Karlstad Market Conference 2017

Program

11:00 – 11:50 Builders’ merchants – the sawmills’ most important customers

Strong growth for Swedish builders’ merchants and how digitalisation can help
Ulf Gustavsson, CEO, Byggmaterialhandlarna (Swedish)
Formed in 2004, Byggmaterialhandlarna (The Association of Swedish Building Materials Merchants) is an industry body representing Sweden’s builders’ merchants, ironmongers and paint suppliers.

British builders’ merchants – the Swedish sawmill industry’s most important export segment
David Hopkins, CEO, TTF** (Timber Trade Federation) (English)
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) is one of the UK’s largest industry bodies in the wood sector, representing everyone from importers, agents and distributors to builders’ merchants and manufacturers.

How can the Swedish sawmill industry improve its position in these two key markets?
Anders Ek, Senior Advisor, SCA Timber
Johan Fröbel, Head of Technology and Distribution, Swedish Wood (Swedish)
SCA Timber is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of wood-based products, with an annual production capacity of 2.1 million cubic metres.

13:45 – 14:00 Opening address
Kenneth Johansson, County Governor of Värmland (Swedish)
Kenneth Johansson is a former MP for the Centre Party who chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Welfare from 2006 until he was appointed County Governor of Värmland County in 2012.

14:00 – 14:20 Macroeconomic trends, the outlook for our global markets
Mats Kinnwall, Chief Economist, Skogsindustrierna (English)
Skogsindustrierna (The Swedish Forest Industries Federation) is the industry body for the pulp, paper and wood engineering industry.

14:20 – 14:45 Competitiveness report on the Swedish sawmill industry
Peter Berg, Director of Knowledge, Paper & Forest Products, McKinsey (English)
Peter Berg has extensive experience of providing industry-specific support in the international forest products sector and will be presenting the results of a recently completed study into the competitiveness of the Swedish sawmill industry.

14:45 – 15:10 Nordic high-quality steel, success through differentiation and close work with customers
Göran Nyström, EVP Group Marketing & Technology, OVAKO (English)
Ovako is a leading European manufacturer of component steel for customers in the bearings, transport and manufacturing industries.

15:10 – 15:25 Break for refreshments

15:25 – 15:50 Panel debate: developing the wood industry for greater value creation and profitability 
Speakers plus Peter Eklund, CEO Bergkvist Insjön, Anders Lindh, Head of the division Moelven Timber and Anders Ek, Senior Advisor SCA Timber and chair of Cei Bois*. (English)
Cei-Bois* stands for the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries and TTF** for the Timber Trade Federation, the body that represents British importers.

15:50 – 16:15 Market overview
Magnus Niklasson, Market Analyst Skogsindustrierna, describes the market trends and discusses the market development with panel participants Olle Berg, Market Director Setra Group, David Hopkins, Lars Thorsrud, Market Director of Moelven and Anders Ek. (English)

16:15 – 16:40 50 years of the Swedish Timber Prize, reflections on progress and the future
Tomas Alsmarker, CEO of architectural practice Nyréns Arkitektkontor and jury member for the Swedish Timber Prize 2016, shares his views on the progress and future of wood construction.

16:40 – 16:45 Announcement of the Knights of the Order of the Wood Market

17:00 Wood Market networking party