Saica Group is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Schumacher Packaging plants in Poland as of 31 October 2024. That includes all activities in Poland: the whole management, all employees, two state-of-the-art corrugated board plants in Bydgoszcz and Wroclaw, two paper mills in Grudziadz and Myszków and three service centres. This operation was authorised by by the Polish anti-trust authorities.
With the Schumacher Packaging acquisition, Saica Group expands its footprint in Poland employing more than 1,500 people. With this operation, Saica's production capacity will increase by 420,000 tonnes of recycled paper for corrugated cardboard, along with an additional increase in corrugated cardboard production capacity of 530 million square meters.
The acquisition of Schumacher's plants in Poland is not only in line with the business development of Saica Group strategy, but also constitutes a significant step in the development of infrastructure and services in Central and Eastern Europe. It means for the market an expansion of the offer of plants in Poland in the area of paper solutions for the manufacture of corrugated cardboard and packaging as well as a strong focus on further developing a circular economy business model.
"We are very happy to integrate Schumacher's team within Saica Group, its knowledge and skills are highly appreciated in the sector. At Saica Group, people makes the difference: they are what drives our organization. We are convinced they will contribute to Saica´s future and its success" explained Susana Alejandro, President and CEO of Saica Group. "This operation is a very important milestone for us, it is a step forward in Saica´s business growth strategy, not only by continuing our expansion into the Polish market, but also with the aim of further developing our infrastructures and services in Eastern Europe. It is part of the development plans of the company defined by Saica 2025, the strategic plan of the company" she concluded.
This acquisition allows Saica to continues to fulfill its objective of developing local markets, getting closer to customers and offering them global solutions for all their paper and packaging needs.
With this operation, Saica's capacity of production of recycled paper for corrugated cardboard will increase by 420.000 tonnes, to reach 3.7 million tonnes of recycled paper. Saica also acquires, thanks to the transaction, an extra corrugated cardboard production capacity of 530 million square meters, reinforcing its position as a leading corrugated cardboard packaging supplier in the Polish market.
Finally, the synergies created by these acquisitions, in both recycled paper and corrugated board sectors will help Saica's customers to move into the circular economy principles.
Back in 2011, Saica Group entered the Polish market through a joint venture with Thimm Group, acquiring a corrugated cardboard packaging plant in Tychy, named TOP THIMM (with 51% of shares and Saica Group with 49% of shares). In 2022, Saica Group acquired 76% of shares of Fox Recykling, a waste management company in the city of Gdynia.
