Professional Documents
Culture Documents
hurrayeveryday
for the
sca's strategy
smAll pAckAges
A green choice
Design guru
at home with four families
6
their own Mary Poppins.
we do a spontaneous bop
in the kitchen to
old funk, that’s how
we spice
things up.
04 Shape up
16 Did you know that bacteria love the kitchen sink
and that sustainable forestry can generate 10 mil-
lion ”green jobs”? Read the Shape up pages.
06 Shape cover
Whether you live in Shanghai, Moscow, Pittsburgh
or Bonn – life is mostly about the everyday. Shape
talks to four ordinary families in different parts of
the world about their daily lives.
16 trend
Small packages are often better for the environ-
ment since they mean less wasted food.
20 profile
When designing high-tech products, Thomas
20 Meyerhoffer has earned his reputation by breaking
the norms. Now his tissue dispenser for SCA has
been recognized with several prestigeous awards.
23 technology
Why are there different products for incontinence
and sanitary protection? Shape untangles the dif-
ferences between blood and urine.
26 Sca inSide
Three analysts comment on the SCA strategy and
the future. Read also how SCA forests will end up
in Swedish households when the company seals a
30
deal with Ikea.
30 outlook
In Colombia, everyday life circles around local
shops called las tiendas. To get a piece of this att-
ractive market, SCA looks for a local partner.
34 economy
First quarter results were lower than for the same
23 period last year but still better than analysts had
forecast.
SCA Shape is a magazine from SCA, primarily geared toward share Publisher Bodil Eriksson Managing editor Anna Selberg
holders and analysts, but also for journalists, opinion leaders and oth Editorial Anna Selberg, SCA, and Göran Lind, Anna Gullers,
ers interested in SCA’s business and development. Shape is published Appelberg Design Tone Knibestöl, Appelberg
four times per year. The next issue is due in September 2009. Printer Sörmlands Grafiska AB, Katrineholm
Address SCA, Corporate Communications, Box 7827, 103 97 Cover photo ISTOCKPHOTO
Stockholm Telephone +46 8 788 5100 Fax +46 8 678 8130
SCA Shape is published in Swedish and English. The contents are printed on GraphoCote 80 gram from SCA Forest Products. Reproduction only by
permission of SCA Corporate Communications. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors or persons interviewed and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the editors or SCA. You can subscribe to SCA Shape or read it as a pdf at www.sca.com.
E, weakened paper
Ea rs’ TIm
Oy n consumption 2008
In TW OrE Tha
m Overall paper consumption in Europe decreased by
more than 2 percent during 2008, when compared to
2007, according to preliminary statistics from the
European confederation of paper indutry, CEPI.
d
C O vErE Within the EU, industrial production and retail sales
lb E .
I WIl d grass hE
began declining in the first and second quarters of
g ha n 2008 and industrial and consumer confidence contin-
han sa mT
Of s ITh TrEE lans frO T In
ued to suffer throughout last year.
W sP En Paper and board production in Europe decreased
ITIOU gOvErnmEE-yEar
bacteria
b by 100 million tonnes, which represents a fall in the re-
a m l r IOn
lOCa InEsE ThPrOTECT
gion of around 4 percent over 2007. This is a reflection
h l of the weakening of the global econ-
ThE C nmEnTa lan. omy which caused down-time and
EnvI
r O O P
n
aCTI sOUrCE: Er.sE
closures in most parts of the in-
ET dustry over 2008 and partic-
nyh
n sCh ularly during the fi-
bra
nal months of
the year,
the CEPI
reports.
photo :IStoCkphoto
Sinks are hot spots for
2003 11,4
2004 18,5
2005 21,0
photo: IStoCkphoto
2006 25,7
2007 27,6
2008 21,3
0 6 12 18 24 30 Billion dollar
SuStAinAblE
forESt mAnAgEmEnt
giving grEEn jobS
Investments in sustainable In several countries, includ-
forest management can mean ing the US and South Korea,
10 million new “green” jobs. investments in the forestry sec-
That’s the view of the UN’s tor are already included in their
Food and Agriculture Organi- economic stimulus packages.
zation (FAO). Planting and restoring forests
The world’s trees and forests are an important part of India’s
are important for absorbing rural job guarantee program.
