The CEO of one of Europe’s largest sawmilling groups has told the market and customers to avoid pessimism at the start of 2024 and shared long-term reasons to be optimistic about wood’s market prospects. Pfeifer Group CEO Michael Pfeifer, talking in a pre-Christmas online panel discussion, said 2023 had been marked by challenges, with significantly more difficult trading conditions compared to several previously good years for the wood industry. “Due to known problems such as high interest rates, inflation and a reduced willingness to invest, we have to assume that 2024 will not be ...