Vida
Vida AB is Sweden's largest sawmill group, operating 15 sawmills and 29 production facilities that process 6.8 million cubic metres of timber annually into sawn timber, packaging, biofuel, pellets, and houses. The company exports 88% of output globally and serves construction, packaging, and forest landowner customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersAlvesta, Sweden
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vida does
Vida AB is Sweden's largest sawmill group, operating 15 sawmills and a total of 29 production facilities that process approximately 6.8 million cubic metres of timber annually into structural timber, packaging, biofuel, animal bedding, fuel pellets, and prefabricated houses. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Alvesta, Sweden, the company employs roughly 1,800 people and is 77%-owned by Canada's Canfor Corporation following a 2019 acquisition. The business is structured around five wholly-owned operating units: Vida Wood (international sales of sawn timber through offices in seven countries), Vida Forest (timber procurement and forest landowner services), Vida Packaging (Sweden's leading wooden packaging manufacturer with eight facilities and 400 employees), Vida Energy (biofuel and pellets), and Vida Building (prefabricated houses). 88% of sawn wood products are exported to Europe, the USA, Australia, Africa, and Asia, with all sawmills FSC and PEFC certified as of January 2026.
The company operates a vertically integrated, asset-heavy forest products platform. Core technology consists of conventional sawmill operations specialised by timber type (spruce for dimension timber, pine for pine-specific products, small-log facilities) with strategically located sites in Götaland and Svealand near private forest owners. Recent capital investments include a 700 million SEK expansion of the Bruza sawmill (capacity from 300,000 to 420,000 m3 annually) and participation in a 19 GWh solar park near Sölvesborg. Revenue is generated through one-time B2B sales of physical commodity and semi-finished wood products, with pricing negotiated privately through the international sales office network rather than publicly disclosed. The customer base is concentrated in construction industry buyers, packaging consumers, and forest landowner suppliers, with no single dominant customer named.
Growth has been driven primarily by acquisitions (Bergs Swedish Sawmills in 2020, Ingarp Träskydd in 2023, and AB Karl Hedin Sawmills in September 2025) combined with brownfield capacity expansion and product line extension into cladding. The company is simultaneously executing a 2026 restructuring that will permanently close sawmills in Urshult, Orrefors, and Gransjö, reducing annual capacity by approximately 265,000 cubic metres and leaving 13 operational sawmills. Operational leadership transitioned in October 2025, with Karl-Johan Löwenadler succeeding Måns Johansson as CEO of Vida AB, while Johansson became Vice Chair and President for Canfor Europe.
Vida firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vida
- Legal name
- Vida AB
- Website
- https://vida.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Vida AB is Sweden's largest sawmill group, operating 15 sawmills and 29 production facilities that process 6.8 million cubic metres of timber annually into sawn timber, packaging, biofuel, pellets, and houses. The company exports 88% of output globally and serves construction, packaging, and forest landowner customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vida industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sawn Timber & Wood Products
- NAICS
- Sawmills (321113), Sawmills and Wood Preservation (3211), Wood Product Manufacturing (321), Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (32192), Timber Tract Operations (1131)
- SIC
- Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421), Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400), Prefabricated Wood Bldgs & Components (2452), Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030), Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Softwood Lumber Sawmills (IMAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wood Pallets, Crates & Industrial Wood Packaging (IMADADAJ), Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland) (IMAMAAAA), Timber Procurement & Wood Dealer/Timber Buying Services (IMAMAAAF)
Keywords
Where Vida is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alvesta
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices28 records
Markets served
Vida business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Sawn Wood Products: Core business producing and selling sawn timber and structural timber processed at 15 sawmills. 88% exported to Europe, USA, Australia, Africa, and Asia. Approximately 2.8 million cubic meters sold annually.
- Packaging Manufacturing: Sweden's leading manufacturer of wooden packaging including pallets, pallet collars, cable drums through Vida Packaging division. 1 billion SEK turnover, 8 facilities, 400 employees.
- Biofuel Trading: Trading of biofuel products derived from wood processing byproducts
- House Manufacturing: Vida Building division manufacturing houses from wood products
- Animal Bedding and Fuel Pellets: Production and sale of animal bedding and fuel pellets from renewable Swedish forest raw materials
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Vida product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vida is Sweden's largest sawmill group, manufacturing and supplying sawn timber, structural timber, wooden packaging (pallets, pallet collars, cable drums), biofuel, fuel pellets, animal bedding, and prefabricated wooden houses from sustainable Swedish forests. The group operates 15 sawmills and 29 production facilities, processing approximately 6.8 million cubic metres of timber annually, with 88% of sawn wood products exported globally.
Product overview
Vida is a diversified forest products group operating as a platform of interconnected business units centred on sustainable Swedish forestry. The core of the portfolio is Vida AB's 15 sawmills (including the recently acquired Karl Hedin sawmills in Karbenning, Krylbo, and Säter), which collectively process approximately 6.8 million cubic metres of timber annually into structural timber, with 88% exported globally. Sawmill products flow through Vida Wood, the group's dedicated sales company operating sales offices in seven countries and selling approximately 2.8 million cubic metres annually. Adjacent to core sawmill operations, Vida Packaging (8 facilities, 400 employees) manufactures wooden packaging (pallets, pallet collars, cable drums); Vida Energi produces biofuel and fuel pellets from wood processing by-products; Vida Building produces prefabricated houses; and Vida Forest serves forest landowners. The group also produces animal bedding from forest raw materials. All operations are tied to sustainable Swedish forests, with FSC certification across all sawmills achieved in January 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sawn Timber and Structural Wood Products Sawn and structural timber products processed at Vida's 15 sawmills from sustainable Swedish forests for construction industry customers in Europe, USA, Australia, Africa, and Asia. Approximately 2.8 million cubic metres of sawn timber sold annually through Vida Wood.
