Arnulf Penker - Chief Technology Officer from September 1, 2023
Considering the growth of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group, the Supervisory Board has decided to fill the position of a CTO (Chief Technical Officer).
Mr. DI Arnulf Penker MBA will take over this important task in one of Europe's leading sawmill and wood processing groups as of September 1, 2023.
Reinhard Zellner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board: "With Mr. Penker, we have succeeded in bringing on board an expert with extensive experience in the wood processing industry. With three members - DI Richard Stralz as CEO, DI Michael Wolfram in the function of CFO and DI Penker as CTO - the Management Board team of MM Holz is extremely powerful and excellently positioned for our future strategy."
Mr. Penker is a graduate of the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), majoring in wood and natural fiber technology, and holds an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, USA.
Hurray for the opening ceremony of the world's first PEFC-certified cross-laminated timber plant and The Next Generation!
Only two years after the start of construction, Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG opened its high-tech plywood production.
On June 23, 2023, Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG opened the high-tech cross-laminated timber production at the sawmill site in Leoben.
Franz Mayr-Melnhof Saurau, owner: "With the new cross laminated timber plant we are in line with the spirit of the times. It is our clear commitment to our responsibility for 'The Next Generation', indeed, for all future generations, because: 'The future begins today'! When constructing these buildings, it was important to us to use building materials made of wood wherever this valuable raw material can be used sensibly. We are proud that we have built the first timber construction project of this size in the world that has been PEFC-certified."
11,500 m3 PEFC-certified timber construction products from the company's own production were used. With an investment sum of 175 million euros, the BSP factory with upstream re-sorting and planning plant and a fully automated high-bay warehouse for sawn timber is the largest single investment in the history of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group.
Facts:
- More than 33,000 m2 of hall space was built.
- Almost 12,000 m3 PEFC-certified timber in the form of cross-laminated timber boards, glulam beams, three-layer boards and also construction timber – all from the company's own productions – were used.
- The new high-bay warehouse has 27,000 m3 of storage capacity, with room for around 7,000 sawn timber packages.
- Up to 70 trucks per day can be loaded with sawn timber from the high-bay warehouse.
- Around 140,000 m3 cross laminated timber can be produced per year in full operation, which is more than 2,500 single-family houses per year, storing around 128,000 tonnes of CO2
- Around 11,000 tonnes of CO2 are bound in the new BSP plant itself.
- 50 new green jobs were created in the region.
- On the roof is a 3.8 megawatt peak photovoltaic system for the ecological supply of electricity and heat to the plant.
- The sawn timber supply for the cross laminated timber production is handled by the adjacent sawmill without additional transport routes.
Richard Stralz, CEO of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG: "I am proud of this joint achievement of our employees, who have realised this impressive factory in cooperation with our suppliers."
After the completion of the construction and the ramp-up phase of production, Richard Stralz (CEO) and Michael Wolfram (CFO) handed over the responsibility for prosperous growth during the opening ceremony. In the traditional ceremony of handing over the keys, they handed over the responsibility for prosperous growth to the production managers Markus Thier (Plant Manager) and Martin Klingenbrunner (Production Manager), as well as to the sales managers Bernhard Waldner (Division Manager Sales Processed Timber Products) and Florian de Monte (Sales Manager Cross-laminated Timber).
The sawmill's Plant Manager, Dietmar Sagmeister, received the "key" for the re-sorting and planning mill as well as the lamella center, which are located directly adjacent to the traditional sawmill and are part of the Saw Division at Mayr-Melnhof Holz.
The Strobl timber construction company, which was responsible for the timber construction of the building complex, presented Franz Mayr-Melnhof-Saurau with a hand-carved Klementi, the patron saint of forestry, timber and sawmill workers, on behalf of all "Mayrischen". The work of art will be given a place of honour in the BSP factory for all to see.
At the end of the opening ceremony, the Leoben city priest Markus Plöbst blessed the carved patron saint, all the guests present, the people who work in the cross laminated timber plant, and all those who now and in the future have to do with the timber construction product cross laminated timber or live or work in buildings constructed with this future material at the cross laminated timber plant in Leoben.
Guests of Honour:
- Landesrat ÖR Johann Seitinger, representing the Governor of Styria, Christopher Drexler
- Landesrätin Mag.a Ursula Lackner, representing the Deputy Governor Anton Lang
- State Minister for Economic Affairs, MMag.a Barbara Eibinger-Miedl
- District Governor of Leoben, Mag. Markus Kraxner
- Mayor of the Municipality of Leoben, Kurt Wallner
- Parish priest of Leoben, Mag. Dr. Markus Plöbst
- President of IV Austria, Ing. Georg Knill
- President LK Steiermark, ÖR Franz Titschenbacher
- Chairwoman of the Wood Industry Section of the Styrian Chamber of Commerce, Monika Zechner
- Chairman Agriculture and Forestry, Carl Prince of Croy
- Chairman of the Austrian Forest Association, Rudolf Rosenstatter
- Chairman of the Austrian Sawmill Industry, DI Markus Schmölzer
- Federal Chairman of the Forestry Contractors in the Professional Association of Commercial Service Providers in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Peter Konrad
- Chairman of proHolz Steiermark and Chairman of the Styrian Forest Association, LKR Paul Lang
- Chairman of PEFC-International, Eduardo Rojas Briales
- Chairman of PEFC-Austria, FD DI Dr. Kurt Ramskogler
- Rector of TU Graz, Univ. Prof. DI Dr. Dr. Harald Kainz
- Deputy Managing Director of IV Steiermark, Mag.a Nina Zechner
- Managing Director of SFG, Mag. Christoph Ludwig
Three major events took place during the opening:
- Official opening ceremony on June 23, 2023 with more than 550 guests,
- Summer party for employees at the Gaishorn and Leoben locations,
- Open day with more than 1000 guests on June 24, 2023.
MM TIMBER LOG: Wood as key material against the climate crisis
As a sustainable raw material, wood plays a central role in the Green Transition. DI Richard Stralz, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, talks about new possible applications for one of mankind’s oldest and most time-tested construction materials.
Mister Stralz, let us talk about wood. It is one of mankind’s oldest and time-tested construction materials. For millennia, it was indispensable both as construction material and fuel. What is it used for today?
