Metsä Group and forest owners planted 270 million seedlings in Finnish forests between 2010 and 2020. This summer, the figure will increase by more than 35 million seedlings. Metsä Group supplies forest owners with native tree species that occur naturally in Finland.

Under the Finnish Forest Act, a new forest must always be established after felling. This can be done through natural regeneration, or by sowing seeds or planting seedlings. Planting is the fastest and surest way to create a new forest. To secure biodiversity, individual trees from the previous generation are always left in the forest.

“We supply forest owners with species that occur naturally in Finland – pine, spruce and silver birch – for use in forest regeneration. This helps preserve forest nature in the state to which our native species have adapted,” says Teppo Oijala, Metsä Group’s Forest Manager.

In the decade between 2010 and 2020, Metsä Group supplied forest owners with a total of 270 million seedlings and 9,000 kilograms of pine seeds.

More than a billion pine seeds

“Nine thousand kilograms contains more than a billion seeds, which have grown into hundreds of millions of seedlings. After seedling stand management, around 60 million of these ultimately grow into pine trees in our forests,” Oijala estimates.

This year, forest owners have acquired more than 35 million seedlings and one thousand kilograms of pine seeds through us. Forest owners themselves plant around half the seedlings they acquire through Metsä Group, and the rest are planted by Metsä Group’s contract entrepreneurs.

Breeding improves growth and quality

“We always supply seedlings of the highest quality possible,” Oijala says.

“The use of bred seed materials increases the growth of trees by 10–30% compared to that of naturally generated trees. Breeding has also improved the quality of pine in particular, resulting in straighter and more slender branches. Sawn timber made of trees like this is also of higher quality. Moreover, the bred seeds originate in our natural forests, too.”

Spruce and pine are the most popular forest species for regeneration purposes. They produce the greatest volume of logs, and therefore generate the greatest economic value for forest owners. In addition, pine and spruce are the natural species in the final stage of succession in Finnish forests: pine in poor and spruce in fertile areas.

In fertile areas, silver birch is also a good option. Domesticated silver birch grows very quickly and is particularly well suited to areas suffering from root rot.

Preference for mixed forests

“Metsä Group offers mixed cultivation of pine and spruce as an option for regeneration. This means sowing or planting pine amid spruce seedlings. This is an especially good option in areas suffering from elk damage and in stands with varying fertility,” Oijala explains.

Depending on the tree species and the forest owner’s goals, the number of seedlings planted per hectare ranges from 1,600 to 2,200. In addition, tens of thousands of birch and other seedlings come up naturally in a new forest.

The development of a diverse and resilient mixed forest can be secured through active forest management, and at later stages, with felling that supports the growth and range of tree species. In connection with seedling management and thinning, a suitable mixture of conifer and deciduous trees is left in the forest.

Aiming for brisk regeneration

Metsä Group aims to secure rapid regeneration after felling. The goal is not to miss a single growing season. This offers many benefits.

“It helps seedlings reach good growth before the emergence of grass and bushes that hamper growth. The sooner we have a vigorous new seedling stand in place, the faster and better the new growing stock can sequester carbon from the atmosphere.”

For further information, please contact:
Teppo Oijala, Forest Manager, Metsä Group, tel. +358 50 598 9209
Krista Kimmo, Communications Manager, Metsä Group, tel. +358 50 526 4911

Metsä Group
www.metsagroup.com

Metsä Group is leading the way in advancing the bioeconomy. They invest in growth, bioproduct development and a fossil free future. The raw material for their products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests.

Metsä Group’s annual sales amount to approximately EUR 5.5 billion, and have around 9,200 employees in 30 countries. This international Group has its roots in the Finnish forests it’s parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative which is owned by 100,000 forest owners.

Tidewater has been in the business of selling and servicing heavy equipment since 1947, establishing a footprint from North Carolina to Alabama

“We are excited to add the Tigercat line-up to our Tampa, Florida location,” says branch manager Mike Collins. “This will help all of our southern Florida customers get the best equipment, parts, and service for their businesses to thrive. Tigercat provides the best product on the market, with the right backing and support.” The Tampa location will focus on supporting Tigercat’s growing material processing and off road industrial product lines. “We look forward to the new line-up coming that will help Tidewater continue to grow
for future generations,” says Mike.