carbon dioxide, and invest- More planted forests and
ments in sustainable forest better forest management
management are key to the task would also curb extensive de-
of mitigating climate change. forestation, which is a problem
“Investments in sustainable in many parts of the world.
forest management could be a That would reduce carbon
way to create millions of green dioxide emissions and poten-
jobs and as a result both reduce tially have a greater positive
poverty and improve the envi- impact on climate change than
photo: IStoCkphoto
Long live
PEr PErSon/yEAr: 1.6 kilogram
moSt common cAr brAnd: Volkswagen Jetta
Yue, Lin and Yue look forward to the HAvE comPutErS At HomE: 10-15%
weekends when they go together to one of
Shanghai’s parks to play and relax.
clEAn At lEASt two timES A wEEk: 64%
bEliEvE conSidErAtion for tHE EnvironmEnt
iS imPortAnt/ExtrEmEly imPortAnt: 56%
EvErydAy lifE!
HouSEHold incomE PEr montH: $5,863
AvErAgE numbEr of cHildrEn: 2.1
lifE ExPEctAncy: 77 years
AvErAgE AgE At wHicH cHildrEn StoP
uSing diAPErS: 3 –4 years
wHo tAkES cArE of tHE cHildrEn: 52%
by parents or other family members, 38%
day care facility
rEStAurAnt viSitS/PErSon/montH:
0.9 visits
HAvE A dAily nEwSPAPEr: 41%
ProPortion of PAPEr rEcyclEd: 55%
moSt common cAr brAnd: Ford uSA
HAvE comPutErS At HomE: 75%
clEAn At lEASt two timES A wEEk:
46%
bEliEvE conSidErAtion for tHE En- The Smails in Pittsburgh, US, let the concerns about
vironmEnt iS imPortAnt/ExtrEmEly climate change and consumption reflect in their
lifestyle.
imPortAnt: 37%
shape cover
The Hellemanns
Health, and a little
bit of sustainability
text: michael lawton PHoto: thomas müller
shape cover
Yue, Lin and Yue where they plan to live for the next
several years.
Recycling with
Many affluent urban Chinese fami-
lies employ an ayi, or domestic helper,
to look after their child (because of Chi-
garbage collectors
na’s family policy, most couples have
only one child), cook their meals and
clean the house. But Yue and Lin han-
dle the domestic chores themselves.
text: jan hökerberg PHoto: gao erqiang “My wife cooks on the weekdays and
I normally cook at the weekends,” Yue
says. “She also does most of the shop-
Yue Jiahao spends his days driving the have a 9-year old son, Ziyan, who at- ping, but occasionally I also do that.”
streets of Shanghai as a chauffeur for a tends third grade in primary school. When Lin buys meat she usually
Japanese company. Lin, who works as a secretary in the city, goes to the supermarket. “But for veg-
“I’ve been driving cars for a living for a takes Ziyan to school in the mornings etables and fruits I definitely prefer the
long time, so I’ve seen a lot of changes in and picks him up in the afternoons. traditional markets, since they have
the city,” he says. For one thing, there are a Like many other urban middle-class more fresh items,” she says.
lot more cars on the road. In 1999 Shang- Chinese, the couple have bought their Yue and Lin are not fond of ready-
hai had only some 20,000 private cars. own apartment, in a central location made food and prefer to cook their
By 2007 that number had grown to more near the busy Huaihai Road. own meals from scratch.
than half a million. “We decided to get some extra in-
Living standards of both urban and come by renting it out since there is big The Chinese goveRnmenT pro-
rural households in China continue to demand in Shanghai for rentals, es- motes recycling, but the country so far
rise, but there is still a big disparity be- pecially from expatriates working for lacks a sophisticated system for col-
tween the cities and the countryside. foreign companies,” Yue says. They lecting household garbage.
Yue is married to Lin Xiuyu and they moved into a less expensive rented flat “We try to separate glass, plastic
bottles and cardboard from the other
garbage, and then our son sells them to
different garbage collectors,” Yue says.
The Yue family members are happy
with their lives, and they all look for-
ward to weekends when both parents
are off work.