Well, basically for the same purposes and actually to an even greater extent. Over the past 10 to 20 years, we have seen a rising demand driven by efforts to use more climate-friendly, sustainable resources, which has lead to a true renaissance of this type of material. In today’s building construction we use solid timber in the form of glued-laminated timber and cross-laminated timber, but it is also used as construction timber and for veneering. Not only is it easy to process, it is also renewable and regionally available. It is an essential component of solving our climate issues. Let’s not forget: One cubic metre of wood is able to bind one ton of CO2 – in the form of trees, wooden furniture, wooden windows, timber construction buildings or even wooden toys.
So you could say that using wood creates sort of a second “forest” made of wood products, since the carbon remains stored in the processed material. At the same time, reafforestation creates new wood that also binds carbon and supplies oxygen to the environment. In addition, we have an important substitution effect: wood replaces other CO2 -intensive, non-renewable materials and thus prevents the CO2 –emissions their production would cause. Here we have the greatest leverage for climate protection. Products made in Austria and made of Austrian wood save about eight million tons of CO2. This is about one tenth of all greenhouse gas emissions in Austria over the period of one year.
Evidently, wood is unrivalled as construction material and raw material when we speak about its CO2 -balance. This is an enormous potential that we can use for our future.
Theoretically speaking, could wood replace all other construction materials?
Not in every single case, but certainly for a whole host of applications. You would not use timber to construct a basement, for example. Every construction material has its pros and cons and should be used where it best meets the requirements. Wood has many compelling arguments on its side, one of which is its low net weight and yet very high level of rigidity. If you want to add additional floors to an existing building, for example, wood is an excellent alternative. You don’t need to use more valuable land that is always scarce in urban areas by putting up a new building. In nearly all cases you can add one or two floors by using wood. Structurally, this is no problem at all.
Do we use enough wood in construction?
When it comes to using wood in construction, I call on the competent political decision-makers and public entities to join forces. We know that about one third of the world’s CO2 output is caused by cement and steel production. This is where we can really make a difference. If we want to do something for the climate, we must ensure that more wood is used. It should be promoted in public buildings such as kindergartens, schools, nursing homes etc. One thing is fore sure - there is no shortage of available wood to achieve this. In Austria alone, enough new wood grows every 30 seconds to build an entire single-family home. Over the last 25 years, forest resources here have grown by 23 percent. This value is even higher in the rest of Europe. Sometimes Scandinavia is criticised for its forestry, but even there wood is growing, not dwindling. Sweden, for example, only harvests 90 percent of its annual, renewable growth.
Do you see any novel areas of application of wood in the future?
Certainly, yes, because wood has not only become exactly calculable in terms of fire protection requirements but also in terms of its mechanical properties. The project Wood.C.A.R. by the Styrian Wood Cluster has been an essential contribution. Today we are able to precisely predict the behaviour of wooden components in the automotive area by using simulation models, so much so that we are able to minimise the use of expensive and complicated crash tests. This computability will enable many more applications for wood and wooden construction materials.
Does wood have a future as fuel? After all, it is climate-neutral if it is used this way.
Wood is proven to be CO2 –neutral. The use of its thermal energy has a long-standing, successful tradition. However, we have a duty to maximise the use of our raw materials as long as possible along the value-added chain to achieve true sustainability and use them efficiently and ecologically, no matter what type of raw material we choose to employ. This means that we must start with the most high-value product possible, and then recycle this valuable material prudently until we reach the end of the line and use its thermal energy potential. This process would normally take several decades and involve many different products.
Our domestic timber industry is often criticised for importing too much wood, especially from Eastern Europe...
Well, the Austrian timber industry procures logs from neighbouring countries, but our domestic forests are our raw material sources number one with an approximate 65 percent share in all processed round wood. You also have to keep in mind that about 80 percent of the Austrian sawmill capacity is located near our national borders. So, including purchases on both sides of the border comes natural, because sawmills routinely have a procurement radius of about 100 to 150 km. In turn, the same holds true for foreign sawmills near our borders, of course. Due to the current EU sanctions, no wood or wooden products are imported by the EU from Russia. Before the Ukraine crisis, about 10 percent of the European demand for all types of wood products was covered by imports from Russia and Belarus.
Recently, the EU has taken a critical stance towards wood. Is that a reasonable approach?
The EU wood and biodiversity strategy is not well thought out. On the one hand, the use of wood is promoted, and on the other hand timber harvesting is being restricted drastically. Yet, the responsible actors know very well how important it is to cultivate our forests.
Why?
Only cultivated forests are climate-resilient forests and will be able to deliver their much needed contributions to the solution of our climate change-related problems. Leave a forest unattended for merely 50 years and you will have turned a once CO2 –saving depot into an active source of net CO2 –emission, because of natural rotting processes. Timely timber harvesting and usage for long-term wood products as well as reafforestation of harvested areas keep our forests safe as carbon stores and oxygen producers. Young forests between 40 and 60 years absorb the most CO2. Sustainable forestry and wood processing combined get the best results for climate protection, because you get both maximum CO2absorption by the forests and extended carbon retention in the wooden products. In addition we support the biodiversity of our forests, a resource our woods need in order to be able to adapt to climate change.
So climate change also changes the timber industry?
Current climate models clearly indicate that global warming and a re-distribution of precipitation already put a high level of stress on many of our forests. The enormous challenge for our forestry is to make our woods fit for the future and fit for the climate, by using suitable harvesting and reafforestation strategies. We cooperate with universities and forest research institutions to find the best distribution of tree species, based on the soil conditions, volume and distribution of rainfall as well as climate prediction models to make forestry possible in the years and decades to come. In Austria the economic basis of about 300,000 people and in Styria of roughly 55,000 people either directly or indirectly depends on our forestry and timber industry.
The interview was conducted by Sonja Hiebler-Liebminger and Anton Kolb, first published on 12 April 2023 on the website of SFG
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Climate active mobile – LE 14-20
Mayr-Melnhof Holz makes a valuable contribution to climate protection with its wood products. With the use of new electrically powered 16-tons loading forklifts and the new electric cargo bikes, active climate protection is now also being implemented in the internal transportation in Leoben.
This investment in climate-friendly mobility solutions (project type 7.4.2.) was supported by the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, the Climate and Energy Fund and the European Union.
NEW: MM crosslam brochure in new revised edition
We have revised and reissued our MM crosslam brochure. The result is a valuable document for planners, architects and builders on the solid wood construction material cross laminated timber from Mayr-Melnhof Holz. The brochure contains technical data, information on the product range, on joinery, a component catalogue, detailed pre-dimensioning tables and installation instructions.
