A Pollmeier spokesperson told TTJ that the 200,000m³ log capacity Malchow mill had already had its production cut significantly in the summer because of difficulties sourcing enough logs.
But when the new log purchasing season got under way, even fewer logs than expected were made available, which meant Malchow would not have enough raw material to operate throughout the year. The mill has closed immediately with the loss of 45 jobs.
“The log offering was even less than in previous years,” said Pollmeier spokesperson Jan Hassan.
“Big losses could have had an effect on the entire group and pulled it down. The management did not want to put too many risks on the group.”
Malchow had previously enjoyed “short work” aid from the German government, which part pays wages during extended shutdowns. But this option was not available this year.
In previous years, beech logs from southern Germany had also been transported to Malchow, but a decrease in final product selling prices (top grade beech prices have fallen 20% since 2009) has taken out the margin that made log transportation viable.
“Malchow is the smallest Pollmeier mill so there will be no drop in overall production volume and there are sufficient log supplies in southern Germany,” said Mr Hassan.
