2021

03.12.2021. INTERHOLCO is proud to present Lobi, the spearhead of its first collection made from FSC®* certified Sustainable Hardwood, Made in Africa according to the most demanding socio-environmental criteria. Lobi means 'tomorrow' and 'future' in the broadest sense; the name is derived from Lingala, the most widely used language in Congo Basin countries.

29.11.2021. Dutch writer Meindert Brouwer has reviewed and expanded his '', an all-round must-read on Congo Basin natural tropical forests. The book comprises 17 new chapters about opportunities and solutions for their conservation and sustainable use.

09.11.2021. The Republic of the Congo has a plan: co-creating solutions together with investors and natural tropical forests, not just for COP26 but well beyond. The way forward at bird’s eye view: (1.) Carbon positive forestry is possible in the Congo Basin. (2.) Together, we should compensate Africa’s forests. (3.) Forest and climate finance should share benefits with host countries and local communities.

29.10.2021. On Tuesday 9 November 2021, INTERHOLCO will hold a side event at the UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP26) which takes place in Glasgow from 31.10.2021 to 12.11.2021. The objective of the event is to show-case best in class public-private-partnership in tropical forestry in the Republic of Congo.

07.10.2021. We are honoured that Interholco's has been selected as Best in the World for Timber and Forest Management in the framework of the Hallbars Awards 2021, the most prestigious international recognition for sustainability awards.

05.10.2021. FSC^®-certified (Forest Stewardship Council^® C022952) hardwood from Africa delivers so many benefits that it is quite hard to think of a comparably ‘generous’ construction or building material. In several Central African countries, forestry is already the first or second largest employment sector.

15.09.2021. A building represents an obstacle to the wind flow. The wind exerts pressures on the building that generate forces perpendicular to the building surface. Therefore, a building must be designed and dimensioned to withstand the strongest winds that are likely to occur during its lifetime at its location.

31.08.2021. Boat and furniture builders have been bending wood for many years, to meet hydrodynamic and ergonomic requirements. In buildings, however, these techniques are relatively uncommon.

27.08.2021. Wood is the only building material that ensures it comes from responsibly managed sources, in this case forests.

24.08.2021. Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) is a major representative of 20th century sculpture who developed modernism into a personal universe of her own, close to abstract art and strongly inspired by nature.

30.07.2021. Wood is a flammable material, granted. But it also has innate flame-retardant properties. Wooden structures remain highly stable in the event of fire.

16.07.2021. What we remember in life, is the people we love, the places we’ve been and the memories we made along the way. The others are windows open onto ourselves. At INTERHOLCO, we take care of the frame. You decide who to invite on the journey.

13.07.2021. Guarea cedrata, Guarea laurentii De Wild. and Guarea thompsonii Sprague & Hutch is all traded as Bosse. Evergreen, large tree up to 45(–55) m tall; bole branchless for up to 26 (–41) m, usually straight and cylindrical, sometimes fluted, up to 150(–200) cm in diameter, sometimes with spreading, blunt buttresses up to 3 m high.

30.06.2021. Wood saves more or less one third of the time used in conventional building construction. Prefabrication frees the construction process from the uncertainty of weather events. 

24.06.2021. Deforestation and forest degradation are non-negotiables: millions of us depend on how far we are ready to go, to protect our forests i.e. our climate, our health, our food, our water, not to mention some of the world’s most extraordinary plants and animals. 

18.06.2021. When our wood products reach the port of delivery, their marking allows for identification of the supply, all the way to the forest of origin. This is known as, traceability.

05.06.2021. A forest is more than a question of trees. People live in and from it, shaping their survival, identity and beliefs around it. At the same time, a forest is home to hundreds of species of animals and trees; it feeds water basins, stocks carbon and regulates rain regimes which affect far away countries.

02.06.2021. Buildings have extensive direct and indirect impacts on the environment. During their construction, occupancy, renovation, repurposing, and demolition, buildings use energy, water, and raw materials, generate waste, and emit potentially harmful atmospheric emissions.

26.05.2021. In December 2020, INTERHOLCO passed the FSC® audit, which took place in the field. 'At INTERHOLCO, we strive for honesty, integrity,' says Tom van Loon, Head of Sustainability, INTERHOLCO. 'We place utmost importance on successful long-term partnerships with our suppliers and customers.'

24.05.2021. In Baka language ‘Musungui’ means, ‘to help one another’. The spirit of ‘Musungui’ is what best describes INTERHOLCO’s ALLIANCE: the ability to deliver solutions, joining forces. One of the solutions is, in fact, listening. Listening makes it possible to pinpoint key factors, measures that need to be improved at strategy level. 

21.05.2021. As agreed with the Congolese state, owner of the parks as well as of the Ngombé forest, INTERHOLCO is required to secure the area against unauthorised settlement, illegal harvesting, poaching, bushmeat trade and irreversible change.

18.05.2021. The term ‘future-proofing’ in relation to sustainable design began to be used in 2007. In this context, ‘future-proof’ generally refers to energy conservation; in particular, the ability of a structure or design to minimize the effects of future global temperature rise and/or rising energy costs.

11.05.2021. And now, for an unusual use of wood!  The choice of Kosipo, a superior hardwood that INTERHOLCO offers with FSC^® certification, draws the attention to the washbasin which acquires an aesthetically dominant role.

