Automation is part of our everyday life

“This support unit guarantees that we also achieve significantly better results in terms of utilising energy resources compared with our competitors”

Mr Pfeifer, you recently completed a number of major investment projects. The new sawmill in Kajaani in northern Finland and the waste wood recycling plant in Uelzen, Lower Saxony, which was commissioned in mid-2024, particularly stand out in terms of scale.

Clemens Pfeifer: “We want to significantly increase our production volume in Kajaani. And I am certain that we will succeed – after all, we have commissioned one of the most efficient and modern sawmills in Scandinavia. The annual output capacity is one million solid cubic metres. Incidentally, the halls at the Kajaani facilities were built using Pfeifer CLT. In Uelzen, we gradually started processing waste wood from summer 2024. The project was a little delayed, but successful in the end. The facilities can process 144,000 tonnes of waste wood per year, which therefore makes a significant contribution to our sustainability strategy.”

In Uelzen, there are plans to modernise the site all-round.

Clemens Pfeifer: “We are refurbishing the profile chipping line, and work on the new sawn timber sorting system and the new log yard will follow in 2025 and 2026. All the works are being completed alongside on-going production. While this is a very challenging endeavour, we feel we are up to it. We have already successfully undertaken a similar process in Kundl. It’s wonderful to see how committed the employees in Uelzen are to achieving this complex task.”

What expectations do you have of the latest investments?

Clemens Pfeifer: “Each project is geared towards different objectives. In Uelzen, for example, everyone involved in the project is going the extra mile for the site since it will give them a clear competitive edge. All of our different projects share a common objective: we want to become more efficient and more productive. We are not satisfied by simply building beautiful and modern facilities. Together with our Operations Management support unit, which has recently been taken over by Dominik Vögele, we are seeking to tap into the last few performance percentages and cost advantages in all operational areas. This also includes improving the quality of workplaces and the working environment itself. Our next immediate goal is to ensure the plants are utilised at high capacity so that investments costing millions can also bring the necessary economic return.”

In addition to the newly constructed sawmill in Kajaani, you have also commissioned the sawn timber grading plant in Pölkky and the new planing mill in Taivalkoski. In light of these projects, how can you summarise Pfeifer’s initial involvement in Finland?

Clemens Pfeifer: “Pölkky is currently a major challenge, and yet, if we look to the future, it also represents a fantastic opportunity for the Pfeifer Group and is therefore the perfect addition. There is only one word I can use to describe our experience with the current project team in Kajaani: outstanding. This team has been recruited from several countries and has achieved extraordinary things. All project parameters are being met, both in terms of time and budget. At the time, it was the largest single construction project undertaken by the Group. The work was coordinated by Sami Sjöblom and the Asset Management team at Pfeifer Holding GmbH, as managed by René Svatek. Christian Parzer, who contributed his extensive expertise, also provided substantial support. The work undertaken by the parties involved must be praised even more in light of the fact that the ongoing investment project had to be completely re-evaluated around three months after it was taken over from the previous owners. This period was very challenging since everyone was under significant pressure. Those responsible successfully overcame this challenge.”

The Pfeifer Group’s shift towards Finland was prompted by considerations regarding the long-term availability of raw material resources. What experience have you had so far in this respect?

Clemens Pfeifer: “Finland’s greatest asset is undoubtedly its wealth of raw materials in the form of huge softwood forests, which in my view provide the best quality raw material in the world. Our task is to carefully utilise this precious gift from nature with the best technology and a dedicated production unit. We also take the same care at all other sites, such as in Unterbernbach, which is also located at the heart of a highly favoured raw-material area. Here, too, we work with a great deal of sensitivity, mindful of the value of this precious commodity. In general, we seek to secure added value with our products, while also making a fundamental contribution to sustainably transforming the construction industry. We must bear in mind that we are producing a building material with a promising future based on a renewable raw material and can therefore make a significant difference. That is a worthwhile endeavour.”

What investments do you foresee being required at the sites in the coming years to fulfil these objectives?

Clemens Pfeifer: “We are very well positioned thanks to a consistent investment policy. In Lauterbach and Schlitz, the investment and infrastructure measures implemented in recent years are proving to be stable and sustainable. The two sites are working together in increasing harmony. The sawn timber from Lauterbach is processed into CLT in Schlitz, a mere 18 kilometres away. Our initial sites in Imst and Kundl began this policy of mutual utilisation and supply. We have taken on this generational mission and continued to perfect it to this day. As such, the technology used in our glulam plant in Imst was modernised over ten years ago, and we have subsequently continued to modernise the natural and solid wood panel plant with great success. We will continue in this vein and forge ahead with ongoing maintenance and further development work to our production facilities.”

How significant are artificial intelligence and automation in the timber industry?

Clemens Pfeifer: “As part of process optimisations, we have long since integrated automated processes into Production at many levels. And this includes using technologies that fall under the umbrella term AI. In reality, this is no longer unusual for us any more, but rather part of our everyday life. Kundl, for example, is reaping the rewards of investments made in recent years, with significantly increased performance levels thanks to high levels of automation. Glulam production in Imst has been highly automated for several years. We have now completed similar development work at the natural wood panel plant in Imst – with remarkable results. In addition to increasing efficiency and yield, we also attach great importance to improving the quality of the working environment – we owe that to our colleagues in Production.”

How relevant are humans in an increasingly digitalised Production space shaped by robotics?

Clemens Pfeifer: “People are crucial. Ultimately, it is individuals who devise, control and monitor processes. After all, people are largely responsible for maintaining and servicing systems, as well as harmonising their components. This is clearly illustrated by our Group’s largest and most complex site in Chanovice. Managed by Vlastimil Kuba, highly engaged employees with many years of experience have perfectly harmonised multidimensional processing stages, thereby ensuring excellent results. Moreover, in Thranov, an equally dedicated team managed by Vendula Kropáčková successfully manufactures a profitable product thanks to the possibilities afforded by well-established infrastructure. Thranov demonstrates that it doesn’t always have to be high-tech. The key is to adapt to the circumstances and to lead and motivate a team well.”