Interforst GmbH, headquartered in Kirchzell, has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Brüning Group since December 2022 and is now fully integrated into our service portfolio. In close cooperation with our roundwood unit, this area of our company has been increasingly expanded and strengthened.
Christian Wieser has recently joined us. He is now responsible for wood purchasing in the Taunus, Odenwald and Spessart regions.
Here is a short interview with Christian.
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Dear Christian,
What experience do you have in the forestry and timber industry? What do you know best?
I worked in my father’s company for 7 years. There I took care of the logging and the timber trade. Thus, my tasks included the purchase from forest road and the purchase of standing timber as well as the roundwood trade of all assortments for the sawmill and wood-based material industry.
After that, I worked for 10 years in a company that, in addition to roundwood trading and route maintenance for network operators, also took over timber marketing for four communal forest owners to bundle timber sales volumes. The latter was one of my main tasks.
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How do you define yourself as a service provider?
Simply said, as a link between forest owners and the wood-processing industry. Especially the personal contact to customers is, in my opinion, an important point within the sector of “forestry services” in times when the raw material wood is becoming scarcer.
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What do you see as the biggest challenges for the timber and forestry sector in the long term?
I think it will be ensuring the security of supply of the raw material wood.
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It is well known that the roundwood market can be very volatile. Both external factors, such as calamities, and demand-related factors, e.g. slowed sales in the sawmill industry, play a role here. How would you classify the current market situation?
At the moment, sales are weak because all sawn timber stocks are well filled and the demand for construction timber is stagnating both here in Germany and abroad.
In addition, there is a hesitant attitude of timber purchasers in the current third quarter. On the one hand, this is due to the holiday season and plant closures due to overhauls. On the other hand, many are still waiting to see how the bark beetle problem and its impact on the timber price will develop.
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Why do you think the Brüning Group is able to master the challenges described? Where do you see the strengths of the company?
The Brüning Group is broadly positioned and has a very good national and international network. I see the strengths in the commitment of the employees as well as in the flat hierarchies and the short decision-making processes, which is very important in the roundwood trade with such a fast-moving market.
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How did you end up at the Brüning Group or Interforst, respectively?
I found the job advertisement on the Internet while looking for a new employer.
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What do you like about the company and what particularly appeals to you about your new position?
There is a very good working atmosphere. I was very well integrated into my new job by Interforst and the roundwood unit of the Brüning Group. As already mentioned, I appreciate the short decision-making processes and flat hierarchies, but also the independent work.
I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the expansion of the roundwood unit and to work together with my colleagues to promote growth in this sector. I am also interested in gaining new experience by working in a large medium-sized company.
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Thank you very much and lots of success!