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Further processor of pine sawn timber
VESA VAINIO, Photo: Kurikka Timber
A suitably resinous Nordic tree with a straight trunk and the right fibre structure is what Kurikka Timber looks for. It also satisfies the company’s quality-conscious customers.
Wood processing has a long tradition in Suolahti, Central Finland. Suolahden Puu was the name of the company established by Svante and Heikki Kurikka in 1928, but it later became Kurikka Timber in deference to export opera tions and the Internet era. Still family-owned in the fourth generation, it continues down its tried and tested path with Managing Director Jaakko Kurikka at its helm. “We are a pre-processor of sawn timber, serving the con- struction and woodworking industry, especially makers of doors and windows. We make finger-jointed glulam billets for customers, and leave the profiling and painting to them. This degree of processing suits us,” says Kurikka. It also seems to suit customers, because Kurikka Timber has grown into one of Europe’s largest further processors in the mechanical forest industry. In addition to the do- mestic market, exports to Europe have grown significantly in recent years. “The market has favoured us and demand has been ex- ceptionally good for a long time. Reliable sawn timber de- liveries are important to us. This is one more reason why we have been looking forward to the start-up of production at Metsä Fibre’s Rauma sawmill.” Consistent quality and predictability Kurikka Timber starts with 40–50 different types of ba- sic sawn timber, all precisely sawn. After processing, the number of products increases exponentially to around 800.
Wood procurement is guided by customer needs, and grad- ing is handled with the help of X-ray technology. “We mainly use Finnish wood, which has a clear advan- tage over wood from Central Europe. Nordic wood from Finland grows straight, has the right fibre structure and is suitably resinous. The end products will be used in condi- tions where temperature differences can be as much as 80 degrees Celsius. Nordic wood withstands extreme cold as well as sweltering heat,” says Kurikka. The company’s choice of wood is pine, in contrast to Central Europe, where spruce is the main raw material. Kurikka emphasises that pine has better weather resistance than spruce and it is also easier to handle. Most important- ly, customers also prefer pine. “Our customers are extremely quality-conscious pro- fessional industrial joiners, who want the quality of their own products to be as high as possible. For us, they pose a positive challenge in a growing branch of industry.” To ensure good quality, Kurikka Timber’s products pass through 50–100 quality inspection points before being shipped to customers. The company has its own testing laboratory for quality inspections. However, everything begins with the raw material. “Consistent quality is our number one priority. Next in importance is the predictability of supply, which allows us to meet customer expectations as well as satisfy our own growth plans.”
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