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Sonae Indústria is a manufacturer of
engineered wood Engineered wood, also called mass timber, composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board, includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, particles, fibres, veneers, or boards of wood, ...
products, founded and headquartered in
Maia, Portugal Maia (), officially Maia Borough (), is a municipality in the Porto Metropolitan Area), '' Grande Porto'' subregion, in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located 11 km north of central Porto. The population in 2011 was 135,306, in an area of . The ...
. Present in five countries within three continents, Sonae Indústria has a wide range of products, from simple board to complete construction systems, a large range of wood-based products and materials for furniture, construction and decoration.


Sonae Indústria worldwide

Founded and headquartered in
Maia Maia (; Ancient Greek: Μαῖα; also spelled Maie, ; ), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, one of the major Greek gods, by Zeus, the king of Olympus. Family Maia is the daughter of A ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, Sonae Indústria is in five countries within three continents, offering a wide range of products, from simple board to complete construction systems, a large range of wood-based products and materials for furniture, construction and decoration.


Canada

Sonae Indústria is present in Canada by its subsidiary Tafisa Canada in Lac-Mégantic,
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, since 1995 as an investment of Tableros de Fibras, S.A., later acquired by the Sonae Indústria Group Since 2003, it became the first member of the Composite Panel Association (CPA) and producer of
particleboard Particle board, also known as particleboard or chipboard, is an engineered wood product, belonging to the wood-based panels, manufactured from wood chips and a synthetic, mostly formaldehyde-based resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed ...
and thermofused melamine panels whose environmental management system met the requirements of
ISO 14001 The ISO 14000 family is a set of international standards for Natural environment, environment management systems. It was developed in March 1996 by International Organization for Standardization. The goal of these standards is to help organizations ...
. In 2012, Tafisa Canada invested 10 million CAD on its facilities in order to
recycle ReCycle is a music loop editor designed and developed by Sweden, Swedish software developers Propellerhead Software. It runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh based Personal Computer, PCs. The software debuted in 1994. The principal idea ...
around 2 million trees per year Tafisa Canada has received a third party certification for
CARB The California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air S ...
Phase 2 compliance, as well as the FSC,
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
, EPP, SCS,
ISO 14001 The ISO 14000 family is a set of international standards for Natural environment, environment management systems. It was developed in March 1996 by International Organization for Standardization. The goal of these standards is to help organizations ...
and
ISO 9001 The ISO 9000 family is a set of international standards for quality management systems. It was developed in March 1987 by International Organization for Standardization. The goal of these standards is to help organizations ensure that they meet ...
certifications.


France

Sonae Indústria has had a presence
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
since 1998, when it acquired Isoroy SAS. Nowadays, it operates 4 plants:
Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...
,
Le Creusot Le Creusot () is a Communes of France, commune and industrial town in the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department, Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, eastern France. The inhabitants are known as Creusotins. Formerl ...
and
Ussel Corréze Ussel may refer to: France * Ussel, Cantal * Ussel, Corrèze ** Ussel station * Ussel, Lot * Ussel-d'Allier, Allier * Arrondissement of Ussel, Corrèze * Canton of Ussel, Corrèze * Ussel, part of Le Brignon, Haute-Loire * Ussel, part of Vensat, ...
by its subsidiary Isoroy and Linxe by its subsidiary Darbo.


Germany

With 6 plants around the country (
Beeskow Beeskow (; , ;) is a town in Brandenburg, in eastern Germany, and capital of the Oder-Spree district. It is situated on the river Spree (river), Spree, 30 km southwest of Frankfurt an der Oder. History In 1518 the town was purchased by the Di ...
, Eiweiler,
Horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...
, Kaisersesch,
Meppen Meppen (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Möppen'') is a town in and the seat of the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, Germany, at the confluence of the Ems (river), Ems, Hase, and Nordradde rivers and the Dortmund–Ems Canal (DEK). The name stems from t ...
and
Nettgau Nettgau is a village and a former municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Jübar Jübar is a municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Sax ...
, it is present via its subsidiary Glunz AG. Glunz AG was founded in 1932 and in 1992, acquired Isoroy SAS, which still operates in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, being acquired by Sonae Indústria Group five years later.


