2022 Ranking of the World’s Top 10 Pulp and Paper Enterprises
The sharp decline in the future demand for paper has affected the pulp and paper industry, making some generations of old-fashioned manufacturers struggle to stay relevant in the digital document era. That is to say, the logging industry is not satisfied with the non-shrinking paper publishing market. Modern society relies on a large number of paper products for personal hygiene, packaging and construction. However, if manufacturers try to use more environmentally friendly materials to make these products (many consumers hope they do), then this change may eliminate most of the pulp and paper industry, at least as far as we know. Faced with this environmental rebound, what was once a booming empire is now scrambling to innovate. Industry leaders are forced to respond to criticism of the undeniable damage caused by logging, and decide whether to classify the paper industry with other climate-impacting industries such as energy and transportation. However, despite the bleak prospects, there is still room for growth and expansion, especially in terms of innovation and diversification. To understand more deeply, Demon Finance has compiled a list of the world’s top 10 pulp and paper companies-these companies use innovation and diversification to cope with the economic downturn in the industry.
- International Paper, with $22.4 billion in revenue, based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It is the largest and most profitable company in the industry, with operations in 24 countries and over 55,000 employees.
- Kimberly-Clark, with $18.45 billion in revenue, based in Irving, Texas, USA. It is the world’s leading producer of personal hygiene products, such as Kotex, Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott and Huggies.
- WestRock, with $18 billion in revenue, based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It is a relatively young company, founded in 2015, but it is the second largest packaging company in the USA and the 194th in the Fortune 500 list.
- Oji Holdings, with $14.1 billion in revenue, based in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the most valuable packaging, paper, wood and other product producers in Japan, with 86 pulp and logging production bases in the country since 1873.
- Stora Enso, with $12.1 billion in revenue, based in Helsinki, Finland. It is the oldest paper, logging and packaging company in the world, and perhaps the oldest in the world, founded in 1288 as a copper mining company. It is now a leading international provider of renewable solutions in biomaterials and paper products.
- UPM-Kymmene, with $11.24 billion in revenue, based in Helsinki, Finland. It is a forestry innovator, combining bio and forest industries with environmental, sustainable technologies. It has six business groups, all led by UPM: Biorefining, Raflatac, Paper Asia, Paper ENA, Plywood and Energy.
- Nippon Unipac Holding, with $11 billion in revenue, based in Tokyo, Japan. It is the largest paper manufacturer in Japan, with 33 subsidiaries and 11 affiliated companies. It also produces films, chemicals and wood.
- Smurfit Kappa Group, with $10.4 billion in revenue, based in Dublin, Ireland. It is a packaging and raw materials producer, with 45,000 employees in 35 countries in Europe, North America and South America. It is also a leader in sustainable solutions for the industry, winning five awards in the 2022 Nestlé Supplier Awards.
- Svenska Cellulosa, with $2.2 billion in revenue, based in Sundsvall, Sweden. It was founded in 1929 by Ivar Kreuger, and diversified its assets from forestry and logging to disposable paper hygiene products after a series of mergers and acquisitions. It is now the largest private forest owner in Europe, with 2.6 million hectares of land.
- Procter & Gamble, with $17.1 billion in revenue, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. It is the original producer of Ivory soap, and has a diversified product line covering various aspects of personal care, such as hygiene, skincare and baby care. It was founded in 1837 by a British candle maker and an Irish soap maker.
