Supply chain and production

Our fields of action under the banner of sustainability

Supply chain and production

Through our strategic development towards self-sufficiency in raw materials, we ensure the sustainable procurement of wood and thus the sustainable management of forests. The raw material for this comes mainly from forests in Styria. We know the supply chains here and buy around half of our round timber directly from private forest owners and farmers and foresters.

Our hardwood sawmill in Turopolje obtains almost all of its FSC-certified round timber from the Croatian state forest. This gives us maximum transparency in the supply chain, as the felling is inspected on site together with state forest staff.

In 2022, an initial supplier screening was carried out to answer the following question: Who produces the most sustainable raw materials on the basis of available data and facts (e.g.)

The procurement of our wood raw materials and materials is uncompromisingly sustainable and even more regional. The expertise and integrity of the timber purchasing department are of the highest order. Supplier management is actively carried out to ensure availability. We maintain our supplier relationships, which have often lasted for decades, through fair dealings and personal contact. Long-term contracts and purchase guarantees ensure our ability to deliver. The focus on supplier innovations in purchasing significantly increases the contribution to earnings.

Production

Our primary focus in production is clearly on efficiency and self-sufficiency, and it is particularly important to us to avoid waste – especially in the areas of energy and raw materials.

The path towards energy efficiency and energy self-sufficiency was consistently pursued in 2022. We have increased electricity generation at the biomass heating plant in Weiz and equipped the hall roofs in Weiz and Güssing with photovoltaic systems.

The total output of the photovoltaic systems in Weiz and Güssing is ~4,500 kWp. This corresponds to an annual CO2 reduction potential of approx. 100 tons.

In addition, the compressed air networks at the production sites were inspected for leaks and renovated, and building lighting in the production area and the showroom in Weiz was optimized and made more efficient. Optimization of the lighting control led to reduced lighting duration. This saved around 11,500 kWh of electrical energy in 2022.

In addition, the steam converter in the biomass heating plant was cleaned and refurbished and efficiency measures were carried out on the district heating supply at the Güssing site

With a focus on efficiency, we will continue to develop our production sites over the coming years in a ‘product-centric’ manner. For the Güssing site, this means production-optimized shift utilization based on market demand, for the Weiz site flexible production for 2-shift products, the growth drivers Weitzer Woodsolutions and FlexFix, and for the Turopolje site, in addition to the supply of raw materials, increased prefabrication and the production of entry-level products.

The “Continuous Improvement Process” (CIP) and automation are being driven forward in the interests of operational excellence and cost optimization.

Productivity and capacity utilization are defined, secured and increased on a site-specific basis through investments and digitalization. In 2022, we produced around 3.1 million m² of parquet flooring.