“Wood is versatile and renewable construction material. With the geographically diverse and large scale asset base, we have a unique ability to respond to the increasing global demand of classic planed. Today we see a growth in demand much driven by increased construction of wooden frame homes,” says Jarkko Nevalainen, Operations Director in Stora Enso Wood Products’ Varkaus unit.
“The demand for classic planed is increasing globally. The US is for instance one of the markets we will supply from Varkaus in the coming years. The US market offers a good starting point due to strong market demand, product fit and our established customer base and channels to market,” Matthew Wood, Head of Classic Planed comments.
The capacity for the planed line is estimated to be around 10 000 m3 during the ramp-up phase. The new operations will employ one to two new persons.
“We are continuously looking for opportunities to utilise our existing assets to the fullest. The re-opening of Varkaus planing line is a great example of how we are able to adjust our operations and offerings based on fluctuant customer needs,” Nevalainen says.
Since 2016 the planing line has been used to produce special LVL grades. Varkaus sawmill and LVL line has a total of 110 employees. The sawmill capacity is 150 000m3 and LVL line capacity 70 000m3.
