SCA Wood Magazine 1/2022, ENG

SCA

Wood Magazine 1/2022

BUILDING LARGE AND TALL WITH WOOD THE ELECTRIFICATION OF INDUSTRY FROM SEEDLING TO INNOVATIVE CLADDING

Setting the Standard Ikea wants to make responsible forest management the norm across the globe. Ulf Johansson leads the team setting the furniture giant’s standard for wood sourcing.

Polestar 2 — Maximal experience Minimal impact polestar.com

Ulf Johansson is responsible for Ikea’s requirement specifications for forestry and forest raw materials.

8 Julia Kalthoff crafts axes by hand in the heart of Stockholm.

18 New innovative wooden panels see the light of day.

24 The Zackari Wahlström’s are renovating their farm on television.

8 “WOOD IS BRIGHT, FRESH AND SEDUCTIVE”

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Axe maker Julia Kalthoff describes herself as a wood person.

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KALLE, BRITA AND THE MISSING BEAMS TV couple felt farmhouse swaying.

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FROM PLANT TO PANEL

SYSTEMATIC SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT

Responsible forestry and innovative processing.

Lifecycle analysis shows the way

BEAUTIFUL AND VARIED URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

to sustainable building.

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Architect Camilla Schlyter has created

TIMBER BUILDINGS ARE GETTING HIGHER AND LARGER

a new wooden facade system.

Wood is an increasingly common structural material.

THE POWER TO TRANSFORM AN ENTIRE INDUSTRY

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THE ELECTRIFICATION OF INDUSTRY

Ikea wants to make responsible

Even heavy industrial vehicles such as forklifts

forestry the global norm.

and timber loaders are turning electric.

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SCA

Wood Magazine 1 /2 0 2 2

PUBLISHER Vanessa Pihlström EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Håkan Norberg PRODUCTION Frosting Kommunikationsbyrå COVER PHOTO Johannes Berner TRANSLATION Semantix PRINT Stibo Complete, Katrineholm PAPER Cover: Munken Polar, 200 g Text block: Munken Polar, 120 g CONTACT SCA Wood Skepparplatsen 1 851 88 Sundsvall +46 (0)60 19 30 00 sca.com/en/wood SUBSCRIPTIONS scawoodmagazine@sca.com

SCA Wood Magazine is printed on FSC™ certified paper (FSC™ C012075). In producing this magazine, we strive for the minimum possible environmental impact and advocate responsible forestry practices.

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I am forest-positive

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OOD HAS THE LOWEST climate footprint of any building material. Everyone who buys wood products contributes to the transition to a fossil-free society. And given that resource efficiency is a characteristic of its producers, it is hardly surprising that many people consider the forest to be the solution to many of our global challenges.

In this issue of SCA Wood Magazine, we explore the story on a small and large scale. From seedling to finished product.

From the feeling of working a piece of woods with your hands to constructing a high-rise building. From simple planks to daring innovation.

Meet Julia Kalthoff, originally from Skåne, who discovered forging in Hälsingland and now crafts axes in her Stockholm workshop. Shaping wood and metal has given her renewed respect for nature.

Architect Camilla Schlyter has combined traditional crafts with digital tools to develop an entirely new kind of cladding, a panel that she hopes will help create beautiful, varied cities.

Architectural practice Arkitekterna Krook & Tjäder has seen demand for timber buildings increase over recent years. Learn more about the company’s use of lifecycle analysis (LCA) to justify its choice of materials. We also get to grips with wood as a structural building material. What are the important consi­de­ra­ tions when using timber for large and high-rise buildings?

You can also read about Ikea’s journey from small mailorder business in Älmhult in 1953 to global home furnishings brand and the world’s biggest retailer of wooden furniture.

Ulf Johansson is responsible for requirement specifications and the procurement of forest raw materials for Ikea.

He tells SCA Wood Magazine about the furniture giant’s sustainability goals and its Forest Positive Agenda.

Forest-positive. What a splendid word! As part of a group built on dedication to responsible forestry, active forest management and resource efficiency, I feel exactly the same.

Pleasant reading!

JERRY LARSSON P R E S I D E N T, S C A W O O D

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P H O T O S T E P H E N PA R K E R

HEAD OFFICE AROUSES CURIOSITY ABOUT WOOD PRODUCTS SCION IS A CROWN RESE ARCH INSTITUTE

owned by the New Zealand gov­ern­ ment that conducts research into forest products and innovation. One important task of the institute is to create interest in wood as a material, something it certainly achieves with its head office, which welcomes the public to both a café and interactive exhibition on wood products.

The design of the building itself is exciting and inviting, and the architects have used as many wood products as possible.

The structure is largely visible, making the construction easy to understand.

The building is the work of architectural practices RTA Studio & Irving Smith.

The building, which cost SEK 73 million, has an area of 2,000 square metres.

(CRI)

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Whisky that pays homage to a bygone age of sawmills AT THE HIGH COAST DISTILLERY, whisky with its roots in a bygone age of Swedish sawmills is distilled and barrel-aged to achieve just the right character. The whisky manufacturer is based in the northern Swedish landscape that from the mid-nineteenth century was home to the world’s most important timber industry.

Timmer (Timber), a smoky whisky that forms part of the distillery’s standard range, is named in honour of the timber rafting that once dominated the Ångerman River, on the banks of which the distillery sits. The High Coast Distillery has explored four new flavours based on Timmer. As a tribute to the now-silent local sawmills, the four varieties go by the name the Silent Mills Collection.

The fourth and final whisky in the collection was recently launched. Box is named after the sawmill that once stood on the site, which in turn was named after the product it manufactured until 1890: short planks for the manufacture of wooden boxes for the English market. According to High Coast, the whisky was created with the ambition that the serene smoke taste would sweep in like veils of mist from the river.

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PHOTO BARK SWEDEN

and beautiful.

That’s the wooden mobile phone case from Bark Sweden. Using Bark Sweden’s proprietary method, Swedish hardwood waste from forest management is transformed into elegant mobile phone cases. The collection consists of cases in elm, birch, cherry and ash and anyone interested in where their case was grown can visit barksweden.com to read the whole story.

SHOCK RESISTANT, SUSTAINABLE

P H O T O H I G H C O A S T D I T I L L E RY

Adornment and protection in beautiful Swedish hardwood

P H O T O PAT R I C K D E G E R M A N

H E A LT H I E R QUICKER WITH WOOD INTERIORS? interior materials speed the healing process?

A pilot study is underway at the orthopaedic clinic at Skellefteå Hospital to discover whether the good properties of wood can have a positive impact on people’s well-being and healing.

Previous studies have suggested that forest surroundings and greenery in a room can make people feel better, reduce stress and improve concentration. However, the question of whether wood affects air quality, temperature and well-being to the extent that it can reduce the time spent in hospital remains to be answered.

In the new pilot study, one ward at Skellefteå Hospital set aside for patients with hip fractures has been decorated with wood panelling and cabinet doors made of solid pine. To study the significance of the interior design to well-being and recovery, patients’ perceived anxiety, pain and fatigue will be measured throughout their stay.

The results will then be compared to other patients with the same diagnosis receiving the same treatment on traditional wards.

The hope is that the study will have a positive impact on interiors for future homes, schools and workplaces.

DO WOOD AND OTHER NATUR AL

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The axe maker SPREADING PEACE IN THE WORLD TEXT JENNIE ZETTERQVIST

PHOTO RANIA RÖNNTOFT

They say that the first step towards becoming a skilled craftsperson is to fall in love with your material. For axe maker Julia Kalthoff, the journey began with the realisation that, once shaped by human hand, iron can remain in that form forever.

Her next love affair was with wood. The end result of these two ardent relationships?

Painstakingly designed axes that are handled with love all over the world.

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is in the heart of Stockholm, because Julia Kalthoff likes to be at the centre of things. Close to many people, and readily accessible to those who are fascinated by the restful feeling of working with green wood. Open the gate and step inside from the street and you will find yourself at the core of Kalthoff Axes’ business.

