SCA TIMBER FRANCE welcomes Nebopan

Transcription

1 timbernews A magazine for SCA s solid wood products customers SCA TIMBER FRANCE welcomes Nebopan ARCHITECTS IN FOCUS DIRECT SALES TO FRENCH CUSTOMERS ON THE RISE A FOLLOWING WIND FOR WOOD

2 SCA Timber France, Nordic spirit! Nebopan Group visits SCA s Rochefort site in France. CONTENTS A following wind for wood 3 What is the strategy for SCA Timber France? 4 SCA Timber France welcomes Nebopan! 6 Direct sales to French customers on the rise 8 SCA Timber France offers high-performance, innovative products 9 Movers and shakers 11 Photo: Pascal Robin n a gloomy climate, SCA stays on course! Our objectives are clear: cost control, I The merger of our two companies PLF efficiency, service, reliability and customer and SCA Timber France, in May 2014, is satisfaction. now completed and becoming a fully integrated part of SCA Timber. OUR MAIN ASSET is having the support of PLF has thus ceased to exist and the our Group, a forest owner and one of the new organisation, SCA Timber France, has largest sawmill operators in Europe, which come into being, with a motivated team gives us great stability in these financially that relishes a challenge. difficult times. SCA sees France as a dynamic country with a promising future. We are, after all, the country with the best demographics in Europe. EVEN THOUGH TOUGH TIMES still lie ahead for the French economy, we have decided to stay on course and not to halt our development programme, which we are confident will be key to our success in the future. BOLSTERING OUR SALES FORCE immediately and expanding our autumn offering will be the first signs our customers and partners see. GOING FORWARD, SCA Timber France will have a presence in all market segments in France, with a complete offering, from sawn to value added wood, including its comprehensive range of fully finished cladding and panelling. Thanks to our newly launched consultancy service SCA Timber France will become a major player with an innovative offering for architects and designers in the construction market. WE WILL BE LISTENING to our partners and at their side to assure our mutual growth as soon as there is an upturn in the economy. Perhaps having Nordic spirit also means showing what you re made of!! On our way to better balance in supply and demand 11 Gold Branch for Katarina Levin of SCA Timber 12 Patrick Fournier Managing Director, SCA Timber France TimberNews SCA Forest Products AB SE Sundsvall, tel Timber News is published four times a year Editor-in-chief Björn Lyngfelt Production KarMin kommunikation Repro & printing Åtta.45 Tryckeri AB, Sundsvall Subscribe to Timber News, please contact ingrid.lofqvist@sca.com Feel free to quote us, but please name us as your source. SCA TIMBER is one of Europe s leading manufacturers of wood-based products, with an annual production of 2.1 million cubic metres. The product range is supplemented with service and distribution solutions for customers in the wood industry and builders merchant sector. SCA Timber is part of SCA s Forest Products business unit, which produces publication papers for newspapers, magazines and catalogues, as well as paper for packaging, solid wood products, pulp and renewable energy. SCA Forest Products also manages SCA s extensive forest holding and supplies SCA s Swedish industries with wood raw materials, in addition to offering cost-efficient transport solutions to SCA s units. timbernews 2

