Firms today operate in an increasingly competitive and dynamic global environment. Seemingly small, localised developments can have outsized effects on global industries and businesses. A company must track its changing environment and regulatory landscape if it is to make sustainable profits and achieve long-term growth.
To develop successful business strategies in this dynamic and tumultuous environment, it is crucial to understand a host of industry factors: resource constraints, processing options, environmental impacts, competition, market volatility and its financial implications, among others. This is where our experts come in.
For more than 40 years, Indufor’s consultants have worked with a wide range of local and international clients throughout the forestry, forest industry and bioenergy value chains. We offer global industry insights rooted in a profound understanding of the diverse business environments in which our clients operate. We have specialists with expertise in every key area assisting clients in developing effective business strategies that leverage internal strengths and mitigate vulnerabilities.
Our service offerings include:
- Pre-feasibility/project studies
- Business plans
- Turnaround assessments
- Market supply, demand and trade assessments
- End use segment and client identification studies
- Distribution channel and logistics
- Market entry solutions
- Price and competitor analysis.
Our project references include the following:
- Sawmilling Industry Benchmarking, Russia (2021)
- Business Case Development for Selected Solid Wood and Wood-based Solid and liquid Fuels Processing Options for New Zealand (2021).
- New Product Opportunities for a Russian Industrial Company (2021)
- Plywood Sales Strategy (2021)
- Provision of the Timber Market Survey (Australia), ongoing.
- Price Forecasts for Internationally Traded Softwood and Hardwood Logs and Softwood and Hardwood Chips within the Asia Pacific Region from 2016 onwards.
- Feasibility for a Large-Scale Veneer Mill in Laos (2019).
- Global Markets and Benchmarking Study for Selection of Promising Wood Products in North America (2017-18)
- Value Added Pine Sawnwood Business Opportunity in Eastern Africa (2017)
Area Experts
David Paul, Head of Forest Resources Consulting with Indufor Asia Pacific (Australia), holds a Bachelor of Forestry Science (Hons) degree from Canterbury University in New Zealand.
David is a technical forestry specialist having completed a number of significant resource reviews and feasibility studies for a range of industrial plantation owners. David has extensive valuation and due diligence experience - leading assignments in Australia, New Zealand and the broader Pacific region.
David has also worked in a range of advisory roles involving company restructuring, mergers and acquisitions from a buyer and seller perspective, supply chain assessments, hardwood and softwood market reviews as well as negotiation and analysis of long-term log supply contracts.
Con Psiroukis is a Forestry Consultant with Indufor in Australia. Con holds a Bachelor of Forest Science degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Con has worked as a Planning Forester involved in the management of plantation inventory programs of various commercial timber species grown throughout Australia. Con also has experience in the analysis of timber product markets and international trade; price analysis and indicators of demand and supply for forest products, and global policy settings and initiatives relating to forest management certification and timber legality.
Jarno Seppälä, Head of Forest Industry and Biosolutions Consulting, holds a master’s degree in forest products’ marketing (MSc For) from the University of Helsinki (2001). Mr. Seppälä completed his thesis at Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA, in 2000.
Jarno Seppälä has extensive international knowledge of the primary and secondary wood products as well as bioenergy industries in Europe, Russia and North America. He has been actively involved in and/or managed complete business plans and other strategy formulations, sector studies, raw material, supply chain and market analysis including detailed end-use segmentation and client identification. His responsibilities also include feasibility studies, investment analysis and evaluations as well as due diligence and M&A assessments. Mr. Seppälä has experience in both the private and public sectors – from small local operators to large multinational companies and organisations.
Mr Seppälä is fluent in Finnish and English.
Janne Löytömäki, Senior Consultant - Wood Products, holds a master’s degree in wood technology (M.S. Tech.) from the Helsinki University of Technology (1992).
Mr Löytömäki is specialized in wood technology, sawmilling and wood-based panels industry, operational, financial and economic analyses, and valuations. His tasks in investment and other industrial studies have included process planning, financial analyses, operational and technological assessments, implementation planning; development of cost accounting, monitoring and reporting systems; carrying out forest asset appraisals, and participating in due diligence teams.
Löytömäki is fluent in Finnish and English.
Mr Rantanen holds a master’s degree in forest economics (MSc For) from the University of Helsinki (1999). He has extensive experience in the international wood industry and trade with a strong background in forestry and wood procurement operations. He has worked in demanding sales roles in the timber industry, including softwood lumber, further processed wood and plywood products, and thermally modified wood products, throughout his career of over 15 years. He has extensive international knowledge of primary and secondary wood products in global wood products markets. During his consulting career, he has worked in various international feasibility and market studies and analyses, as well as business development projects related to the wood products industry.
Dr Senko holds a PhD in Agriculture and Forestry (2021) with Forest Science as the major subject and a master’s degree in European Forestry (2014) from the University of Eastern Finland. His background spans more than ten years of experience promoting sustainable and intensive forest management initiatives in Finland and Russia while building relationships with various stakeholders through his consulting and research work. Sergei has completed his PhD dissertation on the topic “Nordic forest solutions as an opportunity to reform the forestry sector in Russia”. At Indufor, Sergei is in charge of forestry and wood supply consulting. His key expertise includes wood sourcing, timber markets, and forest resource assessment and management issues. Sergei has also a sound knowledge of wood product industries, climate solutions, renewable energy and other biomaterials. Sergei has been involved in several clients and research projects in Russia, Europe and Asia, acting also as a project manager. His native language is Russian, and he is fluent in English
Marcel Vroege, Head of Forest Industry & Bio Solutions, Asia Pacific, holds an Executive MBA from Waikato University, New Zealand (2000) and a degree in Wood Science (B Sc Hons) from Bangor University, North Wales (1992).
Marcel specializes in the analysis of wood and bio-based products industries and markets in the Asia Pacific region. Areas of special interest and expertise include organizational development, business strategies, cost competitiveness assessments, location assessments and reputation assessments of both companies and products. He has been engaged in numerous assignments globally, assisting local industries, as well as international companies. He has managed a wide range of assignments ranging from company restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic market and business assessments to market reviews, business and delivery chain analysis, and feasibility and cost competitiveness studies. He has undertaken assignments throughout the Asia Pacific region, Africa, and North and South America.