Vida

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.

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

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

• Sawn timber products
• Wooden packaging solutions
• Structural timber supply
• Biofuel and pellets
• Prefabricated wooden houses

Headquarters

HQ city

Alvesta

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices28 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Biofuel Trading: Trading of biofuel products derived from wood processing byproducts
4. House Manufacturing: Vida Building division manufacturing houses from wood products
5. 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

Core 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.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AB Karl Hedin SawmillscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Vida 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.
• TågabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2025Rail transport partnership expanded since year start 2025 for transportation of wood products, supporting sustainable logistics.
• BixiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2023Co-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 SolarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2023Solar energy company collaborating with Vida and Bixia on the solar park project near Sölvesborg, advancing the green transition in southern Sweden.
• Ingarp TräskyddminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2023Vida 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuusgigKAsSVpNQHomas8zQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/vidakoncernen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vida-gruppen
• Instagraminstagram.com/vidaibilder

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vida