HE K ALTHOFF A XES WORKSHOP

ENCHANTED BY FORGING

This is where Julia and her colleagues make carving axes to her own design. The journey began when the 19-year-old Julia seized the opportunity to enrol in a summer course at Gränsfors Bruk in central Sweden. She had no money so paid her way by working at the historic ironworks, which specialises in hand-forged axes. Once she complet­ed the first course, she took the next. Then the next. And the next, until the summer was over.

“I was enchanted, although it was a shock to find that forging is such heavy work. At first, I wondered how they could imagine that a single person could manage it. There were an absurd number of aches and pains to begin with,” she says.

Julia, who has never been afraid of getting her hands dirty and who as a child would jump in every muddy puddle she came across, had found her passion. The feeling of taking a solid, seemingly inert material and heating it until it becomes a 1,200°C red-hot slab, then using one’s own body to shape it into a new form with the potential to endure for eternity was addictive.

“It’s a tactile experience. Your body gets hot, you feel the heat from the forge and the radiant

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heat from the object you are forging. You are absorbed in the moment, you have to be quick, plan and strike while the iron is hot,” she explains.

DRIVEN BY REVERENCE FOR AN ANCIENT TOOL

Armed with her new knowledge, Julia Kalthoff left Österlen in Skåne at the southern tip of Sweden, a golden landscape of warm russet and lilac tones, for the blue mountains and deep green forests of Hälsingland and a new job at the Wetterlings axe forge. This new landscape made almost as a strong an impression as the magic of forging.

“It felt like coming to the real Sweden,” she recalls.

Julia quickly became Wetterlings’ youngest ever CEO and set about improving the quality of the company’s axes. This brought with it a new fascination for wood.

“Metal and forging are dirty and oily, heavy with black dust. But wood is bright, fresh and seductive.

Nowadays, I consider myself to a wood person and that’s where my interest lies,” she says.

In 2016, she set up on her own as Kalthoff Axes, developing a small carving axe that has become widely renowned since its launch. Manufacture rests on a reverence for the ancient tool that once changed the circumstances of all humankind.

“Once humans succeeded in whetting a cutting edge, we were able to begin felling, cultivating and building on a whole new level. Living standards increased dramatically in a society where the axe and knife were the equivalent of the iPhone today, a tool for striving for whatever one wished to attain,” she says.

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The employees of the axe workshop are all established crafts­p eople in their own right. David Sjöö is a guitar maker with an eye for detail, and a master of grinding.

Molly Sjöstam shapes axe handles, as does Daniel Lundberg, who also holds courses in the craft.

That original flame still burns bright in Julia Kalthoff and she sees it flare up in many of those who get their hands on one of her axes – and begin to use it.

“You can create almost anything with an axe and a piece of wood; it makes us feel human. Sure, you can buy my axe and look at it like an artwork, but what thrills me is the knowledge that it is used and spreads the kind of creative joy that makes you lose track of time and place for a moment,” she enthuses.

TALK TO THE TREES

Many people find a longed-for balance in life through woodcarving, and a break from the stress of a digitised day-to-day existence. As Julie describes the experience, one must listen to the wood, feel the direction of its fibres and its willingness to proceed.

“It’s like a conversation in which you connect with one another in a fairly equal manner. And anything you invest hours of care in will naturally increase in value. The more time I’ve spent with natural materials, the more valuable nature has become to me. Every tree has grown and lived its

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life and that’s not something we should take lightly,” she says.

This respect extends to the value of other things and the importance of getting away from throwaway culture of buying and discarding products unnecessarily.

“Everything has been manufactured by someone; that’s one unavoidable insight I’ve gained from working green wood with my own hands,” says Julia.

For Julia’s part, she works with quality in every detail, so that her axes provide the person working with them with a flowing experience. As she puts it: a good axe is one you don’t think about. It should provide a natural link between the hand and the material.

A new Kalthoff axe is in development, but the process must be allowed to take its time.

“We’re excited about it, but a little secretive. It won’t be a carving axe but a different model. Things aren’t quite as confused as the first time, but I have a lot of axes to make every day so it’s a bit of a spoke in the wheel!”

Julia Kalthoff’s craft in the workshop lays the foundations for other people’s crafts. “It’s like ripples spreading out around the world and personally It feels very meaningful to offer something I appreciate to others.”

Although Kalthoff Axes’ main markets are in the United States and Europe, many of the company’s products also find their way to Australia and Japan. “I sometimes receive orders from slightly more far-flung places, like Thailand and Mexico. Then I do wonder how they stumbled across me,” says Julia Kalthoff.

WOOD TYPES FOR AXE HANDLES CHOOSING THE RIGHT TYPE of wood for an axe handle is a science in itself.

It needs to be hard enough to be durable but elastic enough to absorb vibrations.

Unless the customer specifically requests something else, Kalthoff axes have an ash handle, a wood that is not especially easy to source.

“I’m always on the hunt for wood!

There is no real ash market to turn to and i have very high demands when it comes to quality. If anyone has this type of wood, I’d be delighted to hear from them,” says Julia Kalthoff.

Ash. “Ash is the best Swedish wood for axe handles. The combination of hardness and elasticity allows it withstand the stress of chopping and ­p revents vibrations from travelling into the body.”

Birch. “We have a very rich axe-making tradition in Sweden and birch is also common and a very

good alternative. It’s a little softer and might not last as long as ash, but still a long time.”

Spruce. “When I’m feeling a bit punk, I use spruce. It’s soft and it will crack after a while, but it’s light and has an elastic feel in the hand which will be appreciated by anyone who uses an axe a great deal.”

Juniper. “Many people like juniper for the same reason as spruce. Its ­elasticity reduces shocks to the hand.

However, it’s very difficult to find pieces that are large enough without too many knots.”

Rowan. “Rowan was once used a great deal and is both hard and elastic.

Then the significant difference between heartwood and sapwood makes the axe handle very beautiful.”

Elm. “Although I’ve never tried elm myself, I would imagine that it would also work very well.”

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From plant to panel TEXT HÅKAN NORBERG

I L L U S T R AT I O N M I K A E L E J E M A R V I K S T R Ö M

Responsible forestry and innovative processing give wood products a wide range of sought-after attributes. Not only that, but both forests and timber products bind carbon dioxide. This is the route from seedling to panel.

PLANTING

When planted professionally and adapted to specific soil conditions, seedlings get the best start in life. Refined seedlings produce forests that grow 25–30 per cent better than natural forests.

Forests can be planted in almost all types of soil. The most common practice is to plant between one and three years after harvesting and after the site has been prepared. In most soils, 2,000 to 2,500 plants per hectare is an appropriate number.

ACTIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT

As they grow, forests bind carbon dioxide, and active forest management increases growth.

A tree requires around 1.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide in order to grow one cubic metre. Clearing and thinning at the right time provides trees with the optimal conditions to grow as tall as possible, thereby binding more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

A healthy, well-managed forest also provides valuable timber.

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HARVESTING

Harvesting is the most profitable measure a forest owner takes. It is the culmination of their efforts and a new beginning for their stock.

Sustainable forestry and responsible felling create a thriving forest for the future, with more valuable timber.

PROCESSING

Felled trees are processed to make products for the building trade, industry and your home.

Durable wood products such as decking, structural timbers and cladding store carbon dioxide long after the tree has been felled. Waste products from sawmills are used to manufacture climate-smart products that allow us to leave oil and coal in the ground and reduce society’s climate footprint.

On the next page, you can learn more about an entirely new, innovative panel.

Beautiful, varied urban environments T H R O U G H H I G H -T E C H C R A F T S M A N S H I P

TEXT JENNIE ZETTERQVIST

PHOTO SCA

A

S A CHILD, Camilla Schlyter was already working beside her father to process logs and build using traditional methods. There and then, in Hälsingland, northern Sweden in the 1970s, a lifelong interest in woodcraft and sustainable building was born.