3 A following wind for wood France is one of Europe s largest markets for sawn wood products. The use of wood in the French construction sector has increased significantly. And although a limping economy has led to a significant decline in the number of construction start-ups, wood has taken hold in earnest as a building material. I n France most houses have traditionally been built from stone, brick or concrete. Compared with the USA and the Nordic countries, the proportion of wooden houses in France is remarkably low. But since 2007, when the then president Nicolas Sarkozy succeeded in uniting the state, opposition, trade unions and various environmental organisations around shared goals for a more sustainable society, there has been a clear change of course. Sarkozy s initiative is called Le Grenelle. THE AGENDA for the talks between the parties in the summer of 2007 involved the development of a five-year programme with concrete measures for tackling environmental problems. The area that dominated the talks was how the construction sector should be more environmentally friendly, with more low energy houses and more sustainable building materials. The increased use of wood was intended to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. The agreement has resulted in the increased acceptance of wood in French housebuilding, thinks Staffan Åkerlund, Editor in Chief of the Swedish trade magazine Byggindustrin. He highlights several ongoing and already completed investments in wooden houses in Bois.com is an information campaign with the aim of increasing the use of wood. France. Technical developments with loadbearing structures of glulam beams and laminated timber have also made it possible for French architects to implement advanced designs of houses of up to ten storeys. In addition, several of France s largest construction companies have joined forces behind the Grenelle agreement which brings the goal of using wood for the construction of ten percent of all new houses in the country within reach. Although France is not currently undergoing an economic boom, new building projects are underway everywhere, with an increase in industrial construction using an increasing proportion of wood, says Åkerlund. AT THE SAME TIME there are other signs worth noting. In the past year the proportion of construction start-ups for new residential housing has fallen to around 360,000, or 12 per cent. The recession has also brought about a clear decline in the consumption of wood in the country. President Hollande has also chosen to take a different path to the one set out by his predecessor Sarkozy. An explicit focus on reduced carbon dioxide emissions by increasing the proportion of wood in new houses has been replaced by a programme for converting old government buildings into homes without specifying what materials should be used. In addition, the new government presented a 34-point programme in September 2013 that will mark a new start for French industry. AS FAR AS THE WOOD INDUSTRY is concerned, it should be developed to provide a competitive future resource for economic growth, contributing to energy, construction and consumption. Great, comments Otto Bosch of the French consultancy Wood Consult. But most of the timber products available in France are hardwood. A great deal of research and development work is required before it can replace close-grained spruce and pine. Bosch therefore thinks that the French Photo: Jerker Norlander/IBL Bildbyrå government s focus on a renaissance of the country s industry will if anything bring about an increase in imports of sawn timber from countries such as Finland and Sweden. When the French government also has the aim of increasing the proportion of high and CO2 neutral timber houses, good times are on the horizon for the country s manufacturers of glulam material and laminated timber, CLT, something that further increases the need for high-quality imported timber. After all, there is much evidence to suggest a slow but steady increase in demand for imported timber, concludes Bosch. Mats Wigardt Footnote: Swedish Wood is conducting an information campaign in France with the aim of increasing the use of wood. The initiator of the campaign is bois.com and this is a continuation of the previous campaign Le bois c est essentiel. Target groups are the general public and the construction sector. 3 timbernews

