Record-breaking investment for Norra Timber Kåge sawmill
Every year Norra Skog's board makes strategic decisions concerning the next five years of business investments. This gives the board an opportunity to clearly define the direction of the association's business activities, as well as plan for the future. These decisions usually include large investments and projects that are both extensive, technically complicated and which require careful preparation. A large proportion of the investments being made in the years ahead will take place at the association's sawmill in Kåge, north of Skellefteå.
Published: 2022-09-21
“Norra Skog's business continues to develop all the time. In Kåge the board has decided to invest approximately SEK 300 million in the sawmill. The investment will be divided into four areas; increased efficiencies, traceability, personnel spaces and new logistics. The total investment will contribute to long-term sustainability for both forests and people”, explains Industry Manager Henrik Jönsson.
INCREASED EFFICIENCIES
Increased efficiencies are being created through the construction of a new timber sorting facility, the purchase of a new splitting saw and the installation of a CT log. Together they present a unique opportunity to follow the saw's production process and constantly create better efficiencies. New warehouses are already being built in preparation for these upcoming investments and the development of Kåge sawmill, which will provide more space for wood to be stored under cover. A positive effect is that less plastic will be needed when the raw timber material is moved between the saw and other processing facilities to become construction products."We work with renewable forest materials and so it is important that we optimize our processes, i.e. make sure that every single part of a log is used in the best possible way. With the help of this investment we expect to increase our efficiencies by three to four percent," explains Sawmill Manager Joakim Larsson, Norra Timber in Kåge.
A TECHNOLOGICAL LEAP IN TRACEABILITY
The investment also represents a paradigm shift in sawmill technology. The equipment being installed will make it possible to read a log's individual ‘fingerprint’, as well as track and document it throughout the entire sawing process."We are now taking a technological leap into the future and a big step in taking the best possible care of the fantastic timber from Norrland. With this new technology we will be able to price products from each log individually, which will lead to better profitability for both us and our customers," explains Joakim Larsson.
"In order for our operations to be of benefit to Norra Skog's members it is important that they are competitive and profitable. Today, Norra Skog has an efficient and profitable business that contributes to its membership, thanks in large part to our way of working that gives the board the best opportunity to make smart decisions for our business many years in advance," concludes Henrik Jönsson.