Paper as our heritage

The birth of a group

The group’s activities, which date back to the 18th century, are the heirs of a long tradition in the paper industry in Europe. The group was created after the acquisition of Arjomari Prioux in 1999 by Worms & Cie, a holding company with investments in several sectors. After Worms & Cie changed its name to Sequana Capital and subsequently to Sequana, the group decided in 2006 and 2007 to refocus its activities exclusively on the paper sector with its two businesses, Arjowiggins and Antalis.

Targeted acquisitions

In 2007 and 2008, Sequana carried out several acquisitions in support of its strategy and the development of its two businesses:

Antalis acquired Map, M-Real’s distribution division, which enabled it to increase its size by nearly 50%, positioning it as the European market leader in paper distribution.

In line with the green strategy of its Graphics division, Arjowiggins acquired two companies: Dalum, the leading European producer of premium recycled coated paper (2007) and Greenfield, a producer of premium recycled pulp (2008).

Refocusing on distribution

In 2008, Sequana announced its objective to refocus its activities on distribution. Several actions have been implemented to that end in the production business over the last three years, including the reorganisation of Arjowiggins, giving more autonomy to its divisions (2008), the disposal of less profitable activities (Decor paper in China and Carbonless paper in Europe in 2009) and the disposal of the Decor and Abrasive papers businesses to Swedish group Munksjö in 2011.

To find out more (detailed history)