Stora Enso to cut 115 jobs at Brand sawmill
Wednesday 11th November 2026 on 20:00 in
Austria
Stora Enso will shut a production line at its sawmill in Brand, in Zwettl district, from spring 2027, putting 115 jobs at risk. The Finnish-Swedish forestry group’s plans have caused concern across the region, ORF reported.
The line processes smaller-diameter logs. Stora Enso cited rising production costs and difficult market conditions, particularly in export markets such as Japan. Matthias Friedrich, head of the company’s solid wood division in its southern business area, said markets had not developed as hoped.
The planned cuts are part of a strategic review of Stora Enso’s operations in Central Europe. The company plans to eliminate 250 jobs across Europe. The 115 positions affected in Brand represent more than half of the site’s current full-time workforce.
The sawmill has been one of the largest employers in Zwettl district for decades. Its closure will also reduce the municipal tax revenue available to the community. Mayor Christian Seper said the local budget depended heavily on that income and that some discretionary services might no longer be possible.
Stora Enso expects the reduction to one production line to help make production profitable again. It also plans to move some of the volumes currently produced in Brand to its facility in Ybbs, in Melk district, where it says spare capacity is available.
Concern remains among workers, with one employee telling ORF he feared he would lose his job and did not yet know what would happen next. A social plan is being negotiated with the works council, which said it could not yet comment on details. The Public Employment Service said those affected had not yet registered, but it was confident it could find work for everyone in the region.
State Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner called the cuts a serious blow to workers, their families and the region. She urged Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer to reduce non-wage labour costs, cut bureaucracy and improve conditions for investment. Deputy Governor Udo Landbauer also criticised the cuts, citing energy and staff costs and bureaucracy. He warned of effects on rail freight in the Waldviertel, saying about half of the region’s rail freight was linked to Stora Enso.