Sappi invests in wet-strength label paper production capacities at its Gratkorn mill

Packaging and speciality paper manufacturer Sappi Europe is set to extend its capacity at its mill in Gratkorn, Austria, enabling the mill to also manufacture wet-strength label papers.

The double-digit million-euro investment in a state-of-the-art technical infrastructure will drive expansion of the site – and establish Sappi as a leader in the label sector for the long term.

Speciality paper manufacturer Sappi has been offering a wide range of label papers for many years. They stand out with their premium quality and, together with excellent customer service, guarantee a high level of production and delivery reliability through Sappi’s partner companies worldwide.

The company recently announced that it will be making a significant long-term investment to further strengthen its label paper business. As of the end of 2023, production capacities for label papers will be extended at the Gratkorn mill in Austria. The double-digit million-euro investment in technological innovations, such as a new embossing calendar, will enable the modern paper mill to produce high quality wet-strength wet-glue label paper. With this portfolio extension, Sappi will further strengthen its market leadership in label paper production.

Marco Eikelenboom, CEO of Sappi Europe, explains: “Our investment at Gratkorn underscores our strategy to establish Sappi as the leader within the label sector, adding to the supply of value adding products across our entire business.”

Sappi has invested recently in new technical equipment and state-of-the-art production facilities at its Gratkorn site – ranging from paper machines to formatting equipment – and has transformed the production facility into a cutting-edge paper mill.

With the further expansion of the mill’s technological infrastructure, the production of label papers will be extended (in addition to all existing graphic papers) and product innovations will be driven forward. Extensive technical innovations in the paper machine’s water and material cycles are planned, as well as investment in a new embossing calendar. This is key to producing the kind of wet-strength, wet-glue label paper used in the beverage industry, for instance on returnable beer bottles, and to enabling the production of exceptional, high-quality labels.