“I drive the family to one of Shang-
hai’s parks where we can relax and have
fun together,” Yue says.
www.tempo-toilettenpapier.de
shape cover
The Smails
Health crisis
changed lifestyle
w hen Howard Smail
was diagnosed with
an inner ear problem
that affected his bal-
ance, he could no longer work or drive.
As with many families, the health crisis
forced the Smails of Pittsburgh to make
dramatic changes in their lifestyle.
text: geof becker PHoto: gene j puskar
Even as Howard, 66, his wife Connie,
49, and their 13-year-old son Matt ad-
justed to Howard’s disability, they saw
the changes in a broader context, a re-
sponse to concerns about climate change
and consumption and a welcome return
to more traditional values.
“My parents grew up in the Depres-
sion, and my mom reused everything,”
says Connie, a communications and
media consultant. “It’s not that she was
cheap – she’d just say ‘waste not, want
not.’ I’m finding myself doing the same
thing now.”
shape cover
w
text: DaviD isaksson PHoto: alexey myakishev
“Moscow is pretty horrible in the sum-
mer because it’s so warm,” says Jelena.
“We travel a lot more than Russians do
hen Jelena Perova a week from home and a babysitter comes in general. And we speak English – that’s
welcomes us, her hus-hus to help take care of the boy. Petr works for not very common in Russia.”
band Petr and their Microsoft and travels a lot in his job.
two-year-old son Ale-Ale Jelena offers us tea and cookies in the
down
ksandr are still playing in the yard down- kitchenan explains that she’s in charge the DiDenko-
stairs. The Didenko-Perova family live of buying food for the family and clean- perova family
on the seventh floor in a newly renovated ing the house, she says. “It’s not that father: Petr Didenko,
three-room apartment in south Moscow. we’re trying to maintain traditional gen- computer expert, 32
There’s a huge flat-screen display in the der roles, but because I’m home, it’s eas- mother: Jelena Perova,
living room, and the bookshelves hold ier for me to be in charge of the house,” psychologist, 26
DVDs as well as books in both English she says. Looking to Petr she adds, “If I chilD: Aleksandr Perov, 2
and Russian. went to work every day you would prob- live: In a two-room apartment in
“I originally come from a town that’s ably do more, wouldn’t you”? south Moscow, Russia
20 minutes from here by car”, says Je- small joys in life: “We like to
lena. “Well, nowadays, it’s 40 minutes She ShoPS for food about twice a take walks and go to the movies. We
away because traffic has gotten worse”. week at a large grocery store. “Some- also like staying at home and watch-
The fact that it now takes twice as long times I go to one of the local stores and ing a movie together.”
to get to Jelena’s hometown says some- buy something little. Every now and What WoulD make everyDay
thing about the enormous development then I go to the market. But I would life easier: “We’re really happy
with our lives. It wouldn’t make life
that has taken place in Russia, and espe- rather shop as little as possible.” easier, but if we could wish for any-
cially Moscow, in the last few years. She almost never buys processed thing, it would be for better air and
Jelena is a psychologist. She stays home food. “No, I would rather cook myself, less traffic in Moscow.”
with Aleksandr, but she works three days even if it’s usually something simple. We
Small packagesmean
less wasted food
Wrapping and packaging have long been viewed as environmental bad guys,
or at best necessary evils. But there’s a growing realization that the right kind
of packaging can help reduce a product’s impact on the environment and
increase food availability in poorer countries.
TexT: Sven lindell phoTo: getty imAgeS
e
very day, food worth The value of wasted food in the EU is designed for an era when the norm for a
millions of dollars is about EUR 10 billion (USD 13 billion) household was four people. But house-
thrown away, most of a year. “With packaging that’s properly holds today consist of fewer people than
it unnecessarily. In in- dimensioned, this waste can be signifi- before. Single-person and two-person
dustrialized countries, cantly reduced,” says Ole Jørgen Hans- households have increased considerably
up to half of all food sen, director of the Norwegian research in recent years.
produced is thrown away because of im- institute Östfoldforskning. “So food waste can be reduced by
proper handling or because the “sell-by” One cause of waste may be that pro- adjusting the size of the packaging to
date has expired, regardless of whether ducers use packaging that’s too big. modern households,” Hanssen says.
the food is bad or not. Of all the fruit and Consumers don’t manage to eat up the “Then there’s a greater chance that
vegetables transported in the EU, almost contents before the food goes bad. Part- the food will be eaten up by the best-
10 percent go to waste. ly it’s a case of package sizes that were before date.”