The new MM crosslam brochure is available in German, English, French, Spanish and Italian on this website in the service area.
👉 To the brochure: MM crosslam
World's first PEFC project certification for an industrial building of this size
Mayr-Melnhof Holz has ambitious goals for the use of wood as a sustainable building material and is doing pioneering work at its Leoben site: The new cross-laminated timber plant, currently under construction, including a high-performance re-sorting and planning plant as well as a fully automated high-bay warehouse for the storage of sawn timber, has become the world's first industrial building complex of this size to receive a PEFC project certificate.
PEFC - Confirmed sustainability
Mayr-Melnhof Holz has ambitious goals for the use of wood as a sustainable building material and is doing pioneering work at its Leoben site: The new cross-laminated timber plant, currently under construction, including a high-performance re-sorting and planning plant as well as a fully automated high-bay warehouse for the storage of sawn timber, has become the world's first industrial building complex of this size to receive a PEFC project certificate.
PEFC - Confirmed sustainability
All Mayr-Melnhof Holz sites and wood construction products are already PEFC-multisite certified (CoC - Chain of custody, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes). Wood and timber products with the PEFC seal of approval originate from clearly documented, sustainable origins: controlled sources of supply, stable and long-standing partnerships with our suppliers, short transport routes, and the complete utilization of every tree trunk are the top priorities.
The principle of sustainability, which has been followed by the timber industry for 300 years, is a matter at Mayr-Melnhof Holz, of course. Therefore, what could be more obvious than to also apply for the corresponding certification for the new production halls at the Leoben site?
World premiere with exemplary function
Mayr-Melnhof Holz received the world's first PEFC project certificate with the number HFA-PEFC-COC-0776 for an industrial building of this size. The new cross-laminated timber plant in Leoben with an upstream high-performance re-sorting and planing mill as well as a fully automated high-bay warehouse for the storage of sawn timber acts as an absolute showpiece for sustainable, ecological industrial hall construction worldwide. With its scope, the construction project sets a new international quality standard for future timber buildings of all sizes.
Joint effort for climate protection
The project scope for the certification of the new plant includes the load-bearing timber construction (wall, roof and ceiling construction), the facade construction (excluding windows and doors), as well as the flat roof construction (including attic construction). In total, more than 11,500 m³ of PEFC-certified timber elements are installed, produced at the locations of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group. In order to be able to ensure the certification of a construction project of this scope, the energetic cooperation of the construction companies as well as the company's own wood processing sites was necessary. Compliance with the strict PEFC guidelines is critically reviewed on a regular basis by Holzforschung Austria.
Joint effort for climate protection
The project scope for the certification of the new plant includes the load-bearing timber construction (wall, roof and ceiling construction), the facade construction (excluding windows and doors), as well as the flat roof construction (including attic construction). In total, more than 11,500 m³ of PEFC-certified timber elements are installed, produced at the locations of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group. In order to be able to ensure the certification of a construction project of this scope, the energetic cooperation of the construction companies as well as the company's own wood processing sites was necessary. Compliance with the strict PEFC guidelines is critically reviewed on a regular basis by Holzforschung Austria.
Timber construction: sustainable paths to the future
As a pioneering achievement, the PEFC certification of this construction project broadens the view of climate-friendly industrial hall construction of the future. Around 11,500 tons of CO2 are bound in the PEFC-certified timber used - approx. one ton per cubic meter of wood. This does not include wood products used for other areas, such as interior offices, visitor walkway, windows and doors, etc. Also not included are the avoided CO2 emissions due to the use of wooden construction elements instead of conventional building materials, which are much more CO2-intensive in production and transport to the construction site.
CEO Richard Stralz: "We regard sustainable management as our corporate responsibility at all levels. By carrying out the building project as a timber construction, we are making an important contribution to climate protection – and hope for numerous imitations."
Austria’s Leading Company 2022
"A success that is due to all our employees in our group of companies," emphasize the board members Richard Stralz and Michael Wolfram. "Together, we can be very proud of this award. It is based on the performance of all employees over the past three years. At the same time, it should spur us on to further top performance," said CEO Richard Stralz at the award ceremony on October 18.
Michael Wolfram, CFO, added: "We are one of Europe's largest and leading companies, and our success in this competition also underlines that."
This year, for the 24th time, Austria's best companies will be determined in the country's most important business competition. The award winners - Austria's Leading Companies - are characterized by sustainable growth and at the same time have a solid financial basis.
- The ALC Award is special because it is not awarded by a jury, but is based on balance sheet figures and performance over a period of three years.
- The prestigious business award is presented by the Austrian newspaper "Die Presse" and its partners KSV1870 and PwC Österreich.
- The business award is available in two categories: Internationally active companies (export) and nationally active companies (Austria).
- Mayr-Melnhof Holz won in the category "Internationally active companies", and this for the second time, the first time was in 2020.
- - As the winning company, the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group will also participate in the all-Austrian ranking of leading companies in January 2023.
New management team Sawn Timber Division
In February 2022, the Austrian based Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group acquired a majority stake in the Swedish sawmill group Bergkvist Siljan, therefore becoming the third largest sawmill group in Europe. Following the completion of the first integration phase, the timber industrial group is now adapting the organizational structure of the Sawn Timber Division to meet the significantly increased sales volume.
With immediate effect, a dynamic team with long-term experience is now jointly responsible for all sawmills of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group in Europe.
The new management has set itself ambitious goals and intends to continue the impressive growth of the Sawn Timber Division. The management team consists of
- Franz Schwarzauger for Log Procurement & Energy Products,
- Reinhard Zörnpfenning for Operations and
- Per-Ragnar Bergkvist for Sales & Marketing
Automated order picking line at Mayr-Melnhof Holz Wismar
The Mayr-Melnhof Holz plant in Wismar is taking a big leap forward: The new fully automated picking line including an additional second station for wood cosmetics started on schedule.
Mayr-Melnhof Holz keeps up with the times
The new order picking systems serve an ongoing trend in sales towards smaller orders and finished order picking for end customers. In order to make the plant as fit as possible for future requirements, both an increase in total production volume and flexibility in the portfolio are necessary.
