We use certified wood
Sustainable
and legal wood for our crane mats
Our wood comes from West Africa, where we source it from specially selected sawmills that adhere to sustainable forest management principles. This includes maintaining a rotation period of 30 years based on a carefully documented forest management plan. The plan outlines where logging is permitted and from what diameter. Vulnerable areas and waterways are always avoided, and agreements are made with local residents, with respect to their customary rights. Therefore, you can be sure that the wood is 100% legal and sustainable.
Even after the wood is harvested, the beams are not treated with chemicals. This makes them ultimately 100% biodegradable, so they are not environmentally harmful if they are left in nature.
Wood types
At Welex B.V., there are several wood types to choose from. Ekki is the most common wood type, and it is the most suitable hardwood for crane mats. Its interlocked grain prevents it from splitting and instead causes it to fray, making it highly resistant to wear. Additionally, it is highly resistant to all types of weather, making it exceptionally versatile. In our assortment, we also have Okan, Dabema, and Basralocus as standard wood types.
Sustainably harvested
Sustainable harvesting is a top priority for us, which is why we constantly monitor and optimize our sawmills in collaboration with our suppliers. We ensure that they operate based on well-documented forest management plans. This prevents clear-cutting and ensures a livable environment for local wildlife. With the support of governments and various organizations, we will continue to work towards further optimization in the future.
CO2 neutral
Wood has the fantastic property of absorbing CO2 throughout its lifecycle. For example, one oak tree stores about 1,000 kg of CO2 per m3 during its growth process.
The wood we use for our cran mats, Ekki, stores a whopping 60% more CO2 than oak wood, namely 1,600 kg of CO2 (source: Centrum Hout).
Combination baffles
When it’s important to use a sustainable product but equally important to keep costs down, you can choose to have crane mats produced by Welex B.V. using a combination of Ekki wood and another tropical hardwood species.
You can choose from Okan, Dabema, and Basralocus or a mix of these. To ensure the best price-to-quality ratio, we provide a core of Dabema or Basralocus and use Ekki or Okan for the outer layers.
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