"Sawmill technology is constantly advancing at a rapid pace, so this sawmill is technologically more advanced than previous sawmills of this class. I would argue that it will be the most efficient sawmill in Finland," says Kalle Junnikkala The Junnikkala Group's large sawmill under construction in Oulu is nearing completion.
"The word modern doesn't warm us up yet. That's why we're talking about efficiency, as it will meet our goals. We're strengthening our competitiveness. At the same time, we believe that the sawmill industry and the entire mechanical forest industry will continue to be needed alongside the growth of the chemical forest industry. We are the backbone of the major wood processing investments underway here in Oulu and Kemi."
Junnikkala Oy, founded in Kalajoki, has been passed down from generation to generation for six decades. Now the family business is being led by the second generation, with Kalle Junnikkala as CEO and Sales Director. Brother Matti JunnikkalaIn addition to the Kalajoki sawmill, the group has a sawmill in Oulainen and will soon have a new large sawmill in Oulu, where equipment installations are nearing completion.
The investment cost of the Oulu export sawmill is approximately 80 million euros. It will double Junnikkala's turnover to almost 300 million euros, as sawmill capacity increases from 350.000 cubic meters to 750.000 cubic meters per year.
The new Oulu sawmill will change Junnikkala Oy's business strategy in that a larger part of the capacity will be sawn timber.
"So far, we have processed about twenty percent of our capacity, mainly for domestic housing factories and industry. Now, for the time being, the focus will shift to sawn timber. The products and customer base we saw, or the type of wood we procure, will remain largely the same. Our competitive factor is strong pine raw material, i.e. good wood quality. We are there and are growing our role. We are also creating the Junnikkala brand in Oulu," says Kalle Junnikkala.
"We have invested a lot in recruiting and training the personnel of the high-tech plant. There are about thirty operators in production, including maintenance. We received over 300 applicants for the new positions. The training of the selected individuals ended in October and now the new personnel has moved into employment and at the same time into the training of plant suppliers. Customer deliveries should start from the sawmill in early 2024."
As a sawmill on the northern west coast, Junnikkala Oy is now growing to cover the entire shore of the Bay of Bothnia.
"Additional sawmilling capacity has also been added to Northern Finland, but I believe that there is enough raw material for all of us, and on the other hand, the demand for wood products is growing steadily all the time. I would venture to position us as the most competitive operator in the mechanical forest industry in western Northern Finland, because the Oulu plant will be so efficient," says Kalle Junnikkala.
“Our sawmills are also very competitive in terms of wood procurement. Our location window increases our competitiveness, as the chemical forest industry is also developing in our area of operation. All major forest industry groups operate within close proximity to our sawmills, including large pulp investments.”
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“Veisto will deliver a three-unit sawmill line to the Oulu sawmill. There is also an option for a DX sawmill, which we hope will be further developed in the future, allowing us to achieve even faster sawing speeds and thinner blade thicknesses. All measurement technology has been centralized for Finnos, from X-ray measurements to piece measurements. Nordautomation will deliver log sorting from reception to log breaking, and Jartek Invest will provide the entire dry and piece sorting and packaging automation. Our sawmill is a large entity, so we can also rely on large operators. Of course, the sawmill feed is provided by Jack-Steel, which is a slightly newer player on the market, but they are close to us in Kalajoki and have a proven track record in recent sawmill investments in Finland. Valutec will deliver three continuous channel kilns, which will dry the entire production. The delivery is unique, as no kiln of this type has been delivered before. The entire sawmill operation control from the forest to the finished product package is handled by Trimble,” says Kalle Junnikkala.
WHAT? Junnikkala Oy's Oulu sawmill will employ 35 people, which will increase the total number of personnel at Junnikkala's three sawmills to just over 200. The group's turnover last year was 141 million euros, and the turnover target after Oulu is over 250 million.
WHY? The new efficient sawmill strengthens the competitiveness of the Junnikkala Group and at the same time the entire Finnish sawmill industry and mechanical forest industry.