Portugal

Sonae Indústria
headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...
is located in
Maia Maia (; Ancient Greek: Μαῖα; also spelled Maie, ; ), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, one of the major Greek gods, by Zeus, the king of Olympus. Family Maia is the daughter of A ...
, as well as the oldest active
factory A factory, manufacturing plant or production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. Th ...
from the Group. They own as well other six plants around the country in Alcanede, Castelo de Paiva, Mangualde,
Oliveira do Hospital Oliveira do Hospital () is a municipality in the district of Coimbra, in the central part of continental Portugal. The population in 2011 was 20,855, in an area of 234.52 km². History Inhabited by ancient civilizations, Oliveira do Hospita ...
,
Sines Sines () is a town and a municipality in Portugal. The municipality, divided into two parishes, has around 14,214 inhabitants (2021) in an area of . Sines holds an important oil refinery and several petrochemical industries. It is also a popular ...
and Vilela


South Africa

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
operations are based in two locations: Panbult and White River. During the latter part of 1998, Sonae Indústria invested in a R350 million
plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
in Panbult Mpumalanga. Two years later acquired Sappi Novobord, including White River at their plant list.


Spain

Sonae Indústria has presence in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
via its subsidiaries Tafisa and Tafibra, with plants in Betanzos, Linares, Pontecaldelas, Solsona and
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
.


United Kingdom

Spanboard Products Ltd at
Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, No ...
in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
began production in 1959 and was acquired by Sonae Industria,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
's largest privately owned industrial group in 1989. The company was extensively refurbished in the early 1990s when a new state of the art panel line for edged panels was installed. Investment was also made in a computerized panel saw to provide a cut to size service for
melamine Melamine is an organic compound with the formula C3H6N6. This white solid is a trimer (chemistry), trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-Triazine, 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogen by mass, and its derivatives ha ...
faced panels and gives greater flexibility for customer service. The factory produces wood particle board to meet the criteria of both, BS EN 312, (physical requirements for Particleboard) and also the site
Quality Management System A quality management system (QMS) is a collection of business processes focused on consistently meeting customer requirements and enhancing their satisfaction. It is aligned with an organization's purpose and strategic direction ( ISO 9001:2015). ...
, which operates to
ISO 9001 The ISO 9000 family is a set of international standards for quality management systems. It was developed in March 1987 by International Organization for Standardization. The goal of these standards is to help organizations ensure that they meet ...
.


Former Operations

Sonae Indústria had an operation in
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, which has been sold to Celulosa Arauco y Constitución in 2009, in a deal worth US$227m. Between 2000 and 2012 Sonae Indústria also operated a plant at Knowsley,
Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Wales, Welsh county of Flintshire across ...
in the United Kingdom. The plant closed in 2012 following a series of fires and major accidents.


Health, safety and environmental concerns

According to figures released by the
Health and Safety Executive The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a British public body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare. It has additionally adopted a research role into occupational risks in Great B ...
(HSE) Sonae Indústria's UK plant located at Knowsley, Merseyside, was the subject of 22 reports of major accidents between 2000 and 2010. Between 2003 and 2006 it was successfully prosecuted by the HSE on four occasions and fined a total of £132,000. On 1 June 2002 an explosion occurred at the plant and 20,000 liters of pollutant escaped into local waterways. The government's
Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
said: "On 3 June an Agency officer visited the site and saw that the outfall from Sonae's premises was gushing a milky white liquid. Kirkby Brook was discolored white for about two kilometers downstream, and still affected for at least a further two kilometers. Samples taken by the Agency revealed that the water in the brook was polluted to almost three times the strength of raw
sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewerage, sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged fro ...
. An ecology survey taken two days later showed that for at least 200 meters downstream, all life in the brook had been completely wiped out, and even as far as two and a half kilometers away the brook was classified as 'grossly polluted.'" In 2003 the
Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
prosecuted the firm over five pollution incidents affecting local waterways resulting in fines totaling £37,500. The HSE closed the plant on eight occasions between 2001 and 2003. Residents living near the plant have "repeatedly called for its closure following a series of chemical leaks and fires." Between 2000 and 2007 Knowsley Council served "many statutory notices on Sonae, including two prohibition notices, 10 enforcement notices, five variation notices and one notice requiring information, with which Sonae did not comply." In December 2005, Sonae pleaded guilty to three charges brought by Knowsley Council under the
Environmental Protection Act 1990 The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43) (initialism: EPA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that defines, within England and Wales and Scotland, the fundamental structure and authority for waste management and control of e ...
and was fined £13,000. In 2007, lawyers engaged by Sonae wrote to the internet company hosting the website of local magazine ''Nerve'' and threatened legal action for "a damaging effect on reputation" following the magazine's publication of an article critical of the company's safety record. The article was authored by Steve Tombs from John Moores University and David Whyte from Liverpool University, both health and safety academics. The magazine responded that "Sonae's reputation is damaged not by what is written about it, but by its actions – it is a serial offender." In February 2007 the plant was forced to close for a month following a fire which started in an oil pump room. Local MP George Howarth raised the issue in
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
and said: "Unless and until the HSE can be satisfied that the plant can safely reopen, and guarantee the health and safety of the workforce and residents, I believe that the plant needs to remain closed."


