Vida AB, owned 70% by Canfor Corporation, will invest approximately 700 million SEK (US$67 million) at its Bruza Sawmill in Hjältevad, Sweden. This investment will increase production from 175 million board feet to 240 million board feet. The project includes a new high-capacity planing mill equipped with the latest technology, a new boiler, wood drying kilns and warehouse.
“I’m very happy that we’ve made this decision to increase our capacity in eastern Småland, together with our sawmills in Vimmerby and Mörlunda. This investment clearly demonstrates that we believe in wood as the material of the future, and in Hjältevad as a place to grow our business,” said Måns Johansson, CEO of Vida AB and President, Canfor Europe.
Construction of the planing mill, which is being designed to efficiently process lumber for all of Vida’s markets, will commence in spring 2024 and is expected to be in full production in 2026. Due to the increased capacity, Vida will grow its Bruza team as it introduces a second production shift. The planing mill will be supplied by C Gunnarssons Verkstads AB from Vislanda, Sweden which has been supplying the European sawmill industry for over 60 years.
In September, Vida AB acquired a 50 million board feet sawmill from Ingarp Träskydd for 50 million SEK. The company continues to expand its production capacity at a time when many sawmills in Sweden are feeling pressure from high raw material prices and weak demand from housebuilders. With weak global demand, the US become safe harbor for Swedish lumber exporters. In October 2023, the exports of lumber from Sweden to the U.S. surged 76% year-on-year.
