Stora Enso facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stora Enso Oyj

Type	Julkinen osakeyhtiö
Traded as	OMX: STEAV, STERV OMX: STE A, STE R
ISIN	ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=Helsinki Helsinki: FI0009005953 and FI0009005961, Stockholm: FI0009007603 and FI0009007611]
Industry	Paper and packaging
Founded	1998; 27 years ago (1998) (1288; 737 years ago (1288))
Headquarters	Helsinki, Finland
Key people	Antti Mäkinen [fi] (chair of the board), Hans Sohlström [fi] (CEO)
Products	Packaging materials, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper
Revenue	€10.164 billion (2021)
Operating income	€1,568 million (2021)
Net income	€1,268 million (2021)
Total assets	€19,026 million (2021)
Total equity	€10,666 million (2021)
Owners	Solidium, FAM AB and others
Number of employees	22,094 (December 2021)

Stora Enso Oyj is a large company from Finland and Sweden that works with wood and forests. They make many different products, mostly from wood, for various industries around the world. Their main offices are in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden.

Most of their sales happen in Europe. However, they also have important operations in Asia and South America. Stora Enso was created in 1998 when two companies, Stora AB from Sweden and Enso Oyj from Finland, joined together. In 2021, the company had over 23,000 employees.

Some people believe Stora Enso is the oldest company in the world that is still active. This is because its history can be traced back to a share certificate from 1288. This old document is the earliest known share certificate ever found!

A Long History

Stora Enso was formed in 1998 when two big companies, Stora from Sweden and Enso Oyj from Finland, merged. Both companies had very long histories of working with forests and wood products.

The Story of Stora

This is a share from the Stora Kopparberg mine, dated June 16, 1288. It's one of the oldest known shares in the world!

The oldest known share certificate in the world was issued in 1288. It was for a Swedish copper mining company called Stora Kopparberg in Falun. This share gave the Bishop of Västerås 1/8th ownership of the mine. Because of this, some people think Stora Enso is the oldest company still around today.

For a time in the 1600s, this mine produced two-thirds of all the copper in the world! Later, in the 1700s, copper mining became less important. So, the company started buying iron ore mines. By the 1860s, iron was more important than copper for the company.

In 1862, Stora Kopparbergs Bergslags AB became a modern company with shareholders. Later, it started making pulp and paper. In the 1970s, the company sold most of its mining and steel businesses. It then focused mainly on forest-related activities. In 1984, the company's name was shortened to Stora AB. The copper mine finally closed in 1992.

Just before merging with Enso in 1997, Stora had 20,400 employees. They owned huge areas of forest, especially in Sweden. They also produced a lot of electricity, mostly from water power.

The Story of Enso

The headquarters building for Enso-Gutzeit Oy in Helsinki, designed by famous architect Alvar Aalto in 1962.

The history of Enso goes back to the 1850s. A man named Wilhelm Gutzeit started a company in Norway. His son, Hans Gutzeit, took over and began working in Finland in 1871. He started a sawmill in Kotka in 1872. In 1897, the company became a Finnish company.

Growing the Company (1900–1998)

Over the years, the company grew by buying other businesses. They started making board products in 1908. In 1918, the Finnish government bought the company's shares, making it fully state-owned.

The company's main office moved from Kotka to Helsinki in 1924. Its name changed to Enso-Gutzeit Osakeyhtiö in 1928. They built a very large pulp mill in Imatra in 1935, which was the biggest in Europe at the time.

In 1996, two state-owned forest companies, Enso-Gutzeit Oy and Veitsiluoto Oy, merged to become Enso Oyj. In 1997, Enso bought a large part of a German forestry company. Finally, in 1998, Enso merged with Stora to create Stora Enso.

Stora Enso's Journey (1998–Today)

After the merger, Stora Enso grew by buying more wood product businesses. They also bought paper selling businesses in Europe. In 2000, they bought a North American paper company. Stora Enso also slowly expanded its work in South America, Asia, and Russia.

The company has changed a lot over the years. They sold their North American businesses in 2007. Stora Enso has also sold or closed some of its mills in Finland, Sweden, and Germany.

Since 2006, the amount of paper products they sell has gone down. Instead, they are focusing more on packaging and wood products. This is because more people are shopping online, which means more need for packaging. Stora Enso is also investing in new materials made from plants (biomaterials) and renewable building products.

In 2018, Stora Enso joined with 23 other companies to form Combient. This group shares knowledge about new technologies like artificial intelligence and automation.

