Industry Europe – Issue 27.2

Page 138

The forest family

Swedish forestry cooperative Sodra has been investing heavily to ensure its more than 50,000 forest owner members are maximising the ever-growing opportunities for pulp and paper. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to Sodra’s head of marketing and business development, Marcus Hellberg, to learn more.

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Sweden’s largest forestry cooperative, Sodra is made up of over 50,000 forest owners who come together to form an international forest industry group with operations based on responsible forestry. Sodra’s core activity sees its members convert raw material into sawn timber, pulp for paper and dissolving, as well as providing green energy. Well known for doing things its own way, Sodra is proudly different. Head of marketing and business development Marcus Hellberg told Packaging Europe how this is achieved. He said, “We challenge expectations of what a forestry company should be. We have a strong sense of self-confidence and we act clearly. Together with our members, we are showing what it means to be a next generation forest company.” Sodra sees itself both as a forest-owner association and as an international forest industry group, with its operations based on processing its members’ forest products. This unique position means it is continually processing ‘its own’ raw material at its own mills, with the forest harvested by its owner-members. So rather than ‘big companies’ owning the forest, in Sweden, thanks to Sodra, it remains the smaller forest owners that dominate – albeit with the strength and support of the huge Sodra family behind them. Mr Hellberg continued, “This is a huge advantage and a huge differentiator. Our unique history shows how individual forest owners, with their experience, commitment and foresight, have come together over the years to create a successful, growing industrial group. It’s not comparable to big industrial forestry companies – other than we can easily

136 Industry Europe

compete on price, flexibility and availability. But where we are completely different is that we are so very close to the people that are actually caring for and harvesting the forests. They are in our family.”

Renewable and responsible Sodra’s business is built on value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, as proven by its well-established relationships with both forest owners and customers. There is an overall focus on promoting the profitability of its members’ forest estates by providing advice and support with regards to sustainable forestry, as well as by contributing to a market-based rate of return on their forest products. Mr Hellberg explained, “The wood from the forest estates of our members is processed in one of our three pulp mills or converted into sawn and planed timber, interior wood products, biofuel and pulp for the pulp market. We purposefully focus on innovation to develop new products based on renewable wood raw material.” Sodra has one of the largest sawmill operations in Sweden and is a major supplier of softwood sulphate pulp to the European pulp market. Its three pulp mills are largely fossil fuel-free as well as actually generating surplus energy, which is then sold as bio-based products such as green energy and district heating. In 2016, Sodra posted sales figures of more than SEK 18 billion and its wood volume was 15 million m³sub (cubic metres solid volume underbark). These impressive figures have also yielded strategic investment, with 2016 seeing over SEK 6 billion (around €700 million) spent on investment and expansion projects. Over two thirds of this was


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Articles inside

Resounding success GN ReSound

4min
pages 144-147

The forest family Sodra

4min
pages 138-140

A single supplier for end-to-end ceramic production SITI B&T Group

4min
pages 141-143

Corrosive liquid fertiliser doesn’t stand a chance VOSS Fluid

4min
pages 148-149

World’s first fitness-tracking technology Jabra

4min
pages 134-137

one step ahead Lloyds

4min
pages 130-133

Surpassing expectations Dacia

4min
pages 126-129

Driven by innovation Atlas

7min
pages 122-125

New narrow-track generation Claas Group

5min
pages 114-117

Delivering high-performance advanced moulding technology Goodway Plastic

4min
pages 118-121

Clear vision Stemmer Imaging

6min
pages 106-113

major investment in advanced healthcare performance Mölnlycke

5min
pages 103-105

under control UniControls

5min
pages 94-97

efficient and reliable CD Cargo

4min
pages 98-102

Innovation at its core Sonoco Alcore

5min
pages 92-93

Boosting value and sustainability Sofidel

4min
pages 86-91

Keep cool Iarp

4min
pages 68-71

Rolling out new technology Alutech

4min
pages 79-82

A feel for steel AFV Acciaierie Beltrame

4min
pages 72-78

Adhering to perfection Gravic Europe

4min
pages 83-85

Delivering smarter metering technology AEM

4min
pages 60-63

A trusted brand Hajdu

4min
pages 64-67

Putting efficiency first Savo-Solar

4min
pages 57-59

Adding innovation to private label products McBride

4min
pages 52-56

Gearing up for new business awards ZF Group

4min
pages 45-47

Precision capability Maini Group

6min
pages 40-44

Super-league performance Ducati

4min
pages 36-39

Sober brewing Heineken Hungary

4min
pages 48-51

The engine for change Deutz

4min
pages 32-35

An aura of success Comau Robotics

6min
pages 28-31

Winning business New orders and contracts

7min
pages 16-17

Focus on France Ian Sparks reports from Paris

5min
pages 25-27

Technology spotlight Advances in technology

3min
page 22

The 3D printing revolution

5min
pages 14-15

linking up Combining strengths

6min
pages 18-19

Bill Jamieson Customs apocalypse?

4min
pages 6-7

european construction – back to growth

8min
pages 8-10

moving on Relocations and expansions

3min
page 20
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