“My father collected old tools from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and we tried to figure them out and use them.

Since then, I have always had an interest in wood and cultural heritage. Wherever I go in the world, I like to investigate the tradition of building in wood in that particular place,” explains Schlyter.

PHOTO NILS LINDSTRAND

A durable wooden facade system that can change character and take on audacious shapes is just around the corner. Camilla Schlyter is the architect behind the project, which unites traditional timber craftsmanship with high-tech digital design tools to develop a refined facade system that, with its many design possibilities, will help tomorrow’s architects to express their creativity.

DIGITAL TOOLS MEET CRAFTSMANSHIP

Camilla Schlyter was also an early adopter of digital design tools; by merging her twin specialities, over the last decade she has driven the development of a new timber facade system that offers unique opportunities for combining individual architectural design with large-scale industrial manufacturing.

“Because the choices in wood are so limited, many ­timberframed buildings are clad in other materials. The objective is therefore to create a timber facade system that meets all quality requirements, that can be produced mechanically, is simple to install and at the same time offers a variety of characteristics that can be adapted to the designer’s ideas. Instead of mass production, we are talking about mass customisation,” she explains.

A computer program varies the planing of boards to the architect’s specifications, so that they can design and assemble cladding in the manner they find most beautiful. The surface can be finished in a smooth or undulating form. The appearance of the facade will change constantly de­pending on how the light then falls on the building over the course of the day and year. Camilla Schlyter is keen to offer her fellow architects new opportunities to choose timber facades without compromising on expressive design.

“There is enormous interest in building in wood, but also in creating more refined facades. It would be a formidable task for individual architects to develop viable solutions themselves and this would not be feasible in a conventional project,” she says.

Architect Camilla Schlyter, Schlyter/Gezelius Arkitektkontor AB.

HISTORICAL INSPIRATION STRENGTHENS THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE

By minimising metal fixtures and avoiding impregnation and the use of other chemicals, the panels can also be part of a circular economy with the lowest possible environmental impact when the time comes to disassemble and reuse them.

This strong environmental profile is reinforced by Camilla Schlyter’s embrace of traditional Swedish craftsmanship and the long-term sustainability of such methods. She has travelled

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“ The system includes both smooth and wavy panels and the nice thing is that shadows create variation on the facade depending on where the sun is or whether it’s cloudy. It becomes a living surface,” says architect Camilla Schlyter.

around the country to learn more from those who still bear ancient knowledge of building in wood without glue or metal screws. An encounter with a carpenter in Ångermanland was one of many productive meetings.

“He showed me a technique using a spokeshave to create an incredibly beautiful surface on the log, which was one of the inspirations for the facade system.

SPECIALIST COLLABORATION A PREREQUISITE

The system is being developed in collaboration with Rise Research Institutes of Sweden and Swedish Wood. Paint suppliers have also been involved in developing flame retardant topcoats for the system. The planing process has been tested and implemented in consultation with specialists at SCA Wood’s Stugun planing mill, where a plane has been developed that creates a surface to which paint sticks equally well as to traditional rough sawn panels.

“SCA Stugun has been involved throughout the development of both products and machines.

Those who work with wood everyday have a feeling for the material and I have encountered specialist knowledge and great enthusiasm from everyone involved,” says Schlyter.

Top quality timber is of the utmost importance if a facade is to withstand the wind and weather over a long period of time. Pine heartwood was chosen for the system, although spruce heartwood is a good alternative. After years of research and development, a product launch is now on the horizon.

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“It’s splendid that we’ve come this far! It is clear that developing this type of product demands close collaboration. By discussing input in our various areas of expertise, we can ensure that no aspect is overlooked. It’s fascinating to see the potential of the gradual development we have achieved through previous research projects.”

MODERNISING AND REFINING THE CITYSCAPE IN WOOD

Whenever Camilla Schlyter returns to her childhood home in Hälsingland and walks among the aging timber buildings of Hudiksvall, she sees the model for the modern cityscape she wants to help create.

“At first glance, those old wooden houses all look relatively alike but on closer inspection you see that every cornice and window frame is slightly different. There’s a built-in variation in this familiar, delightful environment and that’s how I’d like our timber facade system to be used. Now, the opportunity is just around the corner.”

As the architect explains, beautiful buildings with distinctive facades are important to the city for many reasons. Variation makes us that little bit more aware of our surroundings and, eventually, makes us feel more strongly about them. Most of all though, it makes us happy.

“If you find yourself in an urban environment where someone has put thought into making it so beautiful that you want to applaud the facade, well, then you feel recognised as a citizen. It also creates a sense of civic pride over the building for those who live and work there.”

FACTS

“The wood construction industry has enormous possibilities in the future. It’s promising for us in Sweden that we have come so far in our development.”

C A M I L L A S C H LY T E R

SCA Lynx, designed by Camilla Schlyter. > A facade system that changes appearance depending on how light strikes the panels. > Standard exterior panels with fine grooves, smooth or with more ­e xpressive designs. > The concept includes angular, rounded and corner panels. > Influenced by traditional Swedish ­woodcraft.

For further information, please visit scasmarttimber.com.

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The power to transform an entire industry TEXT HÅKAN NORBERG

PHOTO JOHANNES BERNER

He is responsible for specifying requirements and purchasing forest raw materials on behalf of the world’s largest retailer of wooden furniture, Ikea. Ulf Johansson is only too aware of the influence a global giant can exert on sustainability management in an entire industry.

“By remaining consistent and setting high standards, we can push through major changes,” he notes.

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“ B ack in 2010, when we decided that from 2020 onwards Ikea would only purchase wood from what we consider more sustainable sources – i.e., recycled materials or FSC-certified wood – many people were doubtful, me included. Would it be possible to implement the decision?”

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LF JOHANSSON ANSWERS the phone in his home in Vigenstorp, fifteen kilometres south of Älmhult in the south of Sweden. He has just eaten a few sandwiches.

“Those of us who are not needed on site for the business to operate have been working from home as far as possible over the past two years. The pandemic hasn’t exactly done wonders for lunch habits,” he says.

Having passed a windy night, Ulf is reminded of something Ikea’s legendary founder Ingvar Kamprad once said about raw materials from the forest: “We must use everything except the rustling in the treetops”.

Such was Kamprad, and Swedish furniture titan Ikea is no different today. Waste of resources is a mortal sin, efficiency a virtue and profitability always the goal. Other mottos have been added to the list over the years, such as democratic design, the aim of which is to make good design available to everyone rather than only the well-heeled, and the need to run a sustainable business.

Like Kamprad himself, Johansson is from Älmhult, the town where the company was born and where it still has its headquarters and a factory, one of Ikea Industry’s 41 production units worldwide. Ikea Industry, which together with external suppliers supplies the group’s almost 400 stores with goods, is one of the world’s largest manufacturer of wooden furniture. Among other products, the Älmhult factory manufactures lacquered kitchen fronts.

CLIMATE POSITIVE BY 2030

All of the wood that Ikea uses in its products and packaging has passed through Ulf Johansson, so to speak. As Head of Wood Supply & Forestry, he and his team of 45 are responsible for all wood and forestry issues within the Inter Ikea Group. This is where guidelines for Ikea’s purchase of raw materials and the Group’s requirement specifications for responsible forestry are formulated.

“Back in 2010, when we decided that from 2020 onwards Ikea would only purchase wood from

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what we consider more sustainable sources – i.e., recycled materials or FSC-certified wood – many people were doubtful, me included. Would it be possible to implement the decision?”

As things turned out, it was. FSC-certified companies were allowed to do business with Ikea at the expense of those without certification.

“We were able to leverage our large volumes to place demands and drive change. Our suppliers convinced their subcontractors, who in turn convinced forest owners,” explains Ulf. “This is a lesson to remember when we set new targets; don’t be afraid to set your sights high!”

Among the stated objectives in the latest Ikea Sustainability Report is the transformation into a circular business and becoming climate positive by 2030. Among other things, this will mean manufacturing furniture solely in renewable ­or recyclable materials.

