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Entrepreneurs add value to impregnated pine shingles in southern Chile

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A married couple bets on rescuing wood and growing their proposal across Chile and the world with "Eco Wood Tronadores."

Opportunities sometimes arise by chance and other times out of necessity. In this sense, a couple living in Castro, Los Lagos Region, saw a great opportunity in pine to produce shingles—but impregnated for greater durability and at a low cost.
This is Francisca De Brito, a higher-level technical professional and event producer, a title earned in New Zealand, and her husband Guido Guarda, a psychologist dedicated to home construction, who saw in this material the chance to start a business.

Francisca shared that she and her partner own a lodge in Castro, in the heart of Chiloé, which could not be built without shingle cladding. "He had the idea of using flat, thin rectangular wood pieces, but it was difficult to find them because the existing ones were made of alerce or cypress, which are protected species and not readily available, as they require management plans and are part of a specialized craft," she recalled.

Although they found cypress shingles, they recognized a need and decided to manufacture them with impregnated pine, a species increasingly known in construction for its durability—if properly treated—and lower cost compared to others.

After treating the pine, the idea of founding a company called "Eco Wood Tronadores" was born. It launched in March of this year, and a major step forward came when they participated in the G100, an initiative promoting entrepreneurship as a social driver. "In that instance, we gained visibility and acceptance. We secured our first sales," she highlighted.

The key difference
Regarding the process, Francisca explained that they produce 12-by-4-inch shingles, treated with a chromium and copper sulfate bath for greater longevity. "This gives us a significant advantage, making them more durable compared to alerce and cypress, which are no longer available in the market. When someone wants to build a house, they find that each shingle costs around $2,000, making it unprofitable to cover large areas of roofing or exterior walls, so people opt for zinc or fiber cement. Therefore, we also aim to compete with claddings in general, not just native wood," she emphasized.

Another key aspect of this venture is product testing in laboratories at the University of Concepción to study the effects of outdoor exposure. So far, thanks to their treatment, they have seen good results against dew and UV factors. "It could be like alerce and last at least 50 years," she projected.
The founders of this southern company approached Incuba UdeC, where they received mentorship from an expert who guided them on the technical side of the business, as they already had a clear business idea. "We didn’t have deep knowledge about wood, and we gained that through the university’s expertise," Francisca noted.

These positive outcomes are driving them to continue testing other species, such as canelo, though this is still in its early stages and will depend on market response. "We’ve been at this for a short time, and there’s room to grow, whether by adding other types of wood or new designs," Francisca envisions.

Guido Guarda added that costs weigh heavily in this business, as pine costs $4,000 per inch, while canelo—the most affordable native wood—costs double. "So, the price is about $200 more than what it costs us to make a pine shingle. With canelo, we’ve just started testing and still need to see, for example, what color it would turn," he commented.
Additionally, he mentioned that, based on his observations, crews extracting canelo from native forests charge $4,000 for purchase and removal. That’s just labor, as landowner fees, management plans, and other items raise the price to $8,000—meaning pine costs 50% less. "So, we’d have to see if the market reacts well to canelo shingles," he stressed.

Another aspect of this business is its social value, given that they operate in an area where wood is part of daily life, whether for heating or pellets. "We’re reviving wood construction with shingle cladding, something that has been fading, as many build their homes with smuggled, recycled, or otherwise sourced shingles. Plus, architects don’t design with shingles because they’re scarce, and when they do build, they must know their origin. That’s why we’re betting on introducing our product," Francisca pointed out.

Promoting wood
Guido also noted that he finds it very interesting how Chile is rediscovering wood construction, with various institutions uniting under this goal—not just in the south but also in urban areas like Santiago or Concepción. "They’ve realized this material is sustainable because, while forests were once overexploited, entities like CONAF or INFOR now understand that proper management plans allow for responsible wood extraction while maintaining environmental growth."

He added that their venture focuses on rescuing heritage and history, as southern communities are tied to shingles but cannot afford them due to high costs and smuggling. "It’s necessary and fair for people to use the material they want—shingles—because they bring warmth and other qualities that make a wooden house special," the psychologist stated.

This approach has yielded results, as the company’s shingles are now present in construction chains, thanks to a consolidated production line. As a result, they are already planning to expand their workshop to produce 150,000 units monthly, supplying three southern regions—and perhaps even reaching national and global markets.