- Vida Wood Sales and Distribution Services Vida Wood is the group's sales and distribution arm, selling approximately 2.8 million cubic metres of sawn timber annually through sales offices in Sweden, England, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan, USA, and Australia.
- Vida Packaging - Wooden Pallets and Packaging Sweden's leading manufacturer of wooden packaging including pallets, pallet collars, and cable drums, producing 2.3 million pallets and 2.0 million pallet collars annually for European manufacturing and logistics companies.
- Vida Energi Biofuel Biofuel products derived from wood processing byproducts including wood chips, bark, and sawdust from Vida's sawmill operations, utilizing every part of the wood raw material for green energy production.
- Animal Bedding Products Natural litter and animal bedding products made from renewable Swedish forest raw materials, marketed under Vida Ströprodukter brand for horse owners and animal husbandry.
- Fuel Pellets Wood fuel pellets with high energy output produced at Vida's pellet facility in Hok from renewable Swedish forest raw materials for heating applications.
- Vida Building Prefabricated Houses Prefabricated wooden houses manufactured by Vida Building division, primarily serving the Swedish market with exports to Germany (100th house delivered to Germany milestone achieved).
- Vida Wood Cladding and Exterior Paneling Cladding and exterior panelling products for the Swedish construction market, supplied from Vida's warehouse in Orrakullen as a product extension to the core sawn timber range.
Companies that use Vida
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Vida technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Vida partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AB Karl Hedin SawmillscoreVida acquired AB Karl Hedin Sawmills in Karbenning, Krylbo, and Säter in September 2025, strengthening Vida's position as Sweden's largest sawmill group. The three facilities were FSC certified in January 2026.
- TågabminorRail transport partnership expanded since year start 2025 for transportation of wood products, supporting sustainable logistics.
- BixiacoreCo-investor in one of Sweden's largest solar parks near Sölvesborg in Blekinge. The solar park contributes 19 GWh of electricity production to electricity area 4 in southern Sweden.
- Svea SolarcoreSolar energy company collaborating with Vida and Bixia on the solar park project near Sölvesborg, advancing the green transition in southern Sweden.
- Ingarp TräskyddminorVida acquired Ingarp Träskydd, a wood protection/impregnation facility, as part of expansion strategy. The facility is located in Eksjö.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vida competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Södra: Swedish forest products cooperative with its own sawmill operations and member forest base. Direct competitor to Vida in Swedish sawn timber, pulp, and forest services.
- Setra Group: Swedish sawn timber and wood products company owned by Mellanskog and LRF. Directly comparable to Vida in product portfolio (sawn timber, processed wood) and Nordic customer base.
- Moelven: Norwegian sawmill and wood products group operating across the Nordics. Closely comparable business model with multiple sawmills, packaging, and building products divisions.
- Binderholz: Austrian family-owned sawmill and engineered wood group with sawmills, biofuel, and pellets. Comparable to Vida in integrated forest-to-biofuel operations and European structural-timber focus.
Broad incumbents
- Stora Enso: Nordic forest products giant with broad portfolio across packaging materials, biomaterials, and wood products. Overlaps with Vida in sawn timber and building components, but operates at much larger scale and across more product categories.
- Holmen: Swedish forest owner with operations in sawn timber, paperboard, and forestry services. Comparable to Vida in forest ownership and wood products, though smaller in pure sawmilling and broader in paperboard.
- SCA: Major Swedish forest owner with sawmill and timber operations. Comparable in Swedish forest sourcing and wood products exposure, though SCA's center of gravity is pulp, hygiene products, and forest land ownership.
- Canfor Corporation: Canadian lumber giant and 77% parent of Vida. Operates 53 plants globally with 10 million m3 of sawmill capacity, making Canfor both Vida's parent and its largest global peer in sawn wood products.
Regional players
- Interfor: Canadian lumber producer operating sawmills across North America. Comparable business model as a pure-play sawmill operator, but operates in different geographic markets than Vida.
- Ilim Group: Russian forest products and sawn timber producer. Comparable integrated sawmill-to-pulp model, but operates primarily in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vida social profiles
Digital presenceVida financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vida leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Vida subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries22 records
Vida funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vida M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vida
What does Vida do?
Vida is Sweden's largest sawmill group, manufacturing and supplying sawn timber, structural timber, wooden packaging (pallets, pallet collars, cable drums), biofuel, fuel pellets, animal bedding, and prefabricated wooden houses from sustainable Swedish forests. The group operates 15 sawmills and 29 production facilities, processing approximately 6.8 million cubic metres of timber annually, with 88% of sawn wood products exported globally.
Is Vida a public or private company?
Vida is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Vida founded?
Vida was founded in 1969. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Vida based?
Vida is headquartered in Alvesta, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Vida make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Sawn Wood Products are the primary driver. The others are packaging Manufacturing, biofuel Trading, house Manufacturing and animal Bedding and Fuel Pellets.
Who are Vida's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Södra, Setra Group, Moelven and Binderholz. Broad incumbents are Stora Enso, Holmen, SCA and Canfor Corporation. Regional players are Interfor and Ilim Group.
Does Vida have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vida.
What industry is Vida in?
Vida's product category is Sawn Timber & Wood Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMABAA, Softwood Lumber Sawmills, with a secondary code of IMADADAJ, Wood Pallets, Crates & Industrial Wood Packaging. Its NAICS code is 321113 and its SIC code is 2421.