The Perfect Addition: SERRA Maschinenbau Joins WINTERSTEIGER

In 2019, WINTERSTEIGER acquired a majority stake in the German company SERRA Maschinenbau GmbH, based in Rimsting on Lake Chiemsee. SERRA develops and manufactures sawmills and complementary machinery for the forestry industry.

The mobile and stationary sawmills are the ideal complement to the Woodtech business unit: tree trunks with a diameter of up to 160 cm can be cut with the sawmills and then further processed using WINTERSTEIGER thin-cutting sawing machines.

A Gap in the Market: The Mobile Sawmill

SERRA Maschinenbau GmbH was founded in 1990 by Hans Fritz Sr. Hans Fritz had come to appreciate the advantages of mobile sawmills in Canada and presented such a machine at the Central Agricultural Fair in Munich in 1987—a complete novelty in Germany 35 years ago! The sawmill, which allows tree trunks to be cut right in the forest, filled a real gap in the market and quickly became a success story. Many farmers, carpenters, joiners, and foresters wanted to work with a mobile sawmill—and thus the foundation for SERRA Maschinenbau GmbH was laid.

Handover “into the best hands”

After 20 years, Managing Director Johann Fritz Jr. handed over his company to WINTERSTEIGER for family reasons—"into the best hands," according to Fritz. Even before the handover, there had been a very strong partnership with WINTERSTEIGER: From the very beginning, WINTERSTEIGER supplied saw blades to SERRA—initially through the company Banso, which has also been part of WINTERSTEIGER since 2004. In addition, the two companies share a commitment to the highest quality standards; both produce for niche markets and maintain close ties with their customers.