Displaying items by tag: kotkamills
ACQUISITION OF KOTKAMILLS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED
MM strengthens its position in virgin-fiber based cartonboard and innovative barrier cartonboard solutions for plastic replacement
The Mayr-Melnhof Group (MM) has completed the acquisition of Kotkamills, Finland, which was agreed in December 2020, after receiving approval from all relevant competition authorities. Through the acquisition, MM strengthens its position in the virgin fiber cartonboard (FBB) market with an attractive range of barrier cartonboard solutions that can replace PE (polyethylene) -coated cartonboard. Moreover, MM enters the growing cupstock market. This acquisition complements MM’s established market position in recycled cartonboard. In addition, MM diversifies the business with Saturating Kraft Paper in which Kotkamills is one of the global leaders.
"MM Kotkamills will take a strong and dynamic position within MM as the innovator in novel cupstock solutions based on water-based dispersion barriers applied by on-line technology. Our medium-term objective is to raise the sales volume to the capacity of close to 400,000 t of cartonboard per annum. We are looking forward to a successful cooperation with our new colleagues," says Peter Oswald CEO of the MM Group.
MM Kotkamills operates the most modern virgin fiber board machine in Europe (built in 2016) as well as a machine for Saturating Kraft Paper with a capacity of 170,000 t and a sawmill. The mill employs approximately 500 people and generated sales of around EUR 380 million in 2020.
MM is Europe's largest producer of cartonboard and folding cartons focusing on sustainable and innovative fiber-based packaging solutions. In 2020, the group generated sales of around EUR 2.5 billion and employed approx. 10,000 people.
AEGLE Zero. The natural choice.
AEGLE Zero, a new uncoated folding boxboard with an uncoated reverse, has been added to the range of packaging materials offered by Kotkamills from their BM2 cartonboard machine in Kotka, Finland.
AEGLE Zero is a special uncoated packaging grade, suitable for food and non-food end-uses, where a natural look is as important as excellent printability and conversion properties. The grade is made from the same strong, virgin Nordic fibre that AEGLE Pro and AEGLE White are made from and offers the same opportunity for creative design. Printability, CD stiffness and value are all offered by this special new grade.
“The tactile and natural looking surface of AEGLE Zero provides the opportunity for creative packaging design where values of pure, organic quality are implicit in the final product choice. It offers a real opportunity for packaging differentiation and is suitable for a range of printing processes and finishing techniques, like hot and cold foiling. A natural choice from Kotkamills AEGLE range of folding boxboards,” says David Ingham, Sales Director Consumer Boards at Kotkamills.
AEGLE Zero is produced in the range of 305 to 615 micron and is available to order now.
Kotkamills Group in brief
Kotkamills is a responsible partner that delivers renewable products and performance to its customers' processes via product innovations created from wood, a renewable raw material. The key brands of the company include Absorbex® and Imprex®, both innovative laminating paper products for the laminate, plywood and construction industries. Moreover, Kotkamills offers ecological, technically sound and visually attractive wood products for demanding joinery and construction. In summer 2016, Kotkamills started up a new board machine producing AEGLE(TM) Folding Boxboard and ISLA(TM) Food Service Boards, including the capability to add barriers on-machine. All Consumer Boards material solutions are fully recyclable and repulpable.
Kotkamills has two production sites in Finland, located in Kotka and Imatra. The majority shareholder of Kotkamills is MB Funds, a Finnish private equity firm.
AEGLE Zero. The natural choice.
AEGLE Zero, a new uncoated folding boxboard with an uncoated reverse, has been added to the range of packaging materials offered by Kotkamills from their BM2 cartonboard machine in Kotka, Finland.
AEGLE Zero is a special uncoated packaging grade, suitable for food and non-food end-uses, where a natural look is as important as excellent printability and conversion properties. The grade is made from the same strong, virgin Nordic fibre that AEGLE Pro and AEGLE White are made from and offers the same opportunity for creative design. Printability, CD stiffness and value are all offered by this special new grade.
“The tactile and natural looking surface of AEGLE Zero provides the opportunity for creative packaging design where values of pure, organic quality are implicit in the final product choice. It offers a real opportunity for packaging differentiation and is suitable for a range of printing processes and finishing techniques, like hot and cold foiling. A natural choice from Kotkamills AEGLE range of folding boxboards,” says David Ingham, Sales Director Consumer Boards at Kotkamills.
AEGLE Zero is produced in the range of 305 to 615 micron and is available to order now.
Kotkamills Group in brief
Kotkamills is a responsible partner that delivers renewable products and performance to its customers' processes via product innovations created from wood, a renewable raw material. The key brands of the company include Absorbex® and Imprex®, both innovative laminating paper products for the laminate, plywood and construction industries. Moreover, Kotkamills offers ecological, technically sound and visually attractive wood products for demanding joinery and construction. In summer 2016, Kotkamills started up a new board machine producing AEGLE(TM) Folding Boxboard and ISLA(TM) Food Service Boards, including the capability to add barriers on-machine. All Consumer Boards material solutions are fully recyclable and repulpable.
