Danzer recorded revenue of EUR 170 million in 2021. Adjusted for the divestiture of the sawmill in Bradford, Pennsylvania in April 2021, this represents a year-on-year increase of 25 percent (2020: EUR 136 million).
The company shared that it benefited considerably from the soaring demand for hardwood. From an operational point of view, the year was shaped by bottlenecks and cost increases for raw material, transportation, and labor. Danzer continued to strategically invest in systems for intelligent wood use and process automation.
Fifty-seven percent of the EUR 170 million in revenue reported in 2021 originated from the sale of sliced products, 28 percent from sawn products, the remaining 15 percent from logs, specialties, and services. In 2021, Danzer supplied products to customers in 71 countries. Accounting for a combined 78 percent of all sales, the top ten markets ranked as follows: USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Poland, Austria, China, Slovakia, Mexico and Sweden. After adjustment for the divestiture of the sawmill in Bradford, Pennsylvania in April 2021, revenue for the year was up 9 percent on pre-pandemic 2019, and by 25 percent on 2020.
In addition to the successful growth of the sliced wear layer business in Europe and North America, CEO Hans-Joachim Danzer attributes the company’s strong growth to procurement.
“In 2021, large customers who were looking for reliable hardwood supply from sustainable sources turned to the market leader for sliced hardwood in Europe and North America. Danzer employs the most extensive procurement organization in the industry and adheres to stringent due diligence protocols,” says Hans-Joachim Danzer.
Virtually all of the wood processed by Danzer is certified under FSC, PEFC or similar programs. In addition, Danzer publishes regular reports on implementation of its Sustainability Agenda, which is aligned with the UN’S Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The company will continue to pursue its established strategy over the years to come.
“At Danzer we focus on the areas in which we have a competitive advantage. We will continue to invest in systems for intelligent wood use and process automation,” says Hans-Joachim Danzer.
In 2021, Danzer further improved the optimization software of the automated cutting line for wear layers that Danzer installed at the Czech veneer plant in Melnik in 2020. This improved the yield from tree to product still further. Additionally, Danzer invested in improvements to its VS 4000 vertical slicing machines in the USA and Europe in 2021. The company is also continuing to invest in digitalization to increase production efficiency and allow new sales and marketing approaches. The product innovation highlights of 2021 included the development of a new decorated wood surface for an automotive customer in Asia.
Danzer aims to keep up with its growth trajectory in 2022. “In the current challenging climate, which is shaped by uncertainty and price increases for raw materials and operating supplies, we are planning to further expand our activities and continue growing,” says Hans-Joachim Danzer.