FrAntic
building
in egyPt
In Egypt, a baby is born every 20 seconds. The country’s 85
million inhabitants are crying for new housing, and foreign SwediSH wood
investment is growing rapidly. “Egypt is the economic engine in tHe deSert
of the entire region,” says Cherif Sayed at the Swedish
in 2009, SCa Timber plans to sell
Trade Council’s office in Cairo. 72,000 cubic meters of solid wood
text: mAtS wigArdt PHoto: iStock ocH mAtS wigArdt products to egypt. The construc-
tion boom has made the country
an important market for Swedish
wood products.
The road from Cairo Cairo to Al- region. The number of inhabitants is es- many new residences are being
exandria is lined with gigantic billboards timated at 85 million or more in an area built, and the demand for timber
for doors and windows is high. in
advertising new housing complexes. only slightly more than twice the size of
a short period, imports of Swedish
Heavy trucks rumble past in a steady Sweden. The people are young – one- timber have risen several times to
stream. Along one side of the road is third of them are under age 15, and 43 800,000 cubic meters a year, and
the fertile green of the Nile Valley, on percent are between 15 and 39. they are forecast to reach a million
the other the edge of the desert. Egypt’s “Egypt is flourishing,” Sayed says. cubic meters soon.
economy is on the rise. A number of “When there is growing turbulence else- The sales organization Uni4 mar-
keting aB, jointly owned by SCa,
factors are contributing to the growth where in the Middle East, money is in-
has been an established player
– greater political stability, lower taxes, vested in Egypt.” in the timber products market in
simplified customs regulations, trade The building sector may be flourish- North africa and the middle east
agreements with the EU and a well-edu- ing the most. Poor people are getting new for many years.
cated, English-speaking labor force. housing, the young and well-educated The basic idea is to sell large
The global financial crisis has not are receiving housing subsidies, and the volumes of lower-grade wood
products in countries where
affected Egypt the same way as other country’s well-to-do middle class is mov-
producers don’t have their own
countries. “Obviously, there are signs of ing out of downtown Cairo to three en- representatives.
the crisis, and the stock market is fall- tirely new neighborhoods. Jöran ekberg at Uni4 sees egypt
ing,” says Cherif Sayed, the head of the New hotels and restaurants are be- as an important market where
Swedish Trade Council’s office in Cairo. ing developed. Egypt aims to double the Swedish sawmills have an outlet for
“But the banking structure looks differ- number of tourists in the country, and fo- bulk goods and Vi grade timber.
“But egyptian buyers demand
ent in Egypt. People here don’t borrow reign investment is rising rapidly. “Egypt
good products of all types,” Jör-
for consumption to the same extent as has become a beachhead for trade with gen ekberg stresses.
in the West.” North Africa and the Middle East as well
Egypt has the largest population in the as southern Europe,” Sayed says.
Breaking
Swedish-born designer Thomas Meyerhoffer made his name by challenging
convention in the high-tech world. Now he’s bringing his unique vision to
everything from surfboards to paper dispensers.
text: AlEtA WAtSon photo: WWW.mEyErHoffEr.com
From his studio high above the the Art Center College of Design in evolution.”
California coast on a sunny spring Pasadena, California. Unlike most Straight out of college, the de-
day, Thomas Meyerhoffer gazes out industrial designers, he never want- signer worked at Porsche in Germany
over a wide expanse of Pacific Ocean, ed to specialize. Since graduating in then moved on to work for IDEO, a
the luminous blue stretching unbro- 1991, he has made his name creating San Francisco design firm, before
ken to the horizon. an impressive range of new products joining Apple in 1994. That’s where
The view is stunning, but the small for iconic brands such as Apple, Nike he hit the big time as the designer of
home office is hardly what one would and Sony Ericsson. the colorful, translucent eMate, a
expect of a high-powered designer “I don’t see myself as many other groundbreaking portable computer
with a roster of big-name clients and designers do,” Meyerhoffer says. “All intended for the school market. It be-
a string of honors, including most re- they do is talk about design and go to came a forerunner of the iMac.
