Working the wood yard

FRANCE is one of the top three tree-growing countries in the European Union and the country’s forests are among the most beautiful in the world.

But behind such beauty there is also an international business, for example, in the Dordogne region of south west France the wood trade is the third largest employer

Throughout the area factories take locally grown trees and turn them into parquet flooring, panelling and other joinery items for homes in France and abroad.

One of these factories is the family run Castagné and Sons found just outside Villefranche du Perigord in the Dordogne.

Now headed by Philippe Castagné the firm started 80 years ago.

"We source our wood from around the local forests with chestnut and oak very popular in France," said Philippe.

"Both types of wood are well known and you will often see them on the floors of renovated properties, new homes and fashionable apartments.

"We produce what is called 'massive' or solid parquet that is strong, has a regular grain and because of its light colour can be easily varnished or waxed."

"We also produce cut pieces to length for joinery as we have a saw mill on the site."

Out on the factory floor the process of turning logs a metre long into thousands of pieces of parquet begins with the arrival of large containers of wood.

The logs are rolled along a conveyor belt, cut to shape and then prepared for the kilns, which run 24 hours a day, where they are dried for two weeks.

From there they are taken into another large factory shed where different lengths are cut, using a machine that highlights marks on the wood, allowing a variety of pieces to be manufactured.

Then they are graded, packed and sent to wholesalers and merchants in France and further a field.

"At the moment around €1 million of our turnover comes from foreign markets in Europe," Philippe said.

"However, I am currently looking to expand into other parts of the world as it is clear that people like the style and touch of a real wooden floor."