“By 2030, at least one third of all of the wood we use will be recycled wood. The figure is currently 14%,” says Ulf. As an example, he offers particle board, which accounts for just over 50% of Ikea’s wood consumption. At present, 27% of the wood used to manufacture particle board is recycled. By 2030, this figure will be 80%. Another area with great challenges is the glue used in particle board, which accounts for 6% of Ikea’s total carbon footprint.

“We will be investing even more in innovative new wood-based applications that will help us reduce the need for fossil materials. By 2030, we will have phased out virgin fossil materials form all of Ikea’s operations, and wood has a large role to play in this.”

For example, Ikea’s ambitions is to stop using plastic packaging no later than 2028.

FROM FOREST TO FURNITURE

Ikea began building its organisation for defining and implementing requirement specifications for raw materials in the late 1990s and shortly thereafter, in 2000, Ulf Johansson saw a job advertisement in the trade journal Skogen; Ikea were seeking someone with his skills.

Ulf Johansson at Ikea Industry in Älmhult.

“When I graduated from the School for Forest Management in Skinnskatteberg, I had no thoughts about working in the furniture industry. I chose the forest industry and during my first years I worked for a forest owners association and after that Skogssällskapet in Blekinge, southern Sweden.”

Ikea was looking for five people to work with forestry issues in Finland, China, Canada, Switzerland and somewhere in Southeast Asia. Ulf and his wife, at the time the parents of two young children, had always nurtured a dream of moving abroad, so seized the chance. Their first port of call was Kuala Lumpur and a project to make furniture from acacia. After a few years, the business moved to Hanoi.

“It was an incredibly educational period. Ikea and its partners developed requirements for the origins of raw materials and we began to promote the issue of forest certification around the world.”

By that time, sustainability had become more topical and both environmental organisations and the public were making greater demands.

“We explained to our suppliers that our customers all over the world expected sustainability. Doing what’s good for the forest and the planet is also good for business.”

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FAVOURITE IKEA PRODUCT “That would be Ivar bookshelves. They’ve been with me since my student days.

I haven’t always used them in the same way, but they’ve always been there.

The untreated pine really has the scent of wood. It’s like having a little piece of nature at home. And, despite the fact that it’s been around for decades, Ivar is still an above average seller.”

ULF JOHANSSON

Ulf continued to work with raw materials issues when he and his family returned to Sweden and Småland in 2004, now as purchasing manager for pine and spruce furniture. One of his most important tasks was to build up adequate worldwide production capacity to supply all stores with enough furniture to meet market demand.

Today, as Head of Wood Supply & Forestry his responsi­ bilities are broad. Ulf and his colleagues do everything from holding meetings with representatives of the forest industry to working with finished products. They identify new materials and new purchasing regions and streamline supply chains, optimise material utilisation, monitor material prices and keep abreast of changes to legislation and regulation. Ulf is also responsible for Ikea’s communication on issues related to forestry.

“While multinational corporations are often criticised, we can actually also be useful. Sure, we might make mistakes from time to time, but here at Ikea our ambition is always to do good. For example, we are in a position to drive major changes for the better, something I find inspiring,” he says.

RESPONSIBLE FORESTRY

When it comes to the forest, over and above the company’s own material needs, Ikea’s stated ambition is to be a leading force for making responsible forestry the global norm. The company’s Forest Positive Agenda 2030 also addresses biodiversity.

“Global deforestation is a major cause of the CO2 problem, as well as the main reason for declining biodiversity. This development must be halted. Many people depend on the forest to create a good life for themselves, and we are all affected by climate change,” says Ulf. He emphasises the need to reuse wood to a greater extent, both to ease the pressure on the world’s forests and to bind carbon for the longest possible time. He also sees enormous opportunities to improve intensive industrial plantation forestry so that more natural forest can be left untouched.

“And then, of course, the wood industry also needs to remain competitive. We must not be naive enough to think that everything will automatically be made of wood in future. The producers of other materials are also working on sustainability, so we need to continue our efforts to resolve sustainability issues related to wood and staying competitive,” says Ulf. “The forest offers solutions to many of the challenges facing the world. This ought to be an incredibly attractive industry to young people entering the workforce.”

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FAKTA About Ikea. Ikea was founded

by Ingvar Kamprad in 1953 as a mail-order business in Älmhult, Småland. Today, Ikea is a global home furnishing brand with more than 390 stores in over 30 countries.

Each year, Ikea stores are visited by 657 million customers, while ikea. com receives over 4.3 billion visits.

Ikea’s wood consumption. During the last financial year (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021), Ikea used 17.8 million cubic metres of roundwood (RWE) in its furniture manufacturing business. If we include packaging and paper for instructions, the figure rises to 21.2 million cubic metres. Of these raw timber materials, 26% came from Poland, 8% from Belarus, 8% from Russia and 7% from Sweden.

“We are one of the largest consumers of European wood. This is partly due to our roots as a Swedish company and partly a reflection of our design look, with light wood such as pine and birch.”

About the FSC. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international membership organisation working to promote the responsible use of the world’s forests. Members include major environmental organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and BirdLife, civil society organisations such as trade unions and human rights advocates, and businesses such as manufacturing companies, forestry companies and individual forest owners.

Learn more. To learn more about Ikea’s sustainability work and the company’s Forest Positive Agenda, please seek out the Ikea Sustainability Report FY21, which was published online in January this year.

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Life on the land TEXT JENNIE ZETTERQVIST

PHOTO THOMAS CARLGREN

With television couple Kalle and Brita moved from the city to the countryside with the dream of self-sufficiency, they took hundreds of thousands of viewers and followers with them. They generously share their experiences as novice farmers, including unpleasant surprises such as the imminent collapse of the farmhouse, which they discovered lacked load-bearing timbers. “It was a troubling discovery, of course! But thanks to the professional help we received the house has regained its original soul,” says Kalle Zackari Wahlström.

T

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just outside Nynäshamn, some 60 kilometres south of Stockholm, is in the grip of winter and this morning the Zackari Wahlström family woke to a temperature of −13°C, indoors.

“We’ve been really struggling to heat the house.

At first, we had a wood-fired central heating system that barely worked. Now we have an air/water heat pump that, unfortunately, works equally badly. Today we didn’t have any heating or hot water so we’ve being throwing wood on the fire like crazy,” says Kalle.

As he sees it, frozen pipes, the cold, the dark, the muddy farmyard are just part of the everyday tribulations of rural life. Still, the discovery that the farmhouse was missing load-bearing beams.

The missing beams were replaced as quickly as possible with fine new timbers and the upper storey has since been given a beautiful plank floor, while the walls have been clad with tongue and groove panels.

Kalle and Brita, who up until then had carried out almost all the renovations themselves, enjoyed having professional help in the house.

“It was lovely! When we moved in I needed help to put up shelves, but since then we have learned so much that we were able to convert an old shed into a sauna on our own this summer. But having professionals here working all day, without being interrupted by toddlers as we are, that was absolutely incredible. At one point we had six people working eight hours a day. Wonderful!” enthuses Kalle.

CAME AS SLIGHTLY MORE OF A SURPRISE

FALLING IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN

When work started to replace the roof and install solar panels, it became apparent that the beam that should have been bearing the weight of the entire upper floor had been cut out. During the extensive renovations that followed, the carpenters discovered that another couple of load-bearing beams had been cut off and patched up with undersized timbers.

“The floor was sagging by as much as seven centimetres and we had always had the feeling that the building wasn’t as stable as it should be. It rattled a little too much when you closed the door and the floor was a bit too creaky. Now we realise that it was only a matter of luck that nobody fell through,” says Kalle.

The house is now mercifully free of all traces of earlier dubious renovations, including the vast numbers of Masonite boards that had been concealing the building’s true nature since the 1960s.

“We fell in love with the farm, but the farmhouse has been our problem child. Especially for Brita, as she’s more sensitive to atmosphere and is also very interested in building conservation. After this investment, there’s nothing that doesn’t feel solid and Britta has really discovered a new love for the house,” says Kalle.