This will be achieved by eliminating existing bottlenecks. For example, shipments were previously prepared manually throughout, at great expense due to the small-scale nature of the work steps required for this. A similar bottleneck was the manually complex wood cosmetics, which was carried out at just one station. After commissioning of the new automated line, this and other bottlenecks have now been eliminated and customers can be served much faster.
Numerous measures to optimize production
This required numerous individual measures or process steps, which were successfully implemented between August 2021 and June 2022. With the completion of the project, the following innovations have now been implemented:
- Additional level and a second station for wood cosmetics.
- Automated conveyor system
- Picking crosscut saw
- Portal picking system
- Automated solution for labeling
- Packaging equipment for single bars and packages (wrapping, foiling)
- Fully automated cantilever rack warehouse
- Automatic crane systems for parcel transport
- Superior control system for intelligent production control
The adaptation of services to market requirements optimizes production and opens up new sales markets and access to new customers. Additionally, fascinating new green-jobs are brought off. A multi-million investment in the modernization and sustainable safeguarding of the Wismar site.
Klima Aktiv: Award for Mayr-Melnhof Holz Reuthe
As part of the second Austrian Sustainability Summit, Mayr-Melnhof Holz Reuthe was awarded the "Klima Aktiv Preis" on June 28.
With this award, the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection honors both successfully implemented climate protection measures of Austrian industrial and commercial enterprises and the ambitious "Maßnahmenpläne 2030" of the existing klimaaktiv project partners to phase out fossil fuels. Mayr-Melnhof Holz Reuthe implemented the following measures and was thus able to achieve CO2 savings of 15,700 tons!
- New air compressor including heat recovery, saving of electricity consumption: 408,380 kWh/year
- Installation of a new heat generation system with a warm water and a hot water boiler for the cogeneration plant for heat supply, operated with sawmill by-products, savings: 19,775,210 kWh/year
- Replacement of five existing drying kilns with six energy-efficient drying kilns with heat recovery, savings: 10,837,720 kWh/year
For us at Mayr-Melnhof Holz, the future has already begun: We think of the coming generations, decision-making and acting on the principle of sustainability are a matter of fact for us. The result of this responsible approach to the raw material that is wood are efficiently produced natural wood products, economically healthy locations, long-standing business partnerships and secure jobs.
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Facts 2021 - Mayr-Melnhof Holz at a glance
The new factsheet with the updated Mayr-Melnhof Holz figures of 2021 is now available for download.
Our new factsheet provides a complete overview of Mayr-Melnhof Holz in an attractive and modern way. The new version contains the 2021 figures including an updated product portfolio, information on processed materials, personnel and more. Ideal as a first insight and suitable for sharing at any time.
- New factsheet - direct download
- Extensive materials on Mayr-Melnhof Holz - media corner
Topping-out ceremony for cross-laminated timber plant
“Glück auf” – Good luck! Mayr-Melnhof Holz is expanding its sawmill site in Leoben with a state-of-the-art cross-laminated timber plant, a high-performance re-sorting and planning mill, and a fully automated high-bay warehouse for the storage of sawn timber.
The 170-million-euro investment will be built directly subsequently to the sawmill. All elements for the load-bearing timber construction, the roof structure, walls and ceiling elements made of wood are manufactured from PEFC-certified wood in Mayr-Melnhof Holz' own timber processing plants.
Only ten months after the groundbreaking ceremony, the shell of the building is now complete. The occasion to celebrate the traditional topping-out ceremony. Representatives and employees of all the companies involved in the construction were there:
- Warnecke Engineering GmbH
- Arinco planungs + consulting gmbH
- TGA Engineering GmbH
- pde Integrale Planung GmbH
- SYNALP GmbH
- Ingenieurbüro Rudlof GmbH
- sblumer ZT GmbH
- HT & Generalunternehmer & Industriebau GmbH
- Strobl Holzbau GmbH
- Bacon Gebäudetechnik GMBH
- Elin GmbH
- Bmstr. DI (FH) Andreas Walter Mitteregger
Board member Richard Stralz and owner Franz Mayr-Melnhof-Saurau thanked the project team and employees of Mayr-Melnhof Holz, the planners, architects, all companies involved in the construction and their employees for their efforts. The youngest apprentice of the timber construction company Strobl solemnly gave the topping-out speech (“Gleichenspruch”) and threw a glass onto the floor. This tradition is supposed to bring good luck for the further course of construction. Very impressively burned onto a large cross-laminated timber board from the Gaishorn site, the “Gleichenspruch” will find a lasting place in the cross-laminated timber plant after its completion.
Construction is in full swing and commissioning is planned for December 2022.
Europe's third largest sawmill group: Mayr-Melnhof Holz & Bergkvist Siljan
Mayr-Melnhof Holz, one of the leading companies in the European sawmilling and engineered wood products industry, has received the necessary approval from the competition authorities, and thereby completes its acquisition of the Swedish sawmill group Bergkvist Siljan.
The Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG group, located in Leoben, Austria, signed a contract in December last year to acquire the Swedish sawmilling group Bergkvist Siljan AB (publ.) from the investment fund ESSVP IV., advised by Orlando Nordics AB. Having gained the approval of the competition authorities, the acquisition is completed as of 01 February 2022.
The new sites in Insjön, Mora, and Blyberg (all in central Sweden) complement the existing sawmills in Leoben (Austria), Paskov (Czech Republic), and Efimovskij (Russia) perfectly and move Mayr-Melnhof Holz, with around 5 million cubic metres of log processing capacity, up to number 3 of Europe’s largest sawmillers. For the first time in its 170-year long history, the group expects turnover to exceed one billion Euros in the 2022 financial year.
„We are very much looking forward to working with our new Swedish colleagues. Together we will realise and build on the synergy and growth potential in sales and operations, and strengthen our position in the market“, said Richard Stralz, CEO of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG. The Bergkvist Siljan brand and the existing management team will remain in place.