4 WHAT IS THE SALES STRATEGY FOR SCA Timber France? Having had business experience of importing timber products and in the sales department of Sotrinbois (an SCA customer), Jérémy Roussarie decided to take up the SCA Timber France challenge offered to him by Patrick Fournier. He talks us through his action plan. You started in the role of Sales Director at SCA Timber France on 1 October. What did you think when you arrived? I found a highly professional sales team that was waiting for a large project following SCA s acquisition of PLF. The mood was very positive and I was given a warm welcome. However, the remit of SCA Timber France was, in sales terms, poorly defined. On the one hand, the sales staff in the import terminal were selling sawn wood and decking to certain old customers under the SCA banner. On the other, the former PLF sales team was still selling under the PLF brand, with a sales plan of sawn wood and planed products, sometimes to the same customers. They did not understand, and it was necessary to draw up a clear, comprehensible policy. In addition, when I arrived, Patrick Fournier asked me to assess the situation and make recommendations to him. In early January we approved the road map together. So, what is this sales strategy? First of all, I wanted to unify our PR and create a single entity: SCA Timber France, which could sell knowhow, from raw wood to finished products. The replacement of PLF with SCA marketing ought to clarify where we stand and show our customers that a change has taken place. We are refocusing our offer on Nordic woods (Norway spruce, Scots pine), the DNA of the SCA Group. This specialisation therefore involves strengthening our sales plan, with innovative and complementary products, but staying true to our Nordic roots. What about customers? We have targeted four market sectors that are vital for the development of a sawmill/processor like SCA Timber France: professional merchants, DIY retail platforms, industry and export. Potentials vary depending on the market sectors targeted. With regard to professional merchants, the aim is to strengthen our presence in specialist timber stores that purchase large volumes. This involves aggressively pursuing calls to tender and strengthening the sales plan to offer a mix of products in our deliveries. For DIY retail, we don t want to deliver directly to stores, as it s too much of a major logistical undertaking. We want to continue to work in real partnership with the platforms in this sector. Moreover, we are not yet included in platform product catalogues, such as for cladding and EGP, but we have the power to tackle those markets. For industry, the pool of customers is important. Our market share is weak, apart from regarding laminate producers. I think that the dual know-how, our sawmill import terminal and planing, is an interesting proposition for our customers, whether they are moulders, coffin manufacturers or other customers. Finally, with regard to export, we have it all to do, because we don t have a major presence in that area. The French overseas departments market is an interesting one, as exotic woods have been replaced in construction by Nordic woods. Prices are quite low, but the volumes are high. We are targeting large retail groups to build a solid and lasting relationship. In addition, in local export such as to Spain, Italy and the Benelux countries we want to develop partnerships in those countries, such as with SCA Timber Supply UK, which we are already working with, and which has customers such as the Wickes chain of stores. How are you going to monitor these four customer categories in sales terms? Each sector has to be monitored by a dedicated sales force. The sales force therefore had to be restructured. We are now putting in place six salespeople for professional merchants, two salespeople for industry, a team of local agents for export and I ll personally monitor DIY platforms. There is now a single SCA Timber France sales team, which is sub-divided by market sector, covering the whole sales plan, from sawn wood to finished products. As we want to grow market share, the sales team is going to step up exploration of market opportunities. We have therefore created a coordinator at the Rochefort facility, who will be available to answer customers queries regarding availability. What turnover are you aiming for? We want to double our turnover in the medium term. timbernews 4

5 SCA Timber France can sell know-how, from sawn wood to finished products. JÉRÉMY ROUSSARIE In addition to your strategy, what other tools do you have to achieve this goal? First of all, the power of the SCA Group. Some distributor partners are looking for large groups that can offer European, or even global, strategies. We can respond to the mass-market strategies of the distribution network. Moreover, the fact that we are Europe s largest forest owner is reassuring and enables our customers to plan ahead with no concerns, and to secure volumes that will be under pressure in the years ahead. In addition, the implementation of an initiative targeting architetcs and specifiers of larger construction projects, led by Philippe Bence, will, I m sure, give us a degree of recognition among contractors and, therefore, give us an additional turnover boost. Furthermore, the introduction of tools such as SAP has greatly improved product availability. For us, level of service will be a major development strategy. Because those who sell are those who have the products and deliver them quickly at a good price. What are the risks? Volumes consumed have decreased in recent years. This is due, in part, to the delicate economic situation, but also to fierce competition from other materials, such as composite, fibre cement and others. This, when added to excessive and strong competition, puts a squeeze on our sales prices and therefore our margins. The only solution is to grow market share, with a smart product offering, an impeccable level of service and a highly dynamic approach to sales. To sum up? I am very happy to be part of a close-knit, dynamic team. The road map is clear, and it s now up to us to make it happen. Jérémy Roussarie, Sales Director of SCA Timber France 5 timbernews

