Our companies
VALASAHA Group is currently covering five sourcing-trading units, led by local professionals in the wood sector who focus on selected wood species and products. Each subsidiary handles its own warehouse and constantly keeps building its partner network.
Wood – the link in our histories
Velké Pavlovice
HALM
Defined by craftmanship
and vigour
Despite unfavourable circumstances, the Halm family carried on through many years with what was genuinely in their hearts – the forest, nature, and the art of wood.
With foresight and an innovative spirit, Frantisek Halm established a modern wood processing plant for furniture in Velké Pavlovice (in the former Czechoslovakia) in 1934. His works were renowned for their extraordinary design, attention to detail and utmost quality. Despite the unfortunate political situation he continued his efforts until 1953, when he was forced to hand over the business to the state. Even though the second Halm generation was banned from continuing the firm, their inclination towards forestry and nature stayed intact and was passed along.
It was only in 1989 that the third Halm generation led by Miroslav could commit fully to the forestry and wood sector, and that gave rise to the foundation of a hardwood sawmill in Slovakia in 1994. The plant was run successfully, gaining the status of the largest oak sawmill in Central Europe. In 2012 the fourth generation, represented by Lukas, joined the company, and started a new era with innovations and technologies increasing production effectiveness.
In 2015 the decision was made to use the family know-how to continue in trade, service, and R&D activities within the wood sector as the family joined forces with a local wood exporter, which later led to its acquisition. The dynamic growth resulted in the creation of a wood division, with two subsidiaries established in the Central Europe, and challenging plans set for the future.
Mikkeli
KORHONEN
With lifelong passion
for nature and forest
In Mikkeli, a major city in the South Savo region in Finland, the Korhonen family finds its roots and heritage.
Elias Korhonen, born in 1895, began his career as a mechanical engineer in the largest sawmill of Finland at that time, in the city of Kajaani. After spending more than twenty years there, he decided to make his own living in order to better secure his son’s wellbeing. In his vision, farming was the future, so he travelled throughout Finland to find an ideal spot which would include farmland, forests, and a lake. Finally, he found what he was looking for in the small village of Harjumaa near the city of Mikkeli.
In this area he managed to maintain a farm, growing sugar beets and strawberries, farming cattle, and trading livestock and other products from the farm. A passionate hunter, he also enjoyed his sustainably managed forests during his free time. The farm was later passed on to his son Eino, who ran it until 1983 when the third generation, represented by his son, took over.
Markku continued successfully with the farm, but because of his passion for wood and engineering he decided to transform the farm fully into commercial forest land, and to concentrate on designing and building wooden houses. His son Teemu shares the family heritage of wood and forests, devoting his life to working with wood and personifying the current fourth Korhonen generation in the timber business.
Creation of VALASAHA
With its name, derived of the typical Slovak art of wood – shepherds’ axe – in Slovak “valaška”, and the most used tool in the woodworking industry – saw – in Finnish “saha”, VALASAHA represents our worlds – Slovak & Finnish, craft & industry, forestry & woodworking.
Our vision
Where wood becomes smart
We see wood as a material of the future. Renewable, recyclable, emission-reducing, and of a great value to the whole society. Our aim is to create a wood value chain where all our products and related solutions are SMART:
S M A R T
