Gropyus: state-of-the-art wall elements instead of glulam

“From now on, we can focus on our actual main product, that is prefabricated building components. In Richen, we are starting up Europe’s most modern wall production,” explains Gropyus CEO Markus Fuhrmann in an exclusive interview with Holzkurier. Richen is considered the right production site for this with good employees and a very good location in central Germany.

Bernd Oswald adds: “Currently, it’s not easy to pass the higher lumber prices on to the end product. This made the decision to discontinue the glulam production much easier for us.”

The age of the machines and the comparatively low production capacity were also factors in the decision. “We bought Richen because of the employees, the connection and the hall space. Now, we can use all of this in a better way and in accordance with our strategy,” Fuhrmann concludes.

Lately, around 40,000 m³ a year were produced at Richen in a two-shift operation. The production site was bought by Mayr-Melnhof Holz in 2019. The lumber came mainly from Leoben and Paskov/CZ.