While the production volume in Austria increased slightly by 1.7% to 641,000 m³ in 2024, a 5.5% decrease to 2.34 million m³ was recorded in Germany. The main reason for this decline of just under 140,000 m³ in absolute terms was the decision of ante-holz to curtail production by 55,000 m³ to 195,000 m³ at its headquarters in Somplar. In addition, several other manufacturers also reduced their production volumes by 5,000 to 15,000 m³ in 2024.
With its production sites in Somplar, Rottleberode and Berga and an annual output of 360,000 m³, ante-holz is by far the largest manufacturer of solid structural timber in Europe. The Cordes Group, with its Cordes plant in Bremerhaven and Rettenmeier Holzindustrie in Hirschberg, is in second place, with an output of 305,000 m³. Ladenburger Holzwerke produced 240,000 m³ of solid structural timber at just one site, i.e. in Bopfingen.
The largest Austrian manufacturers are Hasslacher Norica Timber in Preding with an output of 115,000 m³, closely followed by Eschelmüller Holz in Rothfarn with a production volume of 110,000 m³. Both companies’ production output remained at 2023 levels.
Optimistic annual targets
Exactly one year ago, manufacturers were still projecting a more or less stable output of 3.12 million m³ for 2024. At the time, the Holzkurier considered this to be an extremely ambitious target given the weak construction industry and the slump in building permits.
For the current year, German manufacturers predict an increase of 1.6%, while their Austrian counterparts are expecting production to grow by 5.7%. This would result in a cumulative increase of almost 75,000 m³ to over 3 million m³. Considering the further marked decrease in building permits in both countries in 2024, these targets, too, will likely be difficult to reach. In Germany, the construction of 215,900 housing units was permitted in 2024. This corresponds to a year-on-year decrease 17% or 43,700 units. It also marks the third consecutive year with a falling number of building permits. In Austria, where annual figures are not yet available, the number of permitted new buildings fell by 15% year on year in the first three quarters of 2024.
Price increase since the start of 2024
The price of solid structural timber started off the year 2024 at €320/m³ and thus €5 below the 2023 level. The Holzkurier’s surveys show that the price then climbed slowly but steadily to €340/m³ by December, resulting in an annual average price of €327/m³. In 2023, solid structural timber cost on average €313/m³, after the absolute record years of 2021 and 2022 with average prices of €399/m³ and €468/m³, respectively.
Since the beginning of this year, the price of solid structural timber has increased substantially to €370/m³ in February, and manufacturers have already announced further increases for March. The pressure for this increase, which is largely supported by the market, is primarily coming from the raw wood, whose price has recently risen sharply. In addition, the usual winter slump has largely been avoided due to the favorable weather, and customers’ inventory levels are likely to be lower than in previous winters.
Against this backdrop, many manufacturers expect steady demand and moderately rising sales prices in the coming months.
| Manufacturers of (finger-jointed) solid structural timber, volumes in m³ | ||||||
| Company | Location | Production 2024 | Target 2025 | One-shift capacity | Types of wood | Products and services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abies Austria | Oberweis | 80,000 | 85,000 | n/a | spruce, pine | 16-by-16 cm solid structural timber, width 30 cm, log house, Duo beams, lists, joining |
| Binderholz* | Jenbach | 27,000 | 27,000 | n/a | spruce | solid structural timber up to 15 m, glulam, ceiling elements, lists |
| Bruno Ruhdorfer | Straßburg | 11,500 | 15,000 | 15,000 | spruce/fir | 16-by-16 cm solid structural timber, C24M, sections with precise cross-cutting +/- 1 mm |
