New plant manager appointed at Värö

Kerstin has spent all her working life in production or as a plant manager, mainly in the forest industry but also in medical technology and packaging.

“I live with the forest as my neighbour. Everybody around here knows somebody who is a forest owner,” says Kerstin. “Södra is a big part of the community in Southern Sweden and highly regarded. I’m very pleased to join the Södra family and Värö is a really excellent production facility which offers great opportunities for the future. Its synergistic relationship with the neighbouring Södra Cell Värö pulp mill brings considerable benefits in terms of sustainability and availability of expertise. The Södra model also gives confidence regarding timber supply.”

Kerstin’s number one priority is safety: “Nobody should be hurt at work and that is a commitment from my heart. But safety is part of an overall approach rather than something separate. The constant pursuit of the safest working practices also brings continuous improvements in quality and efficiency. The working culture is very important in this respect: it is about listening to each other and all of us being open to constructive suggestions for change.

“Engineers are very driven by problem solving, which makes production facilities highly stimulating places to work. We need to prioritise of course, because you cannot implement all ideas at the same time. And incremental improvements tend to bring more significant results than big changes. The good ideas are usually already out there. It’s a question of implementing them in the right way and in the right order. All of this to serve our customers in the best possible way.”

Kerstin feels very positive about working with a future-orientated company in a future-relevant industry: “Wood and forest products in general are an essential part of a more sustainable future. I have had such a warm welcome at Södra both here in Värö and in the wider business. I feel positive about being part of a company which is making the best possible use of every part of the tree. At Värö we process timber ready for the manufacture of CLT by Södra Building Systems, and this is one of many examples of how forest products are growing in relevance and applications across diverse sectors. It is an exciting time to be here.”