Global lumber giants

In 2021, the 25 biggest softwood sawmills in the world produced more than 85 million m³ of lumber, which corresponds to an increase of 7% compared to 2020. In relation to global demand for lumber, one can therefore assume that around one quarter of the total volume traded worldwide comes from the production sites of the listed manufacturers.

The Holzkurier ranking is based on the quantities produced in 2021. Since some European companies are expected to raise their output this year, the table also includes the target figures for 2022.

All North American podium

The Canadian-American trio West Fraser, Canfor and Weyerhaeuser are once again on the podium.

This year, however, Canfor will likely outperform West Fraser in terms of production output. With the acquisition of Canadian company Millar Wester Forest Products at the turn of the year, Canfor’s annual capacity increases by around 1.5 million m³.

Binderholz going for a top position

Timber company Binderholz, which is based in Fügen in Tyrol, has implemented its impressive expansion plans over the past few years.

After the purchase of the two former Klausner sawmills in the south-east of the US, Austria’s biggest sawmill group also acquired all assets of British BSW Timber at the beginning of this year. With a target production of more than 5.2 million m³ in 2022, of which around 400,000 m³ a year are going to be produced at the US site in Live Oak, Binderholz would also gain a few places in the global ranking. Although this would mean that Binderholz replaced Sierra pacific as the new number five, Canadian company Interfor should clearly outperform the Tyrolean company following the acquisition of Eacom Timber. In 2021, Eacom reported a production output of more than 1.5 million m³ a year. As a result, Interfor could take fourth place, which is currently held by Stora Enso. In that case, no European company would be in the Top 4 anymore.

Record jump for Mayr-Melnhof?

With the acquisition of the three production sites of Swedish company Bergkvist Siljan, timber group Mayr-Melnhof Holz of Leoben, Styria, wants to raise its lumber output by 52% this year. With a production volume of nearly 2.6 million m³ a year, Mayr-Melnhof could rise from 21st to 12th place in the global ranking. However, the Russian sawmill in Efimovskij has a certain element of uncertainty, since the actual production at the site is currently very difficult to estimate.

HS Timber Group is one of four Austrian companies in the Top 25 with an annual output of just under 2 million m³. The company is currently undergoing many changes. The shuttering of the sawmill in Radauti/RO in March was followed by the acquisition of the sawmill Luvian Saha in western Finland at the end of April. Due to the lower production capacity in Finland and the interrupted construction of the new sawmill in Belarus, this year’s output will likely decrease slightly compared to previous years. In addition to the one in Belarus, HS Timber is also building a new sawmill in Argentina. If everything goes according to plan and the sawmill goes into operation in mid-2023, around 275,000 m³ a year are to be produced in South America.

Germany is expanding

ante-holz is another European timber company which has attracted attention with recent increases in production and one acquisition. With the new production site in Rötenbach/DE, the planned annual output amounts to 1.9 million m³ – and the company, which is based in Hesse, might make it in the Top 20 for the first time.

Despite its two new sawmills in Sweden, Ziegler Holzindustrie’s production is probably not enough for a top position. Including the biggest single German production site in Plößberg (cutting: around 2.2 million m³), the group will likely produce around 1.6 million m³ of lumber in the future.

Finnish group Metsä will record a short-term decrease in production as a result of the shuttering of the Russian sawmill in Svir. In autumn, however, the company plans to put what it refers to as “the world’s most modern sawmill” into operation in Rauma, Finland. With an expected annual cutting capacity of 1.5 million m³ at the new site, a place in the Top 15 is within the reach of the Finnish company for the first time.