Regulatory
Press release
22 Jul 2009, 13:00 CET

Billerud enters two of the world’s largest fruit and vegetable markets,signed agreement with Rigesa ofBrazil concerning production of corrugated boxes

Billerud has signed a partnership agreement with Rigesa, a leading producer of corrugated boxes for fruit and vegetables in Brazil and India and part of global packaging solutions company MeadWestvaco Corporation. The agreement gives Billerud access to both the Brazilian and Indian fruit and vegetable markets.

Billerud has signed a partnership agreement with Rigesa, a leading producer of corrugated boxes for fruit and vegetables in Brazil and India. The agreement means that Rigesa will start to produce corrugated boxes with Billerud Flute®, which forms the base of the strongest corrugated boxes and is based on 100% primary fibre. Billerud will thus gain access to the fast-expanding Brazilian and Indian fruit and vegetable markets. The partnership will also create opportunities to grow together with Rigesa on expanding markets. In addition to supplying paper to Rigesa, Billerud will offer optimized material selection and quality measurements during transport through its new concept Fresh Services. Customers will also be offered access to Billerud Box Lab where they can analyse box performance in damp environments. “Together with Billerud we can offer our customers opportunities to create even more efficient packaging that reduces waste and maintains structural integrity. Billerud Flute® is a high quality product of special interest to us. We see great possibilities in working together with a reliable and innovative supplier such as Billerud,” says Armando Pimentel, Rigesa Product and Business Director. The partnership is part of Billerud’s strategy to advance higher up the value chain and create a global standard for fruit and vegetable packaging. Full-scale production at Rigesa will start this month. “Through our new concept, Fresh Services, we have achieved success in the past two years. In the Netherlands for example, we’ve helped European fruit and vegetable importers and distributors to significantly reduce packaging-related waste by offering a comprehensive solution to ensure that fruit is transported in a protective way from grower to retailer. We now take this experience into Brazil and India, who are among the world’s largest exporters of fruit and vegetables,” says Lennart Eberleh, head of Billerud’s Packaging Boards business area. Billerud Flute® is produced at Billerud’s Gruvön mill in Sweden. Solna, Sweden 22nd July 2009 Billerud AB (publ) Per Lindberg President and CEO For further information, please contact Lennart Eberleh, business area manager, Packaging Boards, tel: +46 70 667 10 37 Billerud’s website: www.billerud.com Fresh Services website: www.freshservices.com Rigesa, Celulose, Papel e Embalagens Ltda. is the Brazilian subsidiary of MeadWestvaco Corporation of the US. The company has been active in the Brazilian paper and packaging industry since 1942. Rigesa has two paper mills, five corrugated board plants and two plants for production of corrugated packaging. The company owns over 54,000 hectares of forest and has 19 sales offices with representatives strategically located across the globe. Rigesa has over 2,300 employees and is the second largest corrugated board producer in Brazil. http://www.rigesa.com.br