Branch location: 2254 Massaro Blvd, Tampa, FL 33619
Contact: Mike Collins, branch manager, 813-620-9197, mcollins@tidewaterequip.com

WOODSTOCK, ON – Frontline Machinery will now represent Terex Ecotec across the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in addition to their current territory of Ontario and Manitoba. Based out of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Frontline is expanding their service footprint with a new branch in Woodstock, Ontario.

Terex Ecotec’s product portfolio consists of shredders, trommel screens, recycling screens, metal separators, and conveyors. Recent innovations such as the TDS 825 Slow Speed Shredder, TSS 390 Slow Speed Shredder, TMS 320 Metal Separator, and TTS 518 Trommel Screen are only a few recent additions to their complete product line. Behind an aggressive research and development strategy, Terex Ecotec offers a full product portfolio that meets the needs of Canada’s recycling professionals.

Terex’s environmental equipment offerings have seen considerable investment and new product development in recent years. In the Spring of 2019, Terex unveiled a new 105,000 square foot facility in Campsie, Northern Ireland to meet the global needs of environmental markets.

The expansion of Frontline’s footprint and Ecotec’s product line comes at a time of rapid evolution and growth in Canada’s waste and organic recycling sectors. Based on tonnage, organic residuals represent the highest volume of recycled material in the country. According to a recent survey by the Compost Council of Canada, the national diversion total of organic waste has grown exponentially from 275,000 tonnes in 1992/1993 to 5.3 million tonnes annually.

“Frontline Machinery is a proven dealership in the heavy equipment industry and has already been an outstanding ambassador of Terex’s environmental brands,” said George Wilcox, director of sales and marketing at CBI and Terex Ecotec. “Expanding Frontline’s Ecotec presence ensures that customers benefit from their extensive parts inventory, responsive service, and knowledgeable team. The added provinces bring their Ecotec territory into alignment with their CBI territory, allowing customers to benefit from a single point of contact for complimentary product portfolios.”

Terex CBI and Ecotec – 22 Whittier Street in Newton, NH, 03858 – (603)382-0556

Learn more about CBI at www.terex.com/cbi and Terex Ecotec at www.terex.com/ecotec

Ever since Holmen’s acquisition of Martinsons, the work of merging the companies has been ongoing. Now comes the next important milestone. On 1 June, the production facilities in Bygdsiljum and Kroksjön will fully take on the Holmen name, while Martinsons Building Systems will retain the Martinsons brand.

Martinsons and Holmen have many things in common and the fact that we are ready to gather around a shared brand shows how well the merger of our two operations has gone, says Johan Padel, Holmen’s Senior Vice President Wood Products.

Olov Martinson, one of the former owners of Martinsons and now mill manager at the plant in Bygdsiljum, also feels the time is right.

Of course, I have many emotional ties to Martinsons, not least to do with identity and pride. And the same is true for many of our employees, but it now feels natural for us to fully become part of Holmen. We’ve established that there are many similarities between the organisations and only a few adaptations are needed. Now we’re taking the next step in the company’s history by continuing to build pride, just under a new and common flag!

Martinsons Building Systems – part of Holmen

With Martinsons Building Systems´ offering, the processing of wood from Holmen´s forests now extend all the way to advanced wooden house construction. Martinsons Building Systems will as part of Holmen continue to use Martinson’s brand, as it is strongly established in the Swedish construction market.

That we can complement our good reputation in the market by drawing strength from Holmen’s brand is very positive for us. There are strong values, not least linked to sustainable forestry and a circular business, says Jesper Åkerlund, CEO of Martinsons Building Systems. Holmen also represents quality and reliability in the global wood products market, so being part of Holmen is good news for us from that perspective, too. Together we will now work to expand wood construction and achieve even greater climate benefits.”

As early as October 1, Martinson’s forest workers became part of Holmen Forest and from January 1, 2021, all products produced at the Group’s five facilities in Bygdsiljum, Kroksjön, Iggesund, Braviken and Linghem have been sold under the Holmen name and dispatched in Holmen branded packaging.

Photo: The sawmills in Bygdsiljum (in the picture) and Kroksjön – now a part of Holmen.

SEATTLE, April 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY)  announced the completion of its acquisition of 69,200 acres of high-quality Alabama timberlands from Soterra, a subsidiary of Greif, Inc., for approximately $149 million earlier this week. Separately, the company announced an agreement to sell 145,000 acres of timberlands in the North Cascades region of Washington to Hampton Resources for $266 million. The company expects to recognize a gain on the sale and anticipates no tax liability in conjunction with this transaction.

