Storm damages in the Nordic countries and impacts on markets

On the 25th and 26th of December, windstorm "Dagmar" (or "Hannu" and "Tapani" in Finland), hit the Nordic countries with Hurricane-strength winds cutting powerlines , causing landslides, damaging build-ings, shutting roads and delaying train traffic. Hundreds of thousands of households were left without electricity, some still without power on the 8th of January. The storm swept from the Faroe Islands to Norway’s west coast north of Bergen and proceeded across the country further east towards Sweden and Finland.

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Kai Merivuori, Managing Director, Finnish Sawmills Association
                                             09.01.2012                                

Welcome to Finnish Sawmills

Finnish sawmills association was founded 1945 to take care of the interests of family owned sawmill companies. Association has currently about 40 member companies, which produce over 3 mil cubic meters (m3) sawn timber and developed products. About 60 % of the production will be exported all over the world. However the main export countries have been Europe, North-Africa and Japan.

The mission of the association is to develop the business of the member companies. This will be made in co-operation of the active export, raw material and technical councils who are controlled by the board of the association. The highest ruling body of the association is the annual meeting, which takes place twice a year.

The main activities are market information, raw material and by product co-ordination and joint projects which are decided every year in the autumn annual meeting. Association also carry out lobby activities when it comes to political or/and administrative targets. Also the pr- and press activities are regularly taken care of by the association officials in co-ordination with the member company representatives.

The production of the member companies is mainly pine (pinus sylvestris) and spruce (picea abies) timber and developed products. Timber is always kilned dried and the deliveries are very often tailored according to the needs of the customer. The member companies follow in their grading the “Nordic Blue Book” rules and the business is heavily leaning on long lasting customer relationships.

Jukka-Pekka Ranta, Managing Director, Finnish Sawmills Association
                                             14.01.2009