Determining effective criteria for the selection of MDF industry locations in Mazandaran Province: Application of AHP

Selecting the optimum location with attention to conditions and restrictions is one of the most important factors in establishing a manufacturing plant. Identification of effective criteria is an important stage in the selection for the location of industrial units. In this study, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to select the most effective criteria for the location of MDF (medium density fiberboard) industry in Mazandaran Province, Iran. A consideration in attaining this goal is that Mazandaran is favored over other provinces because of its resources of raw lignocellulosic material required for wood and paper industries. The results indicate that the criterion of "materials and products" and the sub-criterion of "reliability of supply of raw material" are the most important factors.