choose Interholco’s FSC^®- certified products (Forest Stewardship Council^®, FSC^® C022952), you’re helping to take care of forests for future generations. Forest ecosystem services – such as the maintenance of biodiversity, climate regulation, water and soil quality, and pollination – are essential for sustainable agrifood systems and feeding a growing global population.

African hardwood, 'Fair & Precious' by nature

14.09.2022. With 30 years of experience in the African timber industry, Interholco's Vice President Production and Sales Christophe Janssen has been interviewed by the European Coalition for Sustainable Tropical Timber (STTC). Zoom on Interholco's operations and objectives as a 'Fair&Precious' partner.

One simple step to truly make a difference for forests and climate

22.08.2022. Every week, the equivalent of all the buildings in Paris are built, globally and the pace is increasing. FSC^® has released a call to action for the construction sector: https://youtu.be/ROpmNhRviL0and INTERHOLCO is proud to be featured in FSC’s video.

SPOTT ESG transparency assessment and INTERHOLCO

08.08.2022. This year, INTERHOLCO ranks first in SPOTT’s ESG transparency assessment of 100 timber companies in the tropics. Let’s take a closer look. When it comes to tropical forests, the shortest distance from A to B is, ESG.

The best kept secret in INTERHOLCO's Sustainability report 2022

08.07.2022. Just as 2022 marks INTERHOLCO’s 60^th anniversary, the company launches its latest Sustainability Report. ‘Our wood products are the fruit of a people alliance,’ says Ulrich Grauert, INTERHOLCO CEO. ‘With this publication, we want even people sitting miles away from where we harvest and process our wood to see what our  ‘Made in Africa’ stands for.’  

‘Sustainable Hardwood - Made in Africa’ breaks all records at Europe’s leading timber show

14.06.2022. INTERHOLCO’s ‘Made in Africa’ breaks all records at Carrefour du Bois, Europe's number one trade fair for the wood sector. INTERHOLCO has noted an unprecedented attendance rate and a strong increase in the number of foreign visitors, including several from the United States, Africa and Asia.

Let’s choose sustainable hardwood for people and planet

21.03.2022. On International Forest Day, INTERHOLCO is delighted to share photos of this magnificent Kosipo staircase, made by INTERHOLCO customer KORA. Everything here is redolent with spring. As if a blessing had fallen on Kosipo, an African wood that breathes the life of Northern Congo’s forests.

Anchoring cities to forests

15.03.2022. Urban forests can transform cities into healthier places to live, not ‘just’ thanks to trees, but also through wood products for furniture and construction.

The future grows with wood

17.02.2022. One month into the new year, wood has turned into the cornerstone of future lifestyles. The ‘digital Neanderthal’ humans have as much of a tendency towards cool technology as they have a compelling desire for coziness, warm materials. In short: high-tech, high-touch – and wood is the natural choice.

For the love of tropical forests: INTERHOLCO at Gembloux JobDAY

14.02.2022. INTERHOLCO brought tropical forests to Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (University of Liège) on the occasion of Gembloux JobDAY. Last 18 November, the not-to-be-missed event brought together more than 200 forest management students, some of whom freshly graduated in forestry, agronomy and environment, returning for the first time after the 2020 pause.

Lobi, the art of writing the future

03.12.2021. INTERHOLCO is proud to present Lobi, the spearhead of its first collection made from FSC®* certified Sustainable Hardwood, Made in Africa according to the most demanding socio-environmental criteria. Lobi means 'tomorrow' and 'future' in the broadest sense; the name is derived from Lingala, the most widely used language in Congo Basin countries.

Forests for all, forever our way forward

09.11.2021. The Republic of the Congo has a plan: co-creating solutions together with investors and natural tropical forests, not just for COP26 but well beyond. The way forward at bird’s eye view: (1.) Carbon positive forestry is possible in the Congo Basin. (2.) Together, we should compensate Africa’s forests. (3.) Forest and climate finance should share benefits with host countries and local communities.

My choice for wind design: wood

15.09.2021. A building represents an obstacle to the wind flow. The wind exerts pressures on the building that generate forces perpendicular to the building surface. Therefore, a building must be designed and dimensioned to withstand the strongest winds that are likely to occur during its lifetime at its location.

My choice for organic shapes: wood!

31.08.2021. Boat and furniture builders have been bending wood for many years, to meet hydrodynamic and ergonomic requirements. In buildings, however, these techniques are relatively uncommon.

Certified wood, my sustainable design ally

27.08.2021. Wood is the only building material that ensures it comes from responsibly managed sources, in this case forests.

My choice for fire protection: wood!

30.07.2021. Wood is a flammable material, granted. But it also has innate flame-retardant properties. Wooden structures remain highly stable in the event of fire.

Bosse: frame your best moments

16.07.2021. What we remember in life, is the people we love, the places we’ve been and the memories we made along the way. The others are windows open onto ourselves. At INTERHOLCO, we take care of the frame. You decide who to invite on the journey.

