Stora Enso Plans Permanent Closure of Veitsiluoto Sawmill in Finland

On Wednesday, Stora Enso Oyj announced plans to centralize pine sawing from its Veitsiluoto sawmill in Kemi, Finland, at the company’s other sawmills in northern Finland, particularly Oulu and Kalajoki. If implemented, the plan would result in the permanent closure of the Veitsiluoto sawmill.

Stora Enso Veitsiluoto Oy and Stora Enso will begin change negotiations concerning the planned permanent discontinuation of production at the sawmill. The negotiations cover approximately 60 employees and are expected to last three weeks. Under the current plan, the sawmill would not restart production in October following its ongoing temporary curtailment.

No decisions on the planned closure or possible personnel reductions will be made before the negotiations conclude.

Stora Enso Business Unit Oulu employs approximately 900 people across its board mill, port operations, and sawmills in Oulu, Veitsiluoto, Oulainen, and Kalajoki. The company said the planned closure would have only a minor impact on the unit’s wood consumption.

Matti Lielahti, Head of Stora Enso Business Unit Oulu, said:

“In recent years, Stora Enso has expanded its sawmilling operations in northern Finland to deliver high-quality sawn goods for demanding applications, complementing our expanding high-quality board production. However, Veitsiluoto has operated for over 100 years, and continuing production there would require significant investments. At the same time, our modern Oulu sawmill is ramping up. We are committed to conducting the negotiations in a responsible and constructive manner and supporting our personnel throughout the process.”