Siltala, Cutting Edge. The Pihlava Sawmill 1875-2025

The Pihlava sawmill was founded in 1875 on islets of the Kokemäenjoki River delta, on Finland's west coast. Logs were driven to the logistical hub from the country's dense inland forests. Barges carried boards and planks from the sawmill to the Reposaari shipyard, from where they were steamed off to all corners to the world. In 1889, the sawmill passed to the Ahlström family dynasty, under whose control it flourished for the next 125 years. The large sawmill operation was hit hard by the...