6 SCA Timber France WELCOMES NEBOPAN! Photo: Pascal Robin Nebopan Group visits SCA s Rochefort site in France. It was on a sunny day, on 22 April 2015, that Nebopan decided to visit SCA s Rochefort site in France. Fifteen decision-makers from Nebopan, part of the central procurement group CMEM, had the chance to look around SCA s timber import terminal, as well as its three on-site planing lines. It s always a pleasure to show our customers around our facility, said Benjamin Bodet, Site Manager. W hile SCA Timber France already partners with some Nebopan Group members, SCA wants to continue to grow its partnership with a group of timber specialists like Nebopan. In order to do that, We are investing in the sales plan, prescription offer and development, said Jérémy Roussarie from SCA Timber France. We believe that the professional merchant market is undergoing restructuring. The future belongs to merchants that tailor their product offering to a very specific sector. It is on this basis that SCA Timber France wants to support Timber Specialist merchants, such as Nebopan. We want to Participating Merchants: Armor bois : Lionel Leprovost Bouney : Sebastien Rospide Corne : Frederic Maire Descamps : Samuel Viandier Lalliard Negoce : André Brasier Landre : Patrick Maignant Machot : Eric Machot Martens : Eric Martens Mba : Jean Pierre Roirand Ratheau : Daniel Remy Roger : Hugo Roger Rullier : Philippe Rullier Socobois : Eric Boichot Nebopan Coordinator : Yves Gondran Teiller grow our sales plan around wooden homes and Nordic woods. Combining SCA s raw wood offering and PLF s planed products into one sales plan means we can offer an effective product mix. Today, Nebopan is one of the most dynamic brands in this sector and we are delighted to support its members in all their projects. Four questions for Nebopan members: What are the keys to success for you in the years ahead? Consultancy remains an important development strategy for us. A customer should be able to get the technical information they need to successfully complete their project, said Hugo Roger. timbernews 6

7 Philippe Rullier was convinced that the key lay in providing support, from the craftsman all the way up to the end customer. The craftsman, busy with day-to-day work, does not take the time to present our complete product offering. The result is that the end customer makes their choice completely unaware of the possibilities we can offer. We need to raise awareness among the general public, and the main way we can do that is still through professionals, who we need to support with our PR and our salespeople. We need to see things all the way through. Patrick Maignant insisted that, we therefore expect our supplier partners to hold regular training for our sales teams. You need to emphasise your technical arguments. How do you see the future of Nordic timber? Philippe Rullier said that Nordic wood will increasingly be used by specialists. The arrival of glued laminated products on the market has enabled professionals to save time and be more productive. Regarding the structure, the joinery and fittings, processed products have gained ground. Your sales plans have to have added value, said Jean-Pierre Roirand. Nebopan Group The number one group of independent specialists: Established in 1995, today Nebopan represents: 21 SMEs, made up of timber, panel and timber product merchants 65 retail outlets 1,250 collaborators 30,000 customers 1,000 suppliers 2013 turnover: 368 million AS THE LEADING FRENCH GROUP of independent SMEs working in the timber and timber product sector, Nebopan inspires a spirit of confidence, friendliness and solidarity among all its members. Founded on sharing resources and experience, the Group enables each business to develop in line with its strategy, while benefiting from the many joint initiatives it undertakes. What is Nebopan s development strategy? Eric Boichot told us that the Nebopan Group now has 21 members. Members regularly leave, so we have to make up for that with new members. We don t want to get up to 50 members, but we have to remain representative in France in order to carry weight in negotiations. Moreover, we only want to work with timber specialists so we can share common problems, said Lionel Leprovost. In your view, is e-commerce a development strategy for you? Frederic Maire: We don t have any specific measures; we are counting on CMEM and its e-commerce project. In addition, we have our own sites and some projects, but they will remain for internal use, said Sebastien Rospide. Online sales of materials exceeded one billion euros in 2014, said Samuel Viandier, so it s a development strategy for us. Some online materials sites consult us in order to involve us in their logistical offering, concluded Philippe Rullier. Photo: Pascal Robin 7 timbernews

