Kumasi Wood Cluster Association was inaugurated on the 7th of February 2005 in Kumasi. It was established with six pioneer Small and Medium Forest Fnterprises; Bibiani Logging and Lumber Company Limited (BLLC), Sunstex Company Limited (SCL), Poku Transport Sawmill Limited (PTS), Ewhia Wood Products Limited (EWPL), Subri Industrial Plantations Limited (SIPL) and SKOD Company Limited.
Difficulty in accessing funds and raw materials by some of the companies led to their collapse. These include SKOD and PTS. Two other companies, SIPL and SKOD had to withdraw from the cluster in 2008 due to the same financial and machinery difficulties. These companies have however pledged to re-apply for membership when they have been able to stabilize themselves.
In February 2009, the Secretariat embarked on membership recruitment and that resulted in the joining of GVPCL to the cluster. Currently, the cluster is made up of three companies; Sunstex Company Limited, Bibiani Logging Company Limited and Ghana Veneer Processing Company Limited.
KWC’s goal is to support the efforts of small-medium forest enterprises (SMFEs) utilizing wood removed in ways that maintain or restore forest health and fulfill social obligations and to create markets for their products. Wood used by KWC companies is mainly sourced from forest reserves in Ghana. KWC companies produce a variety of products that include plywood, veneer, layons, kiln and air dried. The Association’s objectives are to assist SMFEs in the following ways:
• Mobilize adequate supply of raw material for their use;
• Develop new products using secondary species and non-timber forest resources for existing and new customers in traditional and new markets;
• Share, make use of, or trade in idle plant capacities for processing, un-utilized/underutilized machinery and equipment, specilaised skills in human resource and raw material to be disposed off. Adjusting production capacities in line with, human resource skills, raw material and equipment availability in partner firms.
• Develop markets for traditional and new products.
• Undertake individual or group certification.
KWC has now grown in capacity and experience and has therefore diversified its scope of activities and programmes. Apart from its forest management and chain of custody certification programme, it is also undertaking other forest and environment related projects, all geared towards sustainable forest management and environmental protection.
KWC is a member of the ICCO Sustainable Forest Management Programme in Ghana.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives for establishing the KWC are:
- To access adequate supply of raw material for members’ use;
- The development of new products using secondary species and non-timber forest resources (e.g., bamboo) for existing and new customers in traditional and new markets;
- Adjusting production capacities in line with, human resource skills, raw material and equipment availability in partner firms
- Developing markets for traditional and new products.
- Undertaking group forest management and chain of custody certification.
VISION
That the sustainable and profitable functioning and development of Small-Medium Forest-based Enterprises in Ghana shall be guaranteed by effective and efficient utilization of resources available to them.
MISSION
To promote partnership that supports environmentally-sound economic development of Small and Medium Forest Enterprises (SMFEs).
GOAL
To support the efforts of small-medium forest enterprises (SMFEs) utilizing wood removed in ways that maintain or restore forest health and fulfill social obligations and to create markets for their products.