Binderholz the first in Scandinavia
In 2015, Binderholz acquired what was then the Vapo Group with its two sawmills in Lieksa and Nurmes in North Karelia (central/eastern Finland). At the time, the takeover resulted in an additional annual capacity of 400,000 m³ of lumber. With the acquisition of BSW in 2021, a sawmill in Latvia was also added to Binderholz’s list of production sites.
It took until the turn of the year 2021/22: At that time, Mayr-Melnhof Holz announced the takeover of Bergkvist Siljan. The two sawmills brought a 50% increase in the company’s cutting volume, with production capacity rising to 2.9 million m³. At the turn of the year 2022/23, it became known that the group’s Efimovskij sawmill was sold. As a result, lumber output decreases by around 380,000 m³ a year.
Schweighofer also operating in Finland
Four months later, the HS Timber Group acquired the Luvian Saha sawmill and further processing site in western Finland. Luvian Saha has around 120 employees and produces approximately 300,000 m³ of softwood lumber a year as well as planed timber and surface-treated products.
In May 2022, the Ziegler Group followed suit with its first acquisition outside of Germany. The company took over Balungstrands Sågverk and Bäckebrons Sågverk, which cut an estimated 700,000 m³ of log wood each year.
Pfeifer arrived in the North
Pfeifer Group’s expansion into Scandinavia was the most recent one. With the acquisition of Pölkky, 700,000 m³ of production capacity were added, bringing the total to 3 million m³ a year. The takeover makes Pfeifer the third largest sawmill group in Europe. At a global level, the company is on a par with Arauco (also 3 million m³/year) and is now in tenth place in the global ranking.
Austria dominates the Top 5
Pfeifer Holz completes the exclusively Austrian podium behind Stora Enso, whose sawmill capacities are controlled from Austria, and Tyrolean timber company Binderholz. Mayr-Melnhof Holz and Vida are fighting for fourth place in Europe.
HS Timber has slipped out of the Top 10 in Europe. However, once the sawmill in Argentina has gone into operation, the group will probably be part of the Top 10 again in 2023/2024.
| Ranked according to target production 2022/forecast 2023 (in 1,000 m³) | |||||||
| Rank 2022 | Rank 2022/23 | Company | Headquarters | Sawmills | Production 2021 | Target production 2022/23 | Diff. in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 ←→ | Stora Enso ¹⁾ ²⁾ | FI | 18 | 5,700 | 5,600 | -2% |
| 2 | 2 ←→ | Binderholz ³⁾ | AT | 17 | 4,430 | 4,740 | 7% |
| 7 | 3 ↑ | Pfeifer Holz ¹⁰⁾ | AT | 7 | 2,200 | 3,000 | 36% |
| 3 | 4 ↓ | Vida Wood | SE | 12 | 2,550 | 2,650 | 4% |
| 4 | 5 ↓ | Mayr-Melnhof Holz ¹⁾ ⁴⁾ | AT | 5 | 1,700 | 2,520 | 48% |
| 5 | 6 ↓ | SCA Timber ¹⁾ | SE | 5 | 2,263 | 2,380 | 5% |
| 6 | 7 ↓ | Rettenmeier Holzindustrie | DE | 5 | 2,050 | 2,350 | 15% |
| 8 | 8 ←→ | Moelven Group | NO | 15 | 2,116 | 2,260 | 7% |
| 16 | 9 ↓ | Metsä Fibre ¹⁾ ⁸⁾ | FI | 6 | 1,710 | 2,250 | 32% |
| 9 | 10 ↓ | Södra Timber ¹⁾ | SE | 7 | 1,965 | 2,000 | 2% |
| 19 | 11 ↑ | Ziegler Holzindustrie ⁹⁾ | DE | 3 | 1,210 | 1,960 | 62% |
| 10 | 12 ↓ | HS Timber Group ⁵⁾ | AT | 4 | 2,090 | 1,950 | -7% |
| 11 | 13 ↓ | ante-holz ⁶⁾ | DE | 3 | 1,490 | 1,920 | 29% |
| 12 | 14 ↓ | Setra Group | SE | 7 | 1,675 | 1,750 | 4% |
| 13 | 15 ↓ | Ilim Timber ⁷⁾ | DE | 2 | 1,650 | 1,650 | 0% |
| 14 | 16 ↓ | Fruytier Scierie | BE | 11 | 1,548 | 1,600 | 3% |
| 14 | 16 ↓ | UPM Timber ¹⁾ | FI | 4 | 1,600 | 1,600 | 0% |
| 16 | 18 ↓ | Holmen Wood Products | SE | 5 | 1,400 | 1,500 | 7% |
| – | 19 ↑ | Mercer Timber ¹¹⁾ | DE | 2 | 790 | 1,420 | 80% |
| 18 | 20 ↓ | Versowood | FI | 4 | 1,380 | 1,400 | 1% |
| Total | 41,517 | 46,190 |
11% | ||||
Detailed information
1) 2022: Holzkurier estimate;
2) 5% growth estimated; 2022: sale of two Russian saswmills (-350,000 m³/year);
3) total: 4.83 million m³ (2021), 5.14 million m³ (2022); volumes stated in table do not include US sawmills (400,000 m³/year). Number of sawmills, production figures and target quantities including production sites of BSW Timber. Company was acquired in January 2022; in December, Binderholz took over Scott Group in the UK. Sales total €2.8 billion as a result;
4) sawmill in Yefimovsky/RU sold at the end of 2022, production capacity down by around 380,000 m³ (before: 2.9 million m³);
5) 2021: four sawmills. Radauti/RO shuttered this year – only three sawmills since April 2022; at the end of April 2022: acquisition of Luvian Saha (300,000 m³); new construction of sawmill in Belarus stopped in March; new construction of sawmill in Argentinia started in March (fifth sawmill);
6) target volume in 2022 including production site in Rötenbach/DE which was acquired in June 2021;
7) figures refer to both German production sites;
8) sawmill in Rauma/FI went into operation in Q3 2022; announcement in March 2022: production in Kyrö/FI to be terminated in the summer of 2022; sawmill in Svir/RU shuttered (production capacity: 285,000 m³/year);
9) Plössberg biggest single sawmill Europe; Ziegler Group purchased two Swedish sawmills in May 2022 (cutting: 750,000 m³/year);
10) three more sawmills following the takeover of Pölkky; additional lumber output of 700,000 m³/year; until 2024 increase to 1 million m³/year;
11) takeover of HIT’s sawmill in Torgau by Mercer in July, cutting up by 1.1 million m³