| Eschelmüller Holz | Rothfarn | 110,000 | 110,000 | 70,000 | spruce | glue-laminated beams, glulam GL24 H, ±1 mm fixed dimension, width 32 cm |
| Sägewerk A. Fritsche | Bürserberg | n/a | – | – | – | production shuttered |
| Holz Hahn | Rappottenstein | 40,000 | 50,000 | n/a | spruce | glulam, Duo/Trio, up to 24 m, cross-cutting of fixed lengths, list, width 32 cm |
| Handlos | Tragwein | 70,000 | 70,000 | 30,000 | spruce | C24/C30, list, max. width 32 cm, pressure impregnated, joining |
| Hasslacher Gruppe | Preding | 115,000 | 115,000 | n/a | spruce, pine | tensile testing, joining |
| Kirnbauer Holzindustrie | Ternitz | 92,000 | 110,000 | n/a | spruce, pine | glulam/Duo/Trio acc. to list, ceiling elements, length up to 18 m |
| Holz Meissnitzer | Niedernsill | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,500 | spruce, fir | joining possible, bar goods 13 m, PEFC |
| Holz Reisecker | Rossbach | 40,000 | 40,000 | 35,000 | spruce, larch, fir | up to 22.7 m, log house planks, joining, cutting to size, list |
| Sohm Holzbautechnik | Alberschwende | 8,500 | 8,500 | 6,000 | spruce, fir | 95 % für diagonal wooden pegs, 5 % solid structural timber for in-house demand |
| Stiedl Holz | Schönbach | 45,000 | 45,000 | 25,000 | spruce, fir, pine, larch | list and in packages, up to 16 m; 6/32 to 14/32 or 16/28 cm |
| Manufacturers of (finger-jointed) solid structural timber, volumes in m³ | ||||||
| Company | Location | Production 2024 | Target 2025 | One-shift capacity | Types of wood | Products and services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ante-Holz/HBS Berga | Somplar | 195,000 | 200,000 | n/a | spruce, pine, Douglas fir | joining, glulam, CLT, production of wall and ceiling elements, incl. exports |
| Rottleberode | 145,000 | 150,000 | n/a | spruce, pine, Douglas fir | joining, glulam, CLT, production of wall and ceiling elements, incl. exports | |
| Berga | 20,000 | 20,000 | n/a | spruce, pine, Douglas fir | joining, glulam, CLT, production of wall and ceiling elements | |
| ASTA Holzwerk | Ziemetshausen | 85,000 | 85,000 | 70,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | Duo/Trio, glulam, lists, bar goods, joining |
| Aurnhammer Holz | Ellwangen-Eigenzell | 48,000 | 48,000 | 25,000 | spruce, fir, larch, Douglas fir | Duo/Trio, glulam, glue-laminated beams, list, bar goods up to 16 m, cross-cutting of fixed lengths |
| Holzwerke Baur | Wain | 50,000 | 50,000 | 35,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | up to 16/28, cross-cutting of fixed lengths, not finger-jointed up to 5 m |
| Holzwerke Beckmann | Eslohe | 12,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | spruce | lists |
| Binderholz* | Baruth | 108,000 | 108,000 | n/a | pine, spruce | Marchian pine |
| Holzwerke Bullinger | Abtsgmünd | 61,000 | 60,000 | 34,000 | spruce/fir, larch/Douglas fir | joining, solid structural timber, glulam, Duo – everything as list goods too, cross-cutting of fixed lengths |
| Burgbacher Holzwerk | St. Georgen | 30,000 | 33,000 | n/a | spruce/fir, Douglas fir | solid structural timber lists, bars and Duo/Trio/glulam, PEFC |
| Cordes | Bremerhaven | 140,000 | 140,000 | 90,000 | spruce, pine, larch, Douglas fir | joining, lists, fixed dimensions, Duo/Trio, glulam, log house planks |
| Eugen Decker | Morbach | 90,000 | 90,000 | n/a | spruce, Douglas fir, larch, pine | entire range of glued timber products (solid structural timber, Duo, BSH, CLT) |
| Dickel-Holz | Schmallenberg | 20,000 | 20,000 | n/a | spruce, fir | – |
| Ernst Fisch | Rüthen | n/a | n/a | n/a | spruce, larch | solid structural timber in short lengths and without adhesive |
| GELO Holzwerke | Weißenstadt | 63,000 | 70,000 | 25,000 | spruce, Douglas fir, pine | up to 12/28, 14/26 and 16/24, spruce & Douglas fir acc. to list, new: pine (bars); joining incl. planning, bars up to 15.5 m, cross-cutting of fixed lengths (timber frame construction) |
| Haas Fertigbau | Falkenberg | 8,000 | 8,000 | 6,000 | spruce | joining, structures, glulam |
