Wermland Paper AB sold by Procuritas Capital Investors III
Press Release, Stockholm
Nordic Paper has reached an agreement to buy all shares in Wermland Paper AB. Wermland Paper AB consists of Bäckhammars Bruk and Åmotfors Bruk in the province of Värmland. The previous owners of the company were Procuritas Capital Investors III together with members of the management team and board. Annual turnover is 1.1 billion SEK and number of employees is 360.
Wermland Paper holds market leading positions within selected niches for unbleached kraft paper, both in Europe and globally. The company offers a broad range of products and is primarily active within selected niches on the markets for sack paper, MG/MF paper, steel interleaving paper and absorbent paper. Wermland Paper has a total annual capacity of 180 000 tonnes of sulphate pulp and circa 160 000 tonnes of paper.
“We see the acquisition of Wermland Paper as a strategically important step for the expansion of Nordic Paper as a speciality paper producer” says CEO Richard Heiberg. “Wermland Paper is a well managed and profitable company, where we can see substantial synergies between the 4 production units of which 3 are geographically located in the province of Värmland” says Richard Heiberg.
“Wermland Paper has in recent years shown a strong development with increased turnover and improved profitability. The company’s management has carried out an extensive improvement programme, while at the same time Wermland Paper’s market segments have shown a generally positive development. Today, Wermland Paper has a strong position and we wish the new owners success with the continued development of the company”, says Hans Karlander at Procuritas Partners, adviser to the fund Procuritas Capital Investors III.
Nordic Paper is the world’s largest producer of grease proof paper which is a speciality paper used within a number of different segments like the baking and packaging industry. After the acquisition of Wermland Paper, Nordic Paper AS will have an annual turnover of 1.8 billion NOK with 4 production sites and a total of 650 employees.