The Board of Directors in Billerud AB and in Investment AB Kinnevik recently announced the combination of Billerud and Korsnäs AB. The new company, BillerudKorsnäs, will become a leading virgin fibre-based packaging materials and packaging solutions company with an annual turnover of approximately SEK 20 billion.
The combination is a natural step to enhance the successful packaging material and packaging solutions businesses of Billerud and Korsnäs with the goal of creating a strong international player within the packaging industry.
Both companies and their respective principal owners estimate a significant synergy potential to be realised within the next few years following the Transaction. Preliminary estimates of the yearly synergy effects amount to approximately MSEK 300.
Completion of the Transaction is subject to approval of relevant competition authorities and shareholder approval at the Extraordinary General Meeting in Billerud which is estimated to be held in the turn of August and September 2012.
”Together with Korsnäs, we are looking forward to creating a leading player within packaging materials with a solid platform for future growth. It is a Transaction with both industrial and a financial logic where the combined company will be very well positioned. Together we will be able to offer our customers a better and broader range of products. Korsnäs is the leader within its product areas which complements the product areas of Billerud and jointly the BillerudKorsnäs offering of smarter packaging solutions will be strengthened” says Per Lindberg, President and CEO of Billerud.
