Schweighofer takes over Klausner Holz Sachsen

These news come as a big bang in the European sawmill industry: Vienna-based Schweighofer Group is acquiring the Klausner group's sawmill in Kodersdorf, Saxony/DE, according to the Austrian Press Agency (APA). The sales contract has been signed recently in Munich and is subject to approval of the public authorities; the closing is expected for the end of September. The sales price has not been disclosed.

Schweighofer’s motives for the acquisition are based on several factors: a logistically beneficial location, the site’s modern equipment and its potential for expansion. Sawmiller Gerald Schweighofer on the acquisition: "This is a giant leap for the Schweighofer Group. Acquiring our first site in Germany enables us to open up an important market and continue expanding from there." Fritz Klausner adds: "The Schweighofer Group is a highly successful family business with a long tradition in the sawmill industry, which is why with Schweighofer we found the ideal buyer."

The Klausner Holz Sachsen sawmill was established in 2004 on an estate of 34 ha offering a lot of potential for expansion. According to the press release, the raw material supply in the area is regarded as "good", the spruce and pine logs for instance are supplied from Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. Thanks to the central location and excellent traffic connections, transportation costs can be kept low, and in addition the site comes with "a wide customer and supplier base".

The sawmill with a Linck-Springer line has a sawing capacity of 675,000 m³/yr. Its drying facilities (capacity: 700,000 m³/yr) are provided with their own heat supply station (two times 10 MW) and the planing capacity comes to around 400,000 m³/yr.

Currently, roughly 250 employees are working at the mill in Kodersdorf, and the announced expansion will provide additional jobs in the medium term.