Santa Clara Marine Plywood nears 100 years
Nearing its 100th year as manufacturer of the famous Santa Clara Marine Plywood, SMWPI is looking at the years ahead with high hopes for the product and the industries it serves in the Philippines, as well as in other countries. Santa Clara’s quality products are now available in other countries, including Palau and Indonesia.
The company started operations in 1923.
“The geography of our country makes boats an important means of transportation and livelihood, especially in the islands. For those in the coastal communities, boats mean life. In the same way, for those living in urban areas, having a secure home is a primary need,” says Randy Ng, executive vice president of SMWPI, maker of Santa Clara Marine Plywood. “When it comes to our primary needs, we want the construction durable and reliable. And reliability and durability of anything usually begins with the right materials. SMWPI is the producer of Santa Clara Marine Plywood and we’re proud of this product,” added Ng.
Santa Clara Marine Plywood — a household name in durable and longlasting plywood — has placed quality first in its products. Since 1923, the Santa Clara brand has become the top choice among boat-builders, and recently to home developers, contractors, hardware store owners, and furniture makers.
The Santa Clara marine plywood has been specifically tested to withstand continuous soaking and drying cycles of boats. Boatmen affirm that a Santa Clara-made boat does not need to be immediately taken from the water to dry since they are assured that the wood does not easily rot.
Santa Clara Marine Plywood’s ability to withstand the weather conditions that boats are continually
subjected to makes it also ideal plywood for house-building materials. The plywood is used for parts of the house that are exposed to different weather conditions, such as ceilings, wall panel and as roofing base for asphalt shingles. The plywood is also ideal for pieces that are prone to getting wet or soaked with water such as kitchen cabinets, counter tops, or as a base for granite or tile finish.
Over the years, Santa Clara marine plywood has been synonymous to unparalleled quality.
Ng says every plywood sheet that comes out of their factories goes through high quality control measures and a stringent process to ensure the integrity of every ply. It all starts with the log selection, followed by a quality-guided production process, using up to date technology and human expertise. Plywood samples from each batch undergo the 72 hours (three whole days!) of the continuous boiling test to meet international quality standards. To this day, each sheet of plywood is still manually inspected by our skilled workers. And it proves that their product has completely passed through quality control measures and they stand by it, the company’s laser-etched logo is stamped on each piece of Santa Clara Marine Plywood.
What used to be a small backyard manufacturer now creates jobs for around 600 individuals in the communities where it operates. Its two sizeable factories in the country — in Davao and Agusan — produces thousands of plywood sheets every month.
A further testament to the company’s growth, Santa Clara marine plywood is now available to major hardware stores CitiHardware branches in Davao and Surigao, and Wilcon in key cities in Luzon.