cently a 2009 International Forum design conferences and look at design
Design (iF) award for a line of tissue magazines and so forth. I never look the hallmarks of a typical Mey-
dispensers he created for SCA. There at design in magazines. I find inspira- erhoffer design were all there in the
are no stylish suites filled with expen- tion elsewhere.” eMate – an organic sculptural shape,
sive furniture here, no larger-than- He’s more interested in how people attractive yet functional details and
life photos of past projects lining the use and experience the objects he cre- an appeal to the user’s emotions. Its
walls, no swarm of hip associates at ates than whether the products mesh unusual clamshell housing and bright
Meyerhoffer’s beck and call. with any academic theory. “I’m not color made the computer feel more
Then again, the Stockholm native subscribing to any style of design,” he like a toy than a business tool. Still,
is no ordinary designer. He broke the says. “I don’t belong to a school at all. there was serious attention to issues
mold long ago when he studied both On the contrary, I think the things such as the way the integrated handle
transportation and product design at most inspiring to me are nature and fit into a child’s hand.
to create things which they’re interested restrooms all over the world. “I think
in, their passion.” it’s amazing in working with them that
Montara is ideal as far as the designer they’ve taken so much care to create this
is concerned. It’s near enough to Silicon well-designed product and to support
Valley and an international airport for that and invest in it,” he says. “They are
him to get to client meetings readily. Yet aware that this is the only connection
it’s close to nature and the big waves he they have with the user.”
loves to surf. In March 2009 the dispensers’ elegant
shapes and precise functionality earned
CompaCt and lean, with a shaved them an iF award at Europe’s biggest
head and piercing blue eyes, the 44-year- industrial design competition in Hanno- Chubby and soft – even though
it’s a computer.
old Meyerhoffer spends much of his ver, Germany. The Elevation dispenser
free time riding waves up and down the also received a Red Dot product design
Northern California coast. His most re- award in Essen, Germany, in April.
cent project, a revolutionary hourglass- Despite the strong dispenser design it
shaped surfboard, grew out of his pas- is unobtrusive and timeless. “You don’t
sion for the sport. It may be his most want the product to stand out,” he
personal design. says. “You want to do what you
His search for a ride combining re- need to do in a restroom, and of
sponsiveness, speed and glide led to the course you look for the paper. And
colorful experimental surfboards dis- when you look for the paper, you in-
played at the Cooper-Hewitt National tuitively have a nice experience.”
Design Museum’s Triennial in 2006. “It was interesting to connect back
From them emerged a range of commer- to Scandinavia and bring these quali-
cial models, dubbed the Modern Meyer- ties – the longevity of the form, the
hoffer, scheduled for introduction in the strength in the form and the simplicity
US in May 2009. of the form – into the product of a Scan-
The designer lives, works and raises dinavian company,” he says. “But it was
his 8-year-old son Dylan in the most brought in in a way that it works all over
modern home in Montara, all sharp the world, and it’s a universal language Emate – as appetizing as a toy.
angles, bare wood, concrete and glass. and a universal product.”
BOdY fLuidS
pose a challenge
TO ENGiNEErS
Different body fluids require different absorption
materials. Blood contains blood cells and proteins, while
urine holds various salts, which explains why sanitary
protection and incontinence products are so different.
text: HENrik EmiLSON illuStrAtion: LEif ÅBjörNSSON
One second!
Urine
During the ‘70s fiber-
With urine leakage, based fluff pulp was
50 ml a big amount of fluid used in the urinal
can be released in a protections (as well as
second... for menstruation).
The protection Superabsorbents arrive
easily leaked. on the scene, and fluid
is enclosed in plastic
granules...
out. Liquid flows into the particles to higher the concentration, the more the together and formed a dense membrane
even out the concentration difference superabsorbent is affected,” he says. that meant no more liquid could pass
between the inside and outside, and the “If someone drank three beers, his/her through to the granules in the lower lay-
particles swell up. It’s the same thing urine would be watered down and eas- ers. By adding more cross-linking agent
that happens when you salt a slice of raw ier to take care of than if she/he hadn’t to the molecules, the capacity of the su-
eggplant – the liquid from the vegetable drunk so much liquid.” perabsorbent was reduced. Each granule
is forced out because it tries to even out absorbed less liquid, but the granules
the difference in salt content. Salts in the urine affect the ab- underneath were not blocked.
