Hardwood cutting increased

+3% in Germany, +15% in Austria

Article by Jakob Wassermann | 23.01.2026 - 09:35

After hardwood cutting in Germany and Austria in 2024 was at its lowest level since 2014, producers in both countries increased their cutting volumes in the previous year. Further increases are planned for 2026.

The German hardwood sawmills reported a cutting volume of 1.29 million cubic metres in 2025. Compared to 2024, this corresponds to an increase of 3% or 33,000 cubic metres. However, the planned production of 1.47 million cubic metres originally announced for 2025 was missed by 12% or 172,000 cubic metres. For 2026, German sawmills are planning a cut of 1.44 million cubic metres.

The largest hardwood processor in Germany in 2025 was again Pollmeier Massivholz. A total of 715,000 cubic metres were cut at the three locations in Aschaffenburg, Creuzburg and Malchow. This corresponds to 55% of the total hardwood cut in the Federal Republic. In the current year, processing is expected to increase by around a fifth to 850,000 cubic metres. The largest expansion is planned in Creuzburg. If the planned figures were to be achieved, the increase would be 65,000 cubic metres at this location alone. The second largest hardwood processor in Germany remains Holzwerk Obermeier, Schwindegg, with a constant cut of 100,000 cubic metres/y. The Koddenbrock sawmill, Goldenstedt, processed around 60,000 cubic metres in 2025. At Abalon Hardwood Hessen, Schwalmstadt, the incision volume last year was 45,000 cubic meters. This corresponds to an increase of 50% compared to the previous year. At peak times, up to 90,000 cubic metres were processed in the plant. For 2026, the company plans a cut of 50,000 cubic meters. Due to the continuing difficult economic conditions, Holzwerke Gleitsmann is closing its plant in Unterspiesheim. Most recently, the cut had been 15,000 cubic metres. At the end of the year, the Hessian hardwood sawmill Holzindustrie Templin Werk Nentershausen/DE, which has belonged to Holzindustrie Templin, Templin/Bandenburg, since 2009, was closed. The Schlautmann veneer and sawmill, Beelen/DE, was already closed at the end of February 2025.

