Going back to our roots

 

Sappi was formed in 1936 to provide South Africa with locally-made paper. As the market grew, so did Sappi, acquiring land to grow timber, the renewable resource for paper and pulp, and investing in new mills and new products. All the time focused on being a reliable partner that grows with local businesses. These lessons proved invaluable for Sappi’s later expansion. The lessons Sappi learnt by growing in South Africa through acquisition and transformation provided strong experience for the company when it began to grow internationally. Sappi used the same vision and values to explore new markets, quickly establishing itself as a leader in North America and Europe.

 

Today, the company is present on four continents with production in 20 mills and managing its own plantations. A team of 15,600 commit themselves everyday to produce fi ne paper, business paper, specialty paper, packaging paper, casting release paper and chemical cellulose pulp.

 

Since the early ‘90s, a successful strategy of gradual growth was installed. Companies in the UK, Germany, the US, Belgium and the Netherlands were acquired and integrated. The latest acquisition of M-real in 2009 provided a 50% growth of its productivity capacity. To create a strong position in emerging markets like China, Sappi has concluded a local joint venture.