Kotkamills has two production sites in Finland, located in Kotka and Imatra. The majority shareholder of Kotkamills is MB Funds, a Finnish private equity firm.
Kotkamills’ new consumer board machine now in production
Kotkamills’ new consumer board machine, BM2, has started production in Kotka, Finland. A range of folding boxboards will be produced under the brand name AEGLE and a range of food service boards under the brand name ISLA.
BM2 is the first machine in the world to have the capability to produce dispersion barrier coatings directly on the machine, producing barrier boards that can be recycled with normal paper waste due to having zero plastic content.
“The interest in our new sustainable products has been massive. The new machine offers a wide range of interesting possibilities for converters, brand owners and designers alike. Another of the machine’s unique features is the ability to produce board with a silk matte surface, providing brand owners the possibility to make their product really stand out,” says Markku Hämäläinen, CEO of Kotkamills.
The Consumer Boards business will serve two main market areas. The first is the market for the production of packaging for food, confectionery, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The second is the market for food service boards for disposable cups and plates. All products are based on Nordic fresh forest fibres and come with the unique possibility of the addition of on-machine dispersion coated barriers to replace the non-renewable plastics traditionally used.
The new machine will provide an increase to the environmental performance of the site by significantly decreasing the consumption of electricity and water compared to the former paper production process. The consumption of water per tonne of CTMP will be almost halved compared to earlier.
Kotkamills’ Consumer Board machine BM2 in short
- Production capacity 400,000 t/a
- Primary products: high-quality Nordic folding boxboard and recyclable barrier board for the packaging industry and food service sector
- Total investment 170 MEUR
- More than 5 MEUR has been invested in the effluent treatment plant, improving the cleanliness of the waste water
- Main machinery suppliers: Bellmer Vaahto Paper Machinery Oy (from the wet end to drying section of the machine) and Valmet (online coating section, reeler, winder and CTMP plant)
Further information:
Markku Hämäläinen, CEO of Kotkamills Oy
tel. +358 40 721 0548
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About Kotkamills
Kotkamills is a responsible partner that delivers renewable products and performance to its customers’ processes via product innovations created from wood, a renewable raw material. Our key brands include Absorbex® and Imprex®, both innovative laminating paper products for the laminate, plywood and construction industries. Moreover, Kotkamills offers ecological, technically sound and visually attractive wood products for demanding joinery and construction. In summer 2016, Kotkamills will start-up a new cartonboard machine designed to produce folding boxboard and food service boards for consumer markets, including the capability to add barriers on-machine. All Consumer Boards material solutions will be fully recyclable and repulpable.
Kotkamills has two production sites in Finland, located in Kotka and Imatra, and a subsidiary L.P. Pacific Films for Imprex® production in Malaysia. The majority shareholder of Kotkamills is MB Funds, a Finnish private equity firm.
www.kotkamills.com
Kotkamills launches fully recyclable and repulpable consumer board products AEGLE and ISLA
Kotkamills is launching its new range of consumer board products: the folding boxboard range will be covered by the AEGLE brand and the food service range by the ISLA brand. The standard board ranges will be launched in July 2016 when Kotkamills’ new board machine starts. The option of water-based dispersion coated barriers will be added in the Autumn. The new machine will for the first time allow barrier coatings to be applied directly on the cartonboard machine as part of normal production.
“Brand owners and designers are constantly looking for new and better options for creating attractive packaging while answering to the growing consumer demand for ecological products. With AEGLE and ISLA, we offer both sustainable and cost effective solutions that do not compromise the freedom to create unique designs,” says Markku Hämäläinen, CEO of Kotkamills.
“With our next-generation barrier boards, it is possible to use the normal paper recycling process, as they are fully recyclable and repulpable. The board itself is manufactured paying special attention to utilising wood raw material effectively, as well as minimising environmental effects with the help of the latest available technology,” Hämäläinen continues.
Kotkamills’ folding boxboard AEGLE is suitable for various packaging needs from cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to dry, chilled and frozen food and general packaging. Although lightweight and bulky, the board offers high stiffness. In addition to standard fully coated glossy surfaces, Kotkamills are offering a unique silk matt coating that makes the surface of the board very even and smooth, offering excellent printability as well as enhancing the use of various special effects, such as lacquering and foiling. AEGLE folding boxboards will be available with and without recyclable barriers.
The ISLA product range is intended to be used for the production of food service packaging, such as disposable cups and plates. The fact that the dispersion coated barriers used are fully recyclable and repulpable means that after use, such paperboard cups and plates can be easily disposed of along with normal paper waste. This means that a valuable, high quality fibre source can be recovered and re-used instead of being thrown away; unlike the more normally used plastic coated barrier cups and plates.
The raw material for all Kotkamills’ board products are procured from certified Nordic forests.
