The Kajaani procurement district officially started its operations on January 1, 2023. The expanded network of forest experts and offices help to serve Metsä Group's owner members in Finland even better.
The establishment of Metsä Group's procurement district in Kajaani is part of the preparation for wood procurement for the Kemi bioproduct mill. The bioproduct mill will start in the third quarter of the current year.
"Metsä Group's parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative, which means we are a company owned by Finnish forest owners. Our goal is to buy the wood needed for Kemi's bioproduct factory above all from our owner members in Finland," District Manager Harri Huovinen says.
Geographically, Kajaani's procurement area covers Kainuu province, Nurmeki, Taivalkoski and Kuusamo.
"We have a district office in Kajaani. Local offices are located in Nurmes, Sotkamo, Hyrynsalmi, Suomussalmi and Kuusamo. Of these, Nurmes and Suomussalmi are new offices, established last year. During the spring and winter, we will also open a new office in Taivalkoski."
"With the help of the new district and a denser network of forest experts and offices, we are able to serve Metsä Group's owner members in the region even better. Membership in the Metsäliitto Cooperative is worthwhile, owner members are offered valuable benefits and they have priority in the wood trade. The trees sold to Metsä Group are also included in the profit distribution based on the wood trade, for several years," Huovinen reminds.
One of the most important tasks of the district manager is hiring competent personnel, and Huovinen is satisfied with the people in the Kajaani district.
"Many people within Metsä Group have been able to move from another location back to their home region, and new top workers have joined the team. One forest expert, for example, realized his long-term dream of moving from Lahti to Kainuu."
Huovinen says that the new procurement district has also meant more work for forest machine and forest service entrepreneurs in the area, as well as timber truckers. "We have professional entrepreneurs at work and they do quality work."
The bioproduct mill built by Metsä Group in Kemi uses 4.5 million cubic meters more wood per year than the current pulp mill, i.e. a total of 7.6 million cubic meters of softwood and hardwood. About one million cubic meters of wood are procured for the mill from Sweden.
Previous press release about the establishment of the district.