“In 1986 everyone thought superab- sorption capacity of the superabsorb- “We basically sacrificed capacity to
sorbents were a great invention, but it ent, which in principle can be reduced gain better function,” Österdahl says.
was soon apparent that they didn’t work by half. Because salt content varies from “The technology was then further re-
as well on urine as they did on pure wa- person to person and from day to day, fined by having loose cross-linking in
ter,” Osterdahl says. The reason for this it was a question of finding a balance in the nucleus of the granules but tighter
is that urine contains much more than the product that worked for everyone all cross-linking on the surface. Then the
just water – including many ions like Na+, the time. When superabsorbents were nucleus could expand well without the
K+, NH 4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, PO43-, first introduced, a problem known as gel granules sticking to one another.”
SO42- depending somewhat on the in- blocking developed. The molecules were As a result of research and advances,
dividuals and what they’ve consumed. loosely cross-linked then, and as a result superabsorbents work well for urine.
Then there is less difference between in- they could swell up further. Certainly, But what about menstrual blood? In
side and outside the superabsorbent, so this was effective and good, but the gran- the beginning, Österdahl and his col-
the driving force will be weaker. “The ules swelled up so much that they stuck leagues thought the problem with su-
Many buy
sanitary napkins
for other
...but the granules swell so much
that they stick together and More agents known as cross-linkers were reasons besides
menstruation.
the liquid cannot reach the gran- added. Each granule absorbs less fluid but
ules underneath. Protection doesn’t block the granules underneath.
still leaked. The protection stays dry.
mAny nicknAmES...
1990s 2000s
along with diapers, sca pro-
duces menstrual protection and
At the end of the ’90s a new Now a new solution consisting incontinence protection in many
fluff pulp structure – Efficapt of cellulose fiber with a small countries.
– with good absorption is quantity of superabsorbents,
introduced. which lock in moisture and menstrual protection
prevent odor. LibResse
(northern and eastern europe)
sanitary napkins and pantyliners
in every market. tampons in selec-
ted markets.
bodyfoRm
(Great britain)
Abumin
sanitary napkins and pantyliners.
protein
Efficapt nana
(france)
sanitary napkins and pantyliners.
nuvenia
perabsorbents absorbing blood was another solution has been developed that (italy)
due to blood platelets and blood cells. is based on cellulose fibers but includes a sanitary napkins and pantyliners.
These simply did not want to penetrate small quantity of superabsorbent. Even nosotRas
the material. Because of the fine pores though superabsorbent polymer does (Latin america)
of the superabsorbent material, func- not work as well with menstrual blood, sanitary napkins, tampons and
tion deteriorated even further. Today it still serves a function. “Even if we rec- pantyliners.
they know that the problem is due to ommend the right product for the right saba
the protein albumin, which coats the thing, many buy sanitary napkins for (mexico and central america)
sanitary napkins and pantyliners.
surface with a tight layer so that not other reasons besides menstruation, such
LibRa
even water can penetrate. “That’s why as light incontinence,” Österdahl says.
(australasia)
superabsorbents aren’t very good at ab- “So there’s a reason for having superab- market leader in menstrual protec-
sorbing menstrual flow,” he says. “Ob- sorbents in the material. A superabsorb- tion in australasia. Libra is sold
viously, there’s not just blood in the ent also helps keep odor down, because as sanitary napkins, tampons and
menstrual flow – there are other body the liquid that enters a superabsorbent pantyliners.
fluids as well – but it’s these proteins becomes locked in and is not as readily incontinence protection
above all that make it difficult for us.” available for the process that produces tena
odor. The superabsorbent also absorbs available in more than 90 coun-
tries. incontinence protection for
Recent yeaRs have seen the use of moisture from the air and makes the
men and women. the product
a special fluff pulp that is very good at product less sweaty to wear.” range also includes skincare prod-
absorbing blood. The material, called But how much easier it would have been ucts and washing liquids.
Efficapt, was introduced in 1997. Now if all body fluids were pure water.
