Cascades (company)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cascades Inc. (TSX: CAS) is a Canadian company based in Kingsey Falls, Quebec involved in the production, converting and marketing of packaging products, fine papers and tissue papers. Internationally, the Cascades Group employs more than 15,000 people and operates in Canada, the United States, France, England, Germany and Sweden. It was founded in 1964 and subsequently acquired Rolland, a paper producer with operations in Mont-Rolland, Quebec (now closed) and Saint-Jérôme, Quebec.
In Europe: in 1985, it acquired its first manufacturing unit with La Rochette (France), then the second one a year later with Blendecques (France). In 1989, two other mills were purchased: Djupafors AB in Sweden and Kartonfabriek van Duffel NV in Belgium. The Belgian mill was renamed Cascades Duffel NV but ceased its production in 1993 after heavy losses and then was immediately transformed into a cutting center for the other European mills of the group. Declared definitively closed in the accounts of 1997, it was reconverted in 2002 to an internal commercial agency, under the name with slightly modified orthography of Cascade Duffel NV, and having only one unit of establishment called Korton Fabrick van Ouffel, located at the exact address of the old mill which was resold to another company in 1998. This agency, without collaborator working in Belgium, is implied at the time of exports of cartonboard out of Europe, in particular those in transit by the port of Antwerp (according to Boards of directors of Cascades SA of June 28, 2002 and Nov 3, 2003). In 1997 also, the mill of Arnsberg (Germany) was purchased and added its production to the European mills of the group. Cascades became the only manufacturer of cartonboard in France, as well as the third manufacturer of cartonboard containing recycled fibres and the fourth containing virgin fibres in Europe, where it employs approximately 1,290 people today.
By February or March of 2008, Cascades foresees to sell its two European mills of cartonboard containing recycled fibres (Arnsberg and Blendecques) to the Italian group Reno de Medici, within the framework of a merger. The Italian subsidiary company of Cascades, which will receive shares of Reno de Medici in payment for this transfer, should become the first shareholder with 30.6% of the shares of the amalgamated group whose seat would remain in Milan. If the competent European authorities approve this merger, the new group thus created will become the second manufacturer of cartonboard containing recycled fibres in Europe, with a capacity of production of 1.100.000 tons per year. The two other mills of cartonboard containing virgin fibres of Cascades (Djupafors and La Rochette) could also join this new Italian group later on.
In Canada, in 1997 Rolland Group Cascades acquired the Provincial Papers Inc. mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario which had been employee-run since 1992.
The company is not related to American paper company Boise Cascade.
[edit] External links
- Cascades Inc. Official site