Spotlight on: Bosse (Guarea cedrata, Guarea laurentii De Wild. and Guarea thompsonii Sprague & Hutch)

13.07.2021. Guarea cedrata, Guarea laurentii De Wild. and Guarea thompsonii Sprague & Hutch is all traded as Bosse. Evergreen, large tree up to 45(–55) m tall; bole branchless for up to 26 (–41) m, usually straight and cylindrical, sometimes fluted, up to 150(–200) cm in diameter, sometimes with spreading, blunt buttresses up to 3 m high.

My cost-effective choice: wood!

30.06.2021. Wood saves more or less one third of the time used in conventional building construction. Prefabrication frees the construction process from the uncertainty of weather events. 

INTERHOLCO first in SPOTT-on assessment of forest solutions for people and planet

24.06.2021. Deforestation and forest degradation are non-negotiables: millions of us depend on how far we are ready to go, to protect our forests i.e. our climate, our health, our food, our water, not to mention some of the world’s most extraordinary plants and animals. 

Supporting customers with trust

26.05.2021. In December 2020, INTERHOLCO passed the FSC® audit, which took place in the field. 'At INTERHOLCO, we strive for honesty, integrity,'says Tom van Loon, Head of Sustainability, INTERHOLCO. 'We place utmost importance on successful long-term partnerships with our suppliers and customers.'

Sustainable Hardwood – Made in Africa, good for forest, people and planet

05.06.2021. A forest is more than a question of trees. People live in and from it, shaping their survival, identity and beliefs around it. At the same time, a forest is home to hundreds of species of animals and trees; it feeds water basins, stocks carbon and regulates rain regimes which affect far away countries.

My energy-efficient choice: wood!

02.06.2021. Buildings have extensive direct and indirect impacts on the environment. During their construction, occupancy, renovation, repurposing, and demolition, buildings use energy, water, and raw materials, generate waste, and emit potentially harmful atmospheric emissions.

Kosipo: contemporary chic organic

11.05.2021. And now, for an unusual use of wood!  The choice of Kosipo, a superior hardwood that INTERHOLCO offers with FSC^® certification, draws the attention to the washbasin which acquires an aesthetically dominant role.

My healthy choice: wood!

26.04.2021. With more days per week and more hours each day spent at home, many of us struggle to calm their minds and find their balance. Even when working from home, we are bombarded by a constant hype, 24/7 distraction and endless barrage of pings from our phones. The solution? Wood can make us feel better, turning our home into a happier place.

Talking wood: ‘Conservation is only possible if we have a good relationship with the communities’

22.04.2021. INTERHOLCO works in synergy with the state eco-guards. Close cooperation between the state and the private sector for sustainable wildlife management is an arrangement which is unique to the Republic of Congo, as researchers from the University of Liège have recently illustrated.

Kosipo, quality in art

12.04.2021. Wood for carving must be dry, cannot be brittle and should not release its internal stresses when carved. The Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms) that INTERHOLCO offers with FSC^® certification meets all these criteria, exceeding them.

Spotlight on: Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms)

07.04.2021. Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms) or West African Cedar is a large tree growing in West Africa and the Congo Basin, reaching about 50 m in height. It grows a straight and cylindrical bole of more than 2 m in diameter. 

Talking wood: "Logistics is first and foremost my passion"

01.04.2021. INTERHOLCO takes the ecological transition on board via a river-railway alliance in the Republic of Congo.

Taking the ecological transition onboard

29.03.2021. In the North of the Republic of Congo, the ecological transition is successful. As soon as the season allows and the water level is suitable, INTERHOLCO's flagship product, "Sustainable Hardwood - Made in Africa", is transported down the Sangha, a tributary of the Congo River.

Slow Quality, a subtle rebellion

17.03.2021. With its exceptional properties, Africa’s Wengé wood which INTERHOLCO is proud to offer with FSC^® certification deserves first class manufacturing. As Japan’s leading manufacturer of wooden furniture, Karimoku proudly upholds a steady focus on quality.

The future has a beautiful energy, says Congolese entrepreneur Vouala Obambi

08.03.2021. Congolese entrepreneur Vouala Obambi, Managing Director of ENERGAZ (a SAPRO group company) has a vision for the future: leading change. As the only woman manager of an electricity production company in the Republic of Congo and the youngest in Africa, Ms. Obambi is participating in a call for tenders for the operation of the Liouesso hydroelectric power plant.

HIGH TECH and HIGH TOUCH

04.03.2021. With long hours now spent sitting at home, relax and comfort are vital for balance. Especially as many of us seek to blend work and personal life together. The warm tones of Wenge(Millettia laurentii), a dark, marbled wood that INTERHOLCO harvests sustainably in the Republic of Congo, bring the forest home – rescuing our connection with nature.

Objects of art on a mission: a closer look at Africa’s ‘Forest dwellers’

23.02.2021.According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), between 2000 and 2010, large-scale commercial agriculture (generally related to cattle ranching and the cultivation of soya bean and oil palm) accounted for 40% of tropical deforestation, and local subsistence agriculture another 33%.

