Associate Group launches Star Panel Boards Limited

Star Panel Boards limited, a joint venture between the Associate Group and Kings Wood, is setting up three manufacturing units with an investment of Rs 900 crores to manufacture Medium Density Fiber (Mdf) and Particle Boards. On commencement of production, Star Panel Boards Limited will be the largest manufacturer of Mdf and Particle Boards in India, the Middle East and the Saarc region. The Company plans to have a manufacturing capacity of one million cubic meters per annum of Panel Products, by the year 2014.
The company has already obtained the mandatory clearances from the Honorable Supreme Court of India for the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. It has also received the necessary project clearances from the respective states and acquired industrial lands.
The Associate Group of companies is an enterprise created by two stalwart organizations that have pioneered landmarks in their respective domains – M/s Farouk Sodagar Darvesh & Company and M/s Jawahar Saw Mills. On the other hand, Kings Wood are the largest suppliers of pulpwood in the country with nearly 28 wood crop collection depots.
With sustained growth of the Indian furniture & interiors industry at more than 20 percent and the number of new houses being built increasing by over 14 percent, the launch of Star Panel Boards Limited is timed perfectly to meet the growing demand for high quality Mdf, Particle Boards, and other panels.
Mdf and Particle Boards manufactured by Star Panel Boards limited will be sold under the brand name “Associate”, which is synonymous with commitment to quality and unmatched after sales service. The Group’s existing network of 53 distributors and dealers across India will ensure customers are never far from “Associate”. The Company is also setting up three satellite centers with warehousing facilities in the West, North, and South India for Pre-Lamination and other value addition to the products. This will ensure prompt deliveries and shorter lead times.
The Group’s investments in state-of-the-art technology and equipments (the first of its kind in India) will ensure that customers get international quality standards at local prices. “Associate Mdf & Particle Boards” will usher a new era in India. As part of the Group’s commitment to environmental conservation, the Company will enter into strategic alliances with farmers to increase the green cover in the country by taking up plantation related activities and also helping the agrarian sector. Star Panel Boards Limited is one of the largest investments made in the Wood Industry in India through internal accruals and debt to create environment friendly wood products.