Everything starts with Metsä Fibre’s high-quality, sustainably produced pulp.
Most paperboard customers and their products are well known to consumers. The Kemi mill has major custom- ers especially in the food industry, and many of them are international top brands. The company has become a trusted partner of several globally recognised customers thanks to its long-term, purposeful development and quality work. Its main mar- kets comprise Europe, the US and Canada. CONSISTENT QUALITY TO SATISFY CUSTOMER NEEDS Panu Räsänen , Metsä Board’s Product Manager, stresses that paperboard production in Kemi is steered by custom- er focus. The products must always satisfy the customer’s most stringent quality requirements and delivery times, in addition to functioning properly in the production processes. “Quality must remain consistent from reel to reel. This ensures that the packaging and its print quality also meet the customer’s needs,” says Räsänen. Everything starts with Metsä Fibre’s high-quality, sus- tainably produced pulp, the origin of which can be traced back to a forest plot. “We are a front runner in sustainable development and a leader in our branch of industry, producing world-class quality with the greatest achievable material efficiency. This is made possible by our integrated mill and shared quality strategy.” A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO PLASTIC PACKAGING Veijo Korkalainen , Vice President, Sales at Metsä Board, notes that a sustainable quality chain lets the Kemi paper- board mill offer a sustainable and environmentally friend- ly alternative to plastic packaging, among other things. The mill is also able to specialise in demanding product segments and customer relationships that use the form, colours and print of packaging to build a brand image.
“Consumer habits and the retail sector’s needs have been changed by e-commerce. In addition to recyclability and quality, the focus of attention is on the visual appearance, design and brand management,” he says. INVESTMENTS WITH AN EYE TO THE FUTURE The Kemi pulp mill has provided employment and income in Northern Finland since 1919. A new page in history will be turned in 2023, when the bioproduct mill currently under construction will go online. “Our current investments will improve the production capacity and delivery reliability of our integrated mill, raising our competitiveness to a whole new level,” says Mill Director Tomi Seppä. While Metsä Fibre is constructing its bioproduct mill, Metsä Board is investing a total of 67 million euros in de- veloping the energy and water efficiency of its paperboard mill and increasing its production capacity. “Our previous investments in coating technology have also been far-sighted and successful,” says Product Man- agement Director Leena Yliniemi. “New investments will make us even stronger, and the packaging market will face a whole new future.” •
METSÄ BOARD A leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards, focusing on lightweight, high-quality folding boxboards and food service boards, as well as white kraftliners. • Established in 1986 • 8 production units in Finland and Sweden • Around 2,400 employees • Turnover of EUR 1.9 billion in 2020 www.metsaboard.com
Veijo Korkalainen Vice President, Sales at Metsä Board. He is in charge of the company’s global sales of white kraftliners.
Panu Räsänen Product Manager at Metsä Board’s Kemi mill.
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