The analysts:
focus on casH flow
Is SCA investing enough in its hygiene operations? How serious are the problems in
Packaging? Shape has brought together analysts Andreas Lundberg (Handelsbanken),
Celine Pannuti (JP Morgan) and Mikael Jåfs (Cheuvreux) to discuss SCA’s strategy
and long-term growth opportunities.
text: göran lind, Petra lodén
How well has SCA handled the ad- also fallen significantly – like with because it’s in the banks’ hands. But
justment to weaker demand? everyone else in the industry. the trick is to determine when to shift
Andreas Lundberg: The company gears, when to invest in growth.
has admittedly done a bit but I think Is it the right tactic to focus on im-
that, like almost everyone else, proving cash flow and being more SCA’s aim is to increase its share of
they’ve misjudged the severity of the careful with investments, even in hygiene operations. Is this change-
fall. Because demand has dropped new markets? over going quickly enough?
so quickly, it’s been really difficult to AL:Given how weak cash flow has AL:Well, you always hope for more,
make adjustments in time. been for a while and what the finan- given how wonderfully those opera-
Celine Pannuti: SCA has been adjust- cial situation looks like, measures tions are doing, but we think things
ing to the down turn in demand for a are needed to increase cash flow. But are going along at a pretty good pace.
long time by cutting capacity - espe- there should still be some investment, CP: The company’s evolution to be
cially within packaging, but also forest so the question is to not make cuts more focused on hygiene could go
products, which is good. The severity too quickly. faster.This could be achieved either
we now see in the economy makes it CP: Focusing on cash flow and cash organically or through M&A. Dis-
very difficult for SCA to have an im- management is definitely the right posing of non-core businesses could
pact on its own, as the whole industry thing to do – right now even more also help.
needs to cut and adjust to the situation. than ever. Investments in new mar- MJ: The investment in expanded
Mikael Jåfs:SCA’s structure, with kets, especially in developing coun- hygiene operations is right. Of
its large share of consumer prod- tries, where hygiene products have a course, many investors want SCA
ucts, has meant the company has potential, should however continue. to only invest in its hygiene opera-
weathered the financial downturn These are less cyclical categories and tions, but the reason the company
relatively well and hasn’t been af- it seems wiser to cut in other markets has survived the economic fluctua-
fected as much as other companies. or other divisions. tions so well is precisely this mix of
But 30 percent of sales come from MJ:In the current market situation, different operations, those sensitive
packaging, and things have gone SCA has no other choice than to focus to changes in the economy and those
just as badly there as they have for on improving cash flow. The question that are less so. However, the con-
others. In pulp, solid wood products of financing is difficult right now, so glomerate structure of the company
and publication papers, demand has investments will probably be put off is not very popular with investors
Disco chocolate
wins design contest
The innovative chocolate package Natacha Lesty, a French student at
Disco Choco took home the gold the École Internationale de Design,
medal when SCA held its first packa- won first prize. Along with the
ging design contest, called Design prize of 3,000 euros, she was also
Challenge. The aim was to develop invited to do an internship at SCA
a packaging concept for chocolates Packaging’s Innovation Center in ProtEction
sold in stores. The packaging was Brussels. for All PAntiES
environment
to be innovative but also had to take Miriam Liébana Yeste won the Libresse Hipster was recently
into account trends, industrial res- consumer-oriented prize with packa- launched in the European mar-
trictions and environmental aspects. ging that doubles as a note pad. ket. It’s a super-thin pantylin-
er shaped to fit hipster or box-
er panties.
“Different types of under-
ScA moving into wear require different types of
pantyliners, so we’ve developed
Libresse Hipster,” says Stefan
Eggermont, trade marketing di-
friEndly building rector retail, SCA Personal Care
Europe.
SCA is moving its headquarters next April to the new Waterfront Building The consum-
in downtown Stockholm. Waterfront, which will be completed in 2010, is be- ers who test-
ing built with the latest environmental technology. ed the new
“Waterfront meets a number of requirements for the environmentally pantyliner have
friendly workplace of the future, which together with cost considerations been positive;
has been important in our decision,” says Gordana Landén, SCA’s senior vice 96 percent
president of human resources. thought there
The building is expected to be twice as energy-efficient as the EU’s Green was a great
Building Standard. Smart solutions move energy between the different ar- need for the
eas of the building. Among other features, heat in the glass facades will be product and
converted into warm water that is distributed to cooler parts of the building. 80 percent
Cooling will be produced using water from Lake Klara, the canal that runs said they liked
through central Stockholm. Inside the building, a reservoir of 250 tons of it.
water freezes at night and is then used to cool the premises during the day.
