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'Ahlstrom' is a Finnish wood processing firm and a global manufacturer of specialty papers and nonwoven materials, using natural and synthetic fibers to produce roll goods for customers who turn them into hundreds of products. Ahlstrom's shares have been traded on the main list of the Helsinki Stock Exchange since March 2006.

Contents

History

International operations

Members of the Board of Directors of Ahlstrom:

References

External links

History

Ahlstrom has its roots in Finland: the founder, Antti Ahlström, was one of Finland's most prominent 19th century businessmen. Ahlstrom was started in 1908, and originates from the family saw mill, iron and shipping business of Antti Ahlström established in 1851. The company focused on pulp, paper and timber production and machinery, later expanding to glassworks (Iittala). Ahlstrom Corporation began to rapidly grow internationally in 1963, by acquiring a majority interest in a paper mill close to Turin, Italy, that produced filter papers and rifle cartridge paper.
The town of Varkaus grew up around the A. Ahlström paper mills. In the 1930s, the Sunila Plant in Karhula (now Kotka), designed by Alvar Aalto, was built by Ahlström. In the 1980s, in a large swap of facilities, the Varkaus works were handed over to Enso Gutzeit (now Stora Enso).
During the 1980s, Ahlstrom left the newsprint and magazine paper market and focused its operations on specialty papers. In the 1990s, Ahlstrom expanded its focus to include nonwoven products. At the end of 1996, Ahlstrom Corporation continued its expansion by acquiring the French specialty paper and nonwovens producer Sibille-Dalle. During that same year, Ahlstrom Corporation established the Ahlstrom Paper Group to encompass the company’s fiber-based materials operations. Today, Ahlstrom is among the largest Nordic companies. The Ahlström family are still significant shareholders in the Ahlstrom Corporation.
In October 2005, Professor Johan Erik Gullichsen, chairman of Ahlstrom Corporation, was inducted into the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame for his innovations in the processing of pulp fiber suspensions at medium consistency. ^[1]

International operations

In April 2004 Ahlstrom and The Sonoco Corporation announced plans to combine their paperboard-core units in Europe.^[2]
Ahlstrom has announced plans to move part of the operations of its facility in Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania to Bishopville, South Carolina in late January or early February 2007. About 70 jobs will be lost in Pennsylvania. ^[3]

Members of the Board of Directors of Ahlstrom:

★ Johan Gullichsen, Chairman of the Board of Directors

★ Urban Jansson, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors

★ Sebastian Bondestam, Member

★ Jan Inborr, Member

★ Bertel Paulig, Member

★ Peter Seligson, Member

★ Willem F. Zetteler, Member

References

1. PaperAge: Paper Industry International Hall of Fame Honors Industry "Innovators"
2. The New York Times, April 20, 2004: Company News; Sonoco Develops Partnership with Finnish Company
3. The Sentinel, November 7, 2006: Relocation affects up to 70 jobs

External links

★ Ahlstrom Corporation

★ Hoover's: Ahlstrom Corporation information