Precious Woods
Precious Woods is a Swiss-headquartered sustainable tropical forest management company managing 1.1 million hectares in Brazil and Gabon under dual FSC/PEFC certification, producing certified sawn timber, veneer, biomass electricity, and CO2 certificates for European, US, and Asian B2B customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersZug, Switzerland
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Precious Woods does
Precious Woods Holding AG, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, is a sustainable tropical forest management and wood processing company operating across Brazil and Gabon. The company manages more than 1.1 million hectares of tropical forest under dual FSC and PEFC certification — the only company globally to hold both certifications across 100% of its operations. Core operations include harvesting and processing sawn timber from over 60 wood species through wholly-owned subsidiaries MIL Madeiras Preciosas Ltda. (Brazil/Amazon) and Precious Woods Gabon CEB (Gabon), producing rotary veneer from Okoumé wood, and operating a biomass power plant (MIL Energia Renovável Ltda., 100% owned since 2021) that supplies electricity to Itacoatiara's 100,000 inhabitants and generates Certified Emission Reductions traded through the European Emissions Trading System.
The company monetizes through a direct B2B sales model serving European importers and distributors, furniture and interior manufacturers, construction companies, and government/public sector buyers across Europe, the US, and Asia. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with products sold under premium certification premiums. A secondary revenue stream comes from CO2 certificates managed via the myclimate foundation partnership. Distribution operates through a European sales office in Bodegraven (Netherlands), direct sales from Swiss HQ, and regional offices in Brazil and Gabon. Precious Woods is OTC-traded (delisted from SIX Swiss Exchange in 2013) with concentrated ownership: Max Rössler (39.7% of shares) and Werner Fleischmann (20.6%) are the largest holders.
FY2025 net revenues were EUR 44.6 million (down 6.5% YoY) with EBITDA of EUR 4.2 million (up 101.3% YoY). The equity ratio stands at 58.4%. Recent strategic activity has focused on balance sheet strengthening (December 2024 loan-to-equity conversion of CHF 43.5M into preferred shares), operational turnaround (improving margins despite revenue decline), and leveraging dual certification as a competitive moat in the certified tropical timber market.
Precious Woods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Precious Woods
- Legal name
- Precious Woods Holding AG
- Website
- https://preciouswoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Precious Woods is a Swiss-headquartered sustainable tropical forest management company managing 1.1 million hectares in Brazil and Gabon under dual FSC/PEFC certification, producing certified sawn timber, veneer, biomass electricity, and CO2 certificates for European, US, and Asian B2B customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Precious Woods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Tropical Timber
- NAICS
- Forestry and Logging (113), Timber Tract Operations (11311), Sawmills (321113)
- SIC
- Forestry (800), Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421), Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland) (IMAMAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Logging & Timber Harvesting (IMAMAAAB), Sawmilling & Lumber Production (IMADADAA), Forest Residues & Biomass Feedstock Management (Thinning, Slash, Collection) (IMAMAJAN), Forest Carbon Projects & Ecosystem Services (Carbon Credits, Biodiversity) (IMAMAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Precious Woods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zug
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Precious Woods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Timber Products (Sawn Timber and Veneer): Core business generating majority of revenue. Sawn timber produced in various dimensions for cladding, decking, marine, flooring, street/garden, furniture, doors/window frames, heavy construction, and bio agriculture. Rotary veneer produced from Okoumé wood for furniture, interior finishing, parquet floors, and plywood. Over 60 different wood species offered.
- CO2 Emission Certificates: Carbon emission certificates (CERs) generated from biomass power plant operations and forest carbon storage. Traded through European Emissions Trading System. Strategic partnership with myclimate foundation for certificate management since 2011.
- Biomass Energy Production: Electricity generation from wood residues at MIL Energia Renovável Ltda. power plant. Provides power to town of Itacoatiara and its 100,000 inhabitants. Fully integrated with sawmill operations.
- Wood Trading Operations: Trading with wood from other certified producers (FSC or PEFC certified). Complementary products including logs, lumber and components sourced to supplement own operations, all 100% FSC or PEFC certified.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Precious Woods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Precious Woods manages 1.1 million hectares of FSC and PEFC dual-certified tropical forests in Brazil and Gabon, processing the harvested timber in its own sawmills and veneer factories into certified sawn timber (cladding, decking, marine, flooring, furniture, construction) and Okoumé rotary veneer. Beyond wood products, the group operates an integrated biomass power plant (MIL Energia Renovável) that supplies renewable electricity to Itacoatiara (100,000 inhabitants) and generates Certified Emission Reduction (CER) carbon credits traded via the European Emissions Trading System through myclimate.
