Timberlink Australia & New Zealand named Sarah Bellman CEO effective Nov. 16, succeeding Paul O'Keefe, who retires in mid-December; Bellman joins from Hanson Australia / Heidelberg Materials Australia, where she was GM Southern Region (Timberbiz)
Japan is leaning harder on domestic sugi (Japanese cedar) as import costs rise: wood self-sufficiency has climbed from 18.8% (2002) to 42.5% (2024) with a 49% target by 2035, while Swedish sawmill closures have removed ~260,000–265,000 m³/yr of Japan-bound capacity (Urshult alone ~185,000 m³/yr); harvesting, drying and sub-20% moisture-content standards remain constraints (Timberbiz)
Wood Pellets
EIA's September STEO projects US wood biomass consumption for energy rising nearly 5% in 2027, with renewables expected to top 26% of US electricity generation this year and approach 28% in 2027 (Biomass Magazine)
Two formerly operating wood pellet plants in Missouri are being offered for sale by Solutions 4 Manufacturing, as complete systems or individual equipment through an ongoing negotiated sale (Biomass Magazine)
Industry Technology Vendors
Valutec — Finnish sawmill JPJ-Wood Oy ordered two forklift-loaded batch kilns, adding ~20,000 m³/yr of drying capacity toward a 200,000 m³/yr sawn-timber target; delivery starts late 2026 with commissioning in H1 2027, integrated with the mill's existing Valmatics 4.0 control system (Timber Processing)
