SCA Acquires British Tissue Maker

SCA growing its presence in the European tissue industry.

SCA has acquired tissue producer Benedetti Paper Division. Benedetti is currently the third largest tissue producer in the away-from-home tissue producer in the United Kingdom.

After the acquisition this spring of CartoInvest and its new tissue mill in Oakenholt, Wales, the intention is to transfer Benedettis' production capacity to the Oakenholt mill, consolidating SCA's AFH-activities in the U.K. to one plant.

Benedettis' U.K. operations comprise two converting companies, Pendigo and KSS, which are supplied with base tissue (mother reels) by external suppliers and together produce some 20,000 tons of converted products. The acquisition will strengthen SCA's position on the U.K. tissue market and SCA will reach a market share of about 17 percent. The U.K. tissue market consumes 765,000 tons of tissue paper each year, of which the AFH segment accounts for nearly one third.