Hasselfors sawmill to streamline and adapt operations to new market conditions

Hasselfors sawmill, which is part of the Setra Group, is streamlining and scaling back production of sawn whitewood products in an effort to adapt supply to the prevailing market situation. The decision entails that annual volume will decrease from 300,000 cubic metres to 270,000 cubic metres. Approximately 15 persons will be affected.

Setra is conducting long-term efficiency improvement work to optimise profitable production of sawn and processed wood products. The market for whitewood products has been weak for some time, and earlier this autumn Setra made a decision at the group level to temporarily reduce production of sawn whitewood.

"Hasselfors is a strictly whitewood sawmill, and we must bear the consequences of the poorer market for whitewood products," says Mats Hagström, foreman of Setra's Hasselfors sawmill.

A total of approximately 15 persons will be affected by the production cutback, which is expected to be carried out after year-end. Co-determination negotiations have been initiated.

Setra recently made the decision to invest SEK 220 million in its Hasselfors sawmill. The investment covers a new, integrated planing unit and modernisation of existing saw lines.

"The investment programme aimed at increasing value-added processing at Hasselfors will not be affected by the production cut," says Jerker Nyström, Director of Production at Setra. "The investments we are making in the future will enable us to return to higher production volumes."

Setra runs sawmills and further processing at 16 locations throughout Sweden. To achieve high efficiency, the sawmills specialise in certain dimensions and wood types – pine or spruce. Hasselfors sawmill, which is located in the municipality of Laxå, is Setra's largest. It is a strictly whitewood (spruce) sawmill and currently has 110 employees.

For further information, please contact:
Mats Hagström, Manager, Hasselfors sawmill, tel. +46-585-485 06, mobile +46-70-567 54 41
Jerker Nyström, Director Production, Setra, tel. +46-8-705 03 70, mobile +46-70-330 09 43

Press contact: Lotta Löwhagen Lundberg, Public Relations Manager,
tel. +46-8-705 03 17, mobile +46-70-654 13 44