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ante-holz

Ante takes over Holzwerk Rötenbach

Article by Martina Nöstler (adapted for holzkurier.com; translated by Eva Guzely) | 15.06.2021 - 10:08

“It was always my wish to restart the sawmill and the Rötenbach site and thus return to their original purpose. It is all the more positive that we now succeed at that with the ante Group as new owner,” comments Andreas Harling, who has managed activities of the Holzwerk Rötenbach over the past few years. According to what was said at the time, the site was shuttered in 2012 due to insufficient log supply.

As the ante Group informs, the restart will not need a lot of time. The plant is equipped with a Linck V40 chipping line with an annual cutting capacity of around 150,000 m³ of logs in a one-shift operation. According to ante managing director Jörn Kimmich, the site will initially serve primarily as a raw lamination production facility for further processing within the group. Further investment steps are planned to expand the approximately 23-hectare site.

“We have a long-term plan for Rötenbach for which we choose a mixture of tradition and progress,” explains Jürgen Ante, managing partner of the ante Group. The first production site in southern Germany complements the family company and strengthens its competitiveness: “Our goal is to create synergies in the region and to give new impetus from which locals will benefit.” The most decisive factor in the expansion was the leading role of timber construction companies in Baden-Württemberg. “The state is a nationwide pioneer in modern timber construction, which fits perfectly with our focus and product range.”

Ante will start with around 30 employees in a one-shift operation while making preparations for adding a second shift. For the restart, the company needs qualified staff in all areas of production: on the log yard, in the sawmill and for logistics. Locksmiths and electricians are also wanted for maintenance. There will also be an administrative unit at the site which will work closely with the company headquarters. Ante has already started hiring.

The log wood is to be purchased within a radius of around 100 km from the site. In the future, ante will process spruce, fir, pine and Douglas fir.

Ante Group is one of the biggest owner-managed family companies in the European timber industry. The German production sites in Bromskirchen-Somplar, Winterberg, Rottleberode and Berga as well as the site in Kozuchow/PL employ a total of around 1,200 people. In Holzkurier’s production survey, ante-Holz’s reported target cutting of 2.7 million m³ for 2021. In addition, the company produces planed timber, KVH (2020: 330,000 m³), glue-laminated timber (2020: 70,000 m³), cross-laminated timber (2020: 8,500 m³; production at the new plant in Berga will start soon), garden wood, green electricity and pellets (2020: 280,000 t). Joining completes the range of products and services.