Sappi-PM2 launch doubles our paperboard capacity

Effective June 1, 2020, Solenis LLC closed on its previously announced acquisition of the paper business of ChemSystems, a division of AECI Ltd. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, ChemSystems is a leading producer and supplier of specialized chemical solutions for water-intensive industries, including the pulp, paper and tissue manufacturing industries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The business will be integrated into Solenis as part of its direct-to-market strategy.

2020 was a turbulent year and 2021 still is. Everybody around the world is dealing with the massive impact of the Corona (COVID-19) virus. It also impacted the results of Crown Van Gelder in 2020 but we were able to write black figures. Our priority was to protect the health of our employees and maintain the service to our customers within the given circumstances. After two years of research in 2020 Crown Van Gelder developed Crown Native with the Dutch agricultural cooperative Cosun Beet Company as a strategic partner. The agricultural process residue from Cosun’s production process, beet pulp, forms a valuable resource for the paper and Crown Van Gelder succeeded in creating paper made out of 20% beet pulp, thus achieving environmental gains in several areas. Crown Van Gelder will start selling paper made with sugar beet fibres in 2021.

Bain Capital weighs IPO or sale of Ahlstrom at up to €8B, targeting ESG-focused investors via Amsterdam amid rising demand for sustainable industrial assets. Bain Capital is weighing a dual-track exit for Ahlstrom, the Finnish specialty materials company it acquired in 2022. The two options on the table: a public listing in Amsterdam or a strategic private sale. The potential valuation of the business in either scenario is estimated between €7 billion and €8 billion, signaling a substantial return on Bain’s earlier investment. Ahlstrom, known for producing sustainable fiber-based materials used in filtration, medical, packaging, and industrial applications, is currently preparing IPO groundwork with Rothschild & Co, while Morgan Stanley is reportedly assessing potential sale routes.