“These transactions exemplify our ongoing effort to strategically optimize and upgrade our timberland portfolio,” said Devin W. Stockfish, president and chief executive officer. “Our Alabama acquisition will grow our near-term and long-term cash flow, and the Washington sale completes our targeted large-scale divestitures of non-strategic acreage in the West. We will continue to seek prudent opportunities to enhance our portfolio with high-quality, well-managed timberlands that will drive long-term value for shareholders.”

Weyerhaeuser owns or manages nearly 1.3 million acres and also operates two mills, two nurseries and several other sites in Washington, including its company headquarters in Seattle. The Washington disposition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.

ABOUT WEYERHAEUSER

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands, began operations in 1900. They own or control approximately 11 million acres of timberlands in the U.S. and manage additional timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. They manage these timberlands on a sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards. They are also one of the largest manufacturers of wood products in America. Their company is a real estate investment trust. In 2020, they generated $7.5 billion in net sales and employed approximately 9,400 people who serve customers worldwide. www.weyerhaeuser.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, with respect to the company’s expectations concerning the future occurrence, timing, tax and financial implications of its disposition of certain of its Washington timberlands, as well as the expected financial contributions and economic results of the closing of its acquisition of certain Alabama timberlands and future portfolio enhancement opportunities.

For more information contact:
Analysts – Beth Baum, 206-539-3907
Media – Nancy Thompson, 919-861-0342

SOURCE Weyerhaeuser Company

May 4, 2021, NEW YORK – Blue Wolf Capital Partners (“Blue Wolf”), a New York-based private equity firm, today announced that it has sold The Mulch and Soil Company, LLC (“the Company”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of mulch and soil products across the Southeast region of the United States. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Blue Wolf formed The Mulch and Soil Company in 2018 by carving out the mulch division from Suwannee Lumber Company, a former Blue Wolf portfolio company, and merging it with Forestry Resources, Inc. and later K&B Landscapes, two founder-owned businesses in Florida. Under Blue Wolf’s leadership, the Company became one of the Southeast region’s leading manufacturers of premium mulch and soil products with a network that now spans four manufacturing facilities and 165 employees across Florida.

“The Mulch and Soil Company is a quintessential Blue Wolf investment, which involved a complex carve-out and integration of three companies and demonstrates the value of our niche sub-sector specializations,” said Adam Blumenthal, Managing Partner of Blue Wolf. “By carving out Suwannee’s mulch division; integrating two founder-run businesses; and recruiting a best-in-class management team comprised of industry veterans, we built a strong platform of scale that is now well-positioned for long-term growth in one of the most attractive U.S. markets for landscape products.”

“Our experience investing in the forest products sector in the U.S. South combined with our expertise in organizational transformations and human capital management enabled us to support The Mulch and Soil Company from its inception through its evolution into the robust platform it is today,” added James Shovlin, Vice President at Blue Wolf. “We are proud to have partnered with Mark West and the entire management team, and we look forward to following the company’s continued evolution in this next phase of its growth.”

“In 2018, Blue Wolf recognized the incredible potential to create and scale a regional leader in landscape products – and with their support, The Mulch and Soil Company has grown into one of Florida’s leading manufacturers and distributors of mulch and soil products. Over the years, Blue Wolf has served as a true partner and their operational expertise has played a critical role in enabling us to successfully integrate three distinct companies and cultures into one cohesive workforce and network of plants across the state,” said Mark West, CEO of The Mulch and Soil Company. “We are excited about the growth opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to expand our platform and meet the growing demand for our products.”

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC served as financial advisor and Robinson Bradshaw served as legal advisor to Blue Wolf in connection with the transaction.

About Blue Wolf Capital Partners

Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm that specializes in control investments in middle market companies. Leading by experience, and with a commitment to excellence, Blue Wolf transforms companies strategically, operationally and collaboratively. Blue Wolf manages challenging situations and complex relationships between business, customers, employees, unions, and regulators to build value for stakeholders. For additional information, please visit www.bluewolfcapital.com.

About The Mulch and Soil Company

The Mulch and Soil Company is a manufacturer and distributor of mulches, premium soils, decorative bark, and other ground cover products to lawn and garden retailers and commercial landscapers. Headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, the company operates a network of manufacturing and distribution locations from which it serves customers throughout the southeastern United States. For additional information, please visit www.themulchsoilco.com.

