Gunns Limited
 |
|
| Public company | |
| Traded as | ASX: GNS |
| Industry | Timber production |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Founder | John and Thomas Gunn |
| Defunct | March 2013 |
| Headquarters | Launceston, Tasmania, Australia |
|
Key people
|
Chris Newman (Chairman) |
| Revenue |
 A$406 million (2012) |
| Profit |
A$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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Wikipedia