It all sounds fairly simple in retrospect, but it was a real weight on the family when they were faced with

HE FARM

P H O T O P R I VAT E

P H O T O P R I VAT E

reality of the situation. Still, they have no hesitation in sharing setbacks with followers and viewers.

“Personally, I think it’s great to share these things!

It’s one way to process difficulties. We have such a large audience, especially on Instagram, so we get a great deal of help, smart tips and advice,” says Kalle.

P H O T O P R I VAT E

Kalle and Brita are the famous television couple who followed their dream from a terraced house in the city to the country­ side, to live on the land and get closer to real life by building, farming and hunting. Viewers and followers can follow their journey for better or worse.

Brita Zackari is passionate about building maintenance and on her YouTube channel she demonstrates the traditional methods they use to create a home from the farmhouse they were initially less than enamoured of.

It has also made the couple appreciate the sawn timber products on the market.

“While it’s extremely satisfying to be able to use one’s own woodland to saw timber, above all it increases one’s respect for natural resources.

It takes so much hard work and so many trees to obtain really nice planks,” says Kalle.

YEARNING FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE

The ups and downs of the couple’s new life has also been shared with viewers in the television programme Help, We Bought a Farm!, now on its third season on Swedish television. Viewers love the family’s can-do attitude, the children’s resourcefulness and following their building, recycling and farming projects. Local estate agents even talk about the ‘Kalle & Brita effect’ that has seen prices rise for farms in the area.

“Many people lack meaning in their lives and I think that there is an innate desire in all of us to be self-sufficient. Brita and I want our children to understand that something built of wood was once a tree. We have moved so far away from our origins and we take so much for granted today,” says Kalle.

Kalle has a particular affection for the farm’s sawmill. Although not mentioned in the for-sale ad, once they found themselves the owners of a sawmill that “feels old and possibly homemade”, their quest for self-sufficiency reached new levels.

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THE NEXT DREAM, A SHOOTING GROUND

The farm includes around 10 hectares of woodland that, in addition to providing timber, also provides at least some outlet for Kalle’s hunting interests.

Still, one of his favourite things is to leave the farm occasionally and head north to the forests of Medelpad to join his shooting team, Toppenjakt, which can also be followed on social media. One dream that remains to be fulfilled is a shooting ground of his own. A shed acquired through a giveaway advertisement is waiting on the farm, ready to be assembled as soon as the team have the opportunity to lease hunting rights in the northern forest. Kalle welcomes all suggestions.

“Elk hunting is special to me as someone who lives in southern Sweden and has the opportunity to travel up to close to the Jämtland border, where there is forest as far as the eye can see. Much of the enjoyment of hunting is to have rights in the forest and to be able to see it in all its splendour. I feel sorry for anyone who never gets to experience that!”

P H O T O TA I Y U A N B O TA N I C A L G A R D E N

ENORMOUS S PA N U S I N G TRADITIONAL WOOD TECHNOLOGY GIGANTIC GL ASS DOMES are the latest eye-catching addition to the skyline of the Chinese city of Taiyuan. The domes cover the Taiyuan Botanical Garden, which also has a museum and restaurant. The spec­tacular grid on the greenhouse domes consists of double-curved, laminated timber beams arranged in three intersecting layers, providing shade for visitors and plants alike.

The design is based on traditional Chinese building techniques and the largest dome has a free span of over 90 metres, making it one of the largest wooden structures of its kind in the world.

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L I F E C Y C L E A N A LY S I S S H O W S T H E W AY TOWA R D S S U S TA I N A B L E C O N S T R U C T I O N TEXT HÅKAN NORBERG

PHOTO ARKITEKTERNA KROOK & TJÄDER

When it comes to design and materials, architects have always made aesthetic, financial and technical choices. Today, choices about sustainability and environmental certification are equally important. “This broadens our role as architects. We have to go deeper, there are many other factors to consider,” says Maria Tjäder, civil engineer specialising in sustainability issues at Krook & Tjäder architectural practice.

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L

is a method for calculating the envi­ron­mental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle, from the ex­trac­tion and processing of the raw materials, through ­manufacturing, distribution, use, recycling, and final disposal. For example, an LCA will tell you at which stage of building’s lifecycle a given environmental impact is greatest, so its design and construction can be adapted accordingly.

Aside from estimating environmental impact, an LCA can be used to create an inventory of resources, making it easier to see where the product’s environmental impact can be reduced.

Founded in Gothenburg in 1988, Krook & Tjäder is now one of Sweden’s largest architectural practices with approxi­mately 300 employees. Maria Tjäder is a civil engineer specialising in sustainability issues and Anders Pettersson is an architect who uses wood a great deal in his projects.

“We have long been advocates of wood but it is only over recent years that our clients have shown an interest. A great deal has happened and wood has gone from the exception to the rule,” says Anders.

IFECYCLE ANALYSIS (LCA)

“A great deal has ­happened and wood has gone from the ­exception to the rule.”

ANDERS PETTERSSON ARCHITECT

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When a new office block was planned for Västra Kyrko­gården in Halmstad, an LCA made a strong argument for a cross-laminated timber (CLT) frame.

As he describes it, the building’s lifecycle is fundamental to the architectural practice’s role in climate work. Maria Tjäder, a graduate of Chalmers University of Technology whose master’s thesis was titled Optimized early-stage life cycle assessment of buildings (Optimerad livscykelanalys i tidiga skeden), agrees.

“Early on in a project, one can exert a great deal of influence and make good choices from a sustainability perspective, in terms of design and materials, for example. In addition to climate impact, an LCA also allows you to study parameters such as water consumption or how emissions associated with construction processes contribute to eutrophication and acidification.

At the moment, however, we are focused on climate impact, which must be reported in the climate declaration,” she says.

SUSTAINABILITY IN ITS DNA

Krook & Tjäder always kick off their projects with a discussion panel with the client and sustainability issues always come up, regardless of whether or not it is on the client’s agenda.

“We build sustainability into the DNA of our projects,” says Anders.

The aim is to examine all components together with every discipline working on the project to establish how the building and project can be improved from a sustainability perspective, as well as to agree on strategic sustainability objectives.

“When it comes to the climate, construction is a high-impact industry, so the changes we make

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Designed by architects Krook & Tjäder for Skanska as part of the new South Quay district of Sundsvall, Stella is a unique climate-neutral ­timber building and Sweden’s first zero-carbon certified hotel.

are significant. We are talking about large volumes, large quantities of materials and many shipments,” says Anders.

Systematising work using LCAs and other methods provides clearer answers.

“The system provides us with figures and arguments to back up our choices. For a number of reasons, timber almost always has a lower environmental impact than a concrete frame; for example, the manufacture of wood products is not as energyintensive as making concrete,” says Maria.

“THERE’S WOOD, AND THEN THERE’S WOOD”

These days, many clients have their own demands for environmental certification and an LCA is a significant part of most certification processes.

Some clients want to extend the working life of their building and want to make sure it is sustainable and economical, while for those

“Early on in a project, one can exert a great deal of influence and make good choices from a sustainability perspective.”

MARIA TJÄDER CIVIL ENGINEER

looking to sell, certification increases the value of the building. This means that clients are less likely than they once were to need persuading about the merits of environmentally certification.

An architectural practice is then in a position to pursue additional demands.

“We can break down a lifecycle analysis into smaller parts, such as the origin, extraction and transport of raw materials. When choosing between materials, wood often wins out over steel and brick; however, there’s wood, and then there’s wood,” explains Anders.

“How has the forest been harvested? Has due consideration been given to natural heritage and biodiversity? How far has the material been shipped?

These discussions are important to have when we’re making decisions. You have to dig your heels in from time to time.”

