WE CREATE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
For CEO Ismo Nousiainen, Metsä Fibre’s most important task is to utilise its Nordic wood raw material to 100 per cent, converting it to products that are as valuable as possible. Additionally, the company needs to exceed its customers’ expectations, and constantly strive for excellence in all operations.
MARKKU RIMPILÄINEN, photos ALEKSI POUTANEN
Metsä Fibre wants to be the preferred and most profitable converter of Nordic wood raw material and a strong part- ner in the creation of sustainable growth. The company’s business model is based on the full use of its first-rate wood raw material and its conversion into products as valuable as possible. The wood’s most valuable part, log wood, is used for sawn timber, whereas pulp, biochemicals and other bio- products are made from any parts of the wood with too small a diameter or that are too damaged or warped to be used in the production of sawn timber. Small branch- es, bark and sawdust, on the other hand, are used in the production of bioenergy. “Given that we are working with a raw material as fine as Nordic wood, our aim is to make full use of it. This re- source efficiency is a natural part of responsible operations for us,” says Ismo Nousiainen , CEO. The company’s strategy has been summarised into four main points, which are exceeding the expectations of cus- tomers, excellent performance in all operations, the best personnel as well as a forerunner position and sustainability. Nousiainen explains the strategy as follows: “To be able to ensure the sustainable profitability of our operations, we must be the preferred partner in our indus- try and create clear added value for our customers. This, on the other hand, stems from us being excellent in everything we do, in terms of both production and sustainability.” “We want to provide our customers with the world’s most sustainable pulp and sawn timber. For all this, we need the best personnel. By operating in this manner, we can create growth for our company, Metsä Group as a whole, and the entire Finland.”
A RESPONSE TO MEGATRENDS “Global megatrends form the basis for our business and the business of our customers. They create demand for fos- sil-free, renewable raw materials, such as Nordic wood from sustainably managed forests”, Nousiainen says. The megatrends important for a wood converter are found in the different aspects of the environment, tech- nology and population structure. “When we combine our own strengths with these meg- atrends, we arrive at our strategy.” Pulp and sawn timber made from renewable wood raw material are strong tools in and of themselves in combat- ing climate change. They can replace products made from fossil-based raw materials, and they are recyclable. “Our production processes also need to be as car- bon-neutral as possible. Some 96 per cent of our produc- tion already operates without fossil fuels, but our goal is to achieve entirely fossil-free production by 2030.” “Our customers also have an increasingly strong desire to abandon fossil fuels. We can provide their production chain with a very significant portion of sustainability.” The importance of sustainable forestry will continue to grow. “We have a first-rate growing stock in Finland that has been managed sustainably for a long time now. You could even say that sustainable and responsible forest manage- ment is part of a Finnish forest owner’s genetic make-up.” “Finland also has the world’s best historical data on its growing stock. We shoulder our part of the responsibility by purchasing our wood raw material from sustainably managed forests in areas where forests grow at a faster rate than they are used.”
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