Displaying items by tag: Ahlstrom Corporation

Ahlstrom Corporation's Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGM) was held today on November 27, 2012.

Demerger of the Label and Processing business in Europe

The EGM resolved to approve the demerger concerning the Ahlstrom Group's Label and Processing business in Europe ('LP Europe Demerger') in accordance with the demerger plan.

Upon the execution of the demerger concerning the Label and Processing business in Europe, the shareholders of Ahlstrom Corporation will receive as demerger consideration 0.25 new shares in Munksjö Oyj for each share owned in Ahlstrom Corporation (i.e. the exchange ratio is 4:1). In case the number of shares received by a shareholder of the company as demerger consideration would be a fractional number, the fractions will be rounded down to the nearest whole number. No demerger consideration will be paid on the basis of own shares held by Ahlstrom Corporation.

The completion of the demerger is subject to, among other things, approvals of the competition authorities.

Demerger of the Label and Processing business in Brazil

The EGM resolved to approve the demerger concerning the Ahlstrom Group's Label and Processing business in Brazil ('Coated Specialties Demerger') in accordance with the demerger plan.

Upon execution of the demerger concerning the Label and Processing business in Brazil, the shareholders of Ahlstrom Corporation will receive as demerger consideration 0.265 new shares in Munksjö Oyj for each share owned in Ahlstrom Corporation. In case the number of shares received by a shareholder of the company as demerger consideration would be a fractional number, the fractions will be rounded down to the nearest whole number. No demerger consideration will be paid on the basis of own shares held by Ahlstrom Corporation.

The completion of the demerger is subject to, among other things, certain regulatory approvals in Brazil, including the approval of the Brazilian competition authority (CADE). 

Ahlstrom, a global high performance fiber-based materials company, has developed a PFOA-free* version of its Ahlstrom Coralpack range, a flexible packaging paper for direct wrapping and packing of numerous grease-containing food products, such as biscuits, pastries, coffee beans, fast food, take-away food, pizzas, popcorn for micro wave, butter & margarine, soup cubes and many more.

To produce grease resistant packaging papers, fluorochemicals are added in the paper production process. However, deriving from the production process of these fluorochemicals, trace amounts of PFOA can be found as an unintended impurity.  In January 2006, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invited manufacturers of fluorochemicals to commit to reduce by 95% PFOA from their emissions and products content not later than by 2010 and to eliminate it totally by 2015.

To offer its customers a grease resistant paper free of this unintended impurity, Ahlstrom Group Product & Technology Development services have designed a new generation of grease resistant papers.

Today, the entire Ahlstrom Coralpack paper range is available on request in a New Generation (NG) version, free of PFOA*. The product's paper range spans from 32 to 200 grams per square meter and offers high performance paper characteristics such as printability, laminating, extrusion and crimping. Ahlstrom Coralpack is produced at the Rottersac plant South-West of France. Whatever their grease contents, food products packed or wrapped in Ahlstrom Coralpack papers are always free of grease stains, which positively impacts the image of different brands in consumer minds. This environmentally-friendly product improvement is another Ahlstrom contribution to make its customers stay ahead in their markets.

* Does not contain Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (below current detection limits of 20 ppb), cannot release PFOA or any PFOA precursor.

Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, and a leading producer of release papers, has today announced a new initiative for recycling silicone coated paper release liners used by the pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) label industry.

This sustainability initiative aims to collect silicone coated supercalendered papers (commonly known as "glassine") once they have been utilized as carriers of PSA labels by end-users, such as brand owners or retailers. Ahlstrom will collect the materials through one or more logistics partners and will recycle them into specialty paper production at its Osnabrück plant in Germany.

Glassine paper release liners will be picked-up at no cost from end-users anywhere in Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands, provided a minimum quantity of two tons per load. Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials Division will support this initiative and utilizes its contacts across the value chain in order to make label printers and brand owners aware sof this new opportunity.

Ahlstrom's recycling capacity will be sufficient to absorb release liner waste of a significant number of end-users. The initiative increases the recycling options available in the market and will help divert paper liner waste from landfill or incineration, while increasing the quantities recycled into paper.

"Thanks to Ahlstrom Osnabrück's convenient location in north-western Germany and the support of Avery Dennison, we trust this program will offer PSA label end-users an opportunity to increase their overall environmental performance" says Daniele Borlatto, Executive Vice President, Label and Processing. "Such programs also reinforce the position of paper as a uniquely sustainable material for the PSA industry"  

Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials Division supports this initiative, as engaging local value chain partners is essential in driving self-sustaining waste recycling programs for the self-adhesive industry.

Ahlstrom is a global leading producer of release papers for the PSA industry. It operates five release papers production sites located in Europe (4) and South America (1). All of them are ISO 14001, FSC(TM) and PEFC(TM) Chain of Custody certified, and are part of Ahlstrom's Label and Processing business area.

Ahlstrom, a high performance materials company, today celebrates the inauguration of its new production facility in Longkou, Shandong Province, in eastern China. The plant is a joint venture together with Longkou Yulong Paper Co. Ltd, and it produces medical papers used for sterilization wraps and masking tape base papers for the building industry in the Asian market. 

"This joint venture in Longkou supports Ahlstrom's growth strategy and strengthens our presence in Asia. Crepe paper used in the medical and building industries in Asia provides us interesting opportunities for growth in the area," says Jan Lång, Ahlstrom's President & CEO.

The new plant in China is the outcome of a EUR 21.9 million investment, of which EUR 13.1 million contributed by Ahlstrom, and employs approximately 140 people. Located in the Zhu You Guan Industrial Park in Longkou, the plant is conveniently positioned near a large commercial port with excellent connects to China and Asia by road and sea, ensuring easy logistics for both incoming raw materials and shipment of products. The investment was initially announced on October 28, 2010.

