If you’re a big-box retail buyer, or a sawmill, plywood or wood-fibre supplier, looking to Scale Up, read this.
Wood is one of the most versatile and beautiful materials we work with. But to use it well, to design, manufacture and source responsibly, we must first understand it deeply. At Scale Up, our journey with wood has spanned from early hands-on carpentry to managing global supply chains worth hundreds of millions of euros. It’s a journey that continues to evolve.
Working with wood is, in many ways, about working with nature. Each tree, each fibre, carries the characteristics of its environment. Understanding how to translate that into durable, scalable solutions for construction and furnishing in and outdoors takes both technical expertise and a respect for the material itself.
Our founder’s experience in managing IKEA’s global wood-based supply, covering over $850 million in annual spend, revealed just how complex and far-reaching the supply chain between forest and finished product can be. From sawmills and plywood mills to component producers and global retailers, the path is long, and not always easy to verify or influence.
At Scale Up, we also bridge this gap by working directly with actors across the supply chain. Our role is often one of translation: aligning customer needs with manufacturing capabilities, and ensuring those solutions are both commercially viable and environmentally responsible. Whether it’s Scandinavian softwoods or certified hardwoods from outside the Nordics, we apply the same principles – transparency, efficiency and long-term sustainability.
We maintain a broad network of trusted sawmills and wood suppliers across multiple countries. This allows us to respond quickly to shifts in the marketplace, while maintaining a high standard of quality and supply chain integrity. In today’s environment, where pressure on raw material sourcing continues to grow, this network is more important than ever.
Scale Up is also committed to developing the future of wood through research and collaboration. We are a steering group member of “Perfect Wood,” a three-year initiative led by VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd) and Aalto University, alongside several industry leaders. The goal: to develop more sustainable and stable ways to use wood outdoors over extended periods, particularly for construction and high-exposure environments.
In parallel, we support Lappset Group Oy as an external advisor, providing expertise in sourcing solid and board-based wood materials, as well as guidance on internal development projects related to outdoor wood treatment.
Our passion for wood isn’t just about the material. It’s about using it wisely and understanding its potential, its limitations, and its role in a more sustainable built environment. Whether you’re designing interiors, building public spaces, or developing new applications, wood remains a uniquely powerful choice.
At Scale Up, we’re here to scale up your business, your retail operation, your sawmill operation or component manufacturing, to help you make the most of it – responsibly, consistently and with respect for the forests it comes from.