North America change region Contact us News room e-Commerce Home|Sappi group|Group profile|Company history For 80 years, Sappi has been steadily growing. The last 30 years (1987 to today) 2016 It's been eight decades since South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited was registered as a company in December 1936. This incredible milestone is testimony of the resilience of our company and people. From our humble beginnings at Enstra Mill in Springs (South Africa), where our first paper was produced from straw in 1938, we have grown into a global leader with operating units and sales offices on six continents and customers in over 160 countries. 2015 November - Sappi concludes the sale of Cape Kraft Mill. October - Sappi concludes the sale of Enstra Mill. 2014 December - Sappi and Edinburgh Napier University announces the discovery of a new low-cost process to make nanocellulose - a 'wonder material' that could be used to build greener cars, thicken foods and even treat wounds. Sappi to build a pilot-scale plant for low-cost Cellulose NanoFibrils production. July - Sappi concludes the sale of Usutu Forest Products Company Limited to Swaziland business, Montigny Investments. June - Sappi finalises the sale of Sappi Europe's Nijmegen Mill to AIAC (InnovioPapers). January - Conversion of Alfeld Mill Paper Machine 2 to speciality paper grades is completed with successful trial runs and customer quality acceptance. 2013 Sappi successfully completes and commission the two major dissolving wood projects at Cloquet Mill in North America and Ngodwana Mill in South Africa. September - Sappi commences with the final phase of the conversion of the Paper Machine 2 at the Alfeld Mill from coated woodfree production to coated speciality packaging paper. This conversion not only reduces our exposure to the declining coated woodfree market, but enables us to expand in the growing and higher margin speciality paper segment. January - Sappi Southern Africa mothballs paper machine 4 at Tugela Mill; a decision based on Sappi’s commitment to substantially improve profitability and returns to all its businesses. 2012 In line with Sappi’s strategy of growing our high margin Specialised Cellulose business, Sappi starts the conversion projects of its paper mill at Cloquet in North America and a portion of its Ngodwana Mill in South Africa to producing dissolving wood pulp. September - Sappi Fine Paper Europe begins the process of converting Alfeld Mill to focus exclusively on producing one-sided coated paper for packaging, labels and technical applications in response to strong growth and positive market forecasts for the packaging market. August - Sappi sells its 34% shareholding in the Jiangxi Chenming Paper Company Limited and exits the Chinese Joint Venture as part of its strategic focus on high growth investments and debt reduction. The pulp mills at Enstra and Tugela Mills are closed; a decision based on Sappi’s commitment to substantially improve profitability and returns to all its businesses. 2011 November - Sappi announces conversion to add 330,000 tons of dissolving wood pulp production at its Cloquet Mill in Minnesota, United States of America. August - Production ceases at Adamas Mill, South Africa, in line with Sappi's strategy to shut high-cost capacity. August - Production ceases at Biberist Mill, Switzerland, in line with Sappi's strategy to shut high-cost capacity. May - Sappi announces conversion to add 210,000 tons of dissolving wood pulp production at its Ngodwana Mill in Mpumalanga, South Africa. 2010 July - Sappi Fine Paper South Africa and Sappi Kraft merge to form a new division known as Sappi Paper and Paper Packaging South Africa (SA). July - Sappi Saiccor renamed to Sappi Specialised Cellulose division. January - Usutu Pulp Company continues to operate focused on rehabilitating 20,500 hectares of burnt timber in Swaziland to allow for future beneficiation opportunities. January - Closure of Usutu Pulp Mill effectively exiting Sappi from the unbleached softwood flash-dried pulp market. January - Closure of Kangas Mill in Finland; a decision based on the fact that the impact of the global recession has caused a structural drop in demand for mechanical coated paper. 2009 November - Sappi delists from the London Stock Exchange (LSE). August - Sappi closes Muskegon Mill in Michigan, United States of America; a decision based on Sappi’s commitment to substantially improve profitability and returns to all its businesses. 2008-2009 Acquisition of the coated graphic paper business of M-real. 2008 November - Production ceases at Blackburn Mill, United Kingdom, in line with Sappi's strategy to shut high-cost capacity. 2006-2008 ZAR3.4billion invested at Saiccor Mill to increase production of dissolving wood pulp to 800,000 tons per annum. 2005 PM4 closed and pulp mill mothballed at Muskegon Mill, Michigan (United States of America) in line with Sappi's strategy to shut high-cost capacity. 2004 October - Sappi takes a 34% equity stake in the Jiangxi Chenming joint venture (China). Jiangxi Chenming is building a 350,000 tons per annum lightweight coated paper machine, a mechanical (BTMP) pulp mill and a de-inked pulp plant (construction to be completed in mid-2005). 2003 Boskor Sawmill sold - part of Sappi's program to dispose of its non-core assets. 2002 May - Sappi acquires Potlatch Corporation's coated fine paper business and its Cloquet pulp and paper mill in Minnesota (United States of America) - an excellent fit with existing operations in North America and Europe. March - Sappi closes Transcript Mill in Scotland as part of Sappi's strategy to dispose of non-core operations. 2001 Sappi Fine Paper North America exits the US uncoated paper business and closes its Mobile Mill in Alabama (United States of America) - in line with Sappi’s focus on coated fine paper. Sappi Mining Timber, the mining timber division of Sappi Forest Products; sold as part of Sappi’s strategy to dispose of non-core operations. 2000 Sappi Novobord, the particleboard and medium density fibreboard manufacturing division of Sappi Forest Products, is sold. 1998 October - Sappi group lists on the New York Stock Exchange. April - All companies in the Sappi group assume the name 'Sappi' worldwide - one name presented to customers, suppliers and the public. The LignoTech lignosulphonate recovery plant at Saiccor Mill (a 50/50 joint venture between Borregaard of Norway and Sappi) commissioned to extract lignin from the mill's effluent. 