About Holmen

Together we are circular

Our business is rooted in the forest. In our own production, we refine the timber from the forest into wood products for climate-smart construction, renewable packaging, books and magazines. We also produce renewable energy on our land. Efficient management of raw materials and circular ecosystems are vital to our profitability.

Our employees

• We are approximately 3 500 employees in 13 countries who each day contribute to Holmen's constant development. 2 500 of our employees are located in Sweden.
• In the same way that we are part of the whole ecocycle from seedling to plank, we also have a large range of professional roles; like for example forestry and foresters, engineers, operators, project managers and sales representatives.
• Our corporate culture is characterized by courage, commitment and responsibility, which gives our employees great opportunities to influence, develop and grow.
• Our decentralized organization means quick decision-making paths and short distances from idea to implementation.
• We are actively working to increase the proportion of women in Holmen. As a result the proportion of female managers has doubled in the last ten years. But we are not satisfied, and hope that more women will join us.

 

Our business areas

• Forest Active and sustainable forestry is carried out on over 1 million hectares of our own productive forest land. The annual volume from own forest amounts to 2.8 million m3sub.
• Renewable Energy In a normal year Holmen produces 1.7 TWh of renewable hydro and wind power. In 2026, 0.3 TWh will be added from the new Blisterliden wind farm.
• Wood products for joinery and construction purposes. After the acquisition of Martinsons production takes place at five sawmills adjacent to own forest with an annual production of 1.5 million cubic metres.
• Board and Paper within the premium segment for consumer packaging and paper that harnesses the properties of fresh fiber to provide cost-effective alternatives to traditional products for advertising, magazines, books, and transportation packaging. Production, carried out at three Swedish and one English mill, amounts to 1.5 million tons.

Key figures 2023

• Net sales: 22 795 SEKm (23 952)
• Operating profit: 4 755 SEKm (7 262)
• Profit after tax: 3 697 (7 874) 
• Cash flow before investments and changes in
  working capital: 5 311 SEKm (6 768) 
• Debt/equity ratio: 3% (4 %) 
• Average number of full-time employees:
  3 546 (3 466)

*Excluding an item affecting comparability

 

Sustainability in short

Climate benefit

Holmen’s operations are already benefitting the climate today. The amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is lower thanks to the work we do. In 2023, Holmen created a climate benefit of an impressive 7.5 million tonnes CO2e, which can be viewed in relation to Sweden’s total emissions of just over 50 million tonnes.

The forest delivers the most benefit when it is put to use. This is the heart of  Holmen’s sustainable business and our aim is to increase the climate benefit in our value chain, mainly by increasing the positive impact that our business has, but 
also by reducing our negative footprint.

Read more about our climate benefit here.

Biodiversity

We have worked actively on nature conservation for many years with a view to making a positive contribution to biodiversity in our forests. Holmen focuses on achieving high and profitable growth, while also ensuring that all naturally occurring species can thrive in the forest landscape. Of Holmen’s almost 1.2 million hectares of forest land, we manage about 80 per cent for wood production and we always take wide-ranging environmental considerations into account whe managing and harvesting our forest.

Planning is the foundation of active and sustainable forestry. The conservation value of our forests is detailed in local ecological landscape plans, which also describe how the forests are to be managed over the long term in order to preserve important habitats and to create new ones.

Read more about biodiversity here here.

Circularity - an integral part of our business

Holmen owns and adds value to the forest by using renewable raw material to make climate-smart products through a business model that covers the entire group and is almost completely circular. Circularity means that resources are used, reused, recycled and is finally energy recycled, in this way we avoid final waste. 

Holmen’s forest management has chain-of-custody certification, which means that all the wood can be traced back to its origin in sustainably managed forests.

Through active and sustainable forestry, we increase the forest's growth and its ability to absorb carbon dioxide. The raw material from the forest continues to bind carbon dioxide even in refined form and substitution occurs when wood-based products and renewable energy replace fossil alternatives with higher climate impact. This is where Holmen's climate benefit becomes most apparent - when our products reduce the need for fossil materials and raw materials, which means that coal can stay in the ground.

Discover our cirkular business model here. 

 

 

Health and safety

A healthy culture and injury-free workplace for both Holmen's employees and the contractors working with Holmen are essential. Health and safety are top priorities, and it is our responsibility as employers to strive for a good work environment that is safe in physical, health-related, and psychosocial aspects. Through systematic occupational health and safety work, we collaborate with employees and their representatives in all areas, focusing on risks and safety behaviors.

Inclusion and diversity

Holmen's employees should be treated with dignity and respect, and harassment or discrimination should not occur in the workplace. Holmen's stance on gender equality, diversity, and equal opportunities is clearly communicated in both the company's Code of Conduct and its HR policy.

To maintain a strong competitive edge, Holmen aims to be an attractive employer that attracts the expertise we need – employees who represent a diversity of insights, experiences, and cultures. Holmen's employees should be able to operate and deliver based on their full potential and not be limited by cultural barriers.