Board Converting News, January 