Partnering with Wood-Mizer drives DRC sawmill’s growth.

Partnering with Wood-Mizer drives DRC sawmill’s growth.

Albiol Nenge

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Customers waiting for precisely sawn timber off Krishna Wood’s Wood-Mizer LT40

A Kolwezi-based sawmill, Krishna Wood, grows from one to four Wood-Mizer sawmills in just two years.

“I realized there was money in wood when I saw the first Wood-Mizer sawmill cutting a log,” says Krishna Wood Sawmill MD, Jinajunga Borisomoya.

The former transport company owner delivered logs to sawmills in Kolwezi. But it quickly became clear that he was in the wrong business.

“I saw the first Wood-Mizer sawmill working at a timber business where I delivered logs. I was amazed to learn that there were a lot of Wood-Mizer sawmills working all over Kolwezi.  I was even more amazed to learn that the sawn timber they produced sold for much more than what I earned from my log transport business,” Jinajunga says.

Profits are high for quality sawn timber.

“I immediately sold my trucks and made an appointment to discuss my plans to start a sawmill with Wood-Mizer’s representative in Lubumbashi, Papa Elie Bembay.

“Elie advised me to start with an LT20 because we cut big logs in Kolwezi. The logs are thick and often over five meters in length. The LT20 started my business and I haven’t looked back since then, says Jinajunga.

From forest to final form with Wood-Mizer.

One Wood-Mizer sawmill quickly doubled into two, then four as Krishna’s output grew and money rolled in.

In 2022 Krishna’s total Wood-Mizer fleet stood at four with the company planning to add a fifth Wood-Mizer, an LT70, to its machine lineup in 2023.

Sawn timber deliveries from Krishna Wood.

“I like the precision and reliability of Wood-Mizer,” Jinajunga says. “It is a quality machine that produces the sizes my customers need.”

Krishna Wood’s key customers are construction companies with the timber used for new housing shooting up across the city. Walk-in customer needing sawn timber for a variety of other applications forms the rest of the sawmill’s clientele.

Kolwezi and its rapidly expanding mining sector is a drawcard for job seekers with the Katanga Province’s annual population increase standing at 3,4%.

Elie Bembay, Wood-Mizer’s Authorised Dealer in Kolwezi on the left together with Jinajunga Borisomoya, Krishna Wood’s MD and Fred Kapenda, Wood-Mizer DRC’s Area Manager on the right.

Krishna Wood is ideally placed to supply the sawn needed for new housing projects going up in the area with the main sizes supplied measuring 5 m x 40/50 x 10 cm.

“Krishna’s LT20 and three LT40’s has allowed us to produce the volumes and quality we need to meet the needs of our customers. This, plus Wood-Mizer’s after sales service support has allowed us to grow so much in just two years,” Jinajunga Borisomoya proudly ends.

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