News Overview

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 Heinzel Group has now initiated its next strategic initiative in the packaging paper segment.

On 1 September 2017, Riia Sillave is to hand over her position as the Heinzel Holding GmbH CFO to Barbara Potisk-Eibensteiner, who until now was the CFO of RHI.

Last Friday, Europapier CE GmbH, a Heinzel Group subsidiary, signed an agreement regarding the purchase of the residual 50 per cent of shares in EU-RO Handelsges.m.b.H., which to date was owned by Rondo Ganahl AG. Europapier thus increased its holding in the company to 100 per cent.

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.

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 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.

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.

A fire on the PM10 paper machine did not cause any injuries and there was no impact on either the environment or the neighbourhood. The evacuation was quiet and orderly. The extinguishing systems functioned. Upon arrival in Laakirchen, an external team of experts started work at once.

Laakirchen Papier AG has been awarded the EU Ecolabel for its newly developed SC papers GraphoMagIQ, GraphoLogIQ and GraphoMotion.

Approval by antitrust authorities received: Europapier takes over the signage business unit and other assets of PaperNet GmbH

On 18 June 2015, Europapier CE GmbH, a subsidiary of the Heinzel Group, signed an agreement to acquire the signage business unit of the Austrian signage and paper merchant PaperNet GmbH. Existing customers will continue to be supplied and supported by their familiar contact persons after the acquisition.

In 2014, the Heinzel Group once again demonstrated its inherent dynamism with an increase in sales revenues of 5.8 per cent to EUR 1,406.5 million.

Estonian Cell was awarded the winner of the “The Environmentally Friendly Company” and “The Environmentally Friendly Production Process of the Year 2014” and by Mati Raidma, Minister of Environment of Estonia.