The sawmilling industry used the continuing positive development in sales revenue and key performance figures for new and expansion investment measures as well acquisitions in 2021, too. In doing so, companies in North America gave numerous announcements of building new and extending existing sawmills, particularly in southern USA. In connection with new or forthcoming restrictions and prohibitions in roundwood exports, expansion of the sawmilling industry was accelerated in eastern Europe in general but above in Russia.
Conversely, the focus in central Europe was placed on increasing internal value-adding resources. In the course of the modernisation measures, however, an enlargement in cutting capacity is evident as well. In addition to this, quite a number of business have also invested in the expansion of their railway infrastructure. The acquisitions that made the news last year led to further consolidation in the industry. Particularly active again in this regard were companies and groups that had already been amongst the biggest in Europe and North America beforehand. The volatility of sawn softwood prices last year, hitherto unprecedented in this form, as well as the distortions in sawn-softwood availability prompted some processors to invest in setting up their own sawmill capacity or to take over existing sawmills.
The overview summarising corporate changes in the sawmill sector is available in the printed version of issue 1-2/2022 or as pdf.
