Sappi Fine Paper
75% of group sales
Sappi Fine Paper is a leading producer of:
- Coated graphic paper, used in producing calendars, catalogues, brochures, books, premium magazines, direct mailings and annual reports.
The division also produces a range of:
- Uncoated graphic and business paper,
- Coated and uncoated speciality paper – such as paper used in flexible packaging – and
- Casting release paper used in the manufacture of synthetic leather and decorative laminate products.
With 11 mills in Europe and North America, Sappi Fine Paper has the capacity to produce 4.9 million tons of fine paper per year and is approximately 75% integrated in terms of pulp supply.
On a regional basis, we purchase slightly less than half of the Sappi Fine Paper business’ pulp requirements in Europe and are net sellers of pulp in North America. The Sappi group including Southern Africa is approximately 105% integrated in terms of pulp supply.
The two manufacturing regions, namely:
have customers in over 100 countries. This geographic spread of our operations allows us to optimise global knowledge of market developments, operational best practices and technological advancements.
Sappi Southern Africa
25% of group sales
Sappi was formed in South Africa in 1936 to serve South African consumers with locally produced paper. Sappi Paper and Paper Packaging continues this tradition by innovating and developing new products to meet local demand for:
- newsprint,
- coated and uncoated fine papers,
- office and business papers (stationery, printing and photocopying),
- security and speciality papers (passports and election ballot papers),
- containerboard (cardboard boxes used for exporting fruit and cucumbers) and
- packaging paper (bags for cement, dog food, potatoes and shopping bags).
- Bleached paper-pulp is sold on the South African and global paper markets.
Headquartered in Johannesburg (South Africa), the division operates five pulp and paper mills and has a production capacity of 1.1 million tons of paper and 1.2 million tons of pulp per year.
Chemical cellulose, a product made from wood, mostly from our plantations, is sold to converters for a wide range of consumer products, such as clothing, cellular phone screens, cellophane wrap for sweets and flowers, pharmaceutical and household products, and make-up such as lipstick. We are the world’s largest manufacturer of chemical cellulose and we export almost all of the production of Sappi Saiccor Mill, KwaZulu-Natal.
The mill has the capacity to produce approximately 800,000 tons of Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) chemical cellulose (dissolving pulp) per year.
Sappi Forests supplies over 70% of the wood requirements of Sappi Southern Africa from both our own and managed commercial timber plantations of 567,000 hectares. This equates to more than 35 million tons of standing timber.
All wood grown on Sappi-owned land and a large proportion grown on plantations managed by us is
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC©) and ISO 9000 certified. Approximately 150,000 hectares of our land is protected and maintained by Sappi Forests to conserve the natural habitat and biodiversity found there, including indigenous forests and wetlands.
Sappi's sawmill, Lomati, produces sawn timber for the construction industry.
Sappi Southern Africa is a net seller of pulp that effectively hedges pulp purchases by our European business.
Sappi Trading operates a network for the selling and distribution of our products outside our core operating regions of North America, Europe and Southern Africa.
Headquartered in Hong Kong (China), the division manages a network of 11 sales offices and serves over 100 countries around the world. Sales and logistical operations are provided for most of the group’s pulp sales and a large proportion of the group’s fine paper and specialty paper sales in export markets. Sappi Trading also manages our China joint venture’s export sales.
By providing our manufacturing regions with cost effective access to worldwide markets, the division is an essential component in maximising Sappi’s profitability.
Jiangxi Chenming Paper Co (JV)
Sappi also has 34% ownership of a mill in the People’s Republic of China, which has a capacity of 350,000 tons of light weight coated paper.