Wood Processing & the Paper Industry
Slovakia from a geographical point of view is a significantly diverse country, and with 41 % forest coverage it ranks among the most forested countries in Europe.
The northern part of Eastern Slovakia has a value even above this average, with forests here covering up to 44.9 % of the territory. The first generally valid arrangement of forest management in this territory was issued in 1769 by Maria Theresa, when Slovakia was still a part of the Austria-Hungary monarchy.
The most intensive period of wood extraction dates from the 1950s after the Second World War. The forestry and wood processing industry is one of the key contributors to employment and development in areas with less job opportunities in industry. Today, three secondary schools focused on forestry and woodcutting in the region, in Prešov, Spišská Nová Ves and Bijacovce, and they annually graduate more than 160 young professionals.
Selection of Largest Companies Within the Sector
| Company | Location | Key product | Revenue in thousands | Investor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUKOCEL, a.s. | Hencovce | Paper pulp, powdered cellulose | 65276 | Slovakia |
| SANAS, a.s. | Sabinov | Furniture | 34245 | Slovakia |
| Eco-Pack a.s | Prešov | Packaging material made of corrugated cardboard | 8981 | Slovakia |
| BEKY, a.s. | Snina | Furniture semi-finished products, hardwood processing | 7987 | Slovakia |
| HALDY - PLUS, spol. s r.o | Humenné | Packaging material made of corrugated cardboard | 5849 | Slovakia |
| NOTES, a.s | Slavošovce | Stationery and other articles of paper and paperboard | 5356 | Slovakia |
| UDAVA a.s. | Udavské | Processing of pilaar beech logs | 5060 | Slovakia |
| DREVOP, s.r.o. | Dlhé nad Cirochou | Machining of coniferous and lucerne logs, manufacture of furniture cuttings, prisms, sidewalks, boards and fabrics | 4549 | Slovakia |
| ATVYN, s.r.o. | Košice | Built-in cabinets and sliding doors | 4278 | Slovakia |
| SLOFRA s.r.o. | Spišská Nová Ves | Joinery products, furniture | 3860 | Slovakia |
BUKOCEL, a.s. from Hencovce
BUKOCEL, a.s. is a company characterized as so-called commercial sulphate pulp mill. BUKOSA HOLDING GROUP is the largest production company.
The product portfolio consists of bleached paper pulp, with almost 95% of he input material being hardwood, preferably beechwood. The final product, paper pulp, is the basic raw material for the production of graphic, hygienic, packaging and special types of paper. It also serves as an input raw material for the production of powdered cellulose and various cellulose derivatives. Production capacity is more than 150,000 tonnes of pulp per year. The company exports almost 100% of its production. Among the largest buyers are European Union countries, mainly Austria, Germany, France and the Czech Republic. The portion of the export is routed beyond its boundaries.
