SCA (company)

History

SCA was founded by Ivar Kreuger in 1929 as a holding company for ten Swedish forest industry companies. Following Kreuger's bankruptcy in 1932, the company came to be controlled by the bank Handelsbanken, who along with associated funds and companies continue to control SCA. Axel Gustaf Torbjörn Enström was the managing director from 1950 to 1960 and chairman of the board from 1960 to 1965.

In 1975 SCA acquired Mölnlycke Health Care, a leading western European producer of disposable hygiene products, and in 1990 SCA acquired transport packaging company Reedpack. In 1995 the Germany-based paper and packaging company PWA was acquired. In 2001 the division Wisconsin Tissue of the United States company Georgia-Pacific Tissue was acquired. In 2004 SCA acquired the tissue and hygiene products businesses of Carter Holt Harvey from International Paper.

In 2007 SCA announced it was acquiring the European tissue operations of Procter & Gamble for €512 million. This was agreed by the European Commission in September 2007. SCA will own Tempo, Bess and Bluemia brands plus 5 plants in Europe and Hong Kong, and own European rights to Bounty and Charmin. SCA will need to divest Softis in Germany and Austria.

In 2008 SCA increases ownership in Chinese tissue company Vinda. SCA invests USD 240 million in Mexico. SCA divests parts of its UK Packaging operations and closes the New Hythe mill.

In 2009 closed its tissue mill in Pratovecchio, Italy, upgraded the energy plant at the liner mill in Aschaffenburg, Germany and acquired the Argentinian hygiene products brands Calipso, Plissé, Plissé bebé and Master. In December 2009 SCA further invested in personal care products in Russia and in reduced emissions at the Östrand pulp mill, Sweden.

In 2010 SCA initiated a project to close its personal care factory in Linselles, France and divested its Asian packaging operations. In July 2010 SCA bought the Tessy Babies and DryKids baby diaper brands in Mexico and Central America. During the autumn 2010 SCA started the production of TENA incontinence care products and Libero baby diapers in Veniov, Russia and entered a R&D co-operation with BioGaia. SCA also celebrated 60 years on the NASDAQ OMX.

In 2011 SCA invested EUR 290m in expanded tissue capacity in Russia and Germany as well as the Bollsta sawmill in Sweden. SCA and the Norwegian company Fred.Olsen Renewables have formed a jointly owned company to construct a wind farm in Västernorrland in northern Sweden. SCA has acquired 50 percent of the Turkish hygiene products company Komili from Yıldız Holding with diaper brand Baby Star and feminine care brand Rozi, as well as 95 percent of the Turkish hygiene products company San Saglik with incontinence care brands Glory and Rinacare. SCA also acquired the Brazilian hygiene products company Pro Descart with incontinence care brands BioCare Geriátrica and Biofral, as well as the baby diaper brands BabyFral, BioCare Baby Plus and DryBaby. SCA delivered a binding offer to acquire the European tissue operations of pulp and paper company Georgia-Pacific.

In 2012 SCA divested its packaging operations – excluding the two kraftliner mills in Sweden – to DS Smith. SCA also acquired Georgia-Pacific´s European tissue business.

In 2007 SCA acquired a minority post in the Chinese company Vinda Hygiene. In November 2013, SCA announced that it has increased its ownership to 59 percent of the shares. In October 2015, SCA decided to integrate its hygiene operations in Southeast Asia into Vinda.

In 2013 SCA decided to commence local production in India. The plant is located in Ranjangaon, near Pune.

In August 2015 it was announced that SCA to invest in increased capacity for mass production at the Östrand pulp mill in Timrå, Sweden. The annual production capacity of bleached sulphate pulp will increase from approximately 430 000 tonnes to 900 000 tonnes. The investment amounts to approximately SEK 7.8 billion (€815m) and is expected to be one of the largest industrial investment in the history of Norrland.

In October 2015, SCA acquired the US tissue company Wausau Paper Corp. for SEK 4.2 billion.

In August 2015 it was announced that SCA's hygiene operations and forest operations will be divided into two different divisions. A year later, August 24, 2016, the Company announced that it intends to split the SCA in two listed companies. SCA's two largest owners, Industrivärden and Norges Bank, sent the same day that it intends to support the future proposal at the AGM in 2017.

Sustainability

SCA has a series of sustainability targets for both nature and people. Nature targets:

People targets:

SCA was cited as the best Swedish company for carbon dioxide reporting in the global CDP survey 2010. In 2010 SCA was ranked for the sixth consecutive year as one of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies by business magazine Canadian Corporate Knights. For the fourth consecutive year, SCA was named in 2011 one of the world’s most ethical companies by the Ethisphere Institute in New York, US. SCA has been listed on the FTSE4Good global sustainability index since 2001. SCA is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index.

Sport

SCA sponsored an all-female crew for the 2014–2015 Volvo Ocean Race, a round-the-world sailboat race.

Controversy

Contrary to its public business principles SCA's top management has been involved in a scandal of serious misuse of corporate resources. This led to top management leaving the company. This information has been also been criticized in a published book.

Logotype

The company derives its logo from pagan Germanic valknut symbol.

Products and brands