New box
sca timber
becomes iKea
sHelves
Preserves birdlife
SCA’s forests become timber
for IKEA’s Gorm shelving units
when the furniture retailer or-
SCA Packaging in Hungary has time, ornithologists meet to mark ders a million of its solid-wood
developed the Hirundo box, a new the birds in order to study their lives. standbys each year.
solution to protect birdlife. At the Marking has to be done at night be- Roughly 45,000 cubic me-
end of the summer, swallows – in- cause the birds hunt in the daytime. ters of pine timber will be
cluding the barn swallow Hirundo But the birds cannot be released needed each year for produc-
rustica, which gave its name to the before dawn because they can then tion. The bulk of this comes
box – gather in flocks before their fall victim to night predators. So the from the Bollsta sawmill in
long journey to Africa. At the same swallows have to stay overnight in Sweden. TräTeam, SCA’s part-
the ring-marking station. ner in Kramfors, Sweden, is in-
Up to 40 swallows can be housed vesting some USD 4 million in
in a Hirundo box during the night. production equipment, and
The box has a number of features 10 employees will work in two
like holes for perching sticks, prac- shifts to keep the shelf produc-
tical locks and a large removable tion operations running.
roof with a hatch cover that allows The shelves will be sold in
the birds to be released quickly. The the Nordic region, Germa-
Hirundo box has been used by many ny and the Benelux countries,
organizations, including BirdLife with deliveries beginning in
Hungary, the Pilis Nature Conserva- less than a year.
tion Organization in Hungary and
the Budapest Zoo.
The good
neighbor
In Colombia, the center of community
life and commerce is the network of
some 450,000 small family-owned
retail shops. Hundreds of thousands of
people make their living from these
neighborhood institutions.
TexT: JuAn CAmilo mAldonAdo tovAr
And WilliAm CAigEr–SmitH
PHoTo: diAnA SánCHEz
every time someone walks into Nora Garce’s According to Colombia’s National Merchants
tienda in Bogotá, a little bell rings at the top of Federation, known as Fenalco, the country has
the door. Another customer has come to see their some 450,000 family-owned stores, known as
neighbor, or vecina, who runs the shop. tiendas. Each shop on average supports a family
“Vecina, do you have a quarter of cheese?” of four to five people.
“Vecina, can I have a single cigarette? Fenalco estimates there are around 22 types of
“Vecina, how much does it cost to make a mo- tiendas, ranging from small bakeries to diverse mini
bile phone call?” markets. They provide neighbors with “the basic
Nora, whose small family-owned store is sit- goods of the consumer basket,” says Lino Franco,
uated in the Colombian capital’s La Soledad coordinator of the small stores division at Fenalco.
neighborhood, is the ultimate vecina. Everyone Franco has spent the past eight years working
knows her name. They rely on her if they sud- with these small entrepreneurs, doing research
denly need to buy on credit, and she’s always and helping them become more professional.
there, from 7 am to 10 pm, seven days a week, That’s how he has come to discover that, for in-
to offer everything from a nail to a single dia- stance, four-fifths of all dairy products and three-
per. “That’s the magic formula,” Nora says as quarters of the beer are sold through tiendas.
she attends to the stream of customers who keep “Nowadays, with the crisis looming, their im-
the bell ringing. “You’ve got to have a variety of portance has increased,” Franco says. “Consum-
products in very small sizes.” ers have returned to the tiendas.”
In a small garage in a two-story house in a poor
neighborhood in southern Bogotá, Don Hern-
ando, in his 50s, keeps a varied inventory from
fruits and vegetables to snacks, medicines and ba-
sic goods.
Economically we
she says. “But we have a quiet life.”
Forest 2,000
2,019
2,013
Products
1,946
Forest
15%
Products
1,703
Personal Care
26% 1,500
23% Personal Care
1,438
1,438
32%
1,150
Packaging 1,000
26% Packaging
4%
Tissue 500
36% Tissue
38%
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3/ 7
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2/ 8
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4
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www.libero.se
TIGER COLLECTION 2009
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