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Gunns

Gunns Limited
Public company
Traded as ASXGNS
Industry Timber production
Founded 1875
Founder John and Thomas Gunn
Defunct March 2013
Headquarters Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Key people
Chris Newman (Chairman)
Revenue DecreaseA$406 million (2012)
Profit DecreaseA$904 million (2012)
Number of employees
645 (2012)
Divisions Gunns Plantations Limited
Gunns Forestry Limited
Tamar Ridge Wines
Gunns Retail
Gunns Timber Products
Gunns Pulp
Website www.gunns.com.au

Gunns Limited was a major forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. It has operations in forest management, woodchipping, sawmilling and veneer production. The company was placed in liquidation in March 2013.

Founded in 1875 by brothers John and Thomas Gunn, it is one of Australia's oldest companies. It has over 900 square kilometres of plantations, mainly eucalyptus trees. It is Tasmania’s largest private land-owner. The company employs over 1,200 people and has suffered a dramatic turnaround in revenue in recent years, going from a turnover in excess of A$600 million in 2006, to a loss of over $350 million in 2011. Gunns is the largest export woodchip operation in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of two chip export companies sourcing raw materials from Tasmanian forests, the other being Neville Smith Forest Products through their SmartFiber branch in Bell Bay.

The move to expand its base into mainland operation began with the acquisition of Auspine in 2007. In September 2010, Gunns announced that it will end logging of old growth forests and move to plantation timber. In November 2011, the Gunns Mitre 10 stores were re-branded as Beck's Home Timber and Hardware, owned by the Danks Brothers Hardware Group, subsidiary of Woolworths Limited.

Gunns was placed into voluntary administration on 25 September 2012, after it was unable to raise further capital or restructure the business.

In 2009, the company was awarded a contract to operate a new woodchip processing facility at Portland. The woodchipping mill was later sold off to Australian Bluegum Plantations in 2012, for $61.8 million.

In South Australia the company managed blue gum plantations on Kangaroo Island. In Jamestown Gunns was a major customer of Morgan Sawmill.

Gunns bought the Tarpeena softwood sawmill from the now failed Forest Enterprises Australia. Which was later sold onto Timberlink.


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