Hardwood sawmills Germany | 2025/target 2026
Company	Location	Cutting 2025	Target cutting 2026	Main types of wood	Employees
Cutting volumes in m³/year
Abalon Hardwood Hessen	Schwalmstadt	45,000	50,000	beech	55
Products/services: Planed and edge-trimmed beech lumber
Sägewerk Karl Alt *	Schwebheim	12,000	12,000	oak, beech, ash	n/a
Products/services: PEFC, smoked oak
Sägewerk Bachmann (Baro)	Reinhardshagen	12,000	12,000	beech	23
Products/services: Parallel edging after KD, FSC, cutting to size and squared timbers
Friedrich Bansmann	Bielefeld	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Products/services: –
Laubholz-Sägewerk Blum	Waldkirch	10,000	10,000	beech, oak	20
Products/services: Block timber, steam-heating, drying, FSC, PEFC, IPPC, Holz von Hier
Holz Bröker	Extertal	n/a	n/a	beech, oak, ash	25
Products/services: Beech with parallel edging after KD, beech, oak, ash block timber
Sägewerk Dickel	Dickel	10,000	10,000	beech	7
Products/services: Packaging, pallet and dunnage timber, slatted and grooved; IPPC and KD available. High-quality by-products for smoking and environmentally friendly heating.
Decker Holz	Volkmarsen	n/a	n/a	beech	n/a
Products/services: Beech cuttings from KD boards, edged beech up to 4.60 m
Wolfgang Dettendorfer	Nußdorf	15,000	15,000	beech, spruce	10
Products/services: 5,000 m³/yr of beech, AD and KD beech lumber in AB/BC, spruce construction timber
Fanta & Dressler	Haldensleben	10,000	10,000	oak	17
Products/services: Oak squared timber in all dimensions
Fehrensen	Hann. Münden	n/a	n/a	beech, oak, ash	50
Products/services: sleepers, switch sleepers, squared timber
Hinrich Feldmeyer	Hemsbünde	10,000	15,000	oak, ash, red oak	28
Products/services: European hardwoods, partially edged, PEFC, contract cutting
Häberlein	Hardthausen	n/a	n/a	oak, red oak, ash, maple, walnut, beech	25
Products/services: FSC, PEFC, other fine hardwood and softwood block timber
Sägewerk Hagedorn	Füchtorf	9,000	9,000	oak	17
Products/services: Lumber, lamellas, mass timber floor boards
Johann Hardkop	Schönberg/Lauenb.	n/a	n/a	oak, beech, ash	14
Products/services: Block timber, drying, steam-heating
Laubholz Harting	Glandorf	3,500	3,500	oak, larch, poplar	5
Products/services: Oak construction timber
Sägewerk Hartmann	Eiterfeld	15,000	15,000	beech, oak, ash, pine	19
Products/services: –
Sägewerk Heidrich	Deutschneudorf	15,000	13,000	beech, oak, ash, lime, maple	15
Products/services: Steam-heating, drying, cutting to size, air-conditioned halls
Wilhelm Hüster	Meschede	7,000	7,000	beech	13
Products/services: Dried squared timber, firewood
Keck	Ehningen	n/a	n/a	beech, oak, ash	35
Products/services: FSC, PEFC, cuttings, air-conditioned halls
Gebr. Keß Sägewerk	Hammelburg	36,000	36,000	beech, oak	45
Products/services: Hornbeam, ash, European hardwoods, cuttings, FSC & PEFC
Sägewerk Koddenbrock	Goldenstedt	60,000	60,000	beech, poplar, softwood	35
Products/services: Wood for packaging and pallets, PEFC; IPPC
Emil Kömpel Sägewerk	Motten	6,500	6,500	beech, oak, ash	4
Products/services: Quality hardwood lumber, planed timber, beech with red heart, PEFC
Anton Kretz	Karsbach-Hessdorf	n/a	n/a	oak, beech	5
Products/services: Steam-heated beech, contract steam-heating, contract cutting
Gebr. Krippeit¹	Elsdorf-Westermühlen	10,500	15,000	oak, red oak	23
Products/services: Oak planks, edged in fixed specifications, oak squared timber in different dimensions
Kurtz	Wald-Michelbach	4,500	4,000	sycamore, hornbeam, ash, lime	11
Products/services: Light-colored fine hardwood, vacuum drying, cuttings
Kutscher	Volkmarsen-Külte	5,500	8,500	beech, oak, larch, Douglas fir	8
Products/services: Formerly Butterweck; pallets, squared timber, sleepers, construction timber, beech scantlings (for smoke houses)
HPB Sägewerk-Holzhandel	Lamspringe	3,200	3,500	oak, ash, beech, pine, larch	10
Products/services: Block goods, sleepers, floor board production
Holz Lenninghausen	Kürten	n/a	n/a	beech, oak	n/a
Products/services: –
Heinrich Lüffe-Baak	Harsewinkel-Greffen	20,000	20,000	poplar, beech	30
Products/services: Cutting exclusively for in-house pallet production
Mehling & Wiesmann	Lohr am Main	5,500	5,500	oak	48
Products/services: European fine hardwoods, smoked lumber and veneers, sawn veneer, contract smoking
Michelholz	Königseggwald	2,000	2,000	ash, oak, maple	6
Products/services: Round block timber, planing, cross-cutting
Sägewerk Münsterland	Sendenhorst	1,400	6,500	oak, ash, poplar, elm, beech	6
Products/services: FSC, PEFC, diameters up to 1.8 m, steam-heating and drying
Karl Nied	Assamstadt	12,000	10,000	oak, beech, ash	27
Products/services: European hardwoods, cutting, planing, glued timber panels, PEFC/FSC
Franz Obermeier	Schwindegg	100,000	100,000	beech, oak, ash	170
Products/services: Solid wood panels, lot size 1, cuttings, lumber, PEFC
Ohnemus	Kappel-Grafenhausen	14,500	14,500	oak, beech, ash, red oak	25
Products/services: Block timber, cuttings, solid wood panels
Sägewerk Ost	Weisel	9,200	9,500	oak, red oak, chestnut, ash	6
Products/services: Oak with edging in fixed dimensions, squared oak timber in stock, block timber, chestnut lumber, beech switch sleepers of up to 5.8 m in length
Pollmeier Massivholz	Aschaffenburg	340,000	370,000	beech	230
Products/services: –
Pollmeier Massivholz	Creuzburg	275,000	340,000	beech	600
Products/services: Beech sawmill and LVL plant for the production of beech lumber and spruce LVL; employees incl. central administration
Pollmeier Massivholz	Malchow	100,000	140,000	beech	100
Products/services: –
Holz Reinlein	Geiselwind	10,000	10,000	oak, beech, maple, ash	49
Products/services: Drying chambers, parquet manufacture, timber trade, “Holz von hier”-certified
Sägewerk Reitz	Wonfurt	18,000	18,000	beech	15
Products/services: Steam-heating, drying, cutting, packaging wood, PEFC, IPPC
Ruhlandt Holz	Wanfried-Heldra	7,000	7,000	oak, beech	5
Products/services: Edge-trimmed lumber
Albrecht Sattelmacher	Obernkirchen	10,000	10,000	oak, beech	16
Products/services: Block goods, PEFC
Schaeferwerk Gödeke	Dassel	12,000	10,000	beech, oak, ash	55
Products/services: Lumber, cuttings, planed elements, solid wood panels, firewood, sawdust, contract work, steam-heating, drying, PEFC, IPPC
Heinrich Schellinger	Bermatingen	7,000	7,000	ash	16
Products/services: American types of wood; cuttings, thermally treated ash, European and US hardwood lumber, FSC, PEFC
Jürgen Schwaderer	Neuenstein-Neureut	15,000	15,000	beech, oak, ash, maple, red oak	7
Products/services: All European fine hardwoods, steam-heating, drying, FSC, PEFC
Sielemann u. Sohn	Leopoldshöhe	n/a	n/a	oak, ash, Douglas fir	n/a
Products/services: KD oak, big KD warehouse
Sägewerk Späth ²	Friesenheim	500	500	beech	15
Products/services: Drying, IPPC, PEFC-certified
Holzindustrie Templin	Templin	n/a	n/a	beech, oak, maple, ash	n/a
Products/services: Steam-heating, drying, cutting of furniture parts, top-layer lamellas, FSC, PEFC
Toussaint	Kenzingen	7,000	7,000	oak, red oak, fine hardwood	8
Products/services: Steam-heating, drying, cuttings, veneers, FSC- and PEFC-certified
Gebr. Vater Sägewerk	Zellingen	n/a	n/a	oak	7
Products/services: Oak squared timber, block timber made from 22 types of European hardwood and softwood, veneers, table top logs, edged hardwood, air drying, KD, PEFC
Wagener	Erwitte-Schmerlecke	12,000	12,000	oak	12
Products/services: Production of dried raw wood for floor boards, block timber, rough blanks and finger-jointed products
Karl Wöhr	Friolzheim	25,000	23,000	beech, ash	28
Products/services: Lumber, cuttings, steam-heating, drying, jointing, PEFC, FSC, IPPC