| Hördener Holzwerk | Gaggenau | 28,000 | 28,000 | n/a | spruce, fir, pine, larch | construction timber, glue-laminated beams, glulam, log house planks, joining |
| Huber & Sohn | Bachmehring | 14,000 | 14,000 | 14,000 | spruce, fir | acc. to list, bar goods, up to 14 m, max. 160/240 mm |
| Junginger Naturholzwerk | Gaildorf | n/a | n/a | n/a | spruce, Douglas fir | lists, system lengths, stored goods, in comibination with Duo/Trio, glulam, ceilings, joining |
| Kaufmann Bau | Oberstadion | 1,100 | 1,100 | 1,100 | spruce, fir | further processing into wooden pegs and mass timber ceilings |
| Kurt Huber | Achern | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | spruce, larch, Douglas fir | also Duo/Trio, glulam, CLT, joinery machine, lists |
| Ladenburger Holzwerke | Bopfingen | 240,000 | 240,000 | n/a | spruce, pine, larch, Douglas fir | lists, Duo/Trio, glue-laminated beams, glulam, joining |
| Holzwerke M. Menz | Ehrenberg | 90,000 | 80,000 | 60,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | packages, 5 m, system lengths, 13 m; Douglas fir, wedged boards |
| Merkle Holz | Nersingen | 54,500 | 55,000 | 30,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | Duo/Trio, glulam, lists, joining |
| Moselsäge Johann Müller | Schweich | 7,000 | 7,000 | 10,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | cross-cutting of fixed dimensions ±1 mm |
| Holz-Otto | Waldkappel | 25,000 | 25,000 | 20,000 | spruce | solid structural timber up to 16/28, lists, joining, glulam |
| Holzwerke Pfarrkirchen | Pfarrkirchen | 110,000 | 110,000 | 70,000 | spruce, pine, larch | lists, glue-laminated beams/Duo/Trio, glulam, joining |
| Rettenmeier Holzindustrie | Hirschberg | 165,000 | 150,000 | dynamic | spruce, Douglas fir | Duo/Trio, lists, bar goods, glulam |
| Rombach Holzwerk | Schonach | 16,000 | 16,000 | 10,000 | spruce, fir, Douglas fir, larch, pine | up to 16/28 and 14/30 in thickness, FSC, PEFC, list and bar goods |
| Rothmund Leimholz | Klettgau | 18,000 | 18,000 | 10,000 | spruce, Douglas fir, larch, etc. | list/bar goods, Duo, glulam, cross-cutting of fixed dimensions ±1 mm |
| Holz Ruser | Bornhöved | 35,000 | 35,000 | 30,000 | spruce, larch | lists, cross-cutting of fixed dimensions ±1 mm, joining |
| Schmelter | Lennestadt | 42,000 | 40,000 | 35,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | Duo/Trio/glulam, everything acc. to lists and as bar goods, cross-cutting ±1 mm, length up to 16 m, PEFC |
| Schmid-Holz | Schapbach | n/a | n/a | 8,000 | spruce, fir, Douglas fir, larch, pine | visible-quality solid structural timber, Duo/Trio, glulam, everthing acc. to list, cross-cutting of fixed dimensions, ceiling elements |
| Holz Schmidt | Cölbe/Schönstadt | 125,000 | 160,000 | 80,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | list up to 16x28, 30 cm widths, wall studs ±0 mm, cutting of fixed dimensions |
| Best Wood Schneider | Eberhardzell | 60,000 | 70,000 | 25,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | – |
| Schrage Holz | Olpe-Neuenkleusheim | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | spruce, fir | lists, cutting of fixed dimensions, Duo/Trio, glulam |
| Schwörer Haus | Hohenstein | 50,000 | 50,000 | 30,000 | spruce | Duo/Trio/Quattro, glulam 26 m, stacked board ceiling |
| Sonnleitner Holzbauwerke* | Ortenburg | 5,000 | 5,000 | n/a | n/a | solid structural timber production for in-house use only |
| Holzwerke H. Ströhla | Schwarzenbach/Wald | 35,000 | 35,000 | 15,000 | spruce | glulam, Duo, Trio, list, cutting of fixed dimensions, length up to 16 m, joining |
| Vente-Holz | Finnentrop-Lenhausen | 65,000 | 65,000 | 40,000 | spruce, larch, Douglas fir | Duo/Trio, glulam: ceilings, lists, cutting of fixed dimensions ±1 mm, length up to 16 m |
| Weihele Holz | Görisried | 30,000 | 30,000 | 15,000 | spruce, larch | cross-cutting ±1 mm, up to 30 cm in width |
| Josef Ziegler | Plößberg-Stein | 15,000 | 15,000 | 10,000 | spruce, fir | combined solid structural timber and glulam line |
