A FTSE 100 Company.
Smurfit Kappa is one of the leading producers of paper-based packaging

We operate in 32 countries - 21 in Europe, and 11 in the Americas - with around 41,000 employees and third party sales revenue amounted to €7.9 billion in 2013.

We are an integrated producer, with our packaging plants sourcing the major part of their raw material requirements from our own paper mills. In turn, the sourcing of recovered fibre and wood for the mills is managed through a combination of our own reclamation and forestry operations and purchases from third parties.

We primarily produce corrugated packaging, with our operations supported by a strong network of containerboard mills. As the market leader in both regions, we are strongly focused on the needs of our customers, with a market driven approach aimed at optimising the value of the package. In addition to corrugated and containerboard, we have leading positions in several other market segments including solid board and solid board packaging and graphic board.

Our headquarters are in Dublin with regional headquarters in Paris (Europe) and Miami (the Americas).

We are

No. 1 European market position in corrugated packaging, containerboard, solid board and solid board packaging

No. 2 World market position for the production of corrugated packaging

We turnover

€7.9 billion sales revenue in 2013


We employ

41,000 people worldwide


We operate in

21 countries in Europe


11 countries in the Americas


We own

38 mills (27 produce containerboard)


231 packaging converting plants


47 recovered fibre facilities


32 other production facilities


104,000 hectares of Latin American forest plantations


http://www.smurfitkappa.com/vHome/com/Pages/Default.aspx

Statement re Smurfit Kappa Tops Sector in Extel Survey
BUS
Statement re Smurfit Kappa Tops Sector in Extel Survey
Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

21 June 2018
Smurfit Kappa Tops Sector in Extel Survey for Second Consecutive Year
Smurfit Kappa Group plc (Smurfit Kappa or The Group), one of the worlds largest integrated manufacturers of paper-based packaging products, with operations in Europe and the Americas, has been ranked number one in the forestry, paper & packaging sector for Best CEO, Best CFO and Best Investor Relations for the second year running. The Group also received first place for Best IR Professional.
This follows Institutional Investors rankings in April, where Smurfit Kappa was named Most Honoured Company in the European paper & packaging sector for a third consecutive year.
Extel, the foremost independent evaluation of quality across the European equities investment industry, issues annual rankings of Europes leading Executive Teams based on the views of investment professionals. The 2018 rankings consisted of contributions from over 11,333 investment professionals at 2,682 buy-side firms, 241 sell-side and 1,099 corporates.
Ken Bowles, Smurfit Kappa Group CFO commented: We are delighted to top the Extel sector rankings for the second consecutive year. These rankings reflect the dedication and commitment of our wider team and our prospects as a business. I would like to take the opportunity to thank those who have continued to support us as we look forward to delivering on our medium term plan.
About Extel
The Extel Survey began in 1974 with 53 asset management firms giving their views on the advice they were getting from their research analysts at stockbroking houses.
Today, Extel is the foremost independent evaluation of quality across the European equities investment industry. Widely valued expertise in Developed & Emerging Europe, Middle East, North Africa, and Frontier Markets, Extel provides valued insights on hot topics such as social responsibility, the impact of MiFID II and unbundling.
ENDS

Statement re Digital Printing Expansion
BUS
Statement re Digital Printing Expansion

Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

Smurfit Kappa and HP continue digital printing expansion throughout Europe
Smurfit Kappa is continuing to use digital print with remarkable effect in the corrugated packaging industry. The packaging leader has ramped up its capabilities by installing eight HP Scitex corrugated presses across its European sites.
The new printers facilitate brilliant graphics which make display and promotional packaging come alive. They are also capable of short runs to meet the increasing demand for reduced turnaround times from brands.
Smurfit Kappa has installed Scitex HDR technology corrugated presses the HP Scitex 11000, HP Scitex 15500, and HP Scitex 17000 in sites in Belgium, Denmark, France, Portugal, Poland and the UK with additional installations scheduled for sites in the UK and the Netherlands.
There is an industry-wide consensus that corrugated is ready for digital. We are using HP digital solutions in many of our plants to provide pioneering, market-leading solutions for our customers, said Edwin Goffard, Chief Operating Officer of Corrugated and Converting at Smurfit Kappa Group Europe.
Our strong relationship with HP enables us to stay ahead of any printing trends and fits in with our sustainability goals.
Cristbal Macedo, HP General Manager, PageWide Industrial Business Europe, Middle-East & Africa added: Were thrilled to be assisting Smurfit Kappa with their printing requirements after a wonderful three years in partnership.
The HP Scitex HDR press offers customers both speed and quality, ensuring that high standards do not suffer for the sake of productivity.
Digital printing has strengthened the marketing capabilities of packaging and displays. The ability to stand out on the shelf is enhanced by the graphic flexibility and quality of the new HP printers. Smurfit Kappa has been using digital print successfully in shelf-ready packaging which is delivered through its ShelfSmart service.
The installation of the Scitex HDR printers follows on from Smurfit Kappa installing the first commercial HP single pass press in Europe in its Interwell plant in Austria in April.
ENDS

