Slovak Timber Industry Faces Mixed Results as Major Wood Processors Show Contrasting Performance

Slovakia's timber processing sector experienced significant shifts in 2023, with major companies showing contrasting financial results. The former Bučina plant in Zvolen, now owned by Austrian-Romanian conglomerate Kronospan, reported its first loss in a decade with a deficit of 3.7 million euros after years of profitable operations. Meanwhile, the successor to the former Smrečina company in Banská Bystrica, now controlled by Austrian construction group Doka, improved its performance and generated profits of 2.6 million euros. The mixed results reflect broader challenges facing Slovakia's wood processing industry, with even the country's largest sawmill in the Liptov region reporting losses. However, state-owned forestry company Lesy SR, which supplies raw timber to processors, continues to maintain stable profits, highlighting the contrast between timber suppliers and manufacturers in the sector.