The journey of the wood used by Metsä Fibre from sustainably managed forests to the mill and into an end product can be traced along chains of custody. THIS IS WHERE THE WOOD COMES FROM
HEIKKI HAMUNEN, photos MIKKO NIKKINEN
Forest owner Antti Pätilä and Forest Specialist Anu Rauti- ainen from Metsä Forest watch closely as a forest machine fells and cuts spruce, pine and birch trees in Ruokolahti in South Karelia, 30 kilometres from the eastern border of Finland. The teamwork between an efficient machine and a skilled operator makes for smooth progress in Pätilä’s forest. Watching the operator’s manoeuvres, it is easy to see why forest machine operators are often compared to fight- er pilots: both jobs require the ability to make constant, quick decisions. By some estimates, forest machines need to receive more than 4,000 commands an hour. THE WORLD’S BEST WORKPLACE RUNS ON ELECTRICITY Forestry Machine Contractor Janne Mutikainen is on shift in the cab. Mutikainen’s quick and steady work leaves no doubt that he was quite literally destined to become a forest machine operator. He was only two when he took his first ride in a forest machine. At the age of 15, he began weekend shifts in the harvesting company that his father had set up. “This is the best job in the world. The work is varied, and every day is different. I get to work at my own pace and see the results right away. It is a great feeling when the forest owner visits you at the felling site and thanks you for a job well done.”
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