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Daddy Kate explains the reasons for its acquisitions in France
The Belgian Daddy Kate group, specialized in offset, digital and large-format printing, has completed its latest four acquisitions in France (Imprimerie Moutier and Imprimerie Pacaud in Nord, Imprimerie Faurite in Ain and Rey Groupe in Rhône ).
In a message posted on LinkedIn, its CEO Thijs Claes explains that this choice is " not by chance, but by conviction".
According to him, France offers " a unique landscape for the graphics industry", characterized by "a highly fragmented market of independent printers", "strong family-run businesses with in-depth know-how", as well as "many executives approaching retirement without a successor".
The CEO also highlights the presence of " solid production tools, often under-optimized" and "clear opportunities for modernization, particularly in terms of digitalization, workflows and business development".
Thijs Claes sums up the Group's strategy: "Our approach is simple âeuros at least in theory, because its execution is demanding." It specifies that it is " invest in teams and preserve expertise, structure operations and flows, strengthen commercial capabilities and connect companies within a stronger group".
And to conclude: " We're not here just to consolidate in order to grow. We want to rebuild the competitiveness of the graphics industry, step by step."
Smurfit Westrock considers delisting from the London Stock Exchange
Smurfit Westrock is reviewing a possible delisting from the London Stock Exchange. The group indicates that this review should be finalized in May 2026.
This move is designed to align the company's capital structure with the organization of its global packaging activities. The Group's main listing on the New York Stock Exchange is not affected by this review.
No final decision has been announced at this stage. A communication to shareholders is planned at the end of the process.
21% of electricity at Japan's Komori plant generated by the sun
Komori takes another step forward in its environmental strategy with the commissioning of a large-scale solar system at its plant in Tsukuba, Japan, and the modernization of its refrigeration facilities.
The 185âeuros000Â m2 site includes the printing press production plant, a research center, KGC, a training center and employee facilities.
Photovoltaic capacity at Tsukuba has now reached 2âeuros300Â kW, enabling the annual production of around 2.6 million kWh of renewable electricity. According to the Group, this represents a reduction of around 1âeuros100Â tons of CO2 emissions per year, bringing the siteâ??s share of electricity from renewable sources to almost 21Â%.
At the same time, the installation of air-cooled heat pump refrigeration units reduces gas consumption by 45%, for a further reduction of around 310 tonnes of CO2 per year.
These investments are part of the Komori Eco Vision roadmap, and complement renewable energy projects already underway at other Group sites in Japan, China, Germany and Portugal.
CAP Fédération calls for bids for the 2026 Grande Exposition du Fabriqué en France
The trade organization for the cardboard and stationery industry, CAP Fédération, is encouraging companies in its sectors to take part in the Grande Exposition du Fabriqué en France 2026, for which the call for entries is open until May 15, 2026.
Initiated by the President of the Republic, this annual event will be held in November 2026 at the Ãlysée Palace. Its aim is to showcase companies, artisans and manufacturers involved in French production. At the last event, over 120 products from all French départements were presented to almost 10,000 visitors.
The federation stresses that this event is "an opportunity for an exceptional showcase for French industrial know-how" the company's products are used in the cardboard and stationery sectors in particular.
In the 2025 edition, Cartonnerie Gondardennes in Wardrecques, Pas-de-Calais, was one of the winners.
UPM to spin off its plywood business
The Board of Directors of UPM-Kymmene Corporation has approved a partial demerger plan to separate its UPM Plywood business into a new listed company, to be called Wisa Group.
The transaction, announced as part of the strategic review launched in September 2025, remains subject to the approval of an Extraordinary General Meeting scheduled for early September 2026 at the latest. Completion is scheduled for October 31, 2026, with a listing on Nasdaq Helsinki expected in early November.
UPM believes that this separation will create more value by giving the plywood business strategic and financial autonomy, while refocusing the Group on its core activities.
In 2025, the UPM Plywood business generated sales of ?409 million, with a comparable EBITDA of ?55 million. The future Wisa Group will operate seven production units in Finland and Estonia.
Heidelberg and Metsä Board launch packaging collaboration
Metsä Board and Heidelberg launch a strategic collaboration in packaging. The partnership combines the Finnish papermaker's virgin-fiber-based paperboards with the printing and converting technologies developed by the German manufacturer.
The two manufacturers are announcing joint R&D projects, pilot production runs and demonstrations at Heidelberg's Print Media Centres and Metsä Board's technical centers.
The cooperation covers offset, flexographic and digital printing, as well as converting operations. The two groups say they intend to develop packaging applications that meet the sector's industrial and regulatory constraints.
