Finnforest Corporation has acquired the German Merk GmbH and its activities

Mar 17, 2004. /Lesprom Network/. Finnforest Corporation has acquired the German Merk GmbH and its activities. By acquiring Merk Finnforest will strengthen its position as a supplier of products, systems and solutions serving the central European building markets. Merk is itself one of Europe’s leading companies serving the wood construction sector and it operates in the German-speaking countries as well as in France, Italy and the UK. Merk’s know-how and market strengths will considerably enhance Finnforest’s possibilities to introduce its products, systems and solutions directly to end-users and the wood building industry. Merk GmbH has a turnover of about 30 million euros and has 100 employees. The company’s head office is in Aichach, Bavaria in southern Germany. Its customers include building contractors, prefabricated house manufacturers, builders of wooden houses and other wood-based structures, and timber merchants. Merk’s activities are organised in two business divisions: Building Projects plans and implements individual construction projects for wooden and wood-structured buildings while Building Products produces and markets its own customised wood product components, as well as selling sub-contracted products. The product range includes wood products such wood-based panels, Kerto (Laminated Veneer Lumber), glulam, I-joist and also products that combine wood with other materials. Merk and Finnforest’s Kerto have had an important customer relationship for two decades and have thus already cooperated for many years.