Africa’s forest dwellers win Conversations about Climate Change competition

15.02.2021. Gorillas, Bongos, Forest elephants and Chimpanzees team up with British architect Tom Wilson in ‘Forest dwellers’, one of the winners of the Conversations about Climate Change competition. Is it possible to sustainably harvest timber and natural products, contributing to ethical and sustainable economies, as well as safeguarding habitats, biodiversity and the health of the Earth? The four Forest Dwellers have been conceived to ask this very question.

Form and function: Wenge (Millettia laurentii)

28.01.2021. Such is the essence of home: a place in which the well-being of bodies is encouraged, food and sleep are taken care of; caresses and laughter instigated; a place in which affection grows deeper. Such is the essence of Wengé (Millettia laurentii), a dark, marbled wood that walks you like no other in your stories of laughter and joy, stillness and meditation, sharing and giving.  

Shining a light on wood for all seasons

02.12.2020. During the long, dark, off-season winter months, the lighting of this iconic open-air swimming amenity, designed by White Arkitekter, turns African wood into a dramatic experience. Offered by INTERHOLCO with FSC^® 100% certification, Azobé (Lophira alata) and Tali (Erythrophleum spp.) are as durable as they are water resistant, the ideal choice for projects in direct contact with sea water.

Diverse, interdependent, together: an ALLIANCE to safeguard the future of African natural forests

15.10.2020. To relate to a forest, is to relate to a country and its inhabitants. To the people, with their culture. Their dreams and aspirations, as much as their shortcomings and concerns. Relationships never stop being a work in progress. Dealing with a forest is no exception. We can become more intelligent and wiser, and over time, more fertile, if we work with others to reinvent the way of our future.

Why the United Nations chose Tali (Erythrophleum spp.) for the waterfront of their Copenhagen office

19.08.2020. This summer, if you happen to be around Copenhagen (Denmark), make plans to visit the United Nations City. Here, Tali, an African hardwood known for its durability, which INTERHOLCO offers with FSC^® certification, was chosen for the heavy decking that surrounds the building. With thousands crossing the beautiful waterfront daily, Tali literally paves the way to justice and respect, human rights, environmentally friendly considerations and, peace.

Working together for forests and people: the Congolese Minister of Tourism and Environment, Ms. Arlette Soudan-Nonault visits IFO

03.08.2020. The Minister of Tourism and Environment, Ms. Arlette Soudan-Nonault, visited the Industrie Forestière de Ouesso (IFO) in the Sangha Department, in the North of the Republic of Congo on August 3^rd, 2020.

INTERHOLCO has pride of place in SPOTT’s State of Transparency 2020, leading 100 timber and pulp and paper companies worldwide

27.07.2020. Because our products give access to life-changing benefits to a community of 10’000 people in one of Congo’s most landlocked regions. Because our resources are vitally important living wonders.  Because our forest protection means that anything, from a mushroom to an elephant, should thrive in their natural habitat.  We know, and care about, forests. And it shows.

INTERHOLCO’s laminated scantlings, high-performing products to make you project proud

16.06.2020. Exterior or interior projects require a strong, stable, long-lasting material. You like wood, but do not want to harm the forest? We love forests, too!And so do our wood products. INTERHOLCO brings you finger-jointed laminated scantlings that won’t cost the Earth. Our new brochure shows how.

Sustainable Hardwood to celebrate forests and protect biodiversity

20.03.2020.The United Nations proclaimed 21 March International Day of Forests and this year shines a light on Forests and Biodiversity. INTERHOLCO offers Sustainable Hardwood 'Made in Africa' as a solution to not only promote better living conditions (construction with wood), but also to reduce climate change, increase social justice and keep forests protected from permanent change to agriculture.

Securing gorillas in the Congo awarded with Germany’s highest Nature Film Prize

08.10.2019. ‘Paradise Preserved: Congo – Protecting the Gorilla Forests’, the film which Thomas Weidenbach produced for ARTE, received Germany’s Nature Film Prize on Saturday 5 October 2019. Commissioned by tv-channel ARTE, known to air cultural programmes, the film was broadcast at the end of June.

Engaged for climate, people and wildlife: INTERHOLCO ranks 1st in SPOTT’s 2019 assessment

31.07.2019.For the third year in a row, INTERHOLCO leads SPOTT’s assessment of timber companies with consistent engagement for the climate, people and wildlife.

#Sustainable #Hardwood #MadeinAfrica protects the forest

13.05.2019. Forests worldwide are a public good and forestry students often wonder how far private timber companies are prepared to go, to preserve and maintain natural forests. Mr. Ulrich Grauert, INTERHOLCO’s CEO, showed students worldwide how INTERHOLCO walks the talk, during a webinar hosted by the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) on 16 April 2019.

Protecting the gorilla forest in the Republic of Congo

Introducing our contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

26.03.2019. Companies do play a critical role in helping achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and INTERHOLCO is no exception. In 2015, the United Nations introduced 17 Sustainable Development Goals. For the first time, governments agreed that the challenges international society faces, including those related to poverty, hunger, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace and justice were interconnected and that each sector had a contribution to make.