Although the foundation work on the new sawmill is still under way, the time came to lay the foundation stone of the building and enclose within it items that reflect Koskisen and the spring of 2022. Representatives of the developer, business & industry and political decision-makers were on hand to mark the special occasion.
The foundation stone of Koskisen’s new sawmill was laid with the help of invited guests on Tuesday, 26 April 2022, in a marquee erected in the yard of the sawmill’s office building.
Koskisen’s CEO, Jukka Pahta, kicked off the event by welcoming the guests and then handed off the mic to the Chairman of Koskisen’s Board of Directors, Juha Vanhainen. In his speech, Vanhainen described the sawn timber industry as Koskisen’s driving force whose mission is to ensure responsible forestry and provide raw material also for the company’s other facilities.
“Our mission is to process wood into products that sequester carbon for the long term and to make full use of all the sawmill’s side fractions,” said Vanhainen.
He underscored Koskisen’s direct and indirect significance to the regional economy and employment, adding that the employment impact of the construction phase alone is 70 person-years. He further stated that the investment will enhance Koskisen’s internal synergies, rationalise logistics and increase productivity.
“When the sawmill is inaugurated in the summer of 2023, it will be the most competitive facility in the industry, and the company will be one of the most advanced in terms of degree of processing,” said Vanhainen.
Artifacts that reflect the era
After Vanhainen’s speech, Investment Project Director Lassi Santala presented the time capsule to be laid in the foundation stone. The capsule contains the day’s Etelä-Suomen Sanomat newspaper, the municipality of Kärkölä’s bulletin detailing the events of the spring, Koskisen Oy’s 2021 financial statements, the brochure Koskisen today, the organisational chart of the construction project and a one euro coin.
Some fifty invited guests as well as Koskisen’s management and key personnel took part in laying the foundation stone. Everyone present had the opportunity to trowel mortar into the foundation stone containing the time capsule, with the nine-person Lahti Big Band orchestra playing in the background.
After the foundation stone was laid, the celebration continued at the Tarhanmäki cafeteria, where Kai Merivuori, Managing Director of the Finnish Sawmills Association, addressed the crowd. Merivuori painted a picture of the sawn timber market’s near-future development and the role of Finnish sawmills as part of the global operating environment. He also framed the importance of the sawn timber industry and sawn timber in mitigating climate change and invited everyone present to actively spread the positive message. Merivuori highlighted Koskisen’s determination and exceptional perseverance and wished the company good luck in its project. After Merivuori’s speech, Tommi Sneck, Director of Koskisen’s Sawn Timber Industry, briefly outlined the project’s background and phases.
The cheerful celebration continued with people mingling freely and enjoying the live band. The next celebration at Tarhanmäki will take place in roughly six months, when the sawmill building reaches its topping-out milestone.
A video summary of the stages of the Koskinen sawmill presented at the event can be found at this link.
You can follow the news, pictures and live video of the sawmill under construction at koskisen.fi/saw
