After a three-week road show, EcoForests establishes an exclusive relationship with the China National Forest Products Corporation and prepares to launch a new branch in China.
Presently undergoing preparations for the official opening of its new, dedicated office in Shenzhen, China. Eco Forests has also solidified an agreement with state-owned China National Forest Products Corporation. The agreement outlines a multi-tiered plan for EcoForests to source, supply and offer investment opportunities in various wood products and timber plantations to the Chinese Government.
“Given the fact that there is such huge demand for wood in China and the Asia-Pacific region, EcoForests is thrilled about this expansion,” says Michael Ackerman, CEO of EcoForests. “We are honoured to partner with the China National Forest Products Corporation and we look forward to playing an important role in the country’s future wood imports and exports.”
In the first phase of the agreement, EcoForests will source and ship specific Canadian wood products as well as tropical timber from Latin and South America. EcoForests will act as an experienced broker to this Chinese government organization, helping them fulfill the evergrowing demand for wood products in their country. As part of phase two, it is anticipated that the China National Forest Products Corporation will invest in EcoForests’ plantations in South America.
“We’re always looking for new organizations to partner with in order to optimize our importing and exporting initiatives of critical timber products,” says Stevn Qu, Vice-President of China National Forest Products Corporation. “EcoForests presented us with a strategic plan that perfectly fits our mandate.”
After much preparation, EcoForests put on a three-week road show in China, visiting major cities including Foshan, Shenzhen, Beijing, Tianjin and Wuhan. Ackerman and his team also made an appearance in Taipei, Taiwan, Tokyo, Japan and Seoul, South Korea. Throughout the road show, EcoForests was involved in a number of investment exhibitions, conferences and private meetings scheduled to help the timber investment management company foster new relationships, create mutually beneficial partnerships and establish offices in the Asia Pacific.
EcoForests Hong Kong Limited – the name of EcoForests’ new Asia Pacific office set to open on January 2017 – will be run by a renowned Chinese PR organization spearheaded by a strong team consisting of sales representatives, business developers, researchers and lawyers. The team will promote EcoForests’ tropical timber plantations in South America and solicit new business from Chinese institutions and family offices interested in diversifying their portfolios to include timber.
“We believe strongly that EcoForests will be highly successful here,” says Wei Sun, soon-to-be director of EcoForests Hong Kong Limited. “This opportunity is a win-win-win for local investors who want to diversify their portfolios, invest in a product that is environmentally friendly, and most importantly, turn a profit.”
As EcoForests rolls out these new initiatives in China, the company will also be visiting neighbouring regions to expand even further within the Asia Pacific.
About Ecoforests Asset Management
EcoForests is a boutique forestry investment management company that manages high-end tropical timber species on behalf of their global private and institutional investors, maximizing returns through a commitment to quality, technique, sustainability and security. Headquartered in Toronto, EcoForests has forestry operations in Central and South America with regional offices in Hong Kong, USA, Israel and UK.
About China National Forest Products Corporation
China National Forest Products Corporation is headquartered in Beijing and was established in 1979 as an enterprise under the control of state forestry administration. The company imports and exports timber, forest products, paper, paper products, coal and rubber. With annual sales revenues of nearly 20 billion, China National Forest Products Corporation combines industry and trade, primarily focused on the sale of timber as well as pulp, coal and rubber.
For more information about this press release, please contact:
Matthew Edwards
Investment Marketing Executive
Ecoforests Canada
4711 Yonge Street, 10th Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M2N 6K8
m.edwards@ecoforests.ca
www.ecoforests.com