Meet the 40-Year-Old Entrepreneur Revolutionizing Luxury Construction With a $20M Investment

Plant Investment and Forestry Backing

For the 20 million dollar project, Baldoma approached Leandro Sigman, the son of Hugo Sigman, the businessman of Insud. According to the reports, the Sigman family ranks as the second richest in Argentina and operates 25,000 hectares of forestations with Pomera alongside two biomass power generators, FRESA and San Alonso, representing a 100 million dollar investment in the same locality. Hugo Sigman noted during the May opening of San Alonso that about 50 percent of harvested forest material previously remained as residue, emphasizing the need to add value to wood.

Did You Know? Hugo Sigman’s forestry operations in Gobernador Virasoro include 25,000 hectares of forestations with Pomera and two biomass energy generators named FRESA and San Alonso, following a 100 million dollar investment.

Challenging a Conservative Construction Sector

Baldoma, a 40-year-old economist graduated from the National University of La Plata (UNLP), previously founded and sold five technology startups before entering the forestry sector. During an event in Posadas celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Asociación Forestal Argentina (AFOA), Baldoma discussed his objective to bring a high-end, aesthetic product to a traditionally conservative industry. While CLT is utilized globally for luxury buildings and premium homes, Baldoma acknowledged that the material is not cheaper than traditional masonry or bricks.

Because the domestic market for premium mass timber construction remains largely undeveloped, investors like Baldoma face the dual challenge of building manufacturing capacity while actively creating local consumer demand from scratch.

Market Hurdles and Future Production Plans

Despite Argentina housing 1,300,000 hectares of forests with some of the cheapest wood globally and facing a significant housing deficit, the country has historically lagged behind nations like the United States, Australia, and Spain in premium wooden construction. Pablo Ruival, head of AFOA, explained during the Posadas event that the sector requires systemic competitiveness, infrastructure, logistics connectivity, and legal security to attract world-class investments. Baldoma noted that equipment import costs ran 30 percent higher than in Europe due to taxes and logistics expenses. Cambium Timber targets its initial CLT production for late 2026 or early 2027, with plans to build an iconic public landmark to showcase the aesthetic potential of the material.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CLT and how will it be used in Argentina?
Cross-Laminated Timber consists of ultra-resistant wooden panels up to 3 by 12 meters and 35 centimeters thick. Cambium Timber plans to use them for building houses, buildings, and schools.

Who is funding the Cambium Timber project?
The 20 million dollar investment is backed by Leandro Sigman, the son of businessman Hugo Sigman of Insud.

When is the new plant expected to begin production?
The industrial facility in Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, is scheduled to start its first production around late 2026 or early 2027.

How do logistics costs impact the manufacturing equipment?
According to Pablo Baldoma, machinery investments cost 30 percent more than in Europe due to taxes and shipping expenses, noting that transporting 50 containers from Buenos Aires to Virasoro cost more than shipping them from Europe to Buenos Aires.

What challenges does the Argentine forestry sector face?
According to AFOA head Pablo Ruival, the sector needs systemic competitiveness, infrastructure, logistic connectivity, and legal security to overcome decades of lagging investment.

How do you view the potential for mass timber architecture to transform traditional urban development in Argentina?