Decrease in German production
In Germany, solid structural timber production continued its downward trend for the third consecutive year in 2025. At 2.29 million m³, output decreased by 2% compared to 2024, and it was also 8% lower than in the record year of 2022. Exactly one year ago, producers still expected an increase of 1.6% for 2025, but even then, this seemed to be an ambitious target given the weak construction industry.
For 2026, market participants in Germany expect production to grow by 1% to a total of 2.32 million m³. Looking at building permits, which are a key indicator for the future construction market, the forecast given by solid structural timber producers could become a reality this year. After three consecutive years of decreases, the number of building permits issued in Germany rose strongly again in 2025. According to Destatis, permits were issued for 238,500 housing units. Compared to the historic low in 2024, this represents an increase of 11%. In fact, this is the first time since 2021 that the German residential construction sector recorded growth. However, despite this positive development, the market continues to be impacted by numerous economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
No changes in the Top 3
Rettenmeier Holzindustrie substantially reduced production in Hirschberg last year. Compared to 2024, output fell by 25,000 m³ to 140,000 m³. Together with the sister plant of the Cordes Group in Bremerhaven, the cumulative output was 280,000 m³ in 2025.
In Germany, ante-holz, with its production sites in Somplar, Rottleberode and Berga, was probably the only company to have produced more solid structural timber in 2025. However, ante-holz did not report its 2025 figures, nor its target output for 2026. In 2024, the company produced 360,000 m³ of solid structural timber. Ladenburger Holzwerke operates Germany’s largest single production site in Bopfingen. In 2025, 235,000 m³ were produced there. This year, the plan is to reduce output by 15,000 m³. At Ernst Fisch in Rühten, no solid structural timber was produced in 2025. Following a fire, the company is currently building a new production line there, which is to go into operation in the autumn of 2026.
Austrians ramped up production
In Austria, production of solid structural timber grew again in 2025, by 5% year on year to 672,000 m³. For 2026, manufacturers expect a further increase of almost 4% to just under 700,000 m³.
Eschelmüller Holz in Rotfarn was the main driver of growth in 2025. With an increase of 15,000 m³ to 125,000 m³, the Waldviertel-based company is Austria’s largest solid structural timber producer for the first time. Hasslacher Norica Timber ranks second. At its Styrian site in Preding, the company produced 120,000 m³ last year, that is, 5,000 m³ more than in 2024. Hasslacher plans to further increase its output by 20,000 m³ in 2026. This would make the company Austria’s number one supplier of solid structural timber once again.
| Manufacturers of (finger jointed) solid structural timber, volumes in m³ | ||||||
| Company | Location | Production 2025 | Target 2026 | One-shift capacity | Types of wood | Products & services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abies Austria | Oberweis | 85,000 | 85,000 | n/s | spruce, pine | 16-by-16 cm solid structural timber, width 30 cm, log house, Duo beams, lists, joining |
| A. Baumgartner | Sollenau | n/s | n/s | n/s | n/s | |
| Binderholz | Jenbach | 27,000 | 27,000 | n/s | spruce | solid structural timber up to 15 m, glulam, ceiling elements, lists |
| Bruno Ruhdorfer | Straßburg | 12,500 | 15,000 | 15,000 | spruce, fir | 16-by-16 cm solid structural timber, C24M, cutting to size with precise cross-cutting +/- 1 mm |
| Eschelmüller Holz | Rothfarn | 125,000 | 125,000 | 75,000 | spruce, pine | glulam, Duo/trio beams, lengths up to 26 m, cross-cutting of fixed lengths, cutting to size |
| Holz Hahn | Rappottenstein | 45,000 | 50,000 | n/s | spruce | glulam, glulam beams up to 24 m, cross-cutting of fixed lengths, list, width 32 cm |
| Handlos | Tragwein | 70,000 | 70,000 | 30,000 | spruce, pine | C24/C30, list, max. width 32 cm, pressure impregnated, joining |
| Hasslacher Gruppe | Preding | 120,000 | 140,000 | n/s | spruce, pine | tensile testing, joining |
| Kirnbauer Holzindustrie | Ternitz | 92,000 | 90,000 | n/s | spruce, pine | glulam, Duo, Trio, solid structural timber acc. to list, ceiling elements, max. length 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, dimensional stability, dowel wood |
| Sohm Holzbautechnik | Alberschwende | 8,500 | 8,500 | 6,000 | spruce, fir | 95 % für diagonal dowel wood, 5 % solid structural timber for in-house use |
| Stiedl Holz | Schönbach | 45,000 | 45,000 | 25,000 | spruce, fir, pine, larch | list and in packages, up to 16 m; from 6/32 to 14/32 or 16/28 cm |