8 DIRECT SALES TO FRENCH CUSTOMERS ON THE RISE Since SCA Timber strengthened its position in France in 2012, by the acquisition of PLF, the market has changed and developed. SCA Timber France is therefore introducing a new service, SCA Timber Mill Sales, with sales directly from SCA s sawmills in Sweden to customers in France. W hile SCA Timber France caters for a broad range of customers and different market segments, the newly set up SCA Timber Mill Sales will sell larger contracts on a direct import basis to the French market. SCA OFFER deliveries to both building material merchants and blanks suitable for the timber industry as well as traditional timber products. To provide the best possible support and service to customers with different requirements, SCA Timber France is now reorganising its operations, with a focus on developing sales and becoming even more competitive on larger volumes in France. The structure of our organisation needs to change in response to the new conditions, observes Ante Andersson, Vice President Marketing Direct Sales at SCA Timber. We have put dedicated resources in place with the focus on the leads of larger industry customers, summarises Andersson. ACTIVITIES IN FRANCE are now divided. SCA Timber France ensures that sawn, planed and processed products are distributed from Rochefort and Bonneuil-Matours to builders merchants, industrial customers and do-it-yourself chains. Managing Director of SCA Timber France is Patrick Fournier. Assisted by Sales Director Jeremy Roussarie and his sales team, Patrick Fournier will continue to develop the business in France. We offer full service to our customers. It means immediate deliveries from our stock as well as the possibility to mix sawn, treated and processed products in one delivery if needed. Service and efficient product range will be the keys of our success, says Jeremy Roussarie. The person responsible for Mill Sales is Raffaele Parlato, Head of SCA Timber Europe. To assist him, on the spot in Rochefort, he has Marko Terho, Sales Director, Philippe Elias, Sales Manager and Sales Assistant Patricia Thomas. Our first priority is customer satisfaction. In a lean organization we will be more efficient and still close to our customers. Our aim is to grow together with our partners, says Marko Terho. We have an efficient flow direct from the sawmill to the customer, with streamlined logistics for products that are already sold, says Parlato. The aim is for 100,000 cubic metres of sawn solid-wood products per year to take this route. TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN the service and security of supply for customers, a back-up stock is being set up in Rochefort, designed for the urgent needs of larger industrial customers, amongst other the gluelam industry. Nobody should need to end up in a situation where they are without any raw materials. This is an additional service that is unique to us, says Parlato. Mats Wigardt To meet the different needs in the French market for solid-wood products, and to deliver the best possible service and support to customers, SCA Timber s business in France has been organised into two units. Operating out of Rochefort and Bonneuil-Matours, SCA Timber France distributes a broad range of products to builders merchants, the timber industry and DIY chains. SCA Timber Mill Sales sells large volumes of sawn solid-wood products directly from SCA s sawmills in Sweden to customers in France. The French Mill Sales team: Philippe Elias, Sales Manager, Patricia Thomas., Sales Assistant and Marko Terho, Sales Director. timbernews 8

9 Ceiling with wooden slats. Completion of ongoing work Fosse 9 Oignies (62). Design: Architects HERAULT ARNOD. Implementing: New Society ANZALONE. SCA Timber France OFFERS HIGH- PERFORMANCE, INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS We have seen that the products or technical solutions implemented in a building or a development are generally chosen at the design stage. In order to effectively promote our products, we have therefore decided to step up our pre-project activities among prescribers*. What is our objective? The objective of our approach is five-fold: The first is to grow the use of our products and our technical products in particular. The second is to better understand the expectations of the prescribers in construction so that we can design products that are ever more suited to the requirements of the market. The third is to strengthen the image of SCA Timber France by having our products used in remarkable buildings. The fourth is to support the activities of our distributors by growing demand and, lastly, the fifth which comes under our responsibility towards the timber industry is to help promote wood-based solutions more generally, instead of other technical solutions. Who are the prescribers? The vast majority of prescribers are architects, but other stakeholders also play a role in the choice of products, such as interior architects, quantity surveyors, technical departments of large corporations, authorities, hotel chains and leisure parks, and even property developers, builders of individual houses or public housing offices. What are their expectations and their needs? Prescribers are always very sensitive to the functional aspect of products, particularly mechanical, thermal and acoustic performance, but they are also attentive to the durability, maintenance and productivity of components. The environmental factor is also important in their selection criteria, and the aesthetic aspect is crucial in the choice of interior decoration or facade. It is therefore encouraging to note that wood-based technical and aesthetic solutions, specifically SCA Timber France solutions, such as Premium XL, Premium 15, the Dermawood option, or the total cladding range, perfectly meet designers expectations. What measures are we taking? While it is crucial to offer high-performance, innovative products, it is also vital to tell people about them. We have therefore mobilised human and material resources to do this: a team of three full-time equivalents, new dedicated prescriber services and additional tools to round out our PR resources. We are also preparing a new version of our website ( an interface that sees a lot of use by designers, which will gradually incorporate the new tools we are going to offer. What is our action plan? In cooperation with our distribution partners, we have started to carry out promotional activities among major prescribers and we will continue to work closely with them in future. We have also arranged to identify and monitor large construction projects across the country. Lastly, we are working on expanding our range of innovative technical solutions. What are our prospects? We launched this project just a few weeks ago and we still have much to do, but the initial results are rather encouraging. Prescribers are interested in our products, and our distribution partners are very positive towards our approach. It would therefore appear that we are on the right track to make prescribers a major lever of development for us and our partners. * In major construction and renovation projects, the implementation is often specified by an architect or prescriber. Today this is generally computerised, with products and solutions specified in a digital format. Philippe Bence, Director for Market Development 9 timbernews