About Bergkvist Siljan
Bergkvist Siljan produces around 850,000 cbm of spruce and pine sawn timber annually. The group consists of three modern sawmills as well as one of the largest container terminals in Sweden, with a capacity of up to 50,000 TEU per year, and a direct rail link to Göteborg port. Michael Wolfran, CFO of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, adds: „Bergkvist Siljan, with a turnover of almost 300 million Euros, employs 285 people. Both Mayr-Melnhof Holz and Bergkvist Siljan have a long tradition of family ownership over more than a hundred years, and together our sales make a perfect fit. Along with the Scandinavian market, the sawmill group serves the markets of the Far East, Western Europe, and North Africa. “
Acquisition of the Swedish sawmill group Bergkvist Siljan
The Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding Group, based in Leoben, Austria, has signed an agreement on December 17th, 2021 to acquire the Swedish sawmill group Bergkvist Siljan from ESSVP IV, advised by Orlando Nordics AB. This continues the consistent expansion and growth strategy of the Austrian wood processing group. In 2022, for the first time in its 170-year history, the company will generate sales of over 1 billion Euro. The closing is expected to take place during the 1st quarter of 2022, subject to approval of the relevant competition authorities. It has been agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Mayr-Melnhof Holz, one of the leading companies in the European sawmilling and engineered wood products industry, will grow with this acquisition its lumber production capacity by approximately 50 % to more than 2.7 million cubic meters of sawn timber per year.
The new sites Insjön, Mora and Blyberg, right in the middle of Sweden, complement the existing sawmills in Leoben (Austria), Paskov (Czech Republic) and Efimovskij (Russia) perfectly and create a starting point for the market entry of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group into Scandinavia.
“The Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group and Bergkvist Siljan make a perfect fit. Both have comparable roots, both are family businesses with a long tradition exceeding 100 years and both are committed to sustainability. We are looking forward to a rewarding cooperation and the mutual exchange of experiences”, Richard Stralz, CEO of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, is pleased to comment about the just completed acquisition. CFO Michael Wolfram adds: “We are very optimistic that we can realize the synergy and growth potentials in sales and operations very quickly, not only securing our market position but expanding it at the same time.”
“Mayr-Melnhof Holz, with its family roots and impressive track record, is a great long-term majority owner for Bergkvist Siljan. We have come a long way since the merger between Siljan Group and Bergkvist-Insjön in 2019, becoming part of a successful international wood industry group is the natural next step for us. We thank ESSVP IV and Orlando Nordics for their support and cooperation since 2018 and look forward to working together with the team from Mayr-Melnhof Holz", says Ulf Bergkvist, Chairman of Bergkvist Siljan.
MM TIMBER LOG: How wood as a building material contributes to reaching climate goals
Richard Stralz on the contribution of wood as a building material to the fight against climate change and on the ecological footprint of wood compared to conventional building materials.
Using wood reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
One cubic meter of wood stores 250 kilograms of carbon from one ton of CO2. And we all know that CO2 is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect.
This means that wood products serve to temporarily store carbon, and they continue to do so throughout their lifetime. When it comes to drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions for a more climate-friendly future, there is no getting around the valuable raw material that is wood. We encounter products made of wood everywhere in our everyday lives: whether in toys, as windows, as parquet flooring or furniture, or even as wooden homes.
Wood products therefore act like a second forest, the carbon remaining bound in them. And of course, the wood removed from the forest is replanted through reforestation or natural regeneration. These young trees extract CO2 from their environment again by means of photosynthesis, store carbon and release vital oxygen into the air. Like in a perfect perpetual motion machine, the use of wood and reforestation permanently removes CO2 from the atmosphere and stores carbon.
Wood has up to half the ecological footprint compared to other building materials.
Around 40 percent of the total resource consumption on earth – materials and energy – is currently accounted for by the construction sector. Increases in efficiency and thus reductions in energy demand and heating requirements for building use will not be enough to reduce consumption.
A major contribution to achieving the climate targets is made by the choice of building material. Wood is simply unbeatable in this respect. Today, wood building products and innovative wood structures can in many cases replace conventional, carbon intensive building materials such as brick, concrete and steel. These are much more carbon intensive because they require much more fossil energy, such as oil or coal, in their production and transport to the construction site. Thus, wood has two effects: On the one hand carbon remains bound in wooden products and on the other, using wood prevents the use of carbon intensive materials and thus the emission of additional harmful greenhouse gases.
Wood can be recycled which is an exceptionally important factor when looking at its entire life cycle. At the end of its lifetime, a wooden building is simply disassembled and its valuable wood turned into many environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral products such as furniture boards, pellets or briquettes.
The more carbon-releasing materials are replaced by wood products the more carbon emissions into the atmosphere can be avoided. Arno Frühwald from the University of Hamburg has crunched the numbers: "… every cubic metre of wood that replaces other building materials reduces the CO2 emissions in the atmosphere by an average of 1.1 tons of CO2 ...” (Source: Holzprodukte sind Kohlenstoffspeicher, proHolz, only available in German)
Wood even improves resource efficiency by several factors: It grows back and is available in the region. 60 % of the surface of Styria, for instance, are covered by forests. Its forests grow more wood than is harvested. Thus, we have more than enough of this valuable resource.
Richard Stralz is the Chairman of the Board of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, Head of proHolz Austria and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Styrian Wood Cluster.
Sustainability & Raw material use
Wood as a building material
Wood as a raw material
A step towards automation in Leoben: High-bay sawn timber storage system
As part of the expansion of the Leoben site by a modern plant for the production of cross-laminated timber, investments are also being made in a high-bay warehouse for the sawn timber. In the future, the lumber packages with a wide range of dimensions will be provided automatically and with route accuracy for truck loading or the adjacent cross-laminated timber production.
The future-oriented intralogistics solution consists of a fully automatic, 3-aisle high-bay warehouse, an innovative conveyor system, a fully automatic strapping and squared timber stacking system, a stretching system, stacking and labelling machines, and a modern truck loading system. In addition, intelligent warehouse management, plant control and plant visualisation are integrated and communicate with the internal ERP systems.
The sawn timber packages are received from the grading and planing plant, weight and contour are controlled and transported to the high-bay warehouse. There, they are automatically placed in temporary storage. To avoid empty runs, a sequence- and route-specific retrieval order is executed immediately.
The retrieved packages are automatically supported with squared lumber, strapped, and, if required by the customer, also wrapped and automatically labelled. At a robot station for truck loading, adjacent to the loading hall, up to four packages are stacked to a single stack; for packages without squared lumber, intermediate lumber can be inserted here for stacking by robot. The stacks are taken to one of five staging lanes by a distribution truck. There, a complete truck load is provided and loaded by means of a loading crane.
In the downstream zone of the high-bay warehouse, retrieval tables are provided in each rack aisle for internal transport. Here, the sawn timber packages required in the cross-laminated timber plant are retrieved and automatically fed to production via a distribution car.
