20 years of Mercer Holz Bahnlogistik – a success story on rails

Two decades ago, Mercer Holz, today the European leader in timber rail transport, took the bold decision to make rail the central pillar of its logistics strategy. Today, 20 years later, the company is not only celebrating its anniversary but also a success story that is closely linked to the development of the region.

Rail Logistics: The Key to Success

The potential of rail logistics was recognized as early as 2004 during the setup of timber logistics for the new Mercer Stendal pulp mill, which was then under construction. At a time when road freight transport dominated the timber market, Mercer chose rail as an environmentally friendly and efficient alternative. This decision proved groundbreaking, laying the foundation for Mercer Holz’s substantial success.

A Partnership on the Path to Success

For the past two decades, Salzburg-based Eisenbahn Transport Logistik GmbH (SETG) has been a reliable partner of Mercer Holz. Together, they have dispatched over 30,000 block trains, significantly contributing to the sustainable timber supply in the region. Mercer’s collaboration with Rettenmeier Holzindustrie dates back to the early days of Mercer Rosenthal’s pulp mill, Mercer’s first German branch. 

Wolfgang Beck, Senior Vice President of Global Wood Sourcing at Mercer International, remains optimistic about the future: 

“We foresee a long, sustainable partnership that will allow us to grow and leverage optimization potential. While the wood chip business is robust today, we aim to expand our roundwood deliveries further. Rail enables us to cover larger distances when the market demands.

Railways as a Key to Sustainability

With 20 years of experience in timber rail freight transport, Mercer Holz is a pioneer in the industry, offering customized solutions that provide both ecological and economic benefits:

• Sustainability: Rail transport generates significantly fewer CO2 emissions than road transport, supporting Mercer’s sustainability goals.
• Efficiency: Specially developed log and wood chip railcars can transport large quantities of wood in a single train, reducing trips and saving time, emissions, and resources.
• Reliability: Rail logistics are less affected by weather and traffic congestion, ensuring punctual delivery to plants. Moreover, rail transport is safer than road freight transport.
• Innovation: Continuous investment in modern wagons, loading infrastructure, and collaboration with rail partners enhances the efficiency and reliability of Mercer Holz’s rail logistics.

Challenges and Opportunities

Reflecting on these milestones, Martin Stöhr, CEO of Mercer Holz, discussed the challenges facing rail logistics in the coming years.

 “Driven by climate change, political efforts aim to increase rail transport significantly. However, this shift can only occur with some delay due to a DB rail network that, with few exceptions, has been neglected since the 1980s. The need for network upgrades, combined with a simultaneous increase in traffic volume, presents ongoing challenges for both Mercer and SETG. A multitude of construction projects, a lack of sidings and passing tracks, and occasional network congestion will continue to pose unplanned challenges to our partnership.”