GERMANY – Dieffenbacher earned nearly 400 million euros in sales in 2021 due to high demand for new wood-based panel production plants, diversification of its forming business, growing customer interest in sustainable solutions and the introduction of a smart plant concept that gives manufacturers more insight into their production and processes.

“Despite many restrictions related to COVID-19, it was an excellent year for Dieffenbacher. We served our customers just as well as in the times before the pandemic, and that makes me very proud of our team,” said CEO Christian Dieffenbacher. “Each of our three business units—Wood, Forming and Recycling—performed well and received significant new orders from customers.”

The Wood business unit recorded high demand for new plants on nearly every continent. In Europe, Dieffenbacher  received an increasing number of orders for plants that produce special products such as wood-fiber insulation boards and plants that deploy advanced environmental technology solutions for greater sustainability.

“Our customers are increasingly opting for complete plants supplied by a single source,” Christian Dieffenbacher reported. An example is HOMANIT Group’s order for a new plant in Pagirai, Lithuania, that combines environmental technology solutions with the fiber dryer and a 50 MW energy plant to ensure minimal emissions. Dieffenbacher  also received four orders for plants to produce wood fiber insulation boards used for ecologically smart and climate-friendly insulation in house construction.

“Sustainability and digitalization will remain our primary focus,” explained Christian Dieffenbacher. “The trend toward climate-friendly construction with wood and wood-based panels and their recyclability is very much to our liking, as is the general upswing in the construction industry.”