Austria increases cut by 30,000 fm

In Austria, hardwood cutting amounted to 232,000 cubic metres in 2025. The sawmills had reported 240,000 cubic metres as a plan cut. This target was missed by 3%. However, compared to 2024, the production level corresponds to an increase of 30,000 cubic metres or 15%. The decisive factor for this was the recommissioning of Abalon Hardwood in Heiligenkreuz. The company had temporarily stopped production in 2024 as a result of the economic challenges and used the year for maintenance and repair work as well as the installation of an additional band saw. In 2025, the cut was 45,000 cubic metres. This makes Abalon Hardwood the largest Austrian hardwood processor again. For 2026, the company plans to increase to 50,000 cubic meters.

EHP operates the second largest hardwood sawmill in Frauental. With an unchanged cut of 40,000 cubic metres, EHP is one of the only companies besides Abalon to achieve this benchmark. Together, the two companies account for 37% of Austria's total hardwood lumber production.

In 2025, Hans J. Fischer, Rotenturm, Meister Laubholz, Riegersburg, Pußwald Holz, Sinabelkirchen, Wagner Franz, Strengberg, Holzwerk Steffl, Ort/Innkreis, Wibeba, Wieselburg, and WIHO, Kuchl also processed more than 10,000 cubic metres per year. The Amashauer wood industry did not report any figures for the current survey. In recent years, the cut in Bergland had been constant at 13,000 cubic metres/y.

At the beginning of 2025, J. u. A. Frischeis took over the sawmill from Frey-Amon Holzwerk in Hetzmannsdorf. Frey-Amon had recently cut around 15,000 cubic metres/y there. For 2025, Frischeis reported a processing of 6,000 fm, and 8,000 fm is planned for 2026. Production at the former Frischeis sawmill site in Laa/Thaya has now been discontinued. The areas are now used as a storage area, including drying chambers.

For the current year, the companies reported that they wanted to increase their production minimally to 235,000 cubic meters.

