The Austrians from Holzindustrie Schweighofer, owned by Gerald Schweighofer, expect a turnover rise of 8% in 2014, up to EUR 550 million, for their business in Romania. The company has ended the financial year 2013 with a turnover of EUR 507 million.
''We estimate a turnover of EUR 550 million for 2014. Moreover, we expect that by the end of this year we will have an extra 250 employees in our four units of production in Romania'' a spokesperson of the company said to the Romanian financial daily Ziarul Financiarul.
Schweighofer owns in Romania four plants: two sawmills at Rădăuți and Sebeș; one plant at Siret (for the production of edge glued panels) and one at Comăneşti (with its production targeted for DIY stores).
Holzindustrie Schweighofer exports its products in 67 countries, with main destinations in 2013 such as Asia and America (44% of the total volume); Middle East (21%); Europe (20%) and Romania (15%). Regarding the production capacity of the company, last year, Schweighofer has cut 2,9 million cubic metres of logs, and produced 254.000 tonnes of pellets, 66.000 cubic metres of edge glued panels, 95,000 cubic metres of panels and 153,000 cubic metres of laminated lumber.
For 2014, the company announced that it will invest EUR 166 million in a new BSH unit of production at Rădăuţi, as well as in upgrading the current wood pellets production (2013: 125.000 tonnes). Last spring, the Austrian company took everybody by surprise when it announced the construction of the fifth plant in Romania in Reci, Covasna county. The sawmill will have an annual cutting capacity of 800,000 m³ and 80% of the produced lumber will be exported to markets in Asia (mostly Japan).
Gerald Schweighofer started its business in Romania 12 years ago and now the company is the most important player in the Romanian forest industry.
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