Japan’s sawmill industry continues to accelerate investments in automation and production efficiency, with Finnish wood-processing technology supplier Jartek strengthening its position in the market through a new partnership with Tokyo-based trading company Koeki Ltd.
The Lahti family-owned company confirmed that Koeki will act as its commercial partner in Japan, supporting the delivery of Jartek’s automation systems, lumber sorting lines and ThermoWood kiln technologies to Japanese sawmills undergoing modernisation and capacity expansion projects.
According to Kari Puustinen, VP of Sales at Jartek, Japan remains a strategically important market for the Finnish supplier, with the cooperation intended to improve local customer support and market access.
“Japan is a strategically important market for us,” Puustinen said, describing the Koeki partnership as a strong platform for meeting the changing needs of Japanese customers.
Koeki brings decades of experience working with Finnish industrial companies and already has an established network within Japan’s forest products sector. The partnership gives Jartek direct access to local engineering expertise, customer relationships and market knowledge that would otherwise take years to develop independently.
The cooperation has already resulted in its first concluded project. Jartek confirmed that the green and dry sorting line contract signed with Kushiro Wood Products in October 2025 was secured through the Koeki relationship. The project, located on Hokkaido, includes Jartek’s latest automation systems, automated stick quality grading and the AR-HUB solution.
Production at the Kushiro Wood Products facility is scheduled to begin in early 2028.
Japan has become one of the most attractive lumber markets globally as the country increases investments in timber construction and industrial modernisation. Demand for higher-value wood products and more efficient production systems has continued to grow as the sector shifts toward multi-storey timber buildings and larger engineered wood projects.
Japanese sawmills are also facing rising pressure to improve productivity, labour efficiency and quality control, particularly as domestic production capacity adapts to changing construction trends and stronger competition for export lumber supplies.
Founded nearly 70 years ago, Jartek specialises in wood-processing technologies and automated handling systems for the sawmill industry. The new cooperation with Koeki signals a further expansion of Nordic automation technology into the Japanese wood-processing sector at a time when mills across the country are increasing investments in modern production lines.
