Displaying items by tag: ahlstrom
Ahlstrom to increase filtration material capacity in Turin, Italy
Ahlstrom, a high performance materials company, will invest into additional capacity in filtration materials at its site in Turin, Italy. The investment will be operational by the third quarter of 2013 and will consist of an upgrade to a paper machine producing filter media for transportation and gas turbine applications.
Total investment is approximately EUR 10 million and it will significantly increase the Turin plant capacity to supply filter media to customers globally.
"This investment is another important step in our growth roadmap, where we are strengthening our platform in Europe. By expanding our filtration operations, we are reinforcing our position as a global supplier in the filtration market with a full offering of filter media," said Tommi Björnman, Executive Vice President Filtration.
"Our global filtration platform has grown significantly in the past two years, with the recent investments in the new saturator line in Turin, the expansion at our plant in Louveira in Brazil and the acquisition and the expansion of the Binzhou plant in China. We will continue to work with our customers to grow in regions where they are focused," added Gary Blevins, Vice President, Transportation Filtration.
Ahlstrom is a leading manufacturer of filtration materials with 11 production sites producing filter media across four continents.Ahlstrom acquires Munktell to accelerate growth in advanced filtration materials
Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, has today signed an agreement to acquire the Sweden-based Munktell Filter AB as a strategic step to grow the advanced filtration business particularly in life science and laboratory applications.
Under the agreement, Ahlstrom will acquire 100 percent of the shares in Munktell Filter AB, as well as its holdings in Munktell & Filtrak GmbH, Filtres Fioroni SA and Munktell Inc. The enterprise value of the transaction is approximately EUR 20 million, including the planned subsequent buyouts of minority interests. Through the transaction, Ahlstrom will become a global leader in life science and laboratory media filtration.
According to Jan Lång, President & CEO, the acquisition reinforces Ahlstrom's leadership in filtration material markets worldwide. "There is a clear strategic fit with Munktell and Ahlstrom, and the transaction allows us to strengthen our product portfolio in advanced filtration materials. This move is a prime example of our focus on new type of high performance materials business with attractive future growth potential."
"When we combine Munktell's strong position in the European advanced filtration market with our solid presence in North America, we will gain access to new markets geographically. Driven by global changes in demographics, life science and laboratory filtration are lucrative growth areas for us," added Tommi Björnman, Executive Vice President, Filtration.
Munktell is based in Falun, Sweden and it has production sites in Germany and Sweden, a joint venture in France, as well as a sales office in the U.S. The company's net sales amounted to approximately EUR 15 million and operating profit margin was roughly 15% in 2011. It employs some 100 people. Munktell produces filtration materials mainly for life science and laboratory applications. End-use examples include new born screening, laboratory media filtration, filter materials for pollution control, as well as testing materials used by medical, sugar and beverage industries.
Munktell will be integrated into Ahlstrom's Filtration business area. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of October 2012 and is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Ahlstrom is the global leader of filtration materials with 11 production sites producing filtration materials across four continents.Change in Ahlstrom's Board of Directors
Nathalie Ahlström (M.Sc., Tech) has decided to tender her resignation as a member of Ahlstrom's Board of Directors due to a conflict of interest caused by her taking up a new executive position. The resignation will be effective as of Sept. 1, 2012
Ahlstrom Corporation and its Board of Directors wish to warmly thank Ms. Ahlström for her valuable contribution as a member of the Board of Directors wish her all the success in her future endeavors.
The Board of Directors will continue with six members until the next Annual General Meeting in 2013: Peter Seligson (Chairman), Pertti Korhonen (Vice Chairman), Sebastian Bondestam, Lori J. Cross, Esa Ikäheimonen and Anders Moberg.Ahlstrom's new filtration materials investment in Turin plant completed
Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, has completed an investment on additional capacity in filtration material at its site in Turin, Italy. The company has started to ramp up its new saturator line, which is expected to be commercial during the third quarter of 2012, slightly ahead of the planned schedule. The value of the investment, initially announced in December 2010, is approximately EUR 17.5 million.
"This capacity increase in Turin is an important step for Ahlstrom's Filtration business area. We are committed to grow with our customers as a global supplier in the filtration market with a full offering of filter media. We are pleased to be able to provide the newest technology to our customers, both for transportation and advanced filtration materials. This way we will help our customers to stay ahead," stated Tommi Björnman, Executive Vice President, Filtration.
"We are excited about the new saturator line, which has state-of-the-art control equipment that ensures manufacturing of a very consistent, clean and high quality media," said Gary Blevins, Vice President, Transportation Filtration.
Ahlstrom is the global leader of filtration materials with 11 production sites across four continents. Earlier this year, Ahlstrom announced that it has completed significant upgrades with various filtration testing and simulation equipment to its Global Filtration Technical Center in Turin, Italy. These investments ensure Ahlstrom's capabilities to offer new and innovative solutions for its customers globally.
Ahlstrom to publish January-June 2012 interim report on August 9, 2012
Ahlstrom will publish its January-June 2012 interim report on Thursday, August 9, 2012 approximately at 9.00 a.m. Finnish time (CET +1).
Ahlstrom's President & CEO Jan Lång and CFO Seppo Parvi will present the report in Finnish at an analyst and press conference in Helsinki on Thursday, August 9 at 10.00 a.m. Finnish time. The conference will take place at event arena Bank, Unioninkatu 20. The name of the meeting room will be displayed on the board in the lobby.