10 GATA good news for everyone involved 2014 saw the introduction of GATA SCA s new system for transport and log flow management. GATA is a system that links up stocks, transport, measurement and unloading in a web-based solution. Munksund Sawmill and log trucks in Norrbotten have been quick to connect to the system. All trucks that regularly operate on behalf of SCA now have a tablet or smartphone in the cab that records information. A similar tablet can also be found in the log stackers at the sawmill. The truck drivers simply tap in the volume of their particular wood type, choose the drop-off point and calculate the arrival time. In the log stacker at the sawmill, the tablet tells the driver the planned arrival time for different trucks and rail wagons. Since the system is online, the information is updated automatically. The system benefits all the parties involved. The log truck drivers can see how busy deliveries to a particular site are and so can avoid taking on a load that might be subject to queues at the other end. The drivers of the log stackers are better able to plan their work, and the transport managers can easily post information online about opening times, delivery restrictions and so on. SCA TIMBER SUPPLY SKANDINAVIEN has developed a customised offering of a fully finished exterior cladding range for Byggmax, which has supplemented its physical stores with an online store and a Click and Collect option. On the website of builders merchant Byggmax, customers can choose what they want, view the total cost and make their payment. They then receive a message when the goods are ready for collection or home delivery. SCA Timber Supply Skandinavien s delivery agreement with Byggmax covers exterior cladding, with four colour options and five different profiles in two different lengths, making a total of about 40 items. Online purchasing of building products is set to grow. It offers a convenient way for customers to buy the goods they need without worrying about store opening times, says Kent Andersson, SCA Timber Supply Skandinavien s Sales Manager for the Swedish market. Ingrid Löfqvist GÄLLÖ TIMBER INVESTS IN NEW CONTROL SYSTEM GÄLLÖ TIMBER is investing SEK 10 million in a new control system for the saw line, a new three-dimensional in-feed system and a system for rotating and optimising the yield from each log. This investment gives us the technology to get the most out of the wood raw material. We ll now be able to extract the maximum value from every single log, explains Urban Wiklund, Managing Director of Gällö Timber. timbernews 10

