Sappi Limited, originally incorporated as ''South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited'' in 1936, is a South African pulp and paper company 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 Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

, It produces and sells commodity

paper products Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...

, pulp,

dissolving pulp Dissolving pulp, also called dissolving cellulose, is bleached wood pulp or cotton linters that has a high cellulose content (> 90%). It has special properties including a high level of brightness and uniform molecular-weight distribution. This pul ...

, and forest and

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

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 th ...

, 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 The Dickinson Robinson Group, or DRG, was a listed British paper, printing and packaging company founded in 1966 as a result of a merger of John Dickinson Stationery Ltd and E. S. & A. Robinson Ltd, creating one of the world's largest stationery an ...

– Nash Mills, Keynsham Paper Mill and Fife Paper Mills from the asset-stripper

Roland Franklin Sir Roland Arthur Ellis Franklin (born 5 May 1926) is a British-born Antigua and Barbuda-based merchant banker. Early life Roland Franklin was born in 1926 into an affluent and influential British Jewish family. His father, Ellis Arthur 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 Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

, 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 Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

from the M-real company. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, Sappi closed its

Muskegon, Michigan Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expans ...

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 Cloquet ( ) is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States, at the junction of Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway 33. Part of the city lies within the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation and serves as one of the reservation's three admi ...

was replaced by a new mill which began producing

in June 2013.

Price fixing controversy

In 1996 Sappi along other 10 main producers of carbonless paper was investigated by the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

for illegal

price fixing Price fixing is an anticompetitive agreement between participants on the same side in a market to buy or sell a product, service, or commodity only at a fixed price, or maintain the market conditions such that the price is maintained at a given ...

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.

References

External links

Company website

LinkedIn 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

Products and operation

Global acquisitions and closures

Price fixing controversy

See also

References

External links