EGGER laminates its first particleboard panel at its new plant in Lexington

EGGER announced it has laminated its first particleboard panel at its new manufacturing facility in Lexington, North Carolina.

Employees gathered around for a signing ceremony where they signed the first board, celebrating the significant milestone as the first thermally fused laminate (TFL) board rolled off the press.

The signed board will eventually be displayed in the office building. Particleboard lamination with decorative surfaces will be a major production focus for the Lexington plant, as well as production of raw particleboard which will begin in the coming weeks.

The first board was laminated on one of two short-cycle presses installed at the plant. The state-of-the-art technology allows boards to be laminated on both sides, with deep, embossed-in-register (EIR) textures that create strikingly authentic reproductions of wood, stone or other materials.

“We are very proud to be celebrating this historic moment in EGGER history with the Lexington community," said Bernhard Vorreiter, project manager for technical and production. “Despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, our project team, local employees, suppliers, contractors, local authorities and many others have managed to push through the challenges to build this 1.1 million-square-foot manufacturing plant from the ground up in less than two years. We are thankful for all the dedication and commitment to this greenfield project.”

Construction on the state-of the-art production plant, the company’s first in North America, began in late 2018. The first board lamination marks a key step to fulfill the company’s initial goal of beginning operations by the end of 2020. The $700 million facility enables EGGER to better serve its customers in the United States and improve access for architects, designers, wholesalers and furniture industry customers to EGGER’s wide range of wood-based products and cutting-edge designs.