Acquisition
BUS
Acquisition
Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

Smurfit Kappa completes acquisition of Reparenco
Delivery of central element of SKGs Medium Term Plan
Transaction multiple represents 4.5x post synergy EBITDA
Smurfit Kappa Group plc (SKG or the Group), one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of paper-based packaging products with operations in Europe and the Americas, is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Reparenco, a paper and recycling business in the Netherlands, for 460 million.
The acquisition represents a transaction multiple, pre-synergies, of 6.4x Reparencos 2018 expected full year EBITDA of 72million. Reparencos strong strategic fit with SKGs existing European businesses is expected to deliver synergies of in excess of 30 million. Including synergies, the acquisition multiple is less than 4.5x EBITDA.
Smurfit Kappa, CEO, Europe, Saverio Mayer, said: We are very pleased to complete the acquisition of Reparenco and to welcome their 315 employees to Smurfit Kappa. There is a strong cultural fit between our businesses and we are excited about the potential for Reparenco within the Smurfit Kappa integrated system.
Reparenco represents early delivery of a central element of our Medium Term Plan to increase our European recycled containerboard capacity. It is ideally situated in our core European operating region where we continue to see strong demand driven by growth in e-commerce and increased substitution of plastic with paper-based packaging. The mill is also very well placed on the cost curve and specialises in producing basis weights from 80 to 120 grams which caters for the markets growing demand for lighter-weight materials.
Laurent Sellier, Smurfit Kappa COO, Paper Europe, added: The acquisition of Reparenco will strengthen our integrated business model and adds 405,000 tonnes of recycled containerboard capacity to our system.We are also pleased to have acquired a high quality graphic paper machine very well positioned in its market. While the machine offers the potential for conversion to containerboard over the medium-term, our intention is to continue to produce graphic paper for our customers for the foreseeable future.
The 750,000 tonne recycling operation increases our security and quality of raw material supply and also ensures we can provide our customers with greater certainty about the quality and performance of our products.
About Reparenco
Reparenco operates a two machine paper mill in the Netherlands with a capacity of 675,000 tonnes together with a 750,000 tonne recovered fibre operation. The mill comprises two machines with capacity of 405,000 tonnes of recycled containerboard and 270,000 tonnes of graphic paper (with the potential for conversion to containerboard).

Statement re Euronext Vigeo Eiris
BUS
Statement re Euronext Vigeo Eiris
Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

Smurfit Kappa demonstrates sustainability leadership with Euronext Vigeo Eiris listing for sixth consecutive year
Smurfit Kappas industry-leading commitment to sustainability has been recognised once again by the Euronext Vigeo Eiris index. The packaging leader was listed on the sustainability index for the sixth year in a row after distinguishing itself for its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance.
The Euronext Vigeo Eiris index is composed of the 120 highest-ranking listed companies for corporate social responsibility performance. To qualify, companies are subject to examination of their sustainability programme by a team of analysts which reviews up to 330 indicators. Only companies that can produce hard evidence of their sustainability programmes and score highly against industry benchmarks make the final list.
Smurfit Kappas annual Sustainable Development Report provides a detailed and transparent update on its ESG performance in five strategic areas of focus: Climate Change, Forest, Water, Waste and People.
In the 2017 report, which was launched earlier this year, the company announced several key sustainability achievements including meeting three targets relating to water, climate change and health and safety ahead of time. The report also revealed that Smurfit Kappa has invested approximately 5 million in social and scientific projects to benefit the communities in which it operates.
Steven Stoffer, Group VP Development at Smurfit Kappa, said: We are delighted to have been listed on this prestigious index again. For Smurfit Kappa, sustainability is not only about mitigating climate change and reducing inefficiency, it is also about taking a sustainable approach to every aspect of our business.
With a growing number of investors and funds incorporating ESG criteria into their investment decisions, its vital for us to provide this assurance. Many of our customers also expect their business partners to have a genuine commitment to corporate social responsibility and this is something that Smurfit Kappa has won several supplier awards for.
Smurfit Kappa is also listed on the FTSE4Good, Ethibel and STOXX Global ESG Leaders investor rating systems.

