Ziegler acquires Romanian sawmill site

HS Timber Group announced that a purchase agreement was signed on April 14 as part of a share sale. The execution of the transaction is expected to be closed in the middle of the year following regulatory approvals. The purchase price was not disclosed. 

The Sebe? sawmill was the first production site of HS Timber Group in Romania. 

“We are pleased that we found a successful family business that will continue the sawn timber production at the site and expand the business,” said Gerald Schweighofer, CEO of HS Timber Group. 

For HS Timber Group, the purchase of Romanian logs has been limited by law to 30% of the annual harvest volume for each individual assortment since 2016. 

Due to the geopolitical situation, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus are no longer suppliers of raw materials for Romania. Complex import regulations and rising logistics costs are making timber imports increasingly difficult.

With this sale, HS Timber Group is consolidating its long-term future in Romania and will subsequently be able to make better and more efficient use of the capacities of its existing mills.

HS Timber Group operates a sawmill, a blockboard plant and a post & beam production facility at other locations in Romania. Additional sawmills are located in Germany and Finland. With two further greenfield projects, the Group is successfully continuing its global expansion.

Stefan Ziegler, managing director of Ziegler Group, said he was enthusiastic about the new member in the group of companies, as well as the story behind it. 

“The location in the centre of Romania is an ideal complement in the sawmill division of the Ziegler Group with the existing production sites in Germany and Sweden,” he said.

“In addition to high-quality raw materials, the location offers perfect conditions for the Group's purchasing and sales activities, due to its central location.”