The high-bay warehouse has 7,623 storage locations, and the storage and retrieval capacity is 62/71 packages per hour. With the construction of the fully automated high-bay warehouse, Mayr-Melnhof Holz is taking a further step towards modernisation and positioning itself for the future. The company has commissioned HÖRMANN Logistik with the realisation of the project. The construction is running at full steam, the commissioning is planned for December 2022.
MM TIMBER LOG: High-quality pellets are an environmental friendly fuel
Rudolf Angeringer on the role of pellets as a biomass fuel, the ENplus® quality certificate and the contribution of pellet heating systems to the fight against climate change.
What's Mayr-Melnhof Holz’ pellet production capacity?
Mayr-Melnhof Holz produces certified and quality-controlled pellets at all of its three sawmill sites in Leoben (AT), Paskov (CZ) and Efimovskij (RU). Our intended production volume for 2021 is roughly 300,000 tons of pellets, exclusively at ENplus® A1 for use in private and commercial applications.
What do pellets contribute to the fight against climate change?
When wood is processed, up to 40 percent of the input is in the form of sawdust or shavings and wood chips, just the right raw material for the production of pellets. Thus, none of this valuable raw material that is wood is wasted, but added value is created, making a significant contribution to supporting the European transition from fossil fuels, which are responsible for high CO2 emissions, to exclusively renewable energy sources. Needless to say that Mayr-Melnhof Holz only processes wood from sustainably managed forests that are PEFC certified or meet similar standards recognised by the PEFC. This way, we promote socially and environmentally compatible forest management and guarantee natural, ecological wood products.
Why did Mayr-Melnhof Holz opt for ENplus® certification?
We have been a member of the Austrian Pellet Association from the get-go (proPellets Austria). Together with our colleagues from the Association we have campaigned for the introduction of a uniform certification standard to clearly define pellets quality. This gives our customers the peace of mind to only use pellets of exceptional quality.
What effects does the certification system have on the pellets market?
The ENplus® certification system defines clear guidelines for producing companies, retailers and delivery services. All market participants meet the same requirements meaning that the end users can rest assured to receive a product of high quality. The uniform standard is also a clear advantage for the producers of boilers and pellets ovens. They can now adapt their heating systems to a clearly defined quality.
What are the biggest challenges a pellets producer faces that wants to supply end users with a premium ecologically friendly product?
The basic prerequisite for the production of high-quality pellets is the use of the right raw material. Since we use our own sawmill by-products - fresh sawdust or wood shavings – we know exactly the origin and quality of the raw material for pellet production. Highly automated production facilities with extensive quality controls, as well as specially designed storage silos are another essential point to ensure a high quality pellet. The reliable availability of pellets through our own raw material supply gives our trading partners the possibility to supply their customers well at any time.
Will people in Europe discover the benefits of quality pellets and change the way they heat?
Many consumers already trust high-quality pellets, but some only after bad experiences with non-certified pellets. We still have some work to do in making people aware. However, it is undisputed that we must protect our environment for ourselves and the next generations and put a stop to climate change. Pellet heating systems, operated with certified pellets, make a significant contribution to this.
Why are some still hesitant about switching to pellet heating? What would you say to these people?
Converting a heating system is sometimes quite expensive. In countries where the government provides subsidies for the switch, the energy transition advances more quickly. We hope that many more countries will discover the benefits of biomass use for our climate and environment and help people replace fossil fuel heating systems with heating systems powered by renewable energy.
Also, the argument that burning pellets pollutes the air is still widespread. This argument is definitely not justified, because modern pellet heating systems operate almost emission-free. We would like to recommend to critics to visit the website of their national pellets association or www.enplus-pellets.eu. There they will find reliable information on wood pellets for end users.
This interview was originally published on 20 May 2021 in ENplus®. To the Report
Towards carbon-neutral self-sufficiency with a new biomass heating plant
Mayr-Melnhof Holz’ sustainability approach spans across the entire procurement and production process. Making another important step towards active climate protection and sustainability, the Reuthe site set up a wood heating system to achieve self-sufficiency.
Mayr-Melnhof Holz pursues a no-waste policy. In Reuthe, this means that residual wood and sawmill by-products from glued laminated timber and formwork panel and beam production that cannot be further utilised are now used for carbon-neutral heat generation.
Two new biomass boilers replace the previously separated heat generation plants. Until recently, a cogeneration plant had been used in the “Western Zone” and two wood boilers in the “Eastern Zone”. The new biomass heating plant saves more than 12,200 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Now, the two operating zones are connected by a pipeline in an underground collector corridor. In addition, a balancing tank was installed in the hot water circuit to balance the load between the biomass boilers and the consumers. The annual heat requirement for drying the sawn timber, operating the production facilities and heating the buildings is now covered entirely by the company's own energy.
Mayr Melnhof Holz Reuthe invested some 3.5 million Euros into this environmentally and climate-friendly project, supported by “Domestic Environmental Support” fund provided by the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.
Ground-breaking ceremony for new cross-laminated timber plant
In late May of 2021, Mayr-Melnhof Holz Leoben GmbH began construction on the largest investment project in the history of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group:
At the existing sawmill in Leoben, it is investing 150 million Euros in a state-of-the-art cross-laminated timber plant, a high-performance post-grading and planing mill as well as a fully automated high-bay warehouse. The new plant is supposed to be fully operational in about two years. The new cross-laminated timber plant will boost the Group’s cross-laminated timber production capacity from currently 80,000 m3/year to 200,000 m3/year, fully in line with strong market growth.
Ground was broken on 28 May. Despite strict Covid-19 event restrictions, but in glorious sunshine, many guests from politics, interest and industry groups, funding bodies, project partners from the construction industry, the planners and architects as well as the “HoLzBsp” project team followed up on the invitation sent out by owner Franz Mayr-Melnhof-Saurau, Supervisory Board member DI Rainer Zellner (Chairman), Dr. Nikolaus Ankershofen, Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Romuald Bertl, Mag. Rupert Zieseritsch and Ing. Franz Rappold as well as the Board of Directors, DI Richard Stralz (CEO) and DI Michael Wolfram (CFO).