Worker deaths

;2010 In December 2010
Merseyside Police Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The service area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million. As of September 2017 the service has 3,484 police o ...
and the HSE began a joint investigation into the deaths of two workers who were killed after being dragged into machinery at the Knowsley plant on 7 December. Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry said "Should the owners of the factory again be found to have fallen short of safety standards, following a thorough and detailed investigation by the Health And Safety Executive, then I hope steps will be taken to prosecute them for
corporate manslaughter Corporate manslaughter is a crime in several jurisdictions, including England and Wales and Hong Kong. It enables a corporation to be punished and censured for culpable conduct that leads to a person's death. This extends beyond any compensation ...
." Merseyside Police passed the results of their investigation on to the
Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal adv ...
who said they were awaiting the results of the HSE investigation and the coroner's inquests into the deaths, which was expected to be held in 2011. The inquest eventually convened at Bootle Town Hall on 9 July 2013 before Christopher Sumner, the coroner for Sefton, Knowsley, and St Helens. The inquest heard that the two men, James Bibby, 25, and Thomas Elmer, 27, were both sub-contracted mechanical engineers and fitters and were carrying out maintenance work on a stationary conveyor belt above ground level at the time of the incident. John Moutrie, an investigator from HSE, said: "Mr Bibby and Mr Elmer were both found dead in the conveyor of Silo No 4. The two men were likely to have been working inside the conveyor or reaching into it to tighten the bolts at the bottom. At this point the conveyor started and there was no means of stopping it. They were drawn into the conveyor with tragic results. If safety procedures had been followed, the incident could not have occurred. Physical isolation of the conveyor belt had not been carried out." Paul Atkinson, the works manager of the plant, admitted he had issued the men with a work permit "which certified he had personally examined the conveyor belt and was satisfied all the necessary safety precautions were in place." He also admitted that he "had not personally examined the conveyor belt to ensure it was isolated from the electrical supply" and did not have access to the central control room panel to isolate the conveyor. It was also disclosed that Atkinson had not undertaken the required IOSH ''Managing Safely'' course or "any other general health and safety training." Donald MacLeod, the plant's health and safety manager, refused to answer questions at the inquest in case he incriminated himself. He "declined to comment" when asked by the coroner about the permit to work scheme, refused to tell the court what his responsibilities as health and safety manager were, and declined to answer when asked whether he had any knowledge of an alleged 'near miss' on one of the conveyor belts three weeks prior to the fatal accident. On 23 July 2013 the jury returned a narrative verdict saying "The method of local isolation was communicated verbally but was not physically demonstrated to the deceased men. In addition local isolation of the conveyor was neither confirmed or checked throughout the day. While there was a risk assessment carried out on the specific work undertaken by the men it appears this was not communicated to the men directly. It is clear from the evidence that the Sonae permit to work issuer/supervisor had not been given or undertaken specific training, or provided with sufficient supervision, in the permit to work procedure prior to 7 December 2010. It is our view that the death of each man was the result of a failure to adopt appropriate procedures." The HSE said it would consider the verdict before deciding whether to bring criminal charges. In July 2015 Sonae and the men's employer, Valma Ltd, admitted failing to ensure the safety of their employees. They were fined £220,000 and £190,000 respectively. ;2011 On 6 August 2011 a 62-year-old employee was killed at the Knowsley site. The worker was a contractor for the demolition team called in to remove the damage caused by the previous fire on 9 June 2011


