Christiaan Olde Bolhaar (left) and Ralf Schröpfer at the acquisition
On March 24, COB Holding, which also operates the Bentheimer-Holz sawmill, acquired the sawmill Sägewerk Schröpfer in Mudau/DE. In addition to Bentheimer-Holz, other companies owned by Christiaan Olde Bolhaar, such as Pure-Ecowood and Olde Bolhaar Eco Service, are also part of COB Holding.
After several months of negotiations, Olde Bolhaar and the managing partners of Sägewerk Schröpfer, Heidi and Ralf Schröpfer, agreed on the acquisition of the sawmill in mid-January. The takeover ensures the long-term continuation and further development of the Schröpfer sawmill. Ralf Schröpfer will continue to support the management of the sawmill for a transitional period. There are synergies between Bentheimer-Holz and Sägewerk Schröpfer, especially in softwood lumber sales, since both sawmills specialize in the production of lumber for the manufacture of crates, packaging and pallets. While Bentheimer-Holz produces lumber with shorter lengths, the Schröpfer sawmill also manufactures squared timber and boards of up to 6 meters in length.
At Sägewerk Schröpfer, annual cutting lately amounted to around 90,000 m³ of pine and spruce logs in a one-shift operation. Bentheimer-Holz cuts around 170,000 m³ a year. At the Schröpfer sawmill, a gangsaw line as well as a chipper mill for small and big-diameter wood is currently being used for the cutting of the log wood.
Similar to Bentheimer-Holz, Olde Bolhaar wants to process the by-products accumulating in the Schröpfer sawmill either in his own plants or in plants of partner companies in the medium term. “Our business model focuses on the sustainable processing of renewable raw materials. The further processing of wood by-products generates new raw materials that we can use, among other things, for substrate production,” Managing Director Christiaan Olde Bolhaar explains.
This is also reflected in the other companies owned by COB Holding. Olde Bolhaar Eco Service produces sustainable raw materials for the substrate industry at various production sites in the Netherlands and Germany. Dutch company Pure-Ecowood produces sustainable ground cover products for playgrounds, parks and green spaces.
The new owner plans to focus primarily on the modernization, optimization and expansion of Sägewerk Schröpfer in order to secure the long-term future of the sawmill.