Franz Mayr-Melnhof-Saurau welcomed the following honorary guests:
- DI Michael Esterl, General Secretary for Digitisation and Economic Location at the Federal Ministry
- State Secretary Ök.-Rat Johann Seitinger filled in for Hermann Schützenhöfer, the Governor of Styria
- Member of the Styrian State Government Helga Ahrer filled in for Anton Lang, the Deputy Governor
- State Economic Secretary MMag.a Barbara Eibinger-Miedl
- District Governor for Leoben Mag. Markus Kraxner
- Leoben’s Mayor Kurt Wallner
- The President of the Federation of the Austrian Industry, Ing. Georg Knill
- The President of the Federation of the Styrian Industry, Prof. DI Stefan Stolitzka
- The President of the Styrian Chamber of Agriculture, ÖKR Franz Titschenbacher
- The Chairman of the Forst Holz Papier Cooperation Platform, ÖKR Rudolf Rosenstatter
- The Chairman of PEFC Austria, DI Dr. Kurt Ramskogler
- The Chairman of the Austrian Agriculture and Forestry, Carl Prince of Croy
- The Federal Chairman of the Austrian Forest Managers within the Industry Association for Commercial Service Providers at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Peter Konrad
Committing to Styria as an economic location
This investment marks a clear commitment to Styria as an economic location. "The supply of raw materials from the Styrian forests, the existing infrastructure, a well-trained workforce, and the supply of sawn timber from the directly adjacent sawmill make Leoben the optimal location for this investment in the future, which, processing the carbon-neutral material wood, also makes an important contribution to sustainability and active climate protection," says Richard Stralz, CEO of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, who is pleased with this investment boost, which will not only improve the competitiveness of the Mayr Melnhof Holz Group, but also secure existing jobs and create some 50 new jobs in the region.
Facts about the Mayr-Melnhof Holz cross-laminated timber plant in Leoben
| Start of construction: | 31 May 2021 |
| Planned production start: | Late 2022 |
| Investment volume: | 150 million Euros in the first stage |
| Planning performance: | 700,000 m3 |
| Lamella storage capacity: | 28,000 m³ |
| Cross-laminated timber production capacity: | some 140.000 m3 of PEFC certified cross-laminated timber once fully operational |
| Production floor space: | Approx. 33,000 m2 |
| Jobs created: | 50 |
| Ecological power and heat supply: | Solar power system on the roof as well as hydro power plant |
| Wooden superstructure & façade: | 11,500 m3 of cross-laminated timber, glued laminated timber and 3-ply panels produced in-house |
About cross-laminated timber
cross-laminated timber, also known as glulam, is a solid wood building element made from several layers of sawn timber permanently cross-laminated to form panels. This crosswise structure guarantees dimensionally stable and stiff building components with excellent structural and physical properties. As a building material, wood is currently experiencing a renaissance. Made from the regionally available raw material wood, cross-laminated timber is a carbon-neutral, sustainable building material. It is easy to shape and, thanks to a high degree of prefabrication in the factory, has various applications such as walls, ceilings and roof constructions. It can be used to erect buildings up to six storeys tall and higher entirely from wood – family homes, leisure facilities, kindergartens, nursing homes, restaurants and much more – or to easily extend buildings upwards. MM crosslam is the brand name of cross-laminated timber products from Mayr-Melnhof Holz.
Cross-laminated timber protects the climate
Today, wood can – in many cases – replace conventional building materials such as concrete and steel that emit high amounts of CO2, thus having two positive effects on the climate: Firstly, by storing carbon dioxide and secondly, by preventing additional carbon emissions during the production process of conventional building materials which are then replaced by wood. As a natural and regrowing building material, cross-laminated timber makes a significant contribution to active climate protection. Cross-laminated timber produced by Mayr-Melnhof Holz is PEFC-certified.
MM crosslam cross-laminated timber
Wood as a building material
Timber construction projects
Investing in green heat generation with new biomass boiler
Naturally carbon-neutral and sustainable: A new third biomass boiler plant and the general overhaul of the existing biomass heating plant provide the site in Paskov with the thermal energy needed to dry the sawn timber and shavings for pelletising.
Since the start-up of the sawmill in Paskov in 2004, the production volume had increased to around 800,000 cubic meters of sawn timber and 90,000 tons of pellets per year. Since 2020, the site has also had a wet storage facility with 1.4 hectares for up to 70,000 solid cubic meters. The existing heat generation plants had been running at full speed for 17 years, and the wet storage facility means new demands on a biomass power plant in terms of the usability of wet bark and wood shavings while complying with strict exhaust gas limits. This and the continuous increase in production prompted Mayr-Melnhof Holz to invest a sum of 6.5 million Euros in a new state-of-the-art biomass boiler supplied by Carinthian power plant specialist Urbas as well as in the overhaul of the existing plants.
High quality standards for technology and environmental protection were the guiding principles for the decision. During realisation the team incorporated the lessons learned at the Russian sawmill site Efimovskij: Its third biomass boiler had been installed in 2019.
Thanks to this expansion, the Paskov plant is now able to dry its entire production volume and fully utilise sawmill by-products at the site.
Mayr-Melnhof Holz pursues a no-waste policy. This sustainability approach spans across the entire procurement and production process. 100 percent of the valuable resource that is wood are utilised. In Paskov, only bark as well as residual wood and sawmill by-products that cannot be utilised are used as fuel.
Increase in log input makes higher drying capacities necessary: New biomass boiler taken into service
Since the sawmill in Efimovskij was opened in 2009, its log input was gradually increased. Now, a new biomass boiler produces carbon-neutral additional heat required for drying the sawn timber and shavings for pellets production.
At the Russian Efimovskij site, some 700,000 cubic metres of round timber sourced from sustainably managed forests are processed annually while the output is approx. 380,000 cubic metres of sawn timber and 60,000 tons of pellets. All of the sawn timber is dried on site.
The two existing biomass heating plants were no longer able to meet the increased demand in heat. That's why Mayr-Melnhof Holz decided to build a third heating plant, tasking power plant specialist Urbas from Carinthia with the project. The project took off in the spring of 2019 during ongoing operations and the new boiler has been in operation since autumn. The two existing heating plants were overhauled and technically brought up to date.
Mayr-Melnhof Holz pursues a no-waste policy. This sustainability approach spans across the entire procurement and production process. 100 percent of the valuable resource that is wood are utilised. In Efimovskij, only the bark taken off the processed logs as well as (during particularly harsh winters) firewood from its own forests, are used as fuel.