Further information:
Markku Hämäläinen, CEO of Kotkamills Oy
tel. +358 40 721 0548
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About Kotkamills
Kotkamills is a responsible partner that delivers renewable products and performance to its customers’ processes via product innovations created from wood, a renewable raw material. Our key brands include Absorbex® and Imprex®, both innovative laminating paper products for the laminate, plywood and construction industries. Moreover, Kotkamills offers ecological, technically sound and visually attractive wood products for demanding joinery and construction. In summer 2016, Kotkamills will start-up a new cartonboard machine designed to produce folding boxboard and food service boards for consumer markets, including the capability to add barriers on-machine. All Consumer Boards material solutions will be fully recyclable and repulpable.
Kotkamills has two production sites in Finland, located in Kotka and Imatra, and a subsidiary L.P. Pacific Films for Imprex® production in Malaysia. The majority shareholder of Kotkamills is MB Funds, a Finnish private equity firm.
www.kotkamills.com
Kotkamills’ Consumer Board products soon available across Europe
Kotkamills has formed its European sales network for their upcoming folding boxboard and barrier board products. With 13 sales representatives in over 30 countries, Kotkamills can now offer personal service through local presence all over Europe.
The newly formed sales network consists of 13 sales representatives covering over 30 countries. A local sales network is at the core of Kotkamills’ strategy, as its new consumer board machine is to start production later this summer in Kotka, Finland.
The network allows Kotkamills to be present where the customers are and to provide a local service.
“We have carefully chosen our sales representatives for our main market, where we are entering with our new FBB and barrier boards,” says Pirjo Eteläinen, Director of Kotkamills Consumer Boards.
According to Eteläinen, the key is to offer excellent local service to all customers, especially those who demand a quick and reliable service.
“It is crucial that our sales agents understand our product as well as the needs of our customers. We need to have proficient representatives to be able to communicate our new product range and to serve our customers in the best ways possible. We believe we have succeeded in building the right team.”
Many of the sales representatives are already familiar with Kotkamills’ paper customers. In the UK and Ireland markets, for example, Kotkamills Consumer Boards has now teamed up with Crossleys, with whom Kotkamills has cooperated since 2011.
“We are delighted to have been appointed as the UK and Ireland sales representative for the new Kotkamills Consumer Board products. Their unique technology and local service are definitely greeted with anticipation in the market,” says Jonathan Blundell, Sales Manager at Crossleys.
Kotkamills is investing over 150 million euros to convert its printing paper machine into consumer boards’ production. The new machine, starting production in the end of June, is a first of its kind. It will bring to the market board with dispersion barrier coating applied online with board production. This brings a fully recyclable, renewable and repulpable alternative to PE coated board.
Further information:
Pirjo Eteläinen, Director, Consumer Boards
tel. +358 5 210 1204
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About Kotkamills
Kotkamills is a responsible partner that delivers renewable products and performance to its customers’ processes via product innovations created from wood, a renewable raw material. Our key brands include Absorbex® and Imprex®, both innovative laminating paper products for the laminate, plywood and construction industries. Moreover, Kotkamills offers ecological, technically sound and visually attractive wood products for demanding joinery and construction. In summer 2016, Kotkamills will start-up a new cartonboard machine designed to produce folding boxboard and food service boards for consumer markets, including the capability to add barriers on-machine. All Consumer Boards material solutions will be fully recyclable and repulpable.
Kotkamills has two production sites in Finland, located in Kotka and Imatra, and a subsidiary L.P. Pacific Films for Imprex® production in Malaysia. The majority shareholder of Kotkamills is MB Funds, a Finnish private equity firm.
www.kotkamills.com
Kotkamills consumer boards organisation news
To ensure the continued smooth development of the new Consumer Boards business unit, we are pleased to announce that Pirjo Eteläinen has been appointed Director, Consumer Boards. She takes responsibility for the operating result of the business unit and will continue to develop the sales and support network ready for the launch of the new board machine at the end of June this year. In addition, David Ingham has been appointed Global Sales Director, Consumer Boards, and will take responsibility for the sales organisation and sales overall.
Both appointments are made with immediate effect.
Christian Höglund, previously Director, Consumer Boards Business Unit, has left the company to pursue other opportunities. We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his work in developing the business unit to date and wish him every success with his future challenges.
For further information, please contact Mr. Markku Hämäläinen, CEO of Kotkamills Oy, tel. +358 40 721 0548, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
About Kotkamills
Kotkamills is a responsible partner that delivers renewable products and performance to its customers’ processes via product innovations created from wood, a renewable raw material. Our key brands include Absorbex® and Imprex®, both innovative laminating paper products for the laminate, plywood and construction industries. Moreover, Kotkamills offers ecological, technically sound and visually attractive wood products for demanding joinery and construction. In summer 2016, Kotkamills will start-up a new cartonboard machine designed to produce folding boxboard and food service boards for consumer markets, including the capability to add barriers on-machine. All Consumer Boards material solutions will be fully recyclable and repulpable.
Kotkamills has two production sites in Finland, located in Kotka and Imatra, and a subsidiary L.P. Pacific Films for Imprex® production in Malaysia. The majority shareholder of Kotkamills is MB Funds, a Finnish private equity firm.
www.kotkamills.com