Productive forests in good hands

A. Ahlström has long traditions in sustainable forest business. The group’s forests are managed and cared for by their subsidiary A. Ahlström Real Estate Ltd. Forests balance out the risks embedded in other investment categories and generate steady returns.

A. Ahlström has some 36,000 hectares of forest holdings. The forests are mainly located in the Satakunta region in Western Finland, and in Central and Eastern Finland. A. Ahlström is one of Finland’s largest private forest owners.

The forests are managed and utilised in an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable manner. Maintaining biodiversity is an important principle alongside the profitable forest business. The high quality of operations is guaranteed by in-house staff, loggers and established contractors. The forests have a valid PEFC™ certificate, and additionally about 1,250 hectares of our forests are also FSC®-certified (FSC C119850).

Wood is sold to nationwide organisations, as well as local sawmills and energy plants. High-quality sawtimber and pulpwood are supplied directly to factories and sawmills, cut according to the measurements and quality specifications agreed with the buyer. Fuel wood is supplied as chips or, if the buyer so prefers, as tree-length logs.

Wood is sold primarily in the form of delivery sales. There are also standing sales, and the offered stands marked for cutting are large and professionally planned. Felling is generally carried out as normal thinning and regeneration felling, but selection felling aimed at continuous cover forestry is also done at suitable sites.

The multipurpose use of forests, in particular game management and hunting, is also taken into account in forestry. A. Ahlström’s forests are included in various protection programmes, such as Natura 2000. Areas important to the diversity of forests have been excluded from active forestry.