COVER STORY
The company focuses on getting the most out of every tree.
Montigny Investments – 20 years of adding value
At the centre of Swaziland ' s forestry industry, Montigny Investments is celebrating 20 years of operation since 1997.
All images courtesy of Montigny
In touring the 45 000 hectare Usutu plantation and bustling Bhunya mill, the epicentre of Montigny’ s operations and headquarters, it is clear the company has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a one-man show to one of southern Africa’ s largest diversified privately-held sustainable forestry, sawmilling and timber trading businesses.
Neal Rijkenberg, the CEO, founded the company with a vision to bring lasting economic upliftment to his home country through an industry he came to know from a young age. Entrepreneurship was nothing new to Rijkenberg, who started collecting and selling scrap metal at the ripe age of five.“ I have always had a keen sense for business. From childhood, already my mind was ticking about how to make money,” he says. The company’ s size, scale and influence have far exceeded what could have ever been conceived but the ethos remains rooted in the same family values that the company was founded upon.
Two decades later, one cannot spend a week in Swaziland without passing by Montigny’ s 55 000 hectares of Forest Stewardship Council( FSC) certified plantations, meeting one of the company’ s 6 700 employees or encountering one of the company’ s 100 trucks on the road. Pick up a paper in Swaziland and chances are you will read of Montigny’ s latest endeavour as the company’ s growth continues to outperform expectations. In a country with a population of 1.3 million, it is clear to see Montigny’ s impact on the nation. Since 2004, Montigny’ s sales have grown between 30 and 50 % every three years, with 2016’ s turnover exceeding R1-billion.
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12 APRIL / MAY 2017 //