The cross-laminated timber plant in Schlitz has a short yet very dynamic history. Formerly a production site for concrete formwork panels and formwork beams, the plant was converted into a state-of-the-art CLT production starting in 2017. Drawing on seven decades of know-how in wood processing and having high quality standards as usual, Pfeifer pursued the goal of becoming a full-range supplier in the timber construction sector. The wide range of products of the exemplary company was extended to include high-quality prefabricated system components made of 100% spruce wood, which can be used flexibly for the entire spectrum of timber constructions, from urban consolidation to multi-story residential buildings.
In two steps to 100,000 m³ a year
The official start of sales in spring 2020 marked the company’s market entry and was advanced by frequent investments. Pfeifer completed the second phase of expansion as planned in 2021 – a milestone in terms of technology and capacity.
“Thanks to an additional finger-jointing machine and a state-of-the-art joinery machine, the production site is now up to date with the latest technology, and we can satisfy the high demand for cross-laminated timber, while remaining flexible,” Plant Manager Sebastian Eggel tells us. Since 2021, the plant in Schlitz has an annual production capacity of 100,000 m³ of CLT. “If this capacity is fully utilized, our plant will be one of the biggest single CLT production sites in Europe,” he adds. In terms of raw material availability, nothing stands between Pfeifer and this goal. The company’s own sawmill, which is located only 15 km away in Lauterbach, and long-term purchasing relationships ensure the lumber supply of the CLT plant.
Close to the customer and the market
Right from the start of a project, the in-house technical office offers the necessary know-how in consulting, calculations and project-related order processing. This interface between the customer and production is constantly being expanded in order to improve services and meet customer requirements even faster and more efficiently.
As part of the company-wide digitalization strategy, Pfeifer plans to create a separate B2B platform with an automated inquiry system, with the goal of offering customers the possibility to order raw panels online (cross laminated timber without joining). A wider range of consulting services, including services in the early stages of a project, is on the agenda as well and aims to address special market segments and customer groups. Customer proximity is also one of Pfeifer’s strong suits when it comes to logistics. The central location of the CLT plant in Hesse is a clear advantage in delivery. “With Schlitz as our starting point, we are just as quick at serving the metropolitan areas in northern Germany as we are at shipping products to northern Italy and France,” Bernd Gusinde, head of CLT product management, emphasizes.
International references
Germany, Austria, France, Benelux, Italy, Switzerland: Exemplary projects with cross-laminated timber from Schlitz have been carried out everywhere in the past few years. Private, public and commercial property developers used it to build schools, dormitories, hotels and residential buildings and to implement forward-looking urban development projects.
Gusinde is particularly proud of one collaboration because it allowed the company to make a contribution to sustainable living in its own state: The new student dormitory on the Riedberg campus in Frankfurt is one of the largest CLT projects in Germany with a total of 3,000 m³ of CLT. “The upper floors were built in cross-laminated timber, which remained visible inside the individual rooms. Around 85% of the cross-laminated timber panels were produced in our factory in Schlitz,” Gusinde tells us. In total, the building, which was completed in 2022, offers around 350 housing units for students and guest scientists who appreciate the pleasant atmosphere and the ecological advantages of the solid wood building.