The plant is a part of Ahlstrom's Food and Medical Business Area. In addition to Longkou, Ahlstrom has three other manufacturing plants and twelve sales offices in Asia, providing service throughout the region.  

Ahlstrom, a global leader in high performance materials, announces price increases in the first quarter of 2013 for its filtration materials globally as a consequence of the continued high level of raw materials prices, such as specialty fibers, chemicals and energy.

The price increase will affect filtration materials produced by Ahlstrom globally. The level and timing of the increase will depend on the markets served, the raw material content of the product and the agreements in place. The increase will be between 5-10 %. Specific details will be discussed with each customer individually by the appropriate sales teams in the coming days.

Jari Koikkalainen (b. 1965), M.Sc. (Tech), eMBA, is appointed Executive Vice President, Transportation Filtration, and member of the Executive Management Team as of February 1, 2013, at Ahlstrom Corporation.

Koikkalainen will report to Jan Lång, President and CEO, Ahlstrom. In his new role, Koikkalainen will be responsible for leading and developing the transportation filtration business within Ahlstrom. He will be based in Beijing, China.

Koikkalainen joins Ahlstrom from Metso Corporation, where he has held various senior executive positions during 2000-2012. At present, Koikkalainen is Area President, Metso Paper (China) Co., Ltd. 

Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, announced that it will revise its organization to accelerate growth. The current operating model will remain unchanged. The new organization will become effective as of January 1, 2013.

Ahlstrom currently has four business areas: Building and Energy, Filtration, Food and Medical and Label and Processing. As announced earlier, the specialty paper business operated under the Label and Processing business area is planned to be combined with Munksjö AB and the transaction is scheduled to be completed in two steps during the first and second quarter of 2013.  

To enable stronger focus on the filtration markets, the current filtration business area will be divided into two business areas: Transportation Filtration and Advanced Filtration.

Ahlstrom's new business areas as of January 1, 2013 will be the following:

Building and Energy: One of the leading players globally for materials used in wallcoverings, floorings and windmill blades.

Transportation Filtration:  Global leader in transportation filtration materials.

Advanced Filtration: Global leader in life science and laboratory filtration materials.

Food and Medical: One of the leading players globally for materials used in teabags, food packaging, masking tape and medical gowns and drapes.

These four business areas will form the new reporting segments in Ahlstrom's financial reporting. Subject to the approval by the Extraordinary General Meeting of the demergers of Ahlstrom Corporation on November 27, 2012, the Label and Processing business area will be reported as part of discontinued operations.   

Changes in the Executive Management Team

In connection with the change in the business area structure, the following changes will be made in Ahlstrom's Executive Management Team:

Tommi Björnman, Executive Vice President, Filtration, has decided to resign from Ahlstrom to pursue other career opportunities. He will continue in his current role until the end of the year.

Tommi Björnman joined Ahlstrom in 1996 and has been a member of the Executive Management Team since 2005. Ahlstrom thanks Tommi Björnman for his valuable contribution during his long career with the company.

Fulvio Capussotti (40), M.Sc. (Chem. Eng.) has been appointed Executive Vice President, Advanced Filtration, and a member of the Executive Management team. He will report to Jan Lång, President and CEO, as of January 1, 2013.

Fulvio Capussotti has been working with Ahlstrom since 2002 in various senior management roles. He currently leads the Advanced Filtration Business Unit.

The Executive Vice President, Transportation Filtration, also a member of the Ahlstrom Executive Management Team, will be appointed in the near future.

Ahlstrom's sales volume development during the remainder of the year is expected to be weaker than the company had earlier estimated due to lower than expected demand in key markets. Demand has been reduced due to the continued slowdown especially in the economies in Europe. In addition, recovery in China has been delayed.

Ahlstrom anticipates that its net sales and operating profit excluding non-recurring items for 2012 will be lower than the company had previously estimated.    

The company now expects its net sales from continuing operations to be between EUR 1,550-1,630 million and operating profit excluding non-recurring items from continuing operations to be EUR 48-58 million. Ahlstrom had previously forecast its 2012 net sales to be EUR 1,575-1,735 million and operating profit excluding non-recurring items to be EUR 60-80 million for 2012.

Ahlstrom will publish its January-September 2012 interim report on October 22, 2012.

Ahlstrom will publish its financial information in 2013 as follows: 

Report                                                          Publication date

Financial statements bulletin 2012                 Thursday, January 31
Interim report January - March                      Thursday, April 25
Interim report January - June                        Wednesday, August 7
Interim report January - September              Thursday, October 24

The annual report for 2012 will be available in a PDF format on Ahlstrom's web site on the week starting February 25, 2013.  

Ahlstrom's Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 1 p.m. at the Finlandia Hall (Mannerheimintie 13 e, Helsinki).

Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, announced that the transfer of its wipes business in Brazil to Suominen Corporation will be postponed.

The transfer has been subject to receiving all necessary Brazilian regulatory permits for the operations in addition to competition clearances, which have been received. Ahlstrom had previously anticipated that the transfer would take place in the third quarter of 2012.

Due to the delay in receiving all necessary permits, Ahlstrom and Suominen have now concluded that the transfer cannot be done in the planned time schedule. The parties are negotiating the prerequisites, including financing, for completing the transaction. Ahlstrom and Suominen are together looking into opportunities to move the wipes business in Brazil to Suominen through alternative interim solutions within the scope of the current permits. The aim is to transfer the operations in Brazil to Suominen as soon as possible.

The Home and Personal business area, excluding the Brazilian part of the operation, was transferred on October 31, 2011 to Suominen Corporation.