THE region’s largest integrated forestry company has released a snapshot of its operations and achievements, including new figures showing it planted more than five million trees last year.
Releasing its 2019 annual review this week, OneFortyOne (OFO) described this period as a “huge year” for the company.
The report reveals OFO remained financially profitable in “challenging markets” and was steadfast in its commitment to offer wood fibre first to domestic processors in Australia.
According to the review, the company poured $40m into upgrading its Jubilee sawmill and directly employs nearly 400 people across the region.
The “dynamic” company also underpins a contractor workforce of more than 400 people and has injected $100m into the “local economy”.
The company has unveiled a fresh branding amid the development of a new-look logo, which illustrates the fact “fibre” is at the heart of its operations.
OFO chief executive Linda Sewell said the start to 2020 had been unprecedented with the Australian bushfires and now the impacts of COVID-19, which were completely unforeseen.
“Our 2019 annual review showcases all of OneFortyOne’s hard work during the past year,” Ms Sewell said.
“The report is a comprehensive overview of our operations, plus a few selected stories that show the positive impact OneFortyOne is having on our environment.”
Ms Sewell said OFO challenged itself to grow and develop in 2019, with safety being one of its highest priorities.
“Our industry has risks and we work to mitigate these by putting best practice systems and processes in place,” the forestry chief said.
The company gave its people a mandate to put forward innovative approaches to improve safety.
“We are also promoting the importance of mental and emotional health as these are just as important and valid, as physical health,” Ms Sewell said.
“We have supported the future of the industry by investing in education through curriculum development, scholarships, graduate roles, apprenticeships and vacation job programs.
“We have supported the future of our communities by supporting initiatives that promote regions, culture, the environment and diversity.”
Ms Sewell said the company’s re-branding project started before Australia’s bushfire emergency and the coronavirus health crisis.
“We had already started the re-branding project long before these events were on the horizon,” she said.
“We feel fortunate that we took an approach that was extremely mindful of waste and cost and so we felt we could finish the project very pragmatically.”
She said the new brand showcasing fibre was at the “heart of everything the company did”.
“The new logo is based on the cross-section view of an individual wood fibre from one of our trees,” Ms Sewell said.
“It represents not only the physical shape of fibre that is at the heart of our business, but also the three strands of our purpose: strengthen, integrate and extend.
“The branding has galvanised our sense of a single business across Australia and NZ, communicating a collective purpose.
“Ultimately, the branding project speaks to the unity of the business, which is very important in the current climate.”
The new brand was launched ahead of International Day of Forests on Saturday.
