Production streamlining is giving Swedish sawmills a key competitive advantage, according to a delegation of Swedish mill personnel.

The representatives from eight sawmill groups that made up a Swedish Association of Young Timber People delegation told managers at KDM International plc last week that streamlining – the focusing of mills on specialist items – was boosting the appeal of Swedish timber and helping it beat off competition from Russia.

John Grave, joint managing director of KDM, said: ‘The Swedes have been doing some research and say Russian mills tend to ship exactly what they want rather than what the customer does. The Swedes are shipping more of what the customer wants and hope to win more market share on that basis.’