The 1961 expedition to Central Africa of Maurice’s other son, Hilaire Decolvenaere, was to give the company a permanent foothold on tropical soil. During the first phase, the trunks were purchased in Africa, shipped to Antwerp in Belgium, and from there conveyed by horse and cart to the saw mill in Gentbrugge. The tropical adventure immediately got off to a good start, with the first two ships with African wood arriving simultaneously at the Terneuzen lock.

During the second half of the sixties, a start was made on commercial exploitation in Cameroon itself. With financial support from the parent company, a saw mill was set up. The Ghent saw mill was modernised in the mean time.