Hardwood sawmills Austria | 2025/target 2026
Company	Location	Cutting 2025	Target cutting 2026	Main types of wood	Employees
Cutting in m³/year
Abalon Hardwood	Heiligenkreuz	45,000	50,000	beech	55
Products/services: Planed and edged beech lumber
Holzindustrie Amashaufer	Bergland	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Products/services: –
Bauernhofer Holz	Pöllau	9,000	7,500	beech, oak	8
Products/services: Lumber with and without edging, sleepers, contract cutting, PEFC
DH-Design Holzverarbeitung ¹	Kematen/Ybbs	5,000	3,000	oak, black locust, elm	40
Products/services: Production of veneers and lamellas for the parquet and panel industry gradually moving from standard oak towards special lamellas and other types of wood and mainly old wood, lumber as main raw material
Dickbauer	Schlierbach	5,500	5,500	oak, ash, beech, maple, larch, lime	17
Products/services: Circulating air and vacuum drying chamber, solid plank floor “Schlierbacher Klosterdielenboden”, ecological floor constructions, terrace systems, assembly, cutting of all domestic types of wood, contract cutting, high grade timber for joiners
Holzindustrie Ebner	Grein/Donau	2,400	2,400	ash, beech, lime, black locust	23
Products/services: Cutting only for in-house production of tool handles, FSC and PEFC
EHP	Frauental	40,000	40,000	beech, oak, ash	30
Products/services: Lumber with edging in fixed widths and decreasing widths, lumber without edging, top-layer lamellas, PEFC
Fassold Sägewerk & Holzhandel	Eggersdorf	5,300	6,000	oak	15
Products/services: Production of top layers for the parquet industry
Hans J. Fischer	Rotenturm	10,000	10,000	oak, ash	15
Products/services: 10,000 m²-big air-conditioned halls, well-stocked warehouse, PEFC, high-quality dried lumber, 20 types of wood
J. u. A. Frischeis	Hetzmannsdorf	6,000	8,000	oak, ash	15
Products/services: Block timber, quality-graded lumber with and without edging, sleepers, cuttings, lumber trade, PEFC and FSC
Anton Gruber Säge- & Holztrocknungswerk	Taufkirchen/Pram	1,800	1,800	beech, oak, ash, maple	7
Products/services: Production of Vento slats/stacking sticks, PEFC; lumber & special cuttings, drying chambers
Hanger Holz	Kleinraming	6,500	6,500	larch, oak	14
Products/services: 35 types of domestic wood, dried and stored in air-conditioned halls, PEFC-certified, cutting and planing mill, production of veneers and solid plank flooring in lengths of up to 13 m
Hanger Holz	Ybbsitz	8,000	8,000	beech, ash, maple	12
Products/services: Contract steam-heating, contract cutting
Kriegl Bandsägewerk	Wettmannstätten	3,000	3,000	oak	6
Products/services: –
Meister Laubholz	Riegersburg	10,000	10,000	oak	20
Products/services: Lumber with/without edging, country house planks, cuttings, PEFC, FSC
LAHO	St. Stefan/Stainz	5,000	5,000	oak, ash, larch	4
Products/services: From roundwood to veneer, the full product range is offered. Formerly Franz Windisch.
Mirako	Gaflenz	7,000	7,000	ash	16
Products/services: Thermally treated wood, cuttings, PEFC
Josef Moser	Münichreith	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Products/services: –
Neubauer Christian	Gratwein-Straßengel	2,500	2,500	oak, Swiss pine	2
Products/services: Swiss pine lumber, sleepers, oak lumber, contract cutting
Rudolf Postl	Oberndorf a. d. Melk	n/a	n/a	ash, oak, beech	4
Products/services: Contract woodworking only: from cutting of log wood, steam-heating, drying to cutting of mass timber
Pußwald Holz	Sinabelkirchen	10,000	10,000	oak, beech, ash	16
Products/services: Steam-heating, drying, lumber with/without edging, sleepers, fine hardwood, PEFC, contract debarking, trade in carpentry products
Franz Tschuchnigg Sägewerk	St. Martin/Sulmtal	n/a	n/a	oak, ash	1
Products/services: Fine hardwoods, fruitwoods
Franz Wagner	Strengberg	10,000	10,000	beech, oak, ash	14
Products/services: Roundwood, lumber, cuttings, contract drying, contract steam-heating
Holzwerk Stefl	Ort/Innkreis	10,000	8,000	oak, ash, maple, poplar, Swiss pine, larch	11
Products/services: Woodworking with lathe, lumber; formerly Sägewerk Wagner
Wibeba-Holz	Wieselburg	18,000	18,000	oak, beech	60
Products/services: –
WIHO – Rupert Wimmer	Kuchl	11,500	12,500	beech, oak, ash, maple	31
Products/services: 15 types of wood, PEFC, lumber, cuttings, woodworking with lathe, drying and steam-heating chambers, air-conditioned halls, WIHO cash-and-carry store
Kurt Zangl	St. Johann/Saggautal	500	500	Edelhölzer	–
Products/services: Contract cutting, all types of wood (fruitwood, old wood), special cuttings