Some cool new products from 2017–2019 include:

• EcoFishBox: A cardboard box for fresh fish, instead of plastic foam.
• Lineo: A natural material from wood that can replace some glues.
• Prototypes of drinking straws that break down naturally.
• DuraSense biocomposites: These use wood fibers to replace plastics made from fossil fuels.

Recent Times (2020–Present)

In 2020, Stora Enso created a new division called Forest. This part of the company manages their forest lands and wood supply operations in different countries.

In 2021, Stora Enso sold its special RFID tag technology called ECO. These tags are used to track items.

In 2022, Stora Enso announced they might sell four of their paper mills in Finland, Sweden, and Germany. They said they would keep running them if no buyer was found.

What Stora Enso Makes

In 2021, Stora Enso offered products and services through six main parts of their company.

• The Biomaterials division sells pulp (a material made from wood). They also sell other products that can be taken out of wood and other plant materials.
• The Packaging materials division makes different kinds of paperboard. This is used for packaging dry and liquid foods, and for printing.
• The Forest division handles wood supply in Finland, Sweden, Russia, and the Baltic countries.
• The Packaging solutions division sells corrugated fiberboard and other types of paperboard. They also make complete packaging boxes and offer services for making packaging.
• The Paper division sells paper for printing and office use. They also help printing companies manage their paper supply.
• The Wood products division sells building materials made from wood.

Here's how much each part of the company sold in 2021:

Where Stora Enso Works

A factory in Heinola, Finland, where Stora Enso makes fluting, a wavy paper used in cardboard.

Most of Stora Enso's work happens in Europe. In 2021, their employees were located in many countries:

• 26% in Finland
• 22% in Sweden
• 13% in China
• 9% in Poland
• 5% in Czech Republic
• 5% in Russia
• 4% in Austria
• 13% in other European countries (like the Baltic states, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain)
• 3% in Brazil and Uruguay
• 1% in other countries

Main Offices

The first main office for Enso-Gutzeit Oy in Helsinki was designed by a famous architect named Alvar Aalto. The building was used starting in 1961. In 2008, Stora Enso sold this building and started renting it instead. They planned to move to a new rented office in Helsinki.

In December 2021, construction began on Stora Enso's new main office in Katajanokka, Helsinki. This building will also have other offices and a hotel. It is expected to be finished in spring 2024. While waiting, Stora Enso moved to a temporary office.

Working with Other Companies

Stora Enso also works with other companies in joint ventures:

• Veracel is a joint venture in Brazil with Suzano Papel e Celulose. Stora Enso owns half of it.
• In Uruguay, Stora Enso and Celulosa Arauco y Constitución work together in a joint venture called Montes del Plata. Stora Enso also owns half of this venture.

How Stora Enso is Run

Important People

Hans Sohlström is the current CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Stora Enso.

Some past CEOs include:

• Annica Bresky (2019-2023)
• Karl-Henrik Sundström (2014-2019)
• Jouko Karvinen (2007-2014)
• Jukka Härmälä (1998-2007)

The board of directors in 2022 included Antti Mäkinen (who leads the board), Håkan Buskhe (vice-chair), and other members like Elisabeth Fleuriot, Hock Goh, Helena Hedblom, Kari Jordan, Christiane Kuehne, Richard Nilsson, and Hans Sohlström.

Who Owns the Company

In December 2021, the Finnish government, through its Solidium fund, was the largest owner of Stora Enso shares. The Wallenberg family foundations from Sweden were the second largest owners. These two also had the most voting power.

The five biggest owners on December 31, 2021, were:

1. Solidium Oy
2. FAM AB
3. Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA)
4. Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company
5. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company

Company Language

After Stora and Enso merged, English became the main language used for communication within the company. A study found that this change helped the company's internal communication work well.

Being a Responsible Company

Stora Enso works to be a responsible company. In 2014, they started working with Save the Children to support children's rights. This partnership focused on improving conditions in their supply chain in Pakistan.

In 2015, Stora Enso partnered with the ILO. Their goal was to stop child labor in their supply chain in Pakistan and create good working conditions. Because of their experiences in Pakistan, Stora Enso added a special leader for sustainability to their main team.

In 2016, Stora Enso was recognized for its efforts against climate change. They were put on the "Climate A list" by an environmental group called CDP. Only a small number of companies achieve this status.

Stora Enso was also a main sponsor for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2017 in Lahti, Finland. They provided items made from renewable materials for the event. This included two spectator shelters made from wood, which were later given to the city.

See also

In Spanish: Stora Enso para niños

• William Lehtinen, Enso-Gutzeit's post-war rebuilder and CEO
• Great Copper Mountain
• Ahlstrom
• Enso (town)
• List of Finnish companies
• List of oldest companies
• Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget
• UPM-Kymmene