Statement re Scania Collaboration
BUS
Statement re Scania Collaboration
Smurfit Kappa Group PLC




24th July 2018
Smurfit Kappa and Scania collaborate on sustainable and optimised packaging solution
Smurfit Kappa worked with global transport provider Scania to replace some of the materials used in its supply chain with paper-based packaging solutions.
The packaging leader was working with the Scania Parts Logistics division which is responsible for the distribution of all Scania parts. Scania has a complex supply chain with many different sized products, some of which are particularly fragile.
Scania had a requirement for packaging for truck windows that were currently transported using four different materials, which included wooden pallets and expanded polystyrene (EPS).
Smurfit Kappa used its SupplySmart service to review every aspect of Scanias supply chain. The analysis was then compared with insights that have been gathered from over 60,000 supply chains to identify opportunities to make sustainable changes.
Smurfit Kappa came up with an innovative new concept that replaced the EPS interior and wooden pallet with honeycomb, a completely sustainable, paper-based material. Along with the switch from multiple materials to a single material solution, the storage space required was cut by 50% which resulted in significant transportation savings for Scania.
Brechtel Coox, Packaging Engineer at Scania Parts Logistics said: "After a comprehensive review of the challenging brief that we presented them with, Smurfit Kappa managed to present us with an ingenious solution that exceeded all our expectations.
Scania Parts Logistics depends on an optimised supply chain so we can guarantee our customers a first-class service.
Erik Bunge, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Corrugated Benelux added: "This project was the result of a collaborative process between Smurfit Kappa and Scania Parts Logistics. Our starting point was to see how we could optimise their supply chain in terms of time, costs and sustainability.
The paper-based solution we came up with which combines corrugated and honeycomb production capabilities within is strong and enables us to deliver an innovative and reliable service to our valued partner Scania.
ENDS

Half year report

09:10 22/08/2018
Broker Forecast - Jefferies International issues a broker note on Smurfit Kappa Group PLC
Jefferies International today reaffirms its buy investment rating on Smurfit Kappa Group PLC (LON:SKG) and raised its price target to 3750p (from 3460p). Story provided by StockMarketWire.com Broker Forecasts data provided by www.sharesmagazine.co.uk

Statement re Sustainability Goals
BUS
Statement re Sustainability Goals
Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

Smurfit Kappa continues to build on sustainability achievements with new set of goals
Smurfit Kappa has taken the next step forward in its sustainability journey by rolling out an ambitious new set of goals.
The packaging leader has had a long-term commitment to making real and measurable progress against its five strategic sustainability priorities of forest, climate change, water, waste and people.
Earlier this year, Smurfit Kappa announced that it had met, and in some cases exceeded, its previous sustainability goals in the areas of people, climate change and water with the last two goals achieved three years ahead of their 2020 deadline.
While Smurfit Kappas paper-based packaging is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, the paper production process itself is resource-intensive so a new set of goals has been outlined to build on the progress already made. These are:
Maintaining >90% chain of custody certification of annual customer deliveries
Maintaining 100% chain of custody operating system certification
Assessing energy usage reduction opportunities in converting operations by 2020
Performing water risk assessments for paper mills not yet assessed by 2020
Decreasing water discharge intensity by 60% by 2025 compared to 2005
Decreasing paper mill fossil intensity by 40% by 2030 compared to 2005
Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill by 30% by 2025
In the area of People a new Health and Safety goal has been set which aims to reduce the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) by 5% annually.
Speaking about the new goals, Steven Stoffer, VP of Development, said: This new set of goals has been drawn up to make sure we retain our leadership in the field of sustainability by reflecting the ambitious EU sustainability agenda into the targets for our global operating network and thereby continuing to push for sustainable innovation.
Over the past few years we have made solid progress in our efforts to contribute to a more sustainable society and we are keen to continue on this journey collaborating with our various groups of stakeholders.
Smurfit Kappa releases a Sustainable Development Report every year which contains a detailed overview of its sustainability performance, strategic direction and a review of the businesses underpinning its strategy.
ENDS

4 Jan
Jefferies...
2,600.00
Buy