In 2025, Metsä Group’s own employees conducted more than 1,100 quality checks across Finland. In addition to its own inspections, Metsä Group monitors the measurements conducted by its contractors and uses third-party assessments conducted by Tapio.
Measurements over the last five years show a clear improvement in both thinning intensity and machinery tracks. The results of the 2024 measurements improved significantly from the previous year, with the share of thinning conducted in accordance with forest management recommendations being about 75%. The actual outcome for 2025 was almost at the same level.
In practice, thinning that would be 100% in line with the good thinning model are impossible because the trees and the forestry work done to date on some sites do not enable harvesting that would comply with all the quality criteria. High-quality forest management measures conducted at the right time play a major role in achieving a good thinning result. For example, according to an inspection conducted by Tapio in 2024 on the felling sites of Finsilva, a major customer of Metsä Group that conducts systematic forest management, the density of the remaining growing stock complied with forest management recommendations on 93 per cent of sites.
Forest owners’ feedback on harvesting conducted by Metsä Group has improved notably in recent years, reaching yet another record high in 2025.
“Our contractor partners do an excellent job in Finnish forests. We maintain close cooperation in quality control, and the activities are constantly developed. The record-high customer satisfaction indicated by feedback on wood harvesting tells us that we are moving in the right direction,” says Ilkka Köntti, SVP, Production at Metsä Group’s Wood Supply and Forest Services.