Particleboard was a Swiss invention following WWII to utilize all of the fallen timber in Europe, especially in Switzerland, Austria, Southern Germany and France, which was no longer suitable for saw mills to process into dimensioned lumber.

The Fahrni Institute, Zurich, held the first patent and their trademark “Novapan” to this day circles the globe.

MDF came to be, as particleboard did not have an edge that can be shaped or profiled like solid wood.

Today in North America, most MDF and PB (particleboard) is manufactured using wood residuals and sawdust from sawmill and other wood processing operations.

In North America, VERY little round wood (whole trees) is harvested for MDF or PB production