1997 December - Europe's largest producer of coated fine paper, KNP Leykam, acquired. - The Sappi group re-structured into two focused operating divisions: Sappi Fine Paper, domiciled in London, managing the coated and uncoated fine paper businesses, and - Sappi Forest Products, domiciled in Johannesburg, managing the group's diverse forestry, pulp and commodity paper businesses. Sappi Fine Paper now the world's largest producer of coated fine paper and market leader in Europe, North America and Africa. Also the largest exporter of coated papers to Asia. 1996 Modernisation and upgrading projects on all of Sappi's older mills in Southern Africa completed. Sappi acquires the 22% minority shareholding of DLJ. S D Warren now 99% owned by Sappi Limited. 1995 Major expansion at Sappi Saiccor - the world’s leading producer of dissolving wood pulp commissioned. One of the world's first ozone bleaching plants commissioned at Ngodwana Mill, eliminating the use of elemental chlorine and significantly reducing chloride levels in pulp mill effluent. 1994 A 75% stake in S D Warren is acquired - the largest manufacturer of coated fine paper in the United States of America. Sappi Limited firmly established as the world's leading producer of coated fine paper. 1993 Sappi Europe SA launched as the pan-European sales organisation for Sappi products. 1992 Acquisition of 99% of Hannover Papier - Germany's leading producer of coated fine paper. Sappi now one of the top three European producers in this sector. Sappi shares listed on London and Frankfurt stock exchanges and the Paris Bourse. 1991 Speciality Pulp Services of Hong Kong acquired and Sappi Trading, the group's international trading company, established. 1990 Sappi Limited acquires five fine paper mills in the UK. Establishment of Sappi Europe with head office in London. 1989 Saiccor acquired - the world's single largest producer of dissolving wood pulp. 1988 Acquisition of Usutu Pulp Company (Swaziland) - a world leader in unbleached softwood kraft market pulp. 1987 Particleboard expansion commissioned at Sappi Novobord, White River (South Africa). The first fifty years (1936 to 1986) 1986 Sappi International created to handle export marketing of all Sappi products. 1985 The Ngodwana Mill expansion completed - production now includes newsprint, linerboard, unbleached pulp and first saleable tonnages of bleached pulp. 1983 Timberboard acquired and linked with Sappi Novobord. 1982 Sappi Limited acquires Novobord - a particleboard manufacturing operation. 1981 Sappi Timber Products takes over Elandshoek sawmill (South Africa). A new waste-based mill in Cape Town (South Africa) commissioned. Cape Kraft Mill produces its first linerboard made entirely from waste paper. Sappi Limited begins planning for expansion of Ngodwana Mill - the company's biggest investment to date. 1980 A new division is formed - Sappi Timber Products, specialising in sawmilling. 1979 Sappi Limited acquires Stanger Pulp and Paper. 1977 Three operating subsidiaries formed - Sappi Fine Papers, Sappi Kraft and Sappi Forests, each with its own board of directors. 1973 Company re-registered as 'Sappi Limited'. 1970 Trials begin on the world's first commercial Sapoxyl bleaching reactor at Enstra Mill. 1969 South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited produces third millionth ton of paper. 1968 Applies for international patents covering Sapoxyl bleaching process using oxygen rather than chlorine. June - Establishes a new timber division in the company. 1966 Ngodwana Mill construction completed and the mill produces first unbleached kraft pulp. South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited produces second millionth ton of paper. 1963 No 2 machine at Tugela Mill commissioned to specialise in kraft linerboard. Acquisition of farmland in the Elands River Valley (South Africa) for plantations and a proposed new mill, to be called ‘Ngodwana’. 1962 25 years after the listing of the company, South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited produces first millionth ton of paper. 1960 A majority share acquired in Cellulose Products, a manufacturer of tissue wadding. 1959 Company takes a majority shareholding in Union Corrugated Cases. 1954 Tugela Mill produces its first reel of paper for kraft packaging, while Enstra Mill concentrates on fine paper. 1950 A farm bought in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) with the aim of establishing a pioneer plantation. Decision made to proceed with the development of a second mill, to be called 'Tugela'. 1947 Two farms purchased north of the Tugela river in Zululand (South Africa) with the aim of establishing a second paper mill. 1938 First paper was produced from straw at Enstra Mill. 1937 Construction of a pulp and paper mill begins on land near Springs (South Africa). The mill is named 'Enstra'; short for 'Enterprise Straw', after its chief raw material. 1936 December - South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited (Sappi) registered as a company. Related downloads Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Complete book 49.4 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Notes and Index 2.8 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Chapter 8: 1982-1986 5.8 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Chapter 6: 1973-1978 5 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Chapter 5: 1967-1973 5.4 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Chapter 4: 1960-1967 6.1 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Chapter 2: 1943-1952 4.9 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Introduction 2.9 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Chapter 7: 1978-1982 6.1 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Chapter 3: 1952-1960 5.2 MB Paper Chain book - The Story of Sappi - Chapter 1: 1936-1943 5.2 MB Saiccor - The First 50 Years 5.8 MB Every Minute of Every Day Someone in Sappi is Making a World of Difference 2.6 MB Print page Home Sappi group Group profile - Divisional overview - Group structure - Code of Ethics - Locations - Sappi corporate video - Sappi videos - Company history Leadership Code of Ethics Company history Sappi corporate video Investors Sappi Specialised Cellulose Sappi North America Products Sustainability Careers Sappi © 2015 All rights reserved Site map Legal notices and conditions