Say Melitta filters and most people know what you mean. Say silicon base paper and you won’t get as many answers. Both are a form of speciality paper, the product group within Södra Cell that has the greatest number of variations.
- 149 mills in Europe produce 7.3 million tonnes per year of speciality paper.
- Södra Cell supplies 472,000 tonnes of pulp per year to 72 mills.
The figures speak for themselves: Speciality paper is all about specialisation and small volumes, especially compared to fine paper and magazine paper.
“Speciality paper encompasses a huge number of different products that have nothing in common – except that they’re made from pulp,” says Henrik Wettergren, Södra Cell International’s product manager for speciality paper.
Growing products
The list is long: Coffee filters and silicon base paper (base paper for labels), different types of car filters, label paper, bible paper, cigarette paper, tea bag paper, medical paper, sandpaper, coloured paper, special boards, laminating paper, sweet wrappers – the list goes on.
“We have defined a number of areas with stronger growth than others and they are primarily label paper, decor paper and different types of filter paper,” says Henrik Wettergren.
As a result, these are the areas where Södra Cell International is working hard to increase its sales volume.
“Generally when it comes to speciality paper, we believe it’s more important to be able to offer service and know-how than to compete solely on price,” he says.
Large and small customers
As well as many low-volume customers in the speciality paper area, Södra Cell has a number of large customers, in particular Ahlstrom and Arjo Wiggins, the latter also being a major producer of fine paper. Both these major customers buy pulp with annual volumes in the six figure range. Compare this to one of our smallest customers, German Kurprinz, which bought just 50 tonnes from Södra Cell in 2004.
COMMENT: 2004? That’s rather outdated information for a website…do you have a 2006 figure??
In 2005, almost 428,000 tonnes (21 per cent) of Södra Cell’s production ended up in speciality paper production. The equivalent figure in 2000 was just over 375,000 tonnes.