Sappi Limited, originally incorporated as ''South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited'' in 1936, is a
South African __NOTOC__
South African may relate to:
* The nation of South Africa
* South African Airways
* South African English
* South African people
* Languages of South Africa
* Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the Afric ...
pulp and paper company
The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard and other cellulose-based products.
Manufacturing process
The pulp is fed to a paper machine where it is formed as a paper web an ...
with global operations.
Products and operation
South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited was founded in 1936. The company is now known as Sappi and is headquartered in
Johannesburg,
It produces and sells commodity
paper products,
pulp,
dissolving pulp, and forest and
timber products for Southern Africa and export markets. In 2013, it was the world's largest producer of dissolving pulp.
In 2003, Sappi announced that Andre Wagenaar had been appointed as the CEO of Sappi's Forest Products Division, with effect from 1 January 2004, when Dr John Job relinquished his responsibilities for the Southern African businesses.
As of 1 July 2014, Steve Binnie became Sappi's Chief Executive Officer. His predecessor, Ralph Boettger, resigned for health reasons after serving as CEO from 2007 to 2014.
In July 2019, Michael G. Haws was appointed as President and CEO of Sappi
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, succeeding Mark Gardner who retired at the end of September 2019.
Global acquisitions and closures
In 1990 Sappi purchased the paper mills of UK
Dickinson Robinson Group – Nash Mills, Keynsham Paper Mill and Fife Paper Mills from the
asset-stripper Roland Franklin (Pembridge Investments). These mills were subsequently closed by Sappi as were all other acquisitions (Kymmini Oy, Blackburn Mill and Wolvercote Mill) they had made in the UK.
On 29 September 2008, Sappi purchased two paper mills in
Finland, one in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and one in
Germany from the
M-real company. In the
United States, Sappi closed its
Muskegon, Michigan plant in 2009, which was founded in 1899 by the Central Paper Company. In 2011 Sappi announced closure of their Swiss production site. The company's existing kraft pulp plant in
Cloquet, Minnesota was replaced by a new mill which began producing
dissolving pulp in June 2013.
Price fixing controversy
In 1996 Sappi along other 10 main producers of carbonless paper was investigated by the
European Commission for illegal
price fixing in various countries in the
EU. Although found guilty of earning millions by fixing the price of printing paper, Sappi was granted full immunity from the fine due to its cooperation with the EC's cartel investigating unit. Other companies implicated were fined a total of $145 million.
See also
*
S. D. Warren Paper Mill: A Sappi facility in Westbrook, Maine, United States
References
External links
Company websiteLinkedIn company profile
{{Authority control
Manufacturing companies based in Johannesburg
Manufacturing companies of South Africa
Manufacturing companies established in 1936
Companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
Companies based in Johannesburg
Economy of Johannesburg
Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Pulp and paper companies of South Africa
Pulp and paper companies
South African brands
Multinational companies
Publicly traded companies
1936 establishments
1936 establishments in South Africa
Renewable resource companies established in 1936
Companies established in 1936
Companies of South Africa