Product overview
Precious Woods is a leading provider of nature-based solutions from tropical forests, offering a diversified portfolio of certified timber products and environmental services. The company's core products include: (1) Sawn Timber in various forms (cladding, decking, marine, flooring, furniture, heavy construction) manufactured from over 60 different tropical wood species; (2) Rotary Veneer produced exclusively from Okoumé wood; (3) CO2 Certificates (Certified Emission Reductions) generated from biomass energy production; and (4) Biomass Electricity through the MIL Energia Renovável power plant. All products are FSC and PEFC certified, sourced from the company's 1.1 million hectares of sustainably managed tropical forests in Brazil and Gabon. The company does not export logs but processes timber locally to create jobs and value at its sites.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sawn Timber High-quality certified sawn timber produced from over 60 different tropical wood species, manufactured to customer order in flexible dimensions. Applications include cladding, decking, marine construction, flooring, street and garden furniture, doors and window frames, heavy construction, and bio agriculture. Sold B2B to importers, distributors, furniture manufacturers, and construction companies.
- Rotary Veneer FSC and PEFC certified rotary veneer produced exclusively from Okoumé wood harvested in Gabon at the TGI (Compagnie des Placages de la Lowé) veneer factory. Used in furniture construction, upscale interior finishing, parquet floors, and high-quality plywood production.
- CO2 Certificates (CERs) Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) generated from the biomass power plant operations and forest carbon storage. Each year the plant prevents approximately 44,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and an additional 113,000 tonnes CO2 equivalents from methane prevention. Traded through the European Emissions Trading System via partnership with the Swiss myclimate foundation.
- Timber Species Portfolio Over 60 sustainably produced wood species including Okoumé and many lesser-known species, all FSC and PEFC certified, distinguished by diverse visual qualities and applications both indoors and outdoors. This portfolio enables market development for lesser-known timber species, reducing pressure on high-value species.
- Biomass Electricity (MIL Energia Renovável) Climate-friendly electricity generated from wood residues (sawdust and wood chips) by the MIL Energia Renovável Ltda. biomass power plant, fully integrated with the Precious Woods Amazon sawmill via automated conveyor belts. Supplies renewable electricity to the town of Itacoatiara (population 100,000), replacing approximately 20 diesel generators.
- Timber Cladding Certified tropical timber products designed specifically for exterior cladding applications, sourced from sustainably managed forests in Brazil and Gabon and sold B2B to construction and architecture firms.
- Timber Decking Certified tropical timber products designed for outdoor decking applications, sourced from sustainably managed forests and sold B2B for residential and commercial outdoor projects.
- Timber Marine Certified tropical timber products designed for marine construction applications including harbour works, jetties, and other water-side infrastructure, sourced from sustainably managed forests.
- Timber Flooring Certified tropical timber products designed for flooring applications in residential and commercial buildings, sold B2B to flooring distributors and construction firms.
- Timber Heavy Construction Certified tropical timber products designed for heavy construction and infrastructure applications including hydraulic engineering and track construction, sold B2B to construction companies and infrastructure project contractors.
- Timber Furniture and Molding Certified tropical timber products designed for furniture construction and molding applications, sold B2B to furniture manufacturers requiring premium quality certified wood materials with consistent supply.
Quantifiable outcome
- 330 million tonnes CO2 stored in managed forests, preventing ~1 million tonnes CO2 emissions annually in Brazil alone through deforestation prevention
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Precious Woods
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Precious Woods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Precious Woods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- myclimate FoundationcoreStrategic partnership for CER (Certified Emission Reductions) management. myclimate helps companies and governments achieve climate targets by trading CERs through the European Emissions Trading System. Partnership active since 2011.
- Groupe ArborcoreGabonese forestry group. TGI (Compagnie des Placages de la Lowé) operates under Groupe Arbor partnership.
- ATIBT (Association Technique Internationale des Bois Tropicaux)coreInternational technical association for tropical woods. Precious Woods participates in information and training workshops, particularly related to P3FAC project.
- Conservation JusticecoreNGO partnership for environmental and species protection. Cooperation in forest access control and patrolling to protect wildlife including elephants, gorillas, and chimpanzees.
- EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária)coreFederal Brazilian agricultural research institute. Research partnership for sustainable forestry practices in Amazon operations.
- BFH HAFL (Berner Fachhochschule)coreSwiss university of applied sciences. Long-standing research partnership for forest management and agricultural sciences.
- UEA (Universidade do Estado do Amazonas)coreAmazonas State University in Brazil. Research and student training partnerships, source of potential future employees.
- UFAM (Universidade Federal do Amazonas)coreFederal University of Amazonas. Research partnerships for forest dynamics and long-term forest management studies.
- USTM (Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku)coreState university in Gabon. Research partnerships for tropical rainforest studies.
- GxABT - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (Université de Liège)coreBelgian university specializing in agricultural and forest sciences. European research partnership.
- Nature+minorBelgian NGO focused on sustainable forestry research and advocacy.
- Precious Forests Foundation (PFF)coreFoundation supporting sustainable forest management initiatives. Industry organization partnership.
- PPEFC (Programme de Promotion de l'Exploitation Certifiée des Forêts)coreGabonese program promoting certified forest exploitation. Partnership for PEFC certification development in Central Africa.
- UFIGA (Union des Forestiers Industriels du Gabon)coreUnion of Gabonese forest industrialists. Industry association membership for advocacy and best practices.