Microtec, global leader of scanning and optimization solutions for the sawmilling and wood processing industry, today announced the official integration and inclusion of FinScan and WoodEye within the Microtec family.

From now on the two companies situated in Finland and Sweden will work under the common corporate brand of Microtec, reflecting the merge and enhanced cooperation between the companies. “All together, we will work towards a common goal: to be even stronger together for our customers and partners, to act globally while maintaining a local and regional presence”, states Frank Jöst, CEO of Microtec Headquarters in Bressanone/Brixen.

“After the acquisition of WoodEye in 2015 and FinScan in 2018, the integration was a natural fit for the expansion of our business. The new branding will help us to underscore the importance of our responsibility to not only satisfy continuous evolution of customer needs and expectations through innovation, but also to anticipate them.”, confirms CEO Jöst.

The ever-growing Microtec family now employs more than 290 people at its sites in Bressanone, Venice, Linköping and in Espoo. The new Microtec organization will consist of different competence centers and offices in 6 countries around the world: the headquarters in Bressanone and Venice in Italy; former FinScan now Microtec Espoo in Finland; Microtec Rosenheim in Germany; Microtec Linköping, former WoodEye in Sweden; Microtec office in Vancouver, Canada; and Lucidyne – a division of Microtec in Corvallis, USA.

Customers will have access to an extended product portfolio based on integrated scanning and optimization solutions through all the woodworking processes: from the logyard, to the sawmill, green – and dry mill, planermill and remanufacturing applications.

The aim of being one brand is to combine in all Microtec’s solutions the competences, key technologies and experiences of all these companies. Therefore, the company brands Finscan and Woodeye will be integrated as product brands under the corporate brand MiCROTEC.

For the sawmill sector, we will complement our product portfolio with the Boardmaster Nova, which will come under the Finscan product brand in the future. This will add a module to the product range of scanners in cross transport, Goldeneye 900 and Wanescan.

The Woodeye scanners complete our product range for remanufacturing applications. Especially for scanning and optimizing of hardwood we extend our product portfolio decisively. The scanners will appear in the familiar color design and with the Woodeye product brand.

The mission of Microtec is, as usual, to make the woodworking industries perform better and offer to all customers’ worldwide excellent service.

“We will have a stronger presence in the markets and thus be closer to our customers. All sites will present the complete product portfolio, including the Woodeye, Finscan and Lucidyne product brands. With the different competence centers in the group, we can use our resources optimally and support all activities for the benefit of our customers”, states Frank Jöst conclusively.

Frank Jöst – CEO Microtec Headquarters (Bressanone/Venice, Italy)

“We will be available to all our customers in the same way as before, with the same teams, and support them with our usual professionalism. This applies to all locations.”

“The main goal of the new branding is to bring together and bundle our strengths, knowledge and potential in order to develop them further together. We want to use our ability, experience and commitment for joint success in order to be able to offer our customers innovative and creative products and solutions at the highest level.”

Leif Erlandsson – CEO Microtec Linköping (Sweden)

“We will combine competence and capacity from people to bring together a unique team to cover not only a great number of technical areas but also mixing technology with geography to provide the woodworking business with outstanding sales and service in order to build systems for the future.”

“The market and customer knowledge, the know-how, as well as the individual experiences combined with the cultural influences of the individual locations, should form the foundation for the MiCROTEC Group. This new corporate structure will enable us to apply our technologies, products, solutions and commitment even more strongly and specifically for the benefit of our customers in the future.”

Allan Flink – CEO Microtec Espoo (Finland)

“Thanks to the new branding strategy, the new Microtec family will be the largest wood scanner producer in the world! Having the same brand is not just changing the company name. The change is actually more significant. We will have more common products, shared activities and teamwork across the group companies. This will strengthen our business and will create more opportunities for all employees in our common company.”

“We will continue to develop and sell our transversal scanner to the sawmilling customers. We will also improve the service of all our equipment through a service agreement system we have introduced from the beginning of this year. In the sawmilling business, Espoo will also start selling Microtec log scanners on designated markets.”

Right time, right place

New SERRA sawing mill at Full Tilt Timber Framing in Clancy, Montana

Nate Schuele, 22 years old and a 4th generation sawyer, has a new best friend: the SL130i SERRA mobile sawmill. The previous one (another company) had to be replaced due to a motor damage. As a demonstration machine, the SERRA sawmill was immediately ready for use – in the right place at the right time.

