The Kerala based Western India Plywoods Ltd., established in 1945, started manufacture of sawn timber and plywood on a modest scale with a few indigenous and lent-leased machinery. The Company is a manufacturer of high quality plywoods, Hardboard, Pre-Compressed Boards, Densified Wood, Furniture and Low Density Fibre Boards at Kannur, Kerala. It manufactures UF & PF Resins, Resorcinol Formaldehyde, Glass Reinforced Plastics, Prefurnished Boards, DAP resin and Monomer, UV Top Coat and Base Coat.
The Hardboard Plant with an installed capacity of 12.5 tonnes was set up in 1959-60 with West German technical collaboration. Now this Division with an total installed capacity of 34750 MTPA is the market leader in Hardboards.
In 1978, WIP has set up a plant for manufacturing Di-allyl Phthalate (DAP) Moulding powder, a thermoset which had to be imported until then, The technology was developed in-house with support from Shree Ram Institute of Industrial Research, Delhi.
In 1989, the company put up a pre-finishing plant for direct printing wood grains and plain colours onto hardboards and plywoods using UV radiation cured surface finishes. The pre-finishing plant is the only one of its kind in the country and one of the few in the World.
The Company was the first to make Irradiated Wood, Aircraft Plywood, Fire Retardant Plywood conforming to BS:476 specification, high pressure industrial laminates, develop Weather proof, Marine and Fire Retardant Hardboards, Metal Faced Plywoods, Pre-finished Plywoods and Hardboards using UV-cured surface finishing technology and manufacture DAP Resin in the country with indigenously developed knowhow.
Presently, the Company is manufacturing low density fiber board by using waste sludge from the currency paper mills as part of the raw materials. The low density fiber board introduced has got both domestic and international market. However as the Company is in commercial operation for more than 7 decades, it established a good system of procurement. The joint venture company started in Malaysia for manufacturing of veneers is meeting a major requirement of raw materials for the Company. It is in process and diversification in to new value added products.