Ahlstrom

Infobox Company
company_name = Ahlstrom Corporation
company_
vector_
company_type = Public (OMX|HEX33661|AHL1V)
genre =
foundation = 1851
founder = Antti Ahlström
location_city = Helsinki
location_country = Finland
location =
origins =
key_people = Jan Lång, President and CEO
area_served =
industry = fiber-based materials: nonwovens and specialty papers
products = nonwovens, filtration, glass nonwovens, label & packaging papers, and technical papers
revenue = 1,760.8 million EUR
operating_income = 25.8 million EUR
net_income = 1.3 million EUR
num_employees = 6 481 (2007)
parent =
subsid =
owner =
company_slogan =
homepage = http://www.ahlstrom.com/
footnotes =

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.

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 and Karhula). By the beginning of the 1930s, Ahlstrom had grown into Finland's largest industrial conglomerate. [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/ahlstrom-corporation?cat=biz-fin%C2%A0 Answers.com: Ahlstrom Corporation] ]

The outbreak of World War II led the company to convert much of its production to support the Finnish war effort. Following the war, the company played a major role in the country's reconstruction and in its war reparations obligation. Ahlstrom alone accounted for nearly 15 percent of the country's total reparations. The company continued to expand into the 1950s, stepping up its engineering operations while also expanding into chemical wood processing technology. [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/ahlstrom-corporation?cat=biz-fin%C2%A0 Answers.com: Ahlstrom Corporation] ]

Ahlstrom Corporation began to rapidly grow internationally in 1963, by acquiring a majority interest in a paper mill in Mathi 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. One of the most profound decisions in Finnish industrial history was made in 1987, when Ahlstrom unexpectedly sold its paper-producing units. Leaving newsprint production increased the relative value of Ahlstrom's specialty paper and engineering units.

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.

In 2000, Ahlstrom acquired Dexter Corporation's nonwovens production facilities in the United States, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

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. [ [http://www.paperage.com/issues/nov_dec2005/11_2005ofinterest.html PaperAge: Paper Industry International Hall of Fame Honors Industry "Innovators"] ]

Ahlstrom Corporation reorganizes the responsibilities of its Corporate Executive Team as a consequence of the appointment of Risto Anttonen as CEO of Ahlstrom as from February 28, 2008. The following changes will become effective March 19, 2008.

Corporate Purchasing will be transferred from Risto Anttonen to Senior Vice President Diego Borello, who also continues as Senior Vice President, Innovation and Technology.

The management of Ahlstrom's sales network in the Asia-Pacific region will be transferred from Risto Anttonen to Senior Vice President Laura Raitio, who will thus have the responsibility of Ahlstrom's sales network in its entirety. Laura Raitio will also take over the responsibility of Human Resources from Senior Vice President Gustav Adlercreutz, and continues as Senior Vice President, Marketing.

Gustav Adlercreutz, Senior Vice President, Administration, General Counsel, will take over Business Development from Laura Raitio on top of his other duties.

Tommi Björnman, Senior Vice President of the Glass Nonwovens Business Area, will take the responsibility of Ahlstrom's Performance Excellence program in addition to his other tasks.

Ahlstrom has also agreed with its former President and CEO Jukka Moisio that he is free to take on his new position outside Ahlstrom as from April 1, 2008. [ [www.abnnewswire.net March 19, 2008] ]

On August 13, 2008, Jan Lang was appointed as the new President and CEO. Risto Anttonen continues as CEO until December 31, 2008. After that he will assume the role of Deputy CEO and will continue as a member of the Corporate Executive Team until he retires in 2010, at the latest. [ [www.ahlstrom.com] ]

International operations

In April 2004 Ahlstrom and The Sonoco Corporation announced plans to combine their paperboard-core units in Europe. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E0D81E3BF933A15757C0A9629C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fC%2fContainers%20and%20Packaging The New York Times, April 20, 2004: Company News; Sonoco Develops Partnership with Finnish Company] ]

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. [ [http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2006/11/09/business/busi11.txt The Sentinel, November 7, 2006: Relocation affects up to 70 jobs] ]

On March 30, 2007, Ahlstrom signed an agreement to acquire the consumer wipes business of Fiberweb plc. Following the acquisition, Ahlstrom became the third largest producer of nonwoven roll goods globally.

The acquired business includes four plants located in Europe (Alicante, Spain; Mozzato, Italy; Carbonate, Italy) and in the USA (Bethune, SC). In 2006, the net sales of the acquired business amounted to EUR 110 million and it employed approximately 400 people. The wiping fabrics currently produced by Fiberweb's consumer wipes business are used mainly in personal care, baby care and household wipes applications. Ahlstrom closed the deal on May 25, 2007. [ [http://www.ahlstrom.com Ahlstrom Corporation ] ]

On February 1, 2008, Ahlstrom announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Friend Group Inc., which consists of West Carrollton Parchment Company and West Carrollton Converting Company. The Group is a producer of vegetable parchment and has parchmentizing and converting operations located in West Carrollton, Ohio, the USA. The transaction is expected to be closed during the first quarter of 2008.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the acquisition price. Friend Group employs 162 people and has two sites in West Carrollton serving mainly the food packaging market in the USA. Net sales of the acquired entity in 2007 were USD 47 million.

The new entity will be integrated into Ahlstrom's vegetable parchment product line, which is part of the Technical Papers business area currently operating two sites manufacturing vegetable parchment in France and serving customers globally. [ [http://www.ahlstrom.com Ahlstrom Corporation ] ]

Members of the Board of Directors of Ahlstrom:

*Peter Seligson, Chairman of the Board of Directors
*Urban Jansson, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
*Sebastian Bondestam, Member
*Jan Inborr, Member
*Bertel Paulig, Member
*Thomas Ahlstrom, Member
*Willem F. Zetteler, Member

See also

*Ahlström-Gullichsen family
*List of Finnish companies
*List of oldest companies
*Stora Enso

= References =

External links

* [http://www.ahlstrom.com Ahlstrom Corporation]
* [http://www.hoovers.com/ahlstrom/--ID__90938--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml Hoover's: Ahlstrom Corporation information]
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/ahlstrom-corporation?cat=biz-fin%C2%A0 Answers.com: Ahlstrom Corporation]
* [http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AHL1V.HE Reuters.com Ahlstrom Oyj]
* [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/90/90938.html Yahoo! - Ahlstrom Corporation Company Profile]