More than 1 million cubic metres of cross‑laminated timber have now been produced at Stora Enso’s Bad St. Leonhard mill in Carinthia, Austria, making it the first Stora Enso CLT production facility to surpass the one‑million‑cubic‑metre milestone. Reached late last month, the achievement comes as Stora Enso intensifies its push into higher‑value engineered wood products.
Stora Enso stated that panels from the 140-year-old mill have been utilised in more than 15,000 projects worldwide, spanning various applications, from large-scale buildings, such as the Arboretum project in France, which used more than 20,000 cubic meters, to far more niche applications — including components for a model submarine displayed at an exhibition.
Repurposed for CLT production following a major 2008 retrofit of the 1885 mill, the Bad St. Leonhard facility has a maximum annual capacity of 80,000 cubic metres. Company executives attribute the expansion to steady, incremental improvements in personnel, equipment, and processes that have enabled the mill to scale up output while maintaining product quality.
“Reaching one million cubic meters of CLT is not just about numbers,” said Martin Nistelberger, Mill Director at Bad St. Leonhard. “It’s a story of continuous improvement, close collaboration, and the dedication of our entire team.” Markus Baumgartner, CLT Production Manager at Stora Enso Wood Products, said the achievement reflects step‑by‑step gains: “We’ve improved production step by step—by developing our people, upgrading equipment, and learning from experience. The strong link between production and sales has been key. It helps us understand customer needs and respond quickly with the right solutions.”
Whilst Christoph Koitz, Director of Building Solutions Supply Chain at Stora Enso Wood Products, highlighted the material’s versatility: “Once, we even used CLT to build components for a model submarine on display at an exhibition. So whenever someone asks what can be built from CLT, we like to say: from houses to submarines!”
Stora Enso stated that the milestone is evidence that targeted refinement and close alignment between production and commercial teams can scale the adoption of cross-laminated timber projects worldwide. “This milestone shows what’s possible when people care about what they do,” Nistelberger added. “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved here, and we’ll keep building on it — one m³ at a time.”