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Wood gains ground A S A B U I L D I N G M AT E R I A L TEXT HÅKAN NORBERG

PHOTO JONAS WESTLING, WSP

The construction industry is considering wood as a building material to a far greater extent than was once the case, even for large and high-rise buildings. How did this come about? SCA Wood Magazine asks WSP, part of the consortium that built Sara Cultural House in Skellefteå, one of the world’s tallest timber buildings.

P

EDER ERIKSSON is a structural engineer and Patrik Rönnmark head of property and buildings at WSP in Skellefteå. WSP is an international engineering consultancy with some 55,000 employees in 40 countries. The company works in several sectors of civil engineering, including energy, infrastructure and urban development.

We asked Peder and Patrik to give us their views on why demand for wood is increasing in the construction industry, and to list some of the factors that make a timber building successful.

Patrik: There are countless parameters governing the choice of frame and method of construction. And this goes in cycles depending on the operating environment, economy, rules and requirements. It’s no easy matter to identify the ultimate building method.

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

Patrik: To a large extent, the increased interest in building in wood is about sustainability. Today, there are demands to be environmentally friendly and climate-smart in all areas of society, not least in the construction sector.

Peder: For the construction industry, this has increasingly made wood the building material of choice, as it is renewable and, all things being equal, it will win a sustainability match against other materials such as concrete and steel.

Patrik: Many municipalities have adopted sustainable building strategies and the gov­ern­ ment has prepared a national strategy to promote the use of wood in buildings. The same thing is happening in other countries.

Peder: Here in the north of Sweden, we also have the advantage of having the raw materials close to hand, making it an even more sustainable choice.

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RULES AND GUIDELINES

Patrik: From 1 January, there is a statutory requirement for climate declarations for all new buildings in Sweden. This means that all stakeholders need to keep CO2 emissions down and reduce their climate footprint.

Peder: But the increase in demand predates this, it has actually been a gradual process since 1994 when new legislation permitted higher and larger timber buildings. Since then, we have had more factories capable of manufacturing timber elements that can compete with the prefabricated concrete industry.

BUILD-TIME

Patrik: Large CLT elements are prefabricated and delivered to site on an ongoing basis just in time for installation. Nothing is sawn on site. This makes building quick, clean and tidy.

Peder: Take the Sara Cultural Centre for example.

The hotel room modules were built in the factory then craned into place. It only took a few days to construct an entire floor of the hotel, which is very fast.

Patrik: Surfaces can also be delivered finished and ready for installation; so much is actually finished as soon as the module or element is in place.

Peder: As more and more suppliers are able to manufacture CLT and other wood products, so the range of products and competition will increase.

This means that the concrete and steel industries will also have to improve their products; these materials will be better suited for some parts of projects. This will be a win-win situation that will see all areas of the industry improve.

INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION

Patrik: It is vital to be in agreement from the beginning, to have interdisciplinary collaboration between architects, designers, damp managers,

fire engineers and so on, as well as suppliers. This is important in all projects of course, but particularly when dealing with large wooden structures, which are relatively new and require special consideration.

Peder: For example, there are solutions available for acoustic problems and fire protection, issues that were problematic in earlier timber buildings but not any more.

We can calculate and resolve all of these in advance.

Patrik: And, as always, the economics are also a factor.

Here too planning is key, such as ensuring that the factories can deliver elements to site on time. In the case of the Sara Cultural Centre, suppliers were involved at an early stage.

BUILDING UNDER COVER

Patrik: Major projects extend across several seasons, sometimes several years, and then it’s important to plan so that the building is not exposed to moisture. Weather protection is particularly important when building in a living material such as wood, to minimise microbial growth.

HYBRID CONSTRUCTION

COMMON MATERIALS

Peder: Different material are suited to different uses. It may therefore be a good idea to consider hybrid constructions that mix materials.

Patrik: We love to build in wood but sometimes it can become unnecessarily complicated, in which case one shouldn’t be afraid to mix timber with steel and concrete if it makes building simpler and thereby perhaps cheaper.

Peder: The Sara Cultural Centre is a timber structure with elements of steel and concrete. The entire fifth floor is built of steel trusses to create a large, open space for the hotel lobby, without supporting pillars. And the top floor uses concrete to reduce swaying in such a high and lightweight building.

Patrik: And then, of course, it’s always good for the industry to challenge itself to see what is possible to build in wood and to identify new solutions.

FOR BUILDING IN WOOD Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is used to manufacture prefabricated building elements. It is mainly used for load-bearing elements in frames, including for high-rise and industrial buildings.

CLT can be manufactured in large sizes with high load-bearing capacity and rigidity.

Glued laminated timber, or glulam as it is also known, is comprised of a number of wood laminates glued together. Glulam is one of the strongest building materials in relation to its weight.

Glulam can be used for pillars and beams and is often used for visible building elements.Both CLT and glulam are most often made from spruce.

Lightweight beam systems weigh less than traditional building timber, as there is less material in them. This also makes them preferable from a sustainability perspective. Lightweight beam systems, often in the form of I-beams, are also more rigid.

Patrik Rönnmark.

Peder Eriksson.

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THE FUTURE IS ELECTRIC TEXT VICTOR PERSSON

PHOTO RANIA RÖNNTOFT

Electric cars are becoming a more common site on our roads. Now it is the turn of the heavy industrial vehicles to be electrified to reduce ­e missions and fossil dependency.

“You don’t need any advanced calculations to understand that electrification is a crucial component of our development,” Anders Petersson, director of innovation and sustainability at SCA Wood.

S

of timber packets outside the kiln at the Bollsta Sawmill makes for a dramatic setting. After a brief thaw, the cold of northern Sweden is back with a vengeance and an icy blanket once again covers the ground. It is afternoon by the time Robin Söderholm goes out to kick the snow loose from the forks of his forklift truck and begin his shift. From the cab, Robin can hear the rumble of his colleagues forklifts whizzing past, but his own remains silent. When he turns the key in the ignition, nothing happens. At least, nothing audible or visible from outside.

“It feels a bit like a spaceship,” he says, a smile playing on his lips as he jumps down again to inspect the wheel nuts and brush a little more snow away while waiting for his truck to tell him that everything is working correctly.

This is a new and somewhat unusual division of respon­ si­bil­ities that clearly illustrates a future that potentially awaits Robin and his colleagues.

All around society, there are unmistakable traces of the electric wave that has rolled over the world in recent years.

Self-driving cars, charging stations outside supermarkets, gigantic battery factories: one of the most important trans­for­ mations of the modern age is undoubtedly in full swing.

“You don’t need any advanced calculations to understand that electrification is a crucial component of our development.

For example, a standard forklift of the same type we are currently testing at Bollsta consumes between eight and nine litres of diesel an hour. That soon mounts up to a lot of litres a day given the number of forklifts we operate and how many hours they are running,” says Anders Petersson, innovation and sustainability manager at SCA Wood.

TE AM RISING FROM THE HIGH STACKS

REDUCING FOSSIL-FUEL DEPENDENCY

For Anders and his colleagues at SCA, the objective has long been clear. The forest must continue to grow, binding more carbon dioxide, and fossil materials must be replaced by products manufactured in wood. However, a circular business system and the vision of a more sustainable future are still impeded by a certain dependency on fossil fuels.

In addition to new procedures for replacing batteries, the driving experience in the electric forklift is different. The ambition is therefore to provide as many drivers as possible with the opportunity to test-drive the vehicle and contribute insights over the course of the year.

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Movements of the steering wheel, commands and keystrokes pass through the onboard computer, providing considerable opportunities to gather statistics from the machine.

Electric forklifts will be trialled in two environments during the year: one area of operations that involves short standing times, limited use of the onboard computer and many heavy lifts; the other longer periods standing idle, more extensive use of the computer and lighter lifting.

“Thanks to our ability to make use of those parts of the tree that do not become sawn timber products to power our mills, we already generate relatively modest carbon emissions. To date, the challenge has been more to do with the fossil dependency of our logistics machines. We now see significant potential for further increasing our climate benefit,” Anders continues.