- DynafFor ProjectcoreLarge transnational research project on forest dynamics in the Congo Basin, conducted partially on Precious Woods Gabon concession areas.
- Lignum (Economie suisse de bois)minorSwiss wood economy association. Marketing and promotion of Swiss certified wood products.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Precious Woods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Otheris (formerly Danzer Group): European-headquartered tropical hardwood group with FSC-certified forest concessions and sawmilling in Africa and South America; most directly comparable to Precious Woods across the same value chain (forest ownership, certified sawn timber, veneer).
- Rougier (Rougier Afrique Internationale / Rougier Sylvapan): French-listed (formerly) tropical timber group managing concessions in Gabon and Cameroon with FSC-certified sawmilling, veneer, and trading — directly overlapping Precious Woods on Gabonese FSC forestry, sawmilling and downstream certified timber products.
- Interholco (Intercontinental Forest Industries Corporation): German-managed FSC-certified tropical timber producer with concessions in Republic of Congo and Gabon, producing sawn timber, veneer, and laminated products — closely comparable asset base and product mix to Precious Woods Gabon CEB and TGI.
- Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB): Congolese FSC-certified tropical hardwood group producing sawn timber and logs from concessions in Republic of Congo — comparable as an African FSC-certified sustainable forestry and sawmilling operator competing for similar European buyers.
- Wijma Group: Dutch FSC-certified timber trader and processor sourcing tropical hardwood from Africa and South America — directly comparable to Precious Woods Europe as a downstream B2B distributor of certified tropical sawn timber to European construction and furniture markets.
Broad incumbents
- Smurfit Westrock / Smurfit Kappa (Containerboard and forest operations): Global paper-and-forest packaging incumbent that owns and manages large plantation forest estates in Brazil and elsewhere; comparable as a vertically integrated tropical-forest owner and processor, though its primary outputs are pulp/packaging rather than premium sawn timber.
- UPM-Kymmene (UPM): Diversified global forest-products incumbent with large-scale tropical and plantation forest ownership plus certification programs (FSC/PEFC); comparable as a large, FSC-certified forest operator and wood-processor, though anchored in pulp, paper, and engineered wood rather than tropical sawn timber.
Regional players
- Grupo Arbor / Compagnie des Bois de Bambidie: Gabonese forestry group already partnered with Precious Woods via TGI; operates FSC-certified concessions in the Congo Basin with sawmilling — directly comparable tropical-forest operator in Gabonese geography, structurally similar at the concession-and-mill level.
- Jari Florestal / Orsa Florestal (Brazil): Brazilian forestry group managing large tropical concessions in the Amazon basin with FSC-certified operations — comparable Brazilian tropical-forest and wood-processing peer to Precious Woods Amazon, though primarily focused on pulpwood and commodity timber.
Others
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified tropical timber producers (industry cohort): FSC itself is not a peer, but the broader FSC-certified tropical timber producer ecosystem (including the ATIBT membership base) is the closest 'industry cohort' Precious Woods competes within for premium certified tropical sawn timber and veneer — useful as a benchmarking universe rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Precious Woods social profiles
Digital presencePrecious Woods compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Precious Woods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Precious Woods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Precious Woods subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Precious Woods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Precious Woods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Precious Woods
What does Precious Woods do?
Precious Woods manages 1.1 million hectares of FSC and PEFC dual-certified tropical forests in Brazil and Gabon, processing the harvested timber in its own sawmills and veneer factories into certified sawn timber (cladding, decking, marine, flooring, furniture, construction) and Okoumé rotary veneer. Beyond wood products, the group operates an integrated biomass power plant (MIL Energia Renovável) that supplies renewable electricity to Itacoatiara (100,000 inhabitants) and generates Certified Emission Reduction (CER) carbon credits traded via the European Emissions Trading System through myclimate.
Is Precious Woods a public or private company?
Precious Woods is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Precious Woods founded?
Precious Woods was founded in 1990. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Precious Woods based?
Precious Woods is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Precious Woods make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Timber Products (Sawn Timber and Veneer) is the primary driver. The others are CO2 Emission Certificates, biomass Energy Production and wood Trading Operations.
Who are Precious Woods's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Otheris (formerly Danzer Group), Rougier (Rougier Afrique Internationale / Rougier Sylvapan), Interholco (Intercontinental Forest Industries Corporation), Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) and Wijma Group. Broad incumbents are Smurfit Westrock / Smurfit Kappa (Containerboard and forest operations) and UPM-Kymmene (UPM). Regional players are Grupo Arbor / Compagnie des Bois de Bambidie and Jari Florestal / Orsa Florestal (Brazil). Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified tropical timber producers (industry cohort) is listed as an others.
Does Precious Woods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Precious Woods.
What industry is Precious Woods in?
Precious Woods's product category is Sustainable Tropical Timber. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAAAA, Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland), with a secondary code of IMAMAAAB, Logging & Timber Harvesting. Its NAICS code is 113 and its SIC code is 800.