Metsä Wood to invest in Kerto LVL production in Punkaharju, Finland
Metsä Wood, a part of Metsä Group, has decided to build a new Kerto® LVL production line, with an annual capacity of 65,000 cubic metres, at its Punkaharju mill. The value of the investment is approximately €52 million. The expansion of the mill will begin in early January 2018, and the new line will start up during the first half of 2019.
Agreement has been reached on the preconditions for the investment with the city of Savonlinna and the mill’s employees. The mill will be expanded by around 13,000 square metres, and the extension will be implemented by Rakennusliike U. Lipsanen Oy. The negotiations with the machinery suppliers continue.
The new production line will bring approximately 35 new jobs to the Punkaharju mill. In addition, the new line will add some 40 jobs to the subcontracting chain. The investment will increase the consumption of logs by 160,000 cubic metres per year.
With the investment, the mills annual Kerto LVL capacity will increase to 190,000 cubic metres. The Punkaharju mill has currently 450 employees. It also manufactures birch plywood.
“The investment will be carried out in response to the growing demand for wood products in construction. In particular, the market growth in element and module construction increases the demand for fast, light and green Kerto LVL products. Close cooperation with our continuously developing partner network enables us to provide our customers with more efficient solutions. The exceptional strength properties of Kerto LVL, coupled with its lightness, make it an excellent product for construction,” says Esa Kaikkonen, Executive Vice President, Metsä Group.