| Manufacturers of (finger jointed) solid structural timber, volumes in m³ | ||||||
| Company | Location | Production 2025 | Target 2026 | One-shift capacity | Types of wood | Products & services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ante-holz/HBS Berga* |
Somplar | 190,000 | 185,000 | n/s | spruce, pine, Douglas fir | joining, glulam, CLT, production of wall and ceiling elements, incl. exports |
| Rottleberode | 140,000 | 135,000 | n/s | spruce, pine, Douglas fir | joining, glulam, CLT, production of wall and ceiling elements, incl. exports | |
| Berga | 20,000 | 18,000 | n/s | spruce, pine, Douglas fir | joining, glulam, CLT, production of wall and ceiling elements | |
| Aumann Holzwerk 1) | 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/s | pine, spruce | Marchian pine |
| Holzwerke Bullinger | Abtsgmünd | 60,000 | 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 | 30,000 | n/s | 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 sizes, Duo/Trio, glulam, wall and ceiling elements |
| Eugen Decker | Morbach | 90,000 | 90,000 | n/s | spruce, Douglas fir, larch, pine | entire range of glued timber products (solid structural timber, Duo, glulam, CLT) |
| Dickel-Holz | Schmallenberg | 25,000 | 35,000 | n/s | spruce, pine, Douglas fir | lists, max. length 14 m, cross-cutting of fixed lengths |
| Ernst Fisch 2) | Rüthen | – | – | – | spruce, larch | solid structural timber in short lengths and without adhesive |
| GELO Holzwerke | Weißenstadt | 70,000 | 70,000 | 25,000 | spruce, Douglas fir, pine | up to 12/28, 14/26 and 16/24, spruce & Douglas fir acc. to list, 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 | 27,000 | 30,000 | n/s | spruce, fir, pine, larch | construction timber, glue-laminated beams, glulam, log house planks, joining, GLVL |
| 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/s | n/s | n/s | spruce, Douglas fir | lists, system lengths, stocked goods, in comibination with Duo/Trio, glulam, ceilings, joining |
| Kaufmann Bau | Oberstadion | n/s | n/s | n/s | spruce, fir | further processing into dowel wood and mass timber ceilings; production for in-house use only |
| Kurt Huber | Achern | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | spruce, larch, Douglas fir | also Duo/Trio, glulam, CLT, joinery machine, lists |
| Ladenburger Holzwerke | Bopfingen | 235,000 | 220,000 | n/s | spruce, pine, larch, Douglas fir | lists, Duo/Trio, glue-laminated beams, glulam, joining |
| Holzwerke M. Menz | Ehrenberg | 90,000 | 90,000 | 60,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | packages, 5 m, system lengths, 13 m; wall studs; wedged boards |
| Merkle Holz | Nersingen | 55,800 | 58,000 | 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 lengths ±1 mm |
| Holz-Otto | Waldkappel | n/s | n/s | 20,000 | spruce | solid structural timber up to 16/28, lists, joining, glulam |
| Holzwerke Pfarrkirchen | Pfarrkirchen | 110,000 | 110,000 | n/s | spruce, pine, larch | lists, glue-laminated beams/Duo/Trio, glulam, joining |
| Rettenmeier Holzindustrie | Hirschberg | 140,000 | 140,000 | 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 and other types of wood | list/bar goods, Duo, glulam, cross-cutting of fixed lengths ±1 mm |
| Holz Ruser | Bornhöved | 33,000 | 36,000 | 30,000 | spruce, larch | lists, cross-cutting of fixed lengths ±1 mm, joining |
| Schmelter | Lennestadt | 42,000 | 42,000 | 35,000 | spruce, pine, Douglas fir | Duo/Trio/glulam (elements, too), everything acc. to lists and as bar goods, cross-cutting ±1 mm, length up to 16 m, PEFC |
| Schmid-Holz | Schapbach | n/s | n/s | 8,000 | spruce, fir, Douglas fir, larch, pine | visible-quality solid structural timber, Duo/Trio, glulam, everything acc. to list, cross-cutting of fixed lengths, ceiling elements |
| Holz Schmidt | Cölbe/Schönstadt | 140,000 | 160,000 | 80,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | list up to 16x28, 30 cm widths, wall studs ±0 mm, cutting of fixed lengths |
| Best Wood Schneider | Eberhardzell | 60,000 | 70,000 | 25,000 | spruce, Douglas fir | – |
| Schrage Holz | Olpe-Neuenkleusheim | 20,000 | 20,000 | 25,000 | spruce, fir | lists, cutting of fixed lengths, Duo/Trio, glulam
|
| Schwörer Haus | Hohenstein | 50,000 | 50,000 | 30,000 | spruce | Duo/Trio/Quattro, glulam up to 26 m, stacked board ceiling |
| Sonnleitner Holzbauwerke* | Ortenburg | 5,000 | 5,000 | n/s | n/s | 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, max. length 16 m, joining |
| Vente-Holz | Finnentrop-Lenhausen | 65,000 | 65,000 | 35,000 | spruce, larch, pine | Duo/Trio, glulam: ceilings, lists, cutting of fixed lengths ±1 mm, max. length 17.2 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, larch | combined production line for solid structural timber and glulam |
