“This is a meeting place of science and nature. The new technologies for storing saplings will strengthen forestry development. It will reduce the wastage of finished products and ensure that customers receive saplings at their preferred time in spring. The unique wooden building complex will, in turn, allow members of various scientific institutions to accumulate knowledge and data for a much broader application of wood as a material in the future. Such knowledge will definitely promote the use of wood in construction,”

remarked Jānis Ciems, Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Finieris.

“Wood is being increasingly used in construction, but negative stereotypes about its durability and fire resistance still persist. To overcome them, we need examples confirmed by science and engineering. AS Latvijas Finieris has already provided such examples in large-scale wooden buildings, but this object offers something completely new. For the construction of the cold rooms for the saplings, solid wood panels will be used, where they will be exposed to very harsh climatic conditions. It is a big risk, because there is no experience of this kind, but it’s a very valuable experiment for gaining new knowledge. In addition, the study will be long term thanks to the built-in monitoring equipment. As the use of wood is now developing in completely new ways and composites, the availability of such experimental facilities should certainly be expanded.”

Andrejs Domkins, Director of the Forest and Wood Research Institute.

The investment project continues the Birch Programme initiated by Latvijas Finieris in 1996 to develop the production of premium birch saplings with higher added value for the Latvian economy.

The working environment for the tree nursery workers will also be improved.

“The development of the unique complex of wooden buildings at the Zābaki tree nursery of AS Latvijas Finieris has a noble goal – to produce tree saplings and continue to take care of Latvia’s forest stands, thereby strengthening the image of Latvia as a green country and ensuring the continuation of the forestry and timber industries at a new level of quality. Every day that such a new idea is put into practice is a significant step forward for the development of the company. Right now, what the Latvian state needs most are many steps like this forward. I wish smooth sailing for the project, and we hope to see it come to life and be put into practice soon.”

During the event, the Minister of Agriculture, Armands Krauze, emphasised.

“Trees are not only Latvia’s ornament and treasure but also an opportunity to create something new and unique with the full use of wood materials. I am pleased that Latvia’s development is logically moving away from the export of wood as a raw material towards the export of wood products, which, with the labour and knowledge invested, create significant added value. The use of academic expertise to create a cold room in a wooden building is another added value for the future. I am sure that farmers will also welcome the new possibilities of using wood to build cold storage warehouses for storing their produce.”

Kaspars Melnis, the Minister of Climate and Energy.

The new complex of wooden buildings is a “green investment” of € 5 million in Sigulda Municipality and Gauja National Park, which proves that economic activity is also possible in a nature-friendly way by integrating the production facility into the local landscape. 

“Both in Sigulda Municipality and in Latvia, we are proud of AS Latvijas Finieris, which in its more than 30 years of experience has been able to adapt to the needs of a changing market. Latvijas Finieris is an example of how a company can develop and be competitive internationally, cooperate with universities, plan its work for the long term, and be socially responsible by supporting cultural and educational events, road infrastructure in the region, and Ukraine’s struggle for a free country. The new building complex in Sigulda will represent the trends in the choice of building materials and highlight the importance of wood and the circular economy in construction,”

Linards Kumskis, Chairman of Sigulda Municipality Council, welcomed the company’s development plans in Sigulda.

The new tree nursery building complex is planned to be completed in 2025.