In the absence of engine noise, the crunch of snow compressed between wheels and ground is clearly audible as Robin depresses the accelerator and the forklift begins to roll. The battery alone weighs eight tonnes and the packets the machine lifts day in, day out double that. It is this chal­leng­ ing load that has left not only SCA but much of the heavy-goods haulage industry waiting patiently for technological development to catch up long after electrification was identified as a key component for achieving climate goals. However, the once

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limited range of battery-driven alternatives for heavy industrial vehicles is now expanding exponentially.

“It’s inspiring to play a part in developing tomorrow’s machines. We’ve set ambitious sustainability goals and to achieve them we need to have the courage of our convictions and be involved from the start. The project and trial we are now conducting at our sawmill in Bollsta is one of several that provide unequivocal proof that SCA means business,” says business area manager Jerry Larsson of SCA Wood.

TRIAL FOR THE FUTURE

As a further contribution to a fossil-free society, SCA and Scania are also developing the first electric timber truck. This is an investment in a transport category that, until recently, was deemed nigh on impossible to electrify given the enormous weight of timber.

“Our collaboration with Scania is vital to jointly identifying innovative solutions for sustainable transport. Electric timber transport will make an important contribution to SCA’s sustainability efforts, making us part of the solution for a ­fossil-free world. A single electric vehicle on the route between Gimonäs and Obbola will reduce our annual carbon dioxide emissions by approx­ imately 55,000 kilograms,” says SCA’s director of sustainability, Hans Djurberg.

“The other day I intentionally ran the battery flat just to test it. No one has done this before so everything is new to us. Even the challenges.

And it’s those we need to identify, understand and learn to deal with now if this is to be as good as we hope,” says Robin, as in the twilight he silently lowers the forks to the ground after lifting another 16-tonne packet of timber in the warehouse.

So far, he is one of the few who have tested the new electric forklift but, together with a project group, over the course of the year he and a handful of other forklift operators will do their utmost to put their new electric sidekicks to the test, in the hope that they will meet the sawmill’s needs and offer yet another solution to the company’s, the industry’s and the world’s most important problem.

“We are at the beginning of the journey. In our business area, this type of somewhat larger logistics machine is still relatively new. Lifting and moving logs and sawn timber puts an enormous strain on machinery and demands powerful solutions. Naturally, we hope that we have reached the point where this no longer need be associated with large diesel engines,” says Magnus Wikström, manager of the Bollsta Sawmill, who is responsible for the electric forklift pilot project.

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Travels in the timber trade TEXT HÅKAN NORBERG

PHOTO BJÖRN LEIJON, ADOBE STOCK

Mathias Fridholm has worked in the timber industry for over 20 years.

Today he is director of industry organisation Swedish Wood and the future looks bright.

“All the indications are that the demand for wood will outstrip supply; we have been talking about this for 25 years. The recent sharp increase was related to the pandemic but this is a long-term trend.”

H

E IS A TR AINED FORESTER , but even early in life Mathias Fridholm was market-oriented and determined to work with the products that can be produced with wood, rather than in the forest itself. And his determination paid off.

Today, he is director of Swedish Wood, which represents the Swedish sawmill industry and is part of the Swedish Forest Industries Federation.

Swedish Wood’s mission is to increase the size and value of the market for Swedish wood and wood products in construction, interior design and packaging.

Mathias lives in Stockholm during the week and Hudiksvall at weekends. As someone whose life has been marked by many and long moves, the weekly commute is no big thing.

“I’ve never been overly cautious and I’ve always explored new things and new places. The best days are those on which you do something you’ve never done before, learn something new or work on something you don’t do every day.”

FROM NORRLAND TO ASIA

Mathias moved around a good deal with his family as a child and as an adult his job has taken him from Kramfors in northern Sweden to Hong Kong – and many places in between. His first job was in a small family business in Skåne that manufactured equipment for plant nurseries for a global market.

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“At the time, that small company was a world-leader and a great school for me,” says Mathias.

He then spent 18 years at SCA, including stints as sales manager for Japan, manager of the Bollsta Sawmill and area manager for China.

EXHILARATING BREADTH

Mathias’ position at Swedish Wood entails dealing with many issues related to wood and its uses, a breadth that he appreciates.

“It’s exhilarating! It covers everything from the sawmill industry, where I have my own roots, the construction industry and issues related to high-rise timber buildings to research and education initiatives in our area of operations,” he explains.

He predicts increased demand for wood in future, with the use of wood likely to increase in countries such as China and India, where consumption per capita is still low.

“I think that at the same time we will see a change to patterns of trade. Maybe we will not export as much to far-away countries. The pandemic has shown us that we can no longer take globalisation for granted and we also see protectionist tendencies increasing around the world. In the long term, this will mean that a larger proportion of wood products will be sold closer to home.

Thoughts on the road to a new wooden age

“ I live in a wooden house with a lot of wooden furniture, both custom-made and from Ikea.

I am a true believer in the connection between wood, health and wellbeing.”

M AT H I A S F R I D H O L M SWEDISH WOOD

I DARE SAY NOT A DAY goes by when I don’t think about wood.

Some might see that as a sign that my intellectual life is a tad limited. That may be the case, but at the same time I would like to firmly assert that wood has been a great source of inspiration both professionally and privately, that it has broadened my horizons and led to amazing encounters with people.

I will never forget that night in the Chinese countryside.

We had enjoyed a splendid dinner with our customers and, for some reason, the conversation came around to Swedish and Chinese schools. Without really reflecting on whether the information might be newsworthy, I told our hosts that woodwork was on the syllabus for Swedish children. Our Chinese friends, who had dedicated their lives to the timber industry, could hardly believe their ears; the idea that all Swedish children learn carpentry was incomprehensible to them.

While I have not made a deeper study, I assume that it is probably unusual to find wood on the school timetable in most of the world’s countries. This material, which plays such a large part in Swedish tradition and that is so malleable that even a child with simple tools can shape it, is something we should take pride in. There is a reason why we learn woodwork in school but not masonry.

Nor will I forget the five-hour drive through the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. At the best of times, driving in India presents a danger to life and limb, and this journey was no exception. Having reached our destination without mishap, we met with a company that is now etched in my memory.

The company was owned by two young men who had opened a factory manufacturing modern furnishings to their own designs in Swedish pine. They played with colours and shapes in a way I had never previously experienced. Their lack of preconceived notions about what one could do with wood was incredibly refreshing. Within minutes we had bonded over our mutual passion for the potential of wood. It was a wonderfully inspiring afternoon, even if it did not result in any business. I hope that everything has gone well for them!

Right now, we are undoubtedly entering a new age of wood.

I encounter the opportunities and challenges this presents on a daily basis in my job. Circularity, reuse, lifecycle analysis, digitisation, wellbeing, resource utilisation and renewables are just some of the areas we work with. Oursuccess is crucial to how future generations will think about wood as a material.

I am optimistic.

I think about wood every day. I might even be the only person in the world who has written a musical about wood.

It has enriched my life and I am grateful for all of the meetings I have had. Perhaps everyone should be thinking a little more about wood?

M AT H I A S F R I D H O L M SWEDISH WOOD

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The forest is the kernel of SCA’s business. Around this unique resource, we have built a value chain based on renewable raw materials from our own and other’s forests. Our five business areas are Forest, Wood, Pulp, Containerboard and Renewable Energy. We also logistics business, SCA Logistics.

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The whole tree is put to use

T

or just over half, of each tree is processed to make long-lasting products such as timber cladding, shelves or window frames. Or an entire house for that matter.

The remainder is turned into woodchips for pulp or pellet production. The bark is used to produce energy.

“The fact that the sawmill can make use of so much of each tree is the reason that the forest is so valuable. We begin with lumber and then make sure that we can use even the parts that can’t be used for sawn timber products,” says Anders Petersson.

SCA’s plants run almost exclusively on the company’s own bioenergy; in fact, the business generates a surplus of energy that is sold to the national grid and used for district heating.

SCA is also examining the possibility of producing biofuels.