06.05.2021. What makes a man's worth? Mr. Bienvenu Gbalondo, working at IFO's heavy timber mill, discloses his credo as employee and father. IFO is the subsidiary company of INTERHOLCO in the North of the Republic of Congo, where wood is responsibly harvested and transformed into 'Sustainable Hardwood - Made in Africa' by more than 1.400 workers.

03.05.2021. More than 1.000 fair trade job opportunities provide 10.000 people with the means to build their future with dignity in one of the most remote regions of the Republic of Congo. That is but one of the solutions that 'Sustainable Hardwood Made in Africa', INTERHOLCO's flagship product, delivers.

26.04.2021. With more days per week and more hours each day spent at home, many of us struggle to calm their minds and find their balance. Even when working from home, we are bombarded by a constant hype, 24/7 distraction and endless barrage of pings from our phones. The solution? Wood can make us feel better, turning our home into a happier place.

22.04.2021. INTERHOLCO works in synergy with the state eco-guards. Close cooperation between the state and the private sector for sustainable wildlife management is an arrangement which is unique to the Republic of Congo, as researchers from the University of Liège have recently illustrated.

19.04.2021. “Conservation is only possible if we have a good relationship with the communities.” José Blanchard BOKANDZA could not have made his approach clearer: “The communities are the first custodians of the forest. Because they are the ones who depend on it in their daily life.”

12.04.2021. Wood for carving must be dry, cannot be brittle and should not release its internal stresses when carved. The Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms) that INTERHOLCO offers with FSC^® certification meets all these criteria, exceeding them.

07.04.2021. Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms) or West African Cedar is a large tree growing in West Africa and the Congo Basin, reaching about 50 m in height. It grows a straight and cylindrical bole of more than 2 m in diameter. 

01.04.2021. INTERHOLCO takes the ecological transition on board via a river-railway alliance in the Republic of Congo.

29.03.2021. In the North of the Republic of Congo, the ecological transition is successful. As soon as the season allows and the water level is suitable, INTERHOLCO's flagship product, "Sustainable Hardwood - Made in Africa", is transported down the Sangha, a tributary of the Congo River.

22.03.2021. The fish is huge, its dimensions giving it the appearance of a predator: « We call it nina in Lingala. It's the electric fish, » the lady explains. Electric catfish (scientific name Malapterurus electricus) are a freshwater fish, commonly found in many African rivers and lakes, including those of the Congo basin.

21.03.2021. On the occasion of International Day of Forests (21 March), "Sustainable Hardwood – Made in Africa” delivers a message of crucial importance: the forest is more than just trees. She is the mother and source of traditional healing for the local communities and indigenous peoples who have interacted with her over the course of thousands of years. 

17.03.2021. With its exceptional properties, Africa’s Wengé wood which INTERHOLCO is proud to offer with FSC^® certification deserves first class manufacturing. As Japan’s leading manufacturer of wooden furniture, Karimoku proudly upholds a steady focus on quality.

11.03.2021. The theme chosen for International Women's Day 2021, "Women's Leadership: For an Equal Future in the World of Covid-19", reflects an obvious fact: the importance of women's contributions. Faced with the health and social emergency caused by the pandemic in the Republic of Congo, INTERHOLCO has taken into account the leadership potential of women by involving them in its intervention strategy.

08.03.2021. Congolese entrepreneur Vouala Obambi, Managing Director of ENERGAZ (a SAPRO group company) has a vision for the future: leading change. As the only woman manager of an electricity production company in the Republic of Congo and the youngest in Africa, Ms. Obambi is participating in a call for tenders for the operation of the Liouesso hydroelectric power plant.

04.03.2021. With long hours now spent sitting at home, relax and comfort are vital for balance. Especially as many of us seek to blend work and personal life together. The warm tones of Wenge (Millettia laurentii), a dark, marbled wood that INTERHOLCO harvests sustainably in the Republic of Congo, bring the forest home – rescuing our connection with nature.

23.02.2021. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), between 2000 and 2010, large-scale commercial agriculture (generally related to cattle ranching and the cultivation of soya bean and oil palm) accounted for 40% of tropical deforestation, and local subsistence agriculture another 33%.

15.02.2021. Gorillas, Bongos, Forest elephants and Chimpanzees team up with British architect Tom Wilson in ‘Forest dwellers’, one of the winners of the Conversations about Climate Change competition. Is it possible to sustainably harvest timber and natural products, contributing to ethical and sustainable economies, as well as safeguarding habitats, biodiversity and the health of the Earth? The four Forest Dwellers have been conceived to ask this very question.

08.02.2021. With New Year just weeks away, many are drumming up inspiration to let what matters come to the forefront. What are we most proud of? INTERHOLCO's performance in 2020, ranked number 1 in the world by SPOTT in the field of tropical forestry. However, the task remains still very big.

28.01.2021. Such is the essence of home: a place in which the well-being of bodies is encouraged, food and sleep are taken care of; caresses and laughter instigated; a place in which affection grows deeper. Such is the essence of Wengé (Millettia laurentii), a dark, marbled wood that walks you like no other in your stories of laughter and joy, stillness and meditation, sharing and giving.