June 2011 fire

During the early evening of 9 June 2011
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is the statute, statutory Fire service in the UK, fire and rescue service covering the county of Merseyside in north-west England and is the statutory Fire and Rescue Authority responsible for all 999 fire br ...
sent twelve fire appliances to the plant after fire broke out in concrete bunkers containing 12,000 tonnes of woodchip. It took eight days to extinguish the fire. Mr. Howarth said: "This latest incident at Sonae serves as yet another example of the fact that this plant is unstable and hazardous to local residents, businesses and those who work there. Sonae takes up far too much of the time and resources of the fire service, Knowsley Council and the Health and Safety Executive. I will shortly be calling a joint meeting of the various bodies responsible for monitoring Sonae to pool their experience and seriously consider whether it can be allowed to continue given the risks to the community." During a Parliamentary debate about health and safety legislation on 13 June 2011, Mr. Howarth raised the issue with
Chris Grayling Christopher Stephen Grayling, Baron Grayling, (born 1 April 1962), is a British politician and author who served as Secretary of State for Justice from 2012 to 2015, Leader of the House of Commons from 2015 to 2016 and Secretary of State for T ...
MP, the
Minister of State Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...
for the
Department for Work and Pensions The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for welfare spending, welfare, pensions and child maintenance ...
, and again asked for the plant to be closed down. The fire resulted in Sonae facing a class action compensation claim from 18,000 people who alleged their health was affected by the toxic emissions from the plant during the 8 days it burned. Sonae admitted liability, "subject to causation which means each claimant has to show that they suffered personal injury and/or nuisance as a result of the fire." The case is the largest class action of its kind in UK legal history. In June 2013 lawyers acting for the claimants secured a High Court order which required Sonae to notify the lawyers if the manufacturer's insurance policy falls below £65 million. Anthony Wilson, for the claimants, said: "We saw the factory being stripped down but we did not have confirmation they had enough to cover the insurance. We understand machinery has already been sold off to foreign companies and will find its way to other European countries. We were fearful the equipment was being taken out of the jurisdiction to prevent a weighty payout in the future. This is not about the claim culture, but defending the rights of vulnerable people who could go on to suffer long-term illness because of this plant." In July 2015 the class action claim was rejected in the
High Court of Justice The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal (England and Wales), Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Courts of England and Wales, Senior Cour ...
by Mr Justice Jay, who decided that the symptoms suffered by the 16,626 claimants were "short-lived and had not exceeded the hurdle the law sets for actionable personal injury." In his ruling, he said: "It is difficult to say for how long the smoke and these mild symptoms lasted, but I have in mind a maximum period of about one week. Many months later – it is unclear exactly how and why – lawyers arrived on the scene and sensed the opening of a business opportunity. It proved not very difficult to recruit willing claimants to the group, not least because there was a lot of ill-feeling in the neighbourhood directed towards Sonae, and many people genuinely believed that they must have been harmed in some way. The legal process preyed on human susceptibility and vulnerability, and the rest is history."


Early Day Motion and closure

An
Early Day Motion In the Westminster parliamentary system, an early day motion (EDM) is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by a member of Parliament, which the Government (in charge of parliamentary business) has not yet scheduled for debate. Hi ...
calling for the permanent closure of the plant was tabled by Knowsley MP George Howarth on 14 June 2011. Another fire on the night of 26 January 2012 led to Howarth calling again for the factory to be closed, saying that "in view of these incidents" the council should "rescind" the company's environmental permit. The plant ceased production on 13 September 2012. The land has since been sold to The Peel Group for redevelopment.


See also

*
Sonae Sonae is a multinational business group headquartered in Maia, Portugal. It operates in 90 countries, working in various sectors, among which retail (food, electronics, and fashion), real estate, media and telecommunications, technology investme ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonae Industria Manufacturing companies of Portugal Manufacturing companies established in 1959 Industrial fires and explosions Industrial accident deaths