10 | News
UPM initiates a strategic review of UPM Plywood to maximise potential of business
UPM-Kymmene Corporation’s Board of Directors has decided to initiate a strategic review of UPM Plywood to assess options for maximizing the long-term potential of the Plywood business in an evolving market environment. The announcement on
September 23 outlines a strategic review including a range of possibilities - a potential separation from UPM through for example a divestment, partial demerger or initial public offering. The aim, UPM says, is to
determine the best path forward for the Plywood
business, while also benefiting the value creation for UPM’s shareholders.
“UPM has transformed into
a material solutions company with a broad portfolio of attractive businesses,” said Massimo Reynaudo, President and CEO of UPM. “We continuously evaluate opportunities across the portfolio to ensure full value creation potential. The decision to initiate a strategic review of UPM Plywood reflects our commitment to position each UPM business for long-term success.” “UPM Plywood is a strong,
Sauerland Spanplatte wood recycling plant to be commissioned
A Siempelkamp recycled- wood cleaning plant will be commissioned at Sauerland Spanplatte’s Gotha location by the end of 2025. The two companies’
collaboration is seen as setting benchmarks for sustainability and the circular economy. “The use of waste wood as
a material means that we’re giving this resource a new
product life, keeping the CO2 bound in the wood for several more decades and utilizing the potential of the circular economy,” says Dorothee Flötotto, managing director at Sauerländer Spanplatten GmbH & Co KG.
The plant for which the order was placed in August 2023 is going to be used to clean waste wood.
Impurities such as metal, glass, plastic, paper and stones are going to be removed to produce the purest possible wood fraction that can then be reused in the particleboard industry. The process will also make it possible for the foreign materials to then be directed into their own
recycling stream and so ensure a sustainable circular economy.
The plant capacity has been specified at 15 tons per hour, which means that it will in future be possible to realize half of the location’s total particleboard production from recycled wood. This order for a complete
recycling plant is a first for Germany’s Siempelkamp Group. “We worked together to
analyze the entire process on a step-by-step basis, to develop the solution that was appropriate for each stage of required for the removal of impurities and to confirm the results on the basis of tests with sub- suppliers,” emphasized Dr Lars Kloeser, technical manager at Sauerland Spanplatte. The new plant will clean the waste wood that’s used to produce the extruded particleboard at the Gotha factory, which in turn will be used to make high-quality inserts in doors and in the packaging industry.
WBPI | October/November 2025 |
www.wbpionline.com Above: Kronospan site in Kastamonu, Turkey
Kronospan Turkey has installed new finishing lines at its Kastamonu site.
The installation features cutting-edge technologies from impregnation and HPL/ CPL lines to digital printing and lacquered panels. This investment expands the company’s capacity to serve a wider market.
Kronospan presented some its product innovations at Intermob 2025, including its new Maxline lacquered panel range.
“This achievement is the result of dedication, teamwork, and countless days and nights of hard work,” said Akgun Okay, CEO of Kronospan Turkey.
Swiss Krono new management
Peter Wijnbergen has stepped down from his position as CEO of the Swiss Krono Group to focus on business and strategy in North America (NA).
In future, the Executive Board at Group level will consist of four managing directors covering sales, operations, finance and NA.
customer-focused business with a clear strategy and a proven ability to perform under varying market conditions,” said Tuija Suur-Hamari, Executive Vice President, UPM Plywood. “With the efficient
production, robust in-house capabilities, and a well- established commercial model, we focus on delivering value to our stakeholders through the trusted WISA brand and our long-standing customer relationships.” Tuija Suur-Hamari, Executive Vice President, UPM Plywood. During the strategic
review process, UPM says it remains fully committed to the Plywood business and its customers.
The review is expected to be
concluded by the end of 2026. UPM Plywood offers
plywood and veneer products for construction, vehicle flooring, LNG shipbuilding, parquet manufacturing and other industrial applications. In 2024, UPM Plywood sales were €430m and it employs about 1600 people. UPM has four plywood mills and one veneer mill in Finland as well as a plywood mill in Estonia.
Kronospan Turkey installs new finishing lines
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