Södra

Södra Skogsägarna, trading as Södra, is a forestry cooperative based in Växjö, Sweden. More than 52,000 forest owners in southern Sweden are members of the economic association that is Södra. Toghether they own just over half of all privately owned forest in the area. This gives them a market for their raw materials from the forest and at the same time provides the foundation for profitable forestry.

3,150 people work for the group, in areas that range from forestry management and environmental conservation to accounting, sales and product development. The group's five business areas produce sawn and planed timber goods, paper pulp, building systems and bioproducts. In recent years Södra has also become such a large producer of electricity that the group now produces more electricity than it uses.

Södra makes use of every part of the tree. Södra is a world-leading producer of pulp and also operates one of Europe’s largest sawmill businesses. Södra Skogsägarna has its head office in Växjö and the operation is divided into five business areas:

• Södra Cell
• Södra Wood
• Södra Skog
• Södra Bioproducts
• Södra Building Systems

Södra is engaged in extensive work with commercialisation and business development to promote innovation and create new opportunities within the forest industry. The focus is on developing products with clear market potential, such as timber construction solutions and biorefinery products, in close collaboration with other parts of the organisation. One example is the investment in timber-based building systems, where Södra has invested in the production of cross-laminated timber (CLT). Production began in 2019 and has since been expanded with a second facility in Värö, which has had a capacity of approximately 100,000 cubic metres per year since 2022.

Södra’s sustainability strategy comprises six focus areas: climate-positive operations, sustainable forestry, efficient resource use, responsible business, committed employees and sustainable innovation. The goals include fossil-free operations, increased forest growth and a zero vision for workplace injuries. Södra is actively working with electrification, energy efficiency and climate action plans to halve emissions of fossil-based greenhouse gases by 2030.