In addition, CEO Lång and CFO Parvi will hold a conference call in English on the same day at 2.00 p.m. Finnish time. To participate in the teleconference, please dial +358 (0)9 6937 9590 in Finland or +44 (0)20 3364 5381 outside Finland a few minutes before the conference begins. The confirmation code is 5451119.
The event can also be viewed as a live audio webcast at www.ahlstrom.com. Registration is required. It is possible to participate in the Q & A session via online.
An on-demand audio webcast of the conference will be available on Ahlstrom's website for twelve months after the call.
The presentation material will be available at www.ahlstrom.com > Investors > Reports and presentations > 2012 after the January-June 2012 interim report has been published.
Ahlstrom to complete the transfer of Brazilian wipes business in the third quarter 2012
Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, estimates that the transfer of the Brazilian operation of its former wipes fabrics business, Home and Personal, to Suominen Corporation will take place in the third quarter of 2012.
Ahlstrom had previously anticipated that the transfer would have taken place in the second quarter of 2012. The transfer is subject to receiving all necessary Brazilian regulatory permits for the operations.
The Home and Personal business area excluding the Brazilian part of the operation was transferred on October 31, 2011 to Suominen Corporation. Receiving an approval from the competition authorities in Brazil is not a prerequisite for completing the transaction.
Change in Ahlstrom's Nomination Committee
Ahlstrom's Board of Directors has appointed Thomas Ahlström as a non-board member of its Nomination Committee. He will replace Carl Ahlström, who has informed the board that he is no longer available for the position.
Thomas Ahlström represents Antti Ahlström Perilliset Oy, which is the biggest shareholder of Ahlstrom. In addition to three board members, the Nomination Committee consists of two non-board members representing major shareholders. The composition of the committee aims at increasing shareholder influence in nomination matters.
As of June 18, 2012, the members of the Nomination Committee are Peter Seligson, Pertti Korhonen, Anders Moberg as well as the non-board members Risto Murto and Thomas Ahlström.
Ahlstrom plans to close its plant in Barcelona
Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, plans to close its plant in Barcelona, Spain. The plant, which manufactures products for advanced and transportation filtration businesses, has suffered from continued weakening demand in Southern Europe. The company estimates that about 30 employees will be affected starting from the second half of 2012.
The Barcelona plant, part of the Filtration business area, is one of the Ahlstrom's smallest production units. The plant has a saturator and a converter unit for materials used in transportation and advanced filtration applications. In the future, customers will be served from Ahlstrom's other plants.
The measures taken by Ahlstrom to improve the efficiency at the plant have unfortunately not proved sufficient. The company will make every effort in supporting employees affected by the changes.
Ahlstrom extends innovative Acti-V(TM) technology to its entire supercalendered release papers range
Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, will extend the application of its recently launched Ahlstrom Acti-V(TM) technology to all supercalendered release papers manufactured at its La Gère plant in France. The products are used for Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) labeling, as well as for specialty tape and industrial applications.
Ahlstrom started to market Ahlstrom Acti-V(TM) release papers for PSA labeling applications, manufactured at its Turin plant in Italy. In order to meet the growing customer demand worldwide, the company is planning equipment modifications at its La Gère facility in France in August 2012. Consequently, Ahlstrom will be able to increase its Ahlstrom Acti-V(TM) production volume and potentially reach up to one hundred percent of the plant's output. This will also enable applying Ahlstrom Acti-V(TM) technology to the two-side silicone coating papers range for tape and industrial applications, which represent a major focus of the French site.
Ahlstrom Acti-V(TM) is a new generation of release papers for silicone coating. The Ahlstrom patented technology was first introduced to the market at Labelexpo Europe 2011 in the end of last year. Thanks to the new technology, Ahlstrom Acti-V(TM) plays an active role in the silicone curing and anchorage process. Silicone curing requires less catalyst (platinum) and energy. At the same time, it improves silicone coverage while the anchorage is stronger and more durable, even in challenging environmental conditions.
"Ahlstrom Acti-V(TM) has received an extremely warm acceptance from the market, since it responds to some of the key operational challenges of our customers. A few months after introduction, the product proves its benefits running on industrial coaters in Europe, Asia and the Americas. By expanding manufacturing to our La Gère plant, we will be in the position to offer Ahlstrom Acti-V(TM) benefits for an even wider number of applications" says Daniele Borlatto, Executive Vice President, Label and Processing.
Ahlstrom is a global leading producer of release papers for the PSA industry. It operates five release liners production sites located in Europe (4) and South America (1). Those plants belong to the Ahlstrom's Label and Processing business area.
Aki Saarinen appointed Executive Vice President, Strategic Business Development, at Ahlstrom
Aki Saarinen (born 1967), M.Sc. (paper technology), MBA, is appointed Executive Vice President, Strategic Business Development, and member of the Executive Management Team as of June 11, 2012, at Ahlstrom Corporation. Saarinen will report to Jan Lång, President and CEO, Ahlstrom.
In his new role, Saarinen will be responsible for managing business development related processes and exploring new business opportunities within Ahlstrom. He will be based in Helsinki, Finland.
Saarinen joins Ahlstrom from Treeactive Oy. Prior to that, Saarinen has been holding various senior executive technology positions at Metso Corporation in 2001-2011. He has also worked at Valmet Paper Machinery Oy and UPM Corporation.