Over 85 years of PABST HOLZ

Tradition and pioneering spirit

85 years of Pabst Holz: a success story from the Mur Valley

In 1940, the courageous purchase of a disused sawmill in Kathal laid the foundations for Johann Pabst Holzindustrie. What began as a small business has developed over more than 85 years into an internationally active system supplier for modern timber construction. Today, around 280 employees process spruce wood into solid wood products.

The founding and development years

With great commitment and entrepreneurial vision, Johann Pabst lays the foundations for the company and continues to develop it in the years of reconstruction after the Second World War. The expansion of the site and targeted investments resulted in a stable and efficient company by the 1970s.

The beginning

1931 – 1932

Johann Pabst lays the foundations by obtaining a trade license for the timber trade and employing 14 forestry workers.

Company foundation

1940

The company is officially founded in the middle of the Second World War with the purchase of a disused sawmill in Kathal near Obdach.

Post-war period

Investments

Despite great hardship, massive investments are made in technology, for example in 1945 in a Francis turbine to generate its own electricity and in 1948 in the first gang saw.

Upswing

1950s

With the economic upturn, a new sawmill is built in 1953. In 1954, the company invests in further processing and puts the first planing machine into operation.

Export

1950s

The first deliveries are made to Italy using the company’s own trucks. The Italian market is still one of the most important sales markets today.

Steady growth

60s and 70s

Johann Pabst expands the company premises and creates important infrastructural prerequisites with the connection to the rail network. With investments such as the construction of the first debarking plant, production is further developed in a targeted manner.

The era of the second generation

With the arrival of the second generation, a new management team takes over the company and provides targeted impetus towards specialisation, branding and further development of production.

First generation change

1975

Johann Pabst hands over the business to his sons Siegfried, Reinhard and Florian, who found the Ges.m.b.H. in 1976.

Growth

1980s

Investments in energy and production characterise this decade: The construction of a heating system for the use of bark as well as modern edger, board sorting and stacking systems strengthen the site in the long term.

Growth

late 1980s and early 1990s

When Johann and later Reinhard Pabst join the company, the generational change begins. The construction of the new planing mill strengthens further processing, while investments in the drying chambers further improve production quality.

New product

1990

The creation of the AlpenSpan brand (dedusted wood shavings for horse bedding) marks the beginning of a successful niche strategy.

Restart

1997

A major fire destroys the planing mill and the timber market. The family decides against giving up and in favour of a modern reconstruction.

Diversification and further development of the Zeltweg site

The expansion of the Zeltweg site drives the further development of production and adds structural timber construction elements to the portfolio.

Second generation change

2000

The third generation takes the helm: Johann and Reinhard Pabst take over the management, Florian joins the company.

Wood Innovation Centre

2003: Start in Zeltweg

Development of the new site in Zeltweg and start of large-scale industrial production of wood pellets.

Start with glulam beams

GLT productions

The construction of the two glulam plants in Zeltweg in 2004 and 2006 strengthens the site in the long term. As a result, Pabst develops into an important glulam producer in Europe.

Wood Innovation Centre

New company headquarters

In 2007, the company headquarters are relocated from Kathal to the Wood Innovation Centre in Zeltweg. In the following years, targeted investments are made in infrastructure projects and storage capacities are significantly expanded with new halls.

Joinery

from 2008

Construction of ultra-modern CNC joinery centres, making the company an integrated system supplier for timber engineering.

Focus on expertise and infrastructure

Characterised by extensive investments in infrastructure, energy and production, Pabst is consistently developing its sites and strengthening its position as a modern timber construction and industrial company.

Steady development

2010s

The expansion of storage capacities and investments in heat supply – including the acquisition of SWH and the construction of combined heat and power plants in Kathal and Zeltweg – create a stable energy base.

Optimizations

High-tech GLT

BSH Plant I is brought up to the state of the art in several stages. Targeted optimizations and expansions are carried out in the areas of quality sorting, high-frequency technology, finger-jointing line, stack storage and the construction of a joinery hall.

Hundegger

K2i

The installation of two Hundegger joinery machines significantly expands the joinery portfolio and consistently moves Pabst towards becoming a full-service provider.

Modernisation, energy and production

The current stage of development is characterised by extensive investments in production efficiency and the technical development of the sites.

Location Kathal and Zeltweg

Energy and supply

With the construction of the new combined heat and power plants in Kathal and Zeltweg and the expansion of solar power systems, the energy supply of the sites is being extended.

New Design

Storage capacities

New warehouses in Obdach, the profiled timber plant and the wood innovation centre expand capacity and create space for further growth.

Photovoltaics

Solar energy

Solar power systems with a total installed capacity of around 3.5 megawatts are in operation on the roof areas of the sites.

120,000 tons

Pellet plant NEW

With the new pellet plant, including wet chip silos, belt dryers and additional silos, supply security for pellet customers is being permanently increased. The plant expands production and storage capacity.

New saw in Kathal

2024 – 2025

With the largest investment in the company’s history, amounting to around 40 million euros, the sawmill in Kathal is being comprehensively modernised and mechanically completely renewed. This is a decisive step towards securing competitiveness and further developing the site.

85 years Pabst Holz

The video tells the story of the development of Johann Pabst Holzindustrie from a sawmill in Kathal to an internationally active family business. The focus is on the roots in the Mur Valley, the combination of tradition and future and the further development into a modern timber industry company.

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A success story in figures

The continuous growth of Johann Pabst Holzindustrie follows the founder’s guiding principle: a company must grow as healthily as a tree. From its beginnings in 1940, Pabst has developed into an internationally active wood industry company. Key figures on employees, production output and exports document this development.

Founding year

1940

Start of self-employment

1931 Start with 14 forestry workers

Number of employees

Around 280 dedicated minds

Annual turnover

approx. 135 million euros

Sawmill cutting capacity:

400,000 cubic meters

GLT production

110.000 m³

Export quota

Around 60 %

With foresight into the future

Since 2020, Pabst has been investing in the further development of its sites. The projects include a biomass power plant, solar power systems, the expansion of the pellet plant and the modernisation of the Kathal sawmill. Around 40 million euros were invested in the sawmill modernisation. The modernised plant went into operation in 2024 and is geared towards the long-term development of the site.