News Overview

Heinzel Group increased its sales revenues by roughly 3% compared with the previous year to EUR 1,816.5 million in 2017. All companies of the two business areas, Trading and Industrial, recorded increases in both sales revenues and earnings, which were significant in some cases - with the exception of Laakirchen Papier.

Europapier Group is the most important paper merchant in CEE and a pioneer in the region’s markets.

Mark Lunabba CEO Laakirchen Papier AG says goodbye after 17 years Thomas Welt to take over commencing 01. January 2018

This year, Laakirchen Papier AG invested around EUR 100 million and now possesses one of Europe’s most modern containerboard machines. This is intended to enable the Upper Austrian mill’s owner, the Heinzel Group, to achieve its objective of becoming one of the top players in the European packaging market. The main target markets for the containerboard, which is to be sold under the “starboard” brand name, are Austria, Germany, CEE and Italy.

The converted PM10 has been put back into operation after 10-weeks conversion.

Following a capacity enlargement to 350,000 t/y, the Paper Machine 11 numbers among the most efficient in Europe

With its Laakirchen Papier and Raubling Papier production locations, heinzelpaper is a strong and flexible partner to the packaging industry. Accordingly, under the starboard brand, it now offers a strong and environment-friendly range of containerboard based on recycled paper.

The Heinzel Group can again reflect upon a successful financial year in 2016 during which it was able to increase markedly both its production and trading volumes, and thus raise its consolidated sales revenues by 19.1 per cent to EUR 1,763.3 million.

The interpack 2017, which will take place in Dusseldorf from 4 to 10 May, will see Heinzel Paper unveil its new starboard product brand to a large audience of international specialists for the first time.

For Laakirchen Papier 2016 was characterised by success. Moreover, in the wake of an investment project involving over EUR 100 million and entry into the containerboard market, in 2017 the Upper Austrian paper manufacturer is to conclude a complete reorientation.

Leaflets continue to be an important means of advertising for retailing companies and in the course of a year constitute a large cost item. One possibility for cost optimisation is a slight reduction in paper grammage. Mathias Klee from Laakirchen Papier has noted this market tendency for some time and as a Technical Customer Service, he recently accompanied this type of product development for an international operating food retail chain in Hungary.

GraphoLogIQ BE has been awarded lately with the environmental seal "The Blue Angel" (German: Der Blaue Engel) and completes the eco-friendly trio with GraphoVerde BE and GraphoSet BE

The investment programme consists of two elements. Firstly, the Paper Machine 10 is to be converted to produce lightweight containerboard using wastepaper as fibre base. Secondly and simultaneously, the production capacity of the Paper Machine 11 producing SC paper for magazines, catalogues and commercial print will be extended considerably.

Heinzel Group participates as exhibitor in the DRUPA fair (31st of May – 10th of June 2016) in Düsseldorf this year. Several members of Heinzel Group such as Laakirchen Papier AG, Starkraft, Starboard, Wilfried Heinzel AG and Europapier will be present.

Heinzel Group was again able to achieve growth in 2015 with a rise in sales revenues of 5.3% to EUR 1,480.4 million.

Alfred Heinzel withdrawing from his current position as the Heinzel Holding CEO, and the current Management Board spokesperson of the group’s Zellstoff Pöls AG, Kurt Maier, assuming this function at the next AGM on 31 March 2016 will result in further personnel changes within the Heinzel Group.

Following the receipt of approval from the anti-trust authorities, at the end of 2015 the Heinzel Holding was able to finalise the takeover of the Mondi Raubling paper location agreed in October 2015.

In its meeting on 18 December 2015, the Supervisory Board of the Heinzel Group appointed Kurt Maier as new Chief Executive Officer of Heinzel Holding GmbH. Kurt Maier, currently spokesman of the Management Board of the group company Zellstoff Pöls AG, will assume his new role with effect from the next general meeting on 31 March 2016.

Since 6.30 a.m. on December 16, 2015, PM 10 is again producing paper grades for the SC market.

The Heinzel Group has drawn up ambitious acquisition and expansion plans for its plants in both Austria and Estonia. Investments totalling EUR 150 million are foreseen for the group’s three existing, industrial locations.