Vida witnesses promising market conditions

 Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Vida benefits from a consistent operating profit of SEK 700 million (SEK 984 million in 2024) despite a cautious construction environment in 2024, and log availability has decreased. “This is a result that stands up well to the competition despite the prevailing conditions,” comments Vida CEO Måns Johansson. Vida has made numerous investments in its sawmills. As a result of the ongoing productivity improvement, 2024 saw a record-high production level. In Sweden and Europe, the main obstacle has been the supply of logs, and in 2025, little is expected to change.

“It has been challenging to obtain raw material, and even though we sawed more during the year than we did previously, there was capacity in our sawmills to saw even more. Our sawmills are well maintained and very efficient,” affirms Måns Johansson, CEO of Vida AB. The demand for sawn timber improved at the end of 2024, and prices increased marginally. “2024 has been a year in which Vida’s ability to make quick and well-considered decisions has been crucial. The limited supply of raw materials, together with a cautious construction economy, has been challenging, and I believe that our results stand up well to the competition,” continues Måns Johansson.

“Vida’s ability to create value throughout the entire production process and our focus on further processing in the form of wood packaging and energy products is an important contribution to our development and profitability,” says Måns Johannson. Vida keeps making investments and improving its infrastructure. 2024 saw the opening of an expanded distribution warehouse in Alvesta and a new chip handling facility in Borgstena. An investment of SEK 400 million will be made to establish a new high-speed planing mill in Hjaltvad in 2025 and early 2026. “Despite the challenges ahead, we are well-positioned for the future. We have a high solvency and look forward to doing business with forest owners during the year,” concludes Måns Johansson.

In brief

Vida is presently in a worse phase following a few years of good performance. It operates in a cyclical business. Among other factors, the state of the economy, exchange rates, and political actions all affect Vida’s profitability. Since Vida finds it difficult to control these factors, it concentrates on the things it can control, like safer working environments for its staff, higher output, and operational enhancements.

About Vida

Vida is a global supplier of high-quality products sourced from Swedish forests that are sustainably sourced. Twelve sawmills are among the group’s 24 production sites, which employ about 1,600 people. The industries in Småland, Skåne, and Västra Götaland are positioned strategically close to the forest owners. Structural timber for various markets is the primary focus of production. The USA, Australia, Africa, Asia, and Europe receive 88% of Vida’s sawn wood exports. Along with packaging, the company also manufactures bedding, pellets, trades biofuels, and manufactures homes.

Read more news on: Vida, sawmills, forest products, timber, manufacturing, biofuels, wood products

Get such updates through the American woodworking industry website: woodandpanel.us

Tags: #1 wood news, #1 woodworking magazine, best sawmill industry news, best wood magazine, best wood news, European sawmill update, forest products, sawn timber, sustainability, sustainable forest products, Swedish sawmill industry news, timber industry news, VIDA AB, Vida market update, wood, wood and panel, wood packaging, woodworking, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking and processing, woodworking industry