BARRINGTON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--US based EcoPlanet Bamboo Group has expanded their global operations through the launch of EcoPlanet Bamboo Southern Africa. The cornerstone of this expansion was the purchase of SA Bamboo Corp and hiring of its founder and director, Jan Adriaan van Zyl, as EcoPlanet Bamboo South Africa’s new President.
“Our acquisition of SA Bamboo Corp and the leadership of Mr. Jan Adrian van Zyl allows us to benefit from 4 years of research & development, operating experience, established mature bamboo nurseries, and a series of pilot plantation projects within South Africa’s Eastern Cape which is one of the Country’s poorest states,” says Troy Wiseman CEO of EcoPlanet Bamboo Group.
EcoPlanet Bamboo Southern African operations will focus on the development of commercial bamboo plantations and processing. EcoPlanet Bamboo will capitalize on the increasing shortage of charcoal and fuel wood within the region, while exploring the potential for entering high value timber markets with the chosen species, Bambusa balcooa.
EcoPlanet Bamboo is a fully integrated bamboo plantation and processing company, with more than 3,500 acres of bamboo under ownership and management in Central America. The Company’s main focus is to replace traditional hardwood products currently harvested from natural forests, with certified bamboo products, without substituting quality or aesthetic value. Bamboo can be substituted for structural components, flooring, decking and laminates, and many other products conventionally made out of wood.
Planting of our first South African farm, an 800 acre degraded pineapple farm in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, is set to begin in January 2012. The Eastern Cape is 60% rural, with a 27% rate of unemployment. EcoPlanet Bamboo Southern Africa expects to create over 300 jobs in 2012.
For more information see www.ecoplanetbamboo.com / www.ecoplanetbamboo.co.za or contact info@ecoplanetbamboo.com