Stora Enso Timber’s strategy to supply the Japanese post and beam house market with glulam is set for take-off following the completion of its €12m mill in central Estonia.
The Imavere beam mill, which started its first trial production in March, has now received a Japanese Agricultural Standard certificate entitling it to export glulam beams to the Japanese construction market.
The mill, already working on two shifts, includes planing and stress-grading facilities for refining the lamella raw material before glue-lamination into beams. Full capacity of 80,000m3 will be reached in 2006.
Stora Enso’s investment in the facility is part of an expansion programme announced nearly three years ago as part of the €121.7m purchase of AS Sylvester‘s sawmilling and wood procurement operations.
It is also intended to strengthen the long-term competitiveness at Imavere, which includes a large-scale sawmill and component mill.
Total annual log consumption will be around 780,000m3 and the investment will increase the number of personnel by 75 to a total of 308.
