Stora Enso plans to close Veitsiluoto sawmill

Stora Enso plans to centralise its pine timber sawing in Northern Finland and permanently close the Veitsiluoto sawmill in Kemi. Production would be transferred to the company’s other sawmills in Northern Finland, particularly Oulu and Kalajoki.

Stora Enso Veitsiluoto Oy and Stora Enso Oyj have initiated change negotiations concerning the planned permanent discontinuation of production at the Veitsiluoto sawmill. The negotiations cover all approximately 60 employees at the sawmill and are expected to last three weeks.

According to the current plan, the sawmill would not restart production in October 2026 after the ongoing temporary curtailment. No decisions on the closure or possible personnel reductions will be made before the negotiations have been concluded.

According to Stora Enso, the planned change is part of the company’s efforts to improve efficiency, profitability and competitiveness. Continuing production at the Veitsiluoto sawmill, which has operated for more than 100 years, would require significant investments.

“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,” says Matti Lielahti, Head of Stora Enso Business Unit Oulu.

Stora Enso Business Unit Oulu employs approximately 900 people at its board mill, port operations and sawmill in Oulu, as well as at the sawmills in Veitsiluoto, Oulainen and Kalajoki. According to the company, the planned closure would have only a minor impact on the business unit’s wood consumption.