In the twenties, just after the First World War, the company made its first move. The trade in Norwegian wood was conducted from Gentbrugge. Three departments – a saw mill, a planing shop and a department with small carpentry machines, together with a direct rail connection, earned Decolvenaere a reputation as one of the most modern saw mills in Flanders.

The first experience with tropical wood dates back to the thirties. Trunks from the Belgian Congo were shipped to Belgium. Even back then, a special precison saw was used to saw square-cut blocks coming from genuine Cuba Mahogany.