The industry is large and growing….

http://www.paperonline.org/cycle/industry/industry_frame.html

Industrial wood-based papermaking really got underway some 150 years ago as a result
of strong market demand and new technology.
Pulp and Paper Mill in Finland
Pulp and paper mill in Finland, provided courtesy of UPM-Kymmene

The demand for paper and board shows no slackening. Indeed the growth now of
advertising, communications, personal care and international trade are all contributing to
the demand for paper.

* The electronic age has brought with it the need for more, not less, graphic paper.
* Office photocopiers, computer printers and desktop publishers all require paper.
* Travel and trade catalogues call for more colour printed paper.
* Rigid, lightweight and printable paper and board materials have gained
predominance in packaging.
* Printing press technology, wider education and demand on news fuel the expansion
of newspapers.
* The growth of consumer and industrial goods fuels packaging needs.
* Protective cardboard, tough cartons and printed wrapping papers are in demand.
* The demand for hygiene and sanitary papers has surged.
* The growth in world commerce and the development of international postal services
demand more writing and business papers.

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And it is growing faster than most industries…

* Over the past decade the overall production of paper and board in Western Europe
has increased by more than 40%.
* Graphic paper remains one of the most convenient ways to convey information. It
enables knowledge, education and culture to spread and so the consumption of graphic
papers has increased by 35%.
* Packaging paper is the natural partner for food and products to be safely transported,
sold and exported and it avoids wastage efficiently. The consumption of packaging papers
has increased by 27% and hygiene papers by 51%.

topPaper generates wealth

Paper adds wealth - and not only as bank notes and securities.

From forestry to retail trades and subsequent recovery for recycling, paper generates
wealth and employment.

There is direct employment, but many find employment in upstream, downstream and
supporting activities.
A newsprint line, for example, employs 240-300 people, and a coated fine paper line may
employ more than 400 people.

Exports of value-added grades generate revenue.

Pulp, paper and board mills situated in rural areas bring regional benefits and the use of
wood also brings income to rural areas.

topThe industry is highly integrated...

The paper industry comprises of a diversity of companies, differing in ownership, scale

and type of activity. Some own forests and therefore control the raw material, several are
engaged in the collection and trading of recovered paper. Some firms trade pulp and
many operate integrated pulp and paper mills. Downstream and supporting activities
(such as trading, packaging and tissue converting) are often carried out by paper and
board companies.

top… and highly capitalised

The scale and technology of papermaking has progressed at a considerable pace over the
past decade, and the level of investment is considerable. Today, a 400,000 tonne
newsprint machine in Europe, for example, represents an investment of more than EUR
300 million.