11 Photo: Ulf Areskoog MOVERS AND SHAKERS SCA Timber builds painting facility in Tunadal TO MEET the growing demand for fully finished exterior cladding, a new painting facility is built at Tunadal Sawmill in Sundsvall. The facility is expected to be up and running in June. SCA Timber Supply Skandinavien, which supplies Scandinavian builders merchants with wood products, already has a painting facility in Stugun. The new facility in Tunadal will double painting capacity, in order to meet the growing demand from builders merchants for industrially primed and intermediate-coated cladding. SCA Timber s exterior cladding made of slow-grown Nordic spruce, is planed directly before finishing in order to guarantee that the surface is completely free from pollutants. After priming, there is the option of treating the cladding with further intermediate coats and, if requested, it can be fully finished. The various treatment options can be carried out using any paint colour from the ranges of leading paint suppliers, based on the international Natural Color System (NCS). Ingrid Löfqvist JOAKIM NEHRER has been appointed Sales Manager for the Swedish market at SCA Timber Supply Skandinavien. Joakim joins us from Bauhaus in Sundsvall, where he was Store Manager, and his previous positions included head of B2B sales in Sweden at K-rauta. Joakim will take up his new post on 1 August 2015 as a replacement for Kent Andersson, who is retiring. URBAN WIKLUND, Marketing Manager at SCA Timber Supply Skandinavien, became Managing Director of Gällö Timber on 1 March He succeeded Johan Olofsson, who has moved on to become Sawmill Manager at Bollsta Sawmill. On our way to better balance in supply and demand After a period of oversupply, caused mainly by high production levels in the Nordic countries and stop in the Egypt business for some months, we can now see that we are getting into a better balanced period. PRODUCTION IN CENTRAL EUROPE has decreased and since some months stocks of spruce is decrasing at the sawmills. Production of Nordic pine is still quite high in the Nordic countries but the market is now open for higher consumtion levels again and we expect that pine stock levels will start decreasing from April. but Swedish sawmills have been helped by a weaker Swedish krona. Profitability in the Swedish sawmills is expected to be on a good level. AS STATED BEFORE in this market update, I am still quite optimistic about the five-year outlook. Consumption increased a bit more than we forecast last year and coming years expectations of consumption looks positive. An increase of about three percent annually is forecast in global consumption of softwood. Anders Ante Andersson Marketing Director, SCA Timber STOCKS OF NORDIC PINE are, however, on the high side in the end of April so there will still be a pressure on the pine prices for some weeks or months. Prices of Nordic spruce are now levelling out and even increasing in some segments. Overall the market prices, in local currency, have been decreasing for some months 11 timbernews

12 Katarina Levin (second from left) at the Gold Branch award ceremony. Prince Carl Philip, to the right of Katarina, presented the award. Gold Branch for Katarina Levin of SCA Timber Photo: Swedish Forest Industries Federation Katarina Levin, Sawmill Manager at Tunadal Sawmill, has been awarded a Gold Branch by the Swedish Forestry Association. The award goes to people who have made valuable contributions to Swedish forests and forestry. H.R.H Prince Carl Philip presented the Gold Branch at Forest Industry Week. T he jury explained its choice as follows: Having already headed Sweden s largest sawmill, Katarina Levin has recently moved on to take charge of the second largest, with responsibility for implementing an investment of half a billion kronor. At both mills, the ambition is to be among the top flight of European sawmills. Katarina ensures that more than one million cubic metres of logs are sawn each year and she manages capital assets of around one billion kronor. But despite all the hardware and hard currency, she begins each sawmill presentation with the most valuable asset the employees who run the operation. Katarina Levin s leadership involves trying to develop each employee, as well as establishing team spirit and a common aspiration towards a clear goal. Katarina is on the Swedish weekly business journal Veckans Affärer s list of the one hundred most successful women in Swedish business. She clears the path for hundreds and thousands of other skilled and knowledgeable women in forestry and the forest industry to achieve the most responsible and prominent positions. Katarina Levin has raised the bar for both production and leadership. She leads the way for the Swedish timber industry, both as a professional field and as a global business partner. IT S BOTH A PLEASURE AND AN HONOUR to receive this award. It s particularly good to see a Gold Branch going to the processing side of things, says Katarina. People and wood fire me up with enthusiasm. I have the privilege of helping to create value along with my committed and skilled employees at the sawmill. The ability of many people to pull in the same direction is crucial. I reckon I work in the best industry, with the best raw material. Wood is not just wonderful to live with, it s also renewable and recyclable. Being involved in taking responsibility for the future, building the future using sustainable material from our forests that s incredibly motivating! Footnote: The Swedish Forestry Association is an independent, non-profit members organisation that seeks to develop the forests in terms of their economic assets and their environmental assets and experiences. The goal is to make better use of all the potential in the forests. Founded in 1882, the association currently has around 8,000 members. timbernews 12