Nate got his first impression of SERRA and the saw mills by YouTube videos. He found the videos hugely impressive and especially liked the receivers for offloading sawn lumber. For the decision he explains: “We were looking at multiple alternatives but the SERRA seemed to have so many good features, larger band, thinner kerf, receivers for sawn lumber, better band wheel technology etc.” The availability of the SERRA demo machine in Nashville convinced them, too, because it was already stateside and built.

Walt and Nate Schuele, the 2 owners of Full Tilt Timber Framing in Glancy, Montana, produce dimensional lumber and timbers for timber frames (around 150,000-200,000 board feet/year). The SERRA mill has fit into their process perfectly and they had not changed either of their businesses.

The most favored machine features

When asked for what Nate Schuele likes best at the new mill, he comes up with a long list: “The independent loading arms are a huge improvement. The computer is actually worth using. The previous computers we are used to are not worth turning on. The power toe board for moving cants back and forth. The increased number of bed rails, the band wheels that are light years ahead of anything other portable manufactures are using, the toe boards with dogs for pulling cants into the bed for the mill. The dogs have a steep learning curve but once we learned how to use them, they are also much better than anything we’ve had in the past. The operators station is also a huge improvement to walking with the head or the exposed remote operating stations we had before.”

The switch to the new machine was easy for him. Nate learned the computer and calibrating the joystick. He had no major changes, just re-learning the setup. The employees get along with the machine very well, too, and also the clients are impressed.

Nate is happy with the SERRA customer service and says: “The best customer service I’ve ever received. We are very satisfied and we want to tour the factory and thank everyone.”

Your SERRA Contact: Mr. Jason Fry 1035 Parkway Dr. Spring Hill, Building #10, TN 37174 +1 801 550 4878 jason.fry@wintersteiger.com

www.sawmills4us.com

Photo: Walt and Nate Schuele very satisfied with the SERRA SL 130i

Immediately ready for action after the demonstration in Nashville

The new PONSSE H7 HD Euca harvester head will be launched on 5 May. The web events will be held in English at 9.00 and 16.00 EEST – both events will be subtitled in Spanish and Portuguese.

The harvester head has been designed for eucalyptus processing with our customers in response to their needs. The new harvester head strengthens Ponsse’s strategy of being one of the world’s leading manufacturers of harvester heads. The Ponsse harvester head’s reliable heavy-duty frame structure promises safe operation and high-quality barking in even the toughest conditions.

Ponsse experts have prepared a unique web event to present all the best features of PONSSE harvester heads!

Register now and save the event in your calendar:

https://www.ponsse.com/ponsse-studio-live#/

We wish you a warm welcome!

Ponsse Plc
Marko Mattila
Sales, Service and Marketing Director

FURTHER INFORMATION:
Janne Loponen, product manager, harvester heads, janne.loponen@ponsse.com,
Tel. +358 40 502 8018.
Ryytty Marika <Marika.Ryytty@ponsse.com>

John Deere has announced a preferred supplier agreement with engcon, a tiltrotator manufacturer.

As a part of the agreement customers can purchase select engcon tiltrotators through John Deere construction and compact construction equipment dealers and Hitachi excavator dealers, starting in the U.S. and Canada in the second half of 2021.

Tiltrotator models ranging from the EC204 up to the EC233 will be available – these tiltrotator models match with the John Deere 26G through 345G and Hitachi ZX26 through ZX345 excavator models.

Tiltrotators have long been popular in Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark, as well as some other countries in Europe, but their usage in North America has traditionally been low.

When equipped, a tiltrotator enables an excavator bucket or other attachments to rotate 360 degrees around the axis and tilt up to 45 degrees side to side. A tiltrotator-equipped excavator offers enhanced value for customers, especially those working in tight, challenging job sites or tackling applications that require precision and versatility, such as site development, underground work and landscaping.

“We strive to provide our customers with product and technology offerings that improve their performance on the job site. When we launched our Smart Industrial strategic direction, we committed to investing our resources in solutions that deliver increased value to our customers, such as this agreement with engcon,” said David Thorne, senior vice president, sales & marketing, John Deere Construction & Forestry.

“Our excavators are known for their multi-functioning capabilities and hydraulic control, and, with the addition of the engcon tiltrotators, we’re providing additional solutions to help our customers increase productivity and efficiency on the job.”

Photo: John Deere has partnered with engcon for tiltrotators