Innovative and courageous companies in Swiss parks are working to make wood processing in their regions more attractive. Today, Switzerland is losing a large part of the added value from local wood to foreign countries, which is not only economically but also ecologically problematic. In Parc Ela (GR), Uffer AG and Florinett AG presented their successful approaches to greater sustainability to other park businesses. A fruitful exchange.
"How can we achieve more regional value creation in the timber chain?" - This was the question addressed by almost 40 wood processors, forestry companies, municipal and cantonal representatives at the "Swiss Parks Partner Meeting" in Parc Ela on March 24 & 25. The aim of the event was to create a nationwide network of committed companies, to exchange ideas and to learn from each other. After all, there is great potential for the timber industry in extending the value chain: forests cover 30 percent of the country's surface area and yet three quarters of the timber used here is imported. Due to the lack of sawmills and processing plants, Swiss timber is often sold abroad unprocessed and then bought back at a much higher price. The added value is lost.
Enrico Uffer, Managing Director of Uffer AG in Savognin, presented concrete figures for the most densely wooded canton in Switzerland, Graubünden, at the partners' meeting: It exports 90% of its round timber to neighboring cantons and the EU, which means that CHF 40 million in added value is lost every year. The enterprising managing director is therefore doing everything he can to make better use of the forest on his doorstep and is planning to build a large sawmill for this purpose. "We all have a responsibility and must tackle the problem," he says, setting an example: With the "resurses" project, he wants to transform the forest resource into regional added value and make the timber chain in Graubünden complete throughout.
Another host at the partner meeting was Florinett AG in Bergün, which cleverly exploits a niche with the production of tonewood, among other things. Today, Florinett supplies instrument makers all over the world. The family business also carries out forestry work, runs a sawmill and manufactures mountain wood products. "We don't use waste wood," says Rico Florinett, one of the managing directors. Every part of a tree trunk is recycled.
The companies we visited cannot complain about a shortage of skilled workers. Thanks to their close ties with the region and their commitment to training, they are able to find enough employees and thus become important employers in their communities.
The participants at the meeting came from a wide variety of regions in Switzerland, including the Vaud Jura, Gruyère, Goms, Schaffhausen and Graubünden. The discussions showed that each region is in a different situation when it comes to wood processing, and yet the players can learn from each other. They are united by their love of wood as a resource and their commitment to processing in their region.
The event was organized by the Swiss Parks Network, the umbrella organization of the 20 parks of national importance.