SOVROMLEMN: THE BRODINA AND PALTIN SAWMILLS NEAR RADAUTI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R015500130008-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2006
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: December 17, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

FEB 1952 01-4AA
Approve F r, Jelase 2006/03/03: CIA-R
IK. 0 A^ 0,
NOT
Pit?
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
,,:.PURITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO.
CD NO.
COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT Sovromlemn9 the Brodina and Paltin
Sawmills near Radauti
2 AIINFO.
25X1PLACE
ACQUIRED
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW, THE REPRODUCTI DN OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
DATE DISTR. 17 December 1952
NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Sovromlemn is considered a foreign company, and the ministry of Timber exercises
only limited control over it. Sovromlemn comprises three types of enterprises-,
former foreign. enterprises (Foresta, Eltrinelli); enterprises damaged and
abandoned during the war and rebuilt by Sovromlemn (Paltin, Valtra Dornei,
Va.duri, Falcau)8 and nationalized enterprises, leased by IPEIL ( Piatra-Neamt,
the otz and Bach factories,.Putna, Brosteni). Up to the end of 1951 the
main office of Sovromlemn was located in Bucharest at 174 Calea Victoriei.
In January 1952 it was transferred to 1 Calea Sfantu Ionica. Most of the
Sovromlemn properties are in the Bistrita and Putna valleys in South Bucovina
and North Moldavia, extending to the Trotus valley. The sawmills are situated
in areas yielding excellent timber.
2. At the end of December 1951 Sovromlemn had about 30 mills with a total of
106 saws and an annual output of about 1,250,000 cubic meters of round timber
and cut boards. Although the yield of cut boards is prescribed at 59.2 percent
of the raw timber, most of the mills produced 60 percent or an annual output
of 750,000 cubic meters of cut material. Ninety percent of the total production
of Sovromlemn cut material, as well as boxwood, is exported to the USSR. The
Soviets take delivery according to a new classification consisting of grades
I, II, and III (III corresponds to quality IV of the Viennese specifications).
Dimensions are measured according to Soviet standards. Boards with fixed knots
are accepted, but those with loose knot holes are not accepted. The latter are
exported to Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia on Soviet instructions. Up
to 1951 timber up to four meters in length was still sent to Syria and
Alexandria in 'small quantities. Timber for concrete molds is 'exported to
Argpntirna on behalf of the Soviets. Only wood pulp is supplied by Sovromlemn
to the local market. It is produced from waste by special machinery in the
mills at Putna,, Paltin, Piatra Ne~3mt, and Falcau. The pulp is delivered to
the Piatra Neamt paper fa-tory.
FBI
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15500130008-2
 Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15500130008-2
SECRET/CONTROL -- U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY.
3.
The Brodina and Paltin sawmills are located in the Bistrita valley six
kilometers apart. They are allocated felling areas by the Regional Forestry
Administration, but they direct cutting operations themselves. To haul the
timber Sovromlemn built eight kilometers of narrow gauge railroad from
Nisipitul. About 30 trucks are also used for this purpose. The Brodina mill
(formerly Romania) was nationalized in 1948, and Sovromlemn leased it from
IPEIL. Its egG-Lpment consists of one Topham 36-inch saw, one Brunn-Koenigsfeld
24-inch saw, and one Pini & Kay 18-inch saw. All saws operate slowly since they
have been in use for over 40 years. The production of the Brodina mill is
115 cubic meters of round timber (pine) in 16 hours. Power is obtained from
one 125 hp static steam engine made by Schlick & Nicholsohn of Budapest in
1905, fired with wood shavings. The Paltin mill was rebuilt in 1947, after
having been destroyed by fire during the war. Its equipment consists of one
Topham 36-inch saw and one Lein Brothers 18-inch saw, both of them old. Its
production is 72 cubic meters of coniferous round timber ii 16 hours. Power
is supplied by a semi-static steam engine developing 85 hp made by Oesterer
in Altaeting (Germany), using sawdust as fuel. The two mills together employed
380 men o
The Falcau sawmill, the main enterprise in the Bistrita valley, is the former
Anhauch mill which was built in 19219 destroyed by fire during the war and
rebuilt in 1947, It consists of a sawmill and a box factory, and it is
equipped with five new saws-. two Bruenn-Koenigsfeld 42-inch saws, and three
modem saws of Finnish make with a central draw bar. The box factory has
modern equipment and produces 500 to 600 cubic meters of box boards per month,
mainly for margarin.e: and 'fruit boxes for the Soviet Army. About 600 men are
employed. Power is supplied by two semi-static Ganz steam engines-developing
275 hp.
The Putna.sawmill has been leased by IPEIL since 1940. It has five saws:
one Pini & Kay 42-inch saw, and Hoffman 36-inch saw, one Pini.& Kay 24-inch
saw, and tw3 Pini & Kay 18-inch saws. The Pin! & Kay saws are worn out by
more than 40 years of use. A total of 600 men are employed at the mill.
The Varduri and Vatra Dornei mills were built by Sovromlemn in 1949/1950.
Their equipment is said to be up-to-date; each has six saws operated by built-
in electro-motors. Electric saws are also used for tree felling. Both mills
are equipped with semi static twin engines of 275 hp made by Ganz & Danubius
in Budapest, driving two generators which provide electricity for the saws
and other machinery. Sawdust is used as fuel.
The Gott fadtbry and the Bach (Bistrita) Parquet factory at Piatra Neamt
produce principa]ly block houses and prefabricated wooden huts, for export to
the USSR.
8. The Brosteni Box Factory (previously the property of Prince Nicolae) was the
largest and bast-equipped box factory of its type in Rumania. It was nation-
alized in 1948 and leased to Sovromlemn by IPEIL.
In 1946, when Sovromlemn was created, 90 percent of its personnel were Rumanian.
Some technical managers were Soviets. Towards the end of 1951, 50 percent of
the staff were Soviets. Today the mill managers and the important members
of the' technical staff are all Soviet citizens.
10.; The following personalities are known-.
Odegow (fnu), general manager, former naval officer, said to have been
an admiral of the Baltic fleet during the war.
b. Motin (fnu), assistant manager, former sailor, coarse, feared by everybody.
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15500130008-2
 Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457R015500130008-2
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
o. Littmann (fnu),9 head of the Commerical Department, is from Galati
and holds a key position.
d. Holzmann (fnu), head of the Forestry Department, former employee
of Foresta Romana, and a well-known expert.
25X1
1.I IComment. IPEIL is the Intreprinderile Pentru E
Industrializarea Lemnului (Enterprise for the Exploitation
Use of Wood). IPEIL is state owned and managed by the Mini
Trade and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
xploatarea si
and Industrial
stry of Foreign
25X1
2.
Comment. For recent information on Sovromlemn p
ersonnel,
25X1
D
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457R015500130008-2