History of the HS Timber Group
The Schweighofer family’s passion for wood goes back more than 400 years. Wood and the possibilities of this material have always fascinated us. The foundation for today’s company was laid in the 20th century: based on his experience working in his parents’ small sawmill in Lower Austria, Gerald Schweighofer, together with his father, created the first profiling line of its kind in the world for small-diameter logs in the 1970s. Thanks to this innovation he set new standards in the industry. Today the HS Timber Group (formerly Schweighofer Group) is a strong company with five production sites in three countries. The pioneering spirit, passion and striving for perfection have continued unabated.
1956 - From handcraft to industry
Schweighofer’s actual success story begins in 1956, when Franz and Maria Schweighofer take over the family-owned sawmill in Austria. At that time, the annual sawing capacity in the main plant in Brand was about 1,000 m³.
1975 - A new generation
Son Gerald Schweighofer joins the firm.
1977 - Unique in the world
Gerald Schweighofer shows a willingness to take risks and a spirit of innovation by commissioning the first profiling line in the world for small-diameter logs together with his father at the headquarters in Brand, Austria.
1984 - Europe's biggest sawmill
Holzindustrie Schweighofer opens Europe’s then biggest sawmill in Ybbs an der Donau, Austria.
1991 - Always a step ahead
Takeover and development of the sawmill in Sollenau/Austria.
1996 - Beyond borders
Holzindustrie Schweighofer takes over the biggest and most modern sawmill in Ždírec, Czech Republic.
1997 - New dimensions
After taking over the sawmills in Bad St. Leonhard, Austria and in Plana, Czech Republic, Holzindustrie Schweighofer achieves an annual sawing capacity of more than 3 million m³.
In the same year, the Lamco glulam mill is built in cooperation with the Japanese company Meiken.
Additionally, the “Schweighofer Privatstiftung” [Schweighofer Private Foundation] is established.
1998 - Merger with Enso Timber
Holzindustrie Schweighofer merges with Enso Timber and becomes the third largest saw milling company in the world!
2001 - Sale
Schweighofer Privatstiftung sells its shares to the majority owner, Stora Enso, and with it also all sawmills in Austria and the Czech Republic.
2003 - Fresh start in Romania
Holzindustrie Schweighofer starts operations with a new, modern sawmill in Sebeș/Romania.
The first Schweighofer Prize is awarded in the same year.
2006 - Top 5 in Japan
Holzindustrie Schweighofer is again among the top 5 European suppliers to Japan. Overall, our products are supplied to more than 40 countries across the world.
2007 - A new hotel in Rădăuți
Opening of the The Gerald's four-star hotel in Rădăuți/Romania.
2008 - Second plant in Romania
Completion and commissioning of the second sawmill in Rădăuți/Romania.
2009 - Takeover of Swedwood production facilities
Takeover of a Swedwood production plant in Siret, only 12 kilometres away from the mill in Rădăuți. Solid wood panels are now being produced here after the plant was modernised and expanded.
2010 - Takeover of Finnforest BACO
Holzindustrie Schweighofer BACO produces blockboards and concrete formwork boards in the former Finnforest plant in Comănești.
2011 - Takeover of M-real Hallein
The Schweighofer Group acquires M-real Hallein GmbH in Austria. The company’s name is immediately changed to Schweighofer Fiber GmbH; the company focuses on manufacturing high-quality pulp and bioenergy.
2012 – Relocation of Schweighofer Fiber's production
Steps are taken to in future produce highly purified viscose pulp instead of paper pulp (starting in 2013).
2012 – 20 years of Schweighofer in Japan
The 20th anniversary of Schweighofer’s successful business relationship with Japan is celebrated in an exclusive ceremony.
2014 – Expansion of the plant in Comănești
The world's biggest blockboard plant at one location is established.
2015 – New glued laminated timber production in Rădăuți becomes operational
Glued laminated timber products are manufactured for the Japanese market in the new BEAM plant.
2015 – The third Schweighofer sawmill in Romania
Holzindustrie Schweighofer commissions the new, modern sawmill in Reci, the Schweighofer Group’s fifth plant in Romania.
2015 – Takeover of the sawmill in Kodersdorf
The Schweighofer Group takes over the Kodersdorf sawmill in Saxony, Germany from Klausner Group. An important step for entering this new market in Western Europe.
2017 - The Schweighofer Group focuses on its core business and sells its subsidiary Schweighofer Fiber GmbH to TowerBrook Capital Partners
The Schweighofer Group decides to focus on its core wood processing business and sells its subsidiary, Schweighofer Fiber GmbH, in Hallein, Austria. The Schweighofer Group acquired the then unprofitable paper pulp mill in 2011. With the clear strategic objective of establishing an internationally successful dissolving pulp plant, Schweighofer invested a total of €60 million to enable the production of viscose pulp. The new products were first sold at the beginning of 2013. Under the guidance of the Schweighofer Group, Schweighofer Fiber GmbH quickly achieved a successful turnaround, securing 250 jobs. The decision to sell this profitable production site is purely strategic: The company will focus entirely on its core wood processing business.
2019 – The Schweighofer Group renamed the HS Timber Group
The Schweighofer Group is renamed the HS Timber Group in December 2019 together with the relaunch of the brand appearance. The new name is easier to understand and to pronounce for international customers, suppliers and partners. The name change does not affect the ownership and organizational structure or the Group’s independence.
2020 - Acquisition of the Interfloat Group, a leading supplier to the European solar industry
With its approximately 300 employees, the Interfloat Corporation together with the GMB Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH is one of the largest manufacturers and supplier of solar glass for photovoltaic systems and greenhouses in Europe. With this acquisition, HS Timber Group is expanding its sustainable portfolio. HS Timber Group holds 86%, the remaining shares are held by the Blue Minds Company.
2021 - Sawmill Project in Argentina
HS Timber Group, together with its Belgian joint-venture partner Forestcape, builds a new sawmill in Gobernador Virasoro, in the Argentinian province Corrientes. The plant is designed to process small diameter pine logs (Pinus taeda and Pinus elliottii), which will be sourced exclusively in the region, from sustainably managed areas. After commissioning, the plant has a processing capacity of 500,000 m³ of saw logs/year.
2022 - HS Timber Group acquires Luvian Saha Oy
End of April 2022, HS Timber Group acquired 100% of the shares in the Finnish sawmill Luvian Saha Oy, whose products are known under the brand name "Luvia Wood". The company is located in Luvia, in the west of Finland. With an annual production of about 300,000 m³ of sawn timber and about 120 employees, Luvian Saha Oy is an important employer in the region. For HS Timber Group, this expansion also means a strengthening of the existing production sites as well as the continuation of the company's growth course.
2022 - HS Timber Group sells Interfloat, Europe's largest solar glass producer to Borosil Renewables Ltd.
Borosil Renewables Ltd (BRL) acquires HS Timber Group's 86% stake in Interfloat. Blue Minds Company remains a shareholder of the group with 14%. Christian Kern remains a member of Interfloat's Board of Directors.
2023 - HS Timber Group sells Sebeş sawmill, the company’s first sawmill in Romania, to Ziegler Group
Ziegler Group acquires Sebeș site from HS Timber Group. With the Ziegler Group as new owner, the location is to be further strengthened. 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.
