A typical sawmill in Ghana’s lush tropical landscape. This mill is known as King Charles Sawmilling.

Building Ghana’s timber economy, plank by plank …

Gyadosaboc Ltd, Wood-Mizer Africa’s official dealer in Ghana, is the most dynamic Wood-Mizer dealership in Africa. The company reaches into the diverse corners of Ghana’s timber industry, working closely with key role-players to transform the country’s timber economy.

One of the friendliest destinations in Africa, the warmth, sincerity and integrity of Ghana’s people is matched by its lush tropical climate that cascades over visitors as they step into this jewel of Africa.

Occupied since the 11th century and independent since 1957, Ghana’s economy now ranks amongst Africa’s top 10.

The Wood-Mizer Ghana team.

Ghana is located on the Atlantic seaboard and is flanked by the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean in the south.

Accra, Ghana's capital allows access to the country's hinterland, the sprawling metropolis together with Kumasi in the north constituting the two major economic hubs of Ghana.

The country's tropical savanna climate has an annual average temperature of 26 °C, with steep spikes in humidity especially along the coast.

An estimated 9.17 million ha of forest covers 40% of Ghana’s total land area. The forest can be divided into a Closed Roof Forest Zone, Transitional Forests and the Savanna Forests.

Although deforestation remains a problem in Ghana, the annual rate of deforestation had slowed in the 1980s to about 22,000 ha per year (FAO, 1988, & IUCN, 1992).

A forest giant stands guard over the road from Goasa to Techiman. Wood-Mizer Ghana is an active participant in safeguarding the future of Ghana’s forest riches.

Ghana is recognised as one of the most advanced African countries in terms of the management of its tropical forest assets. Established forest policy, legislation, forest inventory, management planning, and a National Forest Management Standard all contribute to Ghana’s astute management of its forest assets.

Gyadosaboc Ltd, Wood-Mizer’s dealership in Ghana, trades into this rich mix of timber potential, and ranks amongst Wood-Mizer Africa’s most successful dealerships in Africa. It’s 10 branches provide access to Ghana’s widely diversified timber economy, and reaches into neighbouring Togo, Benin and the Ivory Coast.

Philip Gyamfi, Gyadosaboc Ltd’s CEO, knows what it takes to remain competitive in Ghana’s highly contested trading environment.

Mr Philip Gyamfi, CEO of Wood-Mizer Ghana.

“We supply a superior product that is matched with unsurpassed after sales service and technical support, together with ready access to spare parts, consumables and training available from all our branches. Our customers can rely on Wood-Mizer Ghana,” Mr Gyamfi says.

Wood-Mizer Ghana’s headquarters is located in Kumasi, roughly 200 kilometres north of the country’s capital, Accra. Serving as Wood-Mizer’s national hub, the HQ in Kumasi presides over the key timber production regions where Wood-Mizer Ghana’s branches are located.

The regions – Great Accra, Central and Western, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo - are managed from the branches in Accra, Takoradi, Adansi Asokwa, Kumasi (Main), Gyinyase, Bibiene, Goasa, Sinyani, Techiman and Ejura.

Visiting each of the branches is a riveting and humbling experience.

The adherence to strict quality standards, religiously policed inventories and pristinely kept buildings leave no doubt that excellence, precision and a proud ethic prevails.

Perched under the forest canopy is Wood-Mizer Ghana’s Bibiene branch.

“I have a very simple policy when it comes to my branch managers,” Mr Gyamfi says. “I tell them they don’t work for me, they work for themselves. Their failure will fail themselves and their families. Together with that we also see ourselves as being blessed to be part of the Wood-Mizer family. The standards that make Wood-Mizer a leading multinational company, also applies to what we do in Ghana,“ Mr Gyamfi continues.

Gyadosaboc’s growth in Ghana has been explosive, the dealership’s sales in the region constitute a large part of Wood-Mizer Africa’s total machine sales on the continent.

Wood-Mizer's thin-kerf narrow bandsaw technology has also become a key tool in the fight to reverse the rates of deforestation in Ghana. Interest in this technology was sparked by a programme set up by Ghana's Timber Industry Development Division to improve technical and investment collaboration between local timber processors and their overseas counterparts. The programme is EU-financed.

The fact that Wood-Mizer Ghana has not only achieved commercial success but is also contributing to efforts to halt deforestation has made the brand a cornerstone of the sustainability of the industry.

“We have to think of those who follows after us. With Wood-Mizer, we now have the means for sawmillers to earn a decent living while also looking after our forests,” Mr Gyamfi concludes.

A street scene in front of Wood-Mizer Ghana’s Techiman branch.

Sincerity, a strong work ethic, and a drive for excellence is the hallmark of Wood-Mizer Ghana’s employees. Samuel Effa from Wood-Mizer’s Accra branch.

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