Accsys Technologies and Coillte Panel Products unveils world's first trial Medite Tricoya® panel at Ecobuild 2010

9th March 2010 - IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE

Last week, Accsys Technologies PLC ("Accsys") and Coillte Panel Products together unveiled the world's first Medite Tricoya® panel at the annual Ecobuild exhibition.

Speaking at a lunchtime reception attended by some 50 key industry opinion formers, company's stakeholders and distributors as well as influential national press, Paul Clegg, Chief Executive Officer of Accsys, said this first trial panel marks one of the first true innovations in the wood composites industry in more than 30 years and is a progress step forward in the development of a potential commercial product.

Mr Clegg said: "We are very excited to unveil the first Medite Tricoya® panel to our business partners, industry friends and media at Ecobuild today. This innovative product is based on the same acetylation process that creates Accoya® wood, the world's leading high technology solid wood product. This time, the technology is applied to treat the chips and fibres, which make up Medite MDF (medium density fibreboard) panels."

Gerard Britchfield, Managing Director of Medite's parent division, Coillte Panel Products, adds that this next generation panel has very strong environmental credentials as it combines the traditional superb machinability and smoothness properties of Medite MDF with the sharply enhanced performance characteristics delivered by the Tricoya® process, particularly with regard to durability and dimensional stability in wet environments.

"Following the signing of the Joint Development Agreement last year, this is an important step forward. However, we still have a significant body of technical research and market assessment to complete in 2010 in order to bring this commercial feasibility stage of the development progress to a definitive conclusion," Mr Britchfield said.

The reception was also attended by some key opinion formers in the timber industry, including Charles Trevor, Chairman of the Wood Technology Society. He commented that the timber industry in the UK is now facing challenging times due to the recent recession, competition from other building materials and low promotional spend.

"However, the good news is that more people than ever understand that timber is the most sustainable building material for the 21st Century. In addition, engineered wood products like glulam, LVL and cross laminated timber have brought a new and welcome predictability to the business of specifying wood. Now Accoya® wood can be added to this list of engineered wood products, and Medite Tricoya looks set to bring a whole new dimension to panel product specification."