Focus on MDF: Part 1 | 11


MDF INVESTMENTS SLOW DOWN


In this the first part of our annual survey of the global MDF producing industry, independent consultant Geoff Rhodes looks at the MDF mills and their capacities in Europe and North


America and at the prospects for the industry generally. Significant investment in MDF capacity has slowed substantially as short-term difficulties are a reality.


E


uropean MDF production and sales in 2025 were significantly down on the highs seen back in 2021.


The drops experienced in 2023 and 2024 were generally arrested in 2025 but still not back to the pre-Covid-19 levels. MDF demand in general in Europe has suffered more than PB throughout this period, indicating potentially a systemic problem for MDF. Time will tell. The reduced demand for laminate flooring - based on thin HDF substrates – is one factor, with the product hit by tough competition from solid polymer core plastic floors in recent years. Sadly, across the EU and the UK, the impacts of the Russia/Ukraine conflict continued to be seen still with rising energy costs plus associated issues around the export embargoes of key consumables felt both by industry and consumers. The need for higher product prices in a market with low demand and poor consumer confidence is not a great combination. The Middle East conflict’s impact on inflation has been countered by adjusted interest rates with higher fuel costs leading to less consumer confidence and spending. So, the outlook for 2026 is certainly somewhat subdued.


With MDF being energy intensive to produce, costs are weighing on producers. In the Focus on MDF Part One report focusing on Europe and North America, news of upcoming new European MDF mills are listed in Table 1. Included are still the major investments planned by Yildiz Entegre of Turkey overseas in Vladimir, Russia, and the new Kronospan plant planned for Slovakia. Additionally added are the planned investments in Russia by Lesplitinvest, AVIC Forestry and Monolit Story, and Camsan in Turkey which has announced a further expansion. We don’t include moulded door skins facilities in our global MDF production figures but for information and to note, the respected US door manufacturer Steves &


Sons Inc, of San Antonia TX , which operates manufacturing plants for interior & exterior doors in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas and Utah, have invested in a new MDF-moulded interior door skins facility in Athens, GA , with shipments scheduled to begin in mid-2026. This year’s survey once again provides listings of design capacity in the two distinct regions as at the end of 2025. We also show the changes to capacity expected during 2026 and beyond up now to a new total 32,929,000m3


for Europe, including Turkey


and Russia. Total all-European installed capacity reached an estimated 31,485,000m3 2025 compared to 31,455,800m3 31,575,000m3 & 29,526,800m 3


in in 2024,


in 2023, 30,021,800m3 in 2021.


in 2022, This survey continues to be published in


two parts; the second part will deal with the rest of the world outside Europe and North America and will be published in the Autum 2026 issue of WBPI. The author and the editor of WBPI remain grateful to all those organisations and manufacturers as well as other industry professionals, who made valued contributions to help us build this narrative. We are always pleased to receive new information regarding design capacity changes at any time during the year.


EUROPEAN CAPACITY In Turkey after several years and a phenomenal period of expansion into MDF, investments have slowed down with no major greenfield MDF investments or new capacity entries.


The only notable development is related


to Camsan Entegre. Recently, a press extension (48.7m increased to 55.3m) combined with a lightboard package upgrade has been invested in (Siempelkamp). Based on the available information, this project will deliver approximately +13–14% capacity increase (50,000m3


) along with a reduction


in board density and improved production efficiency.


This project is an indication how the


industry is more focused on optimization and efficiency improvements rather than large- scale capacity expansion. Exports continue to play a key role for


Turkish board producers. Markets such as Iraq and North Africa remain important, although structurally quite different — Iraq being highly fragmented with many mid- sized buyers, while North Africa is more concentrated and distributor-led. Overall, competition is intense and price pressure continues, particularly in commodity segments. In this environment, operational efficiency and strong market positioning seem to be more critical than


Table 1: European capacity development (000m3) Total European capacity end 2023 Total European capacity end 2024 Total European capacity end 2025


Capacity 2026 and beyond Russia


Slovakia Turkey


Including adjustments


Yildiz Entegre, Vladimir Lesplitinvest AVIC Forestry Monolit Stroy Kronospan Camsan


Priozeorsk Tomsk


31,575 31,455 31,485


424 240 200 80


450 50


32929


www.wbpionline.com | Summer 2026 | WBPI


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