Vienna/Plößberg, 18 April 2023: HS Timber Group announces that it is selling HS Timber Productions Sebeș SRL to the German Ziegler Group as part of a share sale. The purchase agreement was signed on 14 April 2023. The execution of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to be closed in the middle of the year following regulatory approvals. The purchase price was not disclosed. Ziegler Group takes over the whole existing experienced team in Sebeș.
The sawmill was the first production site of HS Timber Group in Romania. “We are pleased that we found a successful family business that will continue the sawn timber production at the site and expand the business,” says Gerald Schweighofer, CEO of HS Timber Group. “We would like to express our sincere thanks for the outstanding performance of the employees in Sebeș over the past 20 years.”
For HS Timber Group, the purchase of Romanian logs has been limited by law to 30% of the annual harvest volume for each individual assortment since 2016. Due to the geopolitical situation, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus are no longer suppliers of raw materials for Romania. Complex import regulations and rising logistics costs are making timber imports increasingly difficult.
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.
HS Timber Group operates a sawmill, a blockboard plant and a glulam production facility at other locations in Romania. Additional sawmills are located in Germany and Finland. With two further Greenfield projects, the Group is successfully continuing its global expansion.
Stefan Ziegler, managing director of Ziegler Group, is enthusiastic about the new member in the group of companies, as well as the story behind it. “HS Timber Productions Sebeș SRL was the starting point for the success of HS Timber Group, which Mr. Schweighofer has built up with a lot of entrepreneurship and vision! We want to continue this success story. The decision to sell this site to us makes me all the happier, as we want to strategically develop the site as well as my group of companies. True to the philosophy ‘From the tree to the house’, the domestic market should benefit, up to the creation of sustainable housing!”
The location in the centre of Romania is an ideal complement in the sawmill division of the Ziegler Group with the existing production sites in Germany and Sweden. In addition to high-quality raw materials, the location offers perfect conditions for the Group’s purchasing and sales activities, due to its central location. Stefan Ziegler is also looking forward to the more than 650 new employees. “I am already looking forward to working with the Romanian employees with whom I would like to share my enthusiasm!”
With the Ziegler Group as new owner, the location is to be further strengthened. The always strong roots in the domestic markets play a crucial role in the further development.
About HS Timber Group:
HS Timber Group is a traditional wood processing company with Austrian origin and strong roots in Central and Eastern Europe, especially in Romania. The company processes wood in Germany, Finland and Romania and supplies industrial customers all over the world.
www.hs.at
Contact:
Johannes Vetter
Spokesperson
+43 664 88 578 224
press@hs.at
About the Ziegler Group:
The ZIEGLER GROUP has its roots in the northern Upper Palatinate. Since the company was founded in 1948, the core business of the group has been wood processing. Today, the group is at home in various areas. Whether wood, logistics, or technology – one thing unites the different divisions into one big whole: Stefan Ziegler’s vision – to further advance the construction of intelligent and sustainable timber houses in Europe.
www.ziegler.global
Contact:
René Oertel Spokesperson
+49 9636/9209-1361
rene.oertel@ziegler.global
