Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Finnish forestry powerhouse Stora Enso has made a bold stride in its engineered wood strategy with a substantial investment in its Ždírec sawmill. The €79 million project will introduce a modern production line for cross-laminated timber (CLT), elevating local capacity and reinforcing the company’s footprint in mass‑timber construction.
Investment highlights
Approved in September 2020, the investment targets the construction of a new CLT line at the Ždírec facility, aiming for production to start in the third quarter of 2022. Once fully operational, the line is expected to reach an output of approximately 120,000 m³ annually—and deliver annual revenues near €70 million. The initiative aligns with Stora Enso’s broader ambition for mass‑timber market leadership. According to Lars Völkel, Executive Vice President of the Wood Products division, the move supports a more integrated mill concept that offers cost-efficient, high-quality building materials and responds to growing global demand for sustainable alternatives.
Integration of a new CLT line at Ždírec augments efficiency through shared logistics and energy synergies. The sawmill’s geographic proximity to Stora Enso’s European markets enhances distribution effectiveness, ensuring rapid delivery of engineered wood solutions. To accommodate the new process, the project will scale up the workforce—adding roughly 110 full-time positions at the Ždírec site.
Market context
CLT has emerged globally as a key enabler for eco-conscious construction, offering strength, lightness, and versatility. Stora Enso’s investment positions the company to respond to a construction industry pivot toward low-carbon materials. The Ždírec expansion adds to the firm’s existing CLT facilities—located in Sweden and Austria—bringing its integrated CLT production to four sites.
Development timeline
Reflecting on the successful delivery, Stora Enso’s Wood Products EVP lauded the Ždírec team for executing the project on time and under budget—highlighting integration gains and celebration of a new era in mass‑timber production.
SynopsisFeature Implications Location Ždírec Sawmill, Czech Republic Investment Amount Approximately €79 million Purpose New cross-laminated timber (CLT) production line Annual Capacity ~120,000 m³ Estimated Annual Revenue ~€70 million Jobs Created ~110 full-time positions Construction Timeline Q1 2021 start; Q3 2022 production launch
This initiative underscores Stora Enso’s resolve to drive sustainable innovation in engineered wood and continue its ascent in the mass‑timber sector. The Ždírec expansion not only strengthens the company’s production capabilities but also reinforces its commitment to a low-carbon future.
About Stora Enso
Stora Enso, one of the largest private forest owners in the world, is a significant provider of renewable products for packaging, biomaterials, and timber construction. They accelerate society’s transition to a circular bioeconomy, leading to more informed decisions. illustrates the variety of uses for renewable resources, starting with the forest. The company is dedicated to creating carbon-storing and bio-based solutions for innovative biomaterials, circular packaging, and low-carbon building engineering, in addition to providing expert forest management. Textiles, construction, retail, food & beverage, manufacturing, e-commerce, medicines, cosmetics, confections, and hygiene are some of the industries that currently use the company’s products.
The organisation that focuses on forests, Stora Enso, claims that whatever is done today with fossil fuels may be made tomorrow with a tree. Building materials, packaging, and biomaterials made from renewable resources are all dominated by Stora Enso, one of the largest private forest owners in the world. In 2024, Stora Enso made EUR 9 billion and employed over 19,000 people. The stock of Stora Enso is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm AB (STEA, STE R) and Nasdaq Helsinki Oy (STEAV, STERV). In the USA, the shares are also traded as ADRs on the OTCQX in addition to common shares (SEOAY, SEOFF, and SEOJF).
Read more news on: packaging, construction, forestry, CLT
Get such updates through the American woodworking industry website: woodandpanel.us
Tags: sawmill expansion, Stora Enso Czech Republic, Stora Enso investment Czech sawmill, Stora Enso saw line upgrade, wood industry news, Ždírec CLT line
Comments: