Stockholm, Sweden 12 April 2017 -- Södra will retain one planing line plus the tongue and groove board line at the Torsås sawmill. In June last year, Södra announced that the sawmill would be closed down. The decision means that seven employees who had previously received redundancy notice will be recalled.

The original plan was to discontinue the sawing operations on 30 June this year, and to close the trimming plant and planing mill on 31 October.

"The sawing operations at Torsås will be extended until 31 October, and then closed down. These activities will be extended because we need to support the sawmill at Långasjö with products while the new small-dimension line is being installed," said Jörgen Lindquist, President of the Södra Wood business area.

Södra also intends to retain one planing line to increase its own planing capacity. Some volumes of planing is currently sub-contracted. Since the planing mill will be retained, the continuation of tongue and groove production is only logical.

In connection with the decision to close the sawmill in June, it was also announced that construction shelter, joinery and boiler-related activities would remain in the area, requiring nine employees.