Ahlström Capital and CapMan have agreed to change the ownership of Å&R Carton, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of folding cartons and packaging systems. Ahlström Capital will become the majority shareholder by acquiring part of the shares held by funds managed by CapMan. Together with the management of Å&R Carton, Ahlström Capital will take the lead in the future development of the company.

 

“Å&R Carton has a strong position as a supplier to big pan-European brands. With its focus on supplying innovative and sustainable packaging of high quality and service the company has significant potential. We are looking forward to continued good cooperation for the benefit of Å&R Carton,” says Panu Routila, President and CEO of Ahlström Capital.

 

Per Lundeen, President & CEO of Å&R Carton, is confident about the future. “Now that Ahlström Capital takes the role of a lead investor, we can count on their continued active support and assistance on the various aspects of developing the company further. Ahlström Capital and the management have a common ambition to increase the business to 500 million euros annually over the next few years.

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The closing of the transaction is among other things subject to approval by competition authorities.

 

Further information:
Panu Routila, tel. +358 40 503 6757
Per Lundeen, tel. +46 705 183 347

 

Å&R Carton, headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, is one of the leading European folding carton manufacturers. It employs1,800 people and has 15 production plants in nine European countries, as well as a sales network covering Europe, the U.S and parts of Asia. The company’s net sales in 2008 amounted to 357 million euros. www.ar-carton.com

 

Ahlström Capital is a private equity investment company that creates added value for its owners by channelling its investments primarily into industrial companies. With roughly 190 million euros in capital, the company is one of Finland’s biggest private equity investors. Ahlström Capital’s strengths are its solid industrial expertise, long entrepreneurial traditions, and substantial financial resources.  www.ahlstromcapital.com

 

CapMan is one of the leading alternative asset managers in the Nordic countries and Russia and manages private equity funds with approximately EUR 3.4 billion in total capital. CapMan has six investment areas (CapMan Buyout, CapMan Technology, CapMan Life Science, CapMan Russia, CapMan Public Market and CapMan Real Estate), and each of them has a dedicated team and funds. Altogether CapMan employs over 140 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo and Moscow. CapMan was established in 1989 and its B shares are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange since 2001. www.capman.com

 

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