Press releases

- Sales revenues up 14% to EUR 2.1 billion - EBIT (EUR 195 million) and net income (EUR 145 million) more than doubled - Net debt further reduced despite investments of EUR 127 million and acquisitions

The investments of recent years have had a positive effect on both the levels of energy use and CO2 emissions at the Laakirchen paper mill. This improvement is demonstrated clearly by the Paper and Carbon Profiles, which represent the established method within the industry of showing environmental impact and provide an overview of the relevant parameters. Moreover, Laakirchen Papier AG voluntarily commissioned Quality Austria to undertake an examination of these calculations.

Less than a year ago, Koehler Paper Group announced the launch of a large-scale investment in Kehl, Germany, as the first step towards a new paper machine on which to produce papers for flexible packaging. heinzelsales will act as distribution partner for the marketing of the papers in France, Spain and Portugal.

Since the spring of 2018, the responsibilities for the sale of “Grapho” (SC paper) and “Starboard” (containerboard) have been divided up. The aim of this new sales structure is to provide every customer group with optimum support on a specific segment basis and use recognisable potential with even greater efficiency.

Vienna, 9 July 2018. With effect from 1 July 2018, Andreas Rauscher has been appointed Chief Technical Officer and CEO of Zellstoff Pöls AG. Ingrid Gruber – Chief Financial Officer (CFO) since 2016 – and Andreas Rauscher now form the new Management Board team together.

Sales network of Heinzel Group establishes base for paper and board sales in Southeast Asia

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.

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.

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.