New cross-laminated timber plant for Leoben
At Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, 2020 takes off with a large investment of some 130 million Euros in a modern cross-laminated timber production facility at its Leoben location. With this, the largest ever investment in the Group's history, the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group consistently pursues its strategy of growth, accelerating its forward integration and underlining its position as one of the leading companies in the timber industry in Europe. Together with the existing location in Gaishorn, Mayr-Melnhof Holz will be able to meet the strongly increasing demand for timber construction solutions for residential and industrial buildings with two state-of-the-art cross-laminated timber plants. The Federal Government, the State of Styria, the City of Leoben and SFG have promised their support, making a significant contribution to this investment's realisation which will simultaneously boost the region’s economy.
Directly next to the existing sawmill in Leoben, not only a new state-of-the-art cross laminated timber plant is being built in a multi-stage process lasting three years, but also a high-performance re-grading and planing plant as well as a fully automated high-bay warehouse. In a further step, the company intends to comprehensively modernise the sawmill.
"The supply of raw materials from the Styrian forests, the existing infrastructure, a well-trained workforce, and the supply of sawn timber from the directly adjacent sawmill make Leoben the optimal location for this investment in the future, which, processing the carbon-neutral material wood, also makes an important contribution to sustainability and active climate protection", says Richard Stralz, CEO of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, who is pleased with this investment boost, which will not only improve the competitiveness of the Mayr Melnhof Holz Group, but also secure existing jobs and create new ones.
About cross-laminated timber
Cross-laminated timber is a solid wood building element made from several layers of sawn timber permanently cross-laminated to form panels. This crosswise structure guarantees dimensionally stable and stiff building components with excellent structural and physical properties. A high degree of prefabrication in the factory makes cross-laminated timber an optimal, high-quality building material. Today, wood can – in many cases – replace conventional building materials, such as concrete and steel, that emit high amounts of CO2, thus having two positive effects on the climate: Firstly, by storing carbon dioxide and secondly, by preventing additional carbon emissions during the production process of conventional building materials which are then replaced by wood. As a natural and regrowing building material, cross-laminated timber makes a significant contribution to active climate protection.
Mayr-Melnhof Holz receives “Chain of Custody” PEFC Award
CEO Richard Stralz on his company’s raw material procurement strategy: “We at Mayr-Melnhof Holz only process wood sourced from actively sustainably managed forests because a liveable future is important to us.” The Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group has been PEFC certified since 2006. Now it received the PEFC Award in the “Chain of Custody” category.
Mayr-Melnhof Holz was awarded by PEFC Austria on 20 November 2019. What led up to the award: The company meticulously checks the origins of its raw materials, guaranteeing seamless traceability all the way back to the forest. Mayr-Melnhof Holz further processes this valuable resource – that is certified in accordance with PEFC or other, similarly stringent standards recognised by the PEFC– to wood products whose production process is also precisely checked and monitored and that area also certified in accordance with the comprehensive PEFC standards. This includes sawn timber, pellets, glued laminated timber, duo & trio beams, cross laminated timber, wooden concrete formwork panels and beams as well as cross laminated timber for timber concrete composite elements.
The PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) is the world's leading institution for the promotion, preservation and distribution of actively sustainable and climate-friendly forest management. The PEFC label on wood and wood products guarantees that they have been sourced from ecologically, economically and socially sustainable forest management. To boost consciousness for sustainable forest management, the PEFC Award was created in Austria in 2011. The Award goes to companies that make significant contributions to careful and responsible forest management / wood processing in Austria.
Richard Stralz, the CEO of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, highlights the importance of sustainable forest management in the light of advancing climate change: “We need to take appropriate steps towards a liveable future with a healthy climate in due time. And that means NOW. Large-scale scientific and economical efforts are required in the short term to quickly identify and implement the appropriate measures towards sustainable and future-oriented forest management. PEFC certificates are going in the right direction. PEFC stands for sustainability and safety in controlled forest management – globally.”
SUSTAINABILITY & RAW MATERIAL USE
PEFC
Mayr-Melnhof Holz supplies sustainable timber construction products for SPAR supermarket
By the end of November 2019, a completely new 700 m² SPAR supermarket in sustainable timber construction will be built in Mauritzener Hauptstraße. Glued laminated timber and cross-laminated timber from Mayr-Melnhof Holz Gaishorn was used in the construction, while Strobl Holzbau (Weiz) has carried out the erection.
Directly next to the existing sawmill in Leoben, not only a new state-of-the-art cross laminated timber plant is being built in a multi-stage process lasting three years, but also a high-performance re-grading and planing plant as well as a fully automated high-bay warehouse. In a further step, the company intends to comprehensively modernise the sawmill.
"The supply of raw materials from the Styrian forests, the existing infrastructure, a well-trained workforce, and the supply of sawn timber from the directly adjacent sawmill make Leoben the optimal location for this investment in the future, which, processing the carbon-neutral material wood, also makes an important contribution to sustainability and active climate protection," says Richard Stralz, CEO of Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG, who is pleased with this investment boost, which will not only improve the competitiveness of the Mayr Melnhof Holz Group, but also secure existing jobs and create new ones.
About cross-laminated timber
Cross-laminated timber is a solid wood building element made from several layers of sawn timber permanently cross-laminated to form panels. This crosswise structure guarantees dimensionally stable and stiff building components with excellent structural and physical properties. A high degree of prefabrication in the factory makes cross-laminated timber an optimal, high-quality building material. Today, wood can – in many cases – replace conventional building materials such as concrete and steel that emit high amounts of CO2, thus having two positive effects on the climate: Firstly, by storing CO2 in itself and secondly, by preventing additional carbon emissions during the production process of conventional building materials which are then replaced by wood. As a natural and regrowing building material, cross-laminated timber makes a significant contribution to active climate protection.
Mayr-Melnhof Holz acquires the Hüttemann Group
By February 22, 2018, the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group has aquired the Hüttemann Group with the German sites in Wismar and in Olsberg. This makes Mayr-Melnhof Holz one of the leading suppliers of glued laminated timber in Europe.
"The two company groups complement one another perfectly, both geographically and in terms of the offered product portfolio", says DI Richard Stralz, CEO of the Mayr-Melnhof Holz Holding AG. For Mayr-Melnhof Holz, this step represents the next stage of expansion after extensive investment within the Group.