“Aviation will eventually be fossil free,” notes Anders.

“Customers buying our timber products should know that the rest of the wood will not go to waste: branches, bark, sawdust – well, the entire tree is put to use.”

HE MOST VALUABLE PART,

PHOTO TORBJÖRN BERGKVIST

The journey towards a sustainable society demands better resource utilisation at all stages, in all industries and all around the world. For SCA, among other things this means using as much of every tree as possible.

“If you buy wood products, you contribute to a fossil-free society,” says SCA innovation and sustainability manager Anders Petersson, “and wood products can be anything from the house you live in, via the packaging protecting your online purchase, to aviation fuel.”

Anders Petersson, SCA Wood.

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The forest is the kernel of SCA’s business. Around this unique resource, we have built a value chain based on renewable raw materials from our own and other’s forests. Our five business areas are Forest, Wood, Pulp, Containerboard and Renewable Energy. We also logistics business, SCA Logistics.

SCA generates value in and from the forest …and is processed in well-invested industries…

The forest forms the foundation for operations…

Wind turbines Sunlight

Logging residue & wood fuel

Bioenergy

CO2

Tall oil, black liquor & bark Pulp & paper mills E ne

Pulpwood

rg y

Water

Wood-chips

Bark & sawdust

Sawmills E

ne

The forest forms the foundation for SCA’s value creation.

Using carbon dioxide, water and sunlight, trees build wood fiber.

Correctly managed, the forest is a perpetual resource.

SCA’s forests are managed with a broad range of expertise to be as rich in biodiversity, experiences and timber in the future as they are today.

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Sawlogs

The forest is managed to become sawlogs, the most valuable part of the tree. All timber that can be turned into solid-wood products is also used for this purpose. By-products from the forest and ­sawmills are used in fiber products and for energy.

To create the highest possible value, SCA has built a value chain comprising well-invested and competitive industries that can pay well for timber produced by the company and other forest owners.

…that produce renewable products…

…and generate value in society

Electricity

Return to shareholders Heat

Pellets

More valuable forests

Liquid biofuels

Pulp

Fossil-free world

Containerboard

Viable local communities

Solid-wood products

SCA offers products that replace alternatives with a greater ­environmental and climate impact and thereby contributes to customers’ success and sustainability.

A competitive industry and growing, well-maintained forests p ­ rovide the company’s owners with favorable returns, while ­preserving biodiversity. The business creates employment and income for forest owners, contractors, employees, customers and local communities.

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The forest is the kernel of SCA’s business. Around this unique resource, we have built a value chain based on renewable raw materials from our own and other’s forests. Our five business areas are Forest, Wood, Pulp, Containerboard and Renewable Energy. We also logistics business, SCA Logistics.

Major change provides simple solution Ask someone what a fax is and you may well receive a quizzical look.

Hand someone a printout, and you are likely to provoke a shake of the head.

Today, computers, tablets and smartphones dominate our lives. Everything must be available at all times, everywhere, with a few simple clicks. In other words, if you want to keep up, you have no choice but to change with the times, something that SCA Wood has long understood and that SCA Wood Scandinavia has now done to the full.

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is nothing new to either us or our customers, it may be fair to say that we in the wood industry may have lagged slightly behind. We have now made a sizable digital investment to further future-proof our SCA SmartTimber concept,” says SCA Wood’s president of marketing and sales, Markus Henningsson.

Everything that may be needed to facilitate work and business is now structured in a single user-friendly platform: images, marketing texts, article data, certificates and documents.

“Our customers have a wealth of experience of digital product information and it feels great to finally have the conditions in place to provide them with it in a simple, modern way,” says Joakim Nehrer, marketing manager at SCA Wood Scandinavia.

Thanks to the new system, the sales force at SCA Wood Scandinavia now not only enjoys greater order when it comes to internal information, but

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HILE DIGITISATION

they also have the ability to quickly and easily tailor product information to the needs of their respective customers and external channels.

The customer can also create its own product catalogue based on its specific needs and the products it buys, something that should hopefully create added value for all concerned.

“While we haven’t actually received any new information, as everything is now in the same system and can be quickly and easily retrieved wherever we are, it feels as if our information resources have doubled,” enthuses Malin Norin, internal salesperson at SCA Wood Scandinavia.

“One of the most important elements of this particular digital initiative is definitely the webshop-like tool that we have now developed to maximise customer benefit. Just like any other online shop, our customers will now be able to navigate around our products themselves, check those they are interested in and quickly download information material to use in their own sales and marketing.

“ J ust like any other online shop, our customers will now be able to navigate around our products themselves.”

MALIN NORIN, INTERNAL SALESPERSON, SCA WOOD SCANDINAVIA

Technological developments bring new and innovative products IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN the goal of SCA Wood Scandinavia to offer professional builders and DIY enthusiasts an easier day-to-day life. Over the years, the SCA SmartTimber concept has allowed us to develop planed, painted and impregnated products for the home and outdoor environments to make building projects easier, cheaper and better for the environment.

The fact that pine heartwood, the stable core of the tree, can withstand the worst that the wind and weather can throw at it has been known for decades. However, it has not always been as clear that the noblest part of the spruce could provide equally structurally stable, low-maintenance panels.

“Just like in many other areas, we have seen enormous strides in this field of technology over recent years, which in turn has made it possible to develop entirely new types of timber products. This is apparent not least in our new heartwood panels, in spruce, that we can now manufacture thanks to sound investments in our sawmills,” says marketing manager Joakim Nehrer of SCA Wood Scandinavia.

With the aid of the latest X-ray equipment, SCA Wood Scandinavia can now thoroughly inspect all spruce logs on arrival and sort the very best based on selected parameters, something that was not previously possible.

Heartwood spruce panels are highly moisture-resistant, more structurally stable and perform just as well on exterior walls in their natural shade of grey as under coats of paint.

A genuinely premium product!

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Read more about our innovative products at scasmarttimber.com.

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From tradition to internationally trending shoe

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to modern design, Swedish Hasbeens is enjoying global success with its range of clogs. The duo behind this sales success are childhood friends Cilla Wingård Neuman and Emy Blixt, who founded the company in 2007.

When they were growing up during the 1970s, the neighbourhood’s coolest mum wore colourful high-heel clogs manufactured at the Tomelilla slipper factory in Sweden. Emy Blixt never forgot those special shoes and as an adult she brought up the remaining stock of 300 pairs and began selling them locally. The shoes are now handmade in a wide range of models, the classic wooded sole carved in linden sourced from European forests.

Clogs have long been worn in Sweden for everyday use and special occasions, probably since the early sixteenth century. Equipped with a lining of warming straw, they were even suitable as winter shoes. After a golden age during the nineteenth century, interest began to wane but, thanks to the success of Swedish Hasbeens, new variations on the classic clog have begun to appear, even reaching the giddy heights of international catwalks.

Actor Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays style icon Carrie in Sex and the City, fuelled clog fever by wearing Swedish clogs off-screen.

BY BRINGING A TOUCH OF TR ADITION

“With ARKNAT we give to give our future architects and engineers practical working experience with wood and this is just the beginning.”

Martin Björklund, ARKNAT

”We are really happy that SCA supported us in our initiative to create shelters and hideouts in the High Coast for people to experience and enjoy.”

Jerry Engström, FriluftsByn

”We immediately fell in love with this initiative and how it encourages the use of wood and how it helps people rediscover nature.”

Vanessa Pihlström, SCA

A celebration of Architecture and Nature ARKNAT is an architecture festival born in the High Coast of Sweden.

With a passion to combine architecture and nature we both challenge the way to design buildings and help people to rediscover nature. The result is nine unique wind shelters placed on bea­ utiful locations in the World Heritage

Site. The shelters and hideouts were de­ signed and built by architect students from all over Scandinavia with support from among others Sweco, SCA and FriluftsByn. In 2020 ARKNAT was awarded ”Best Architecture” during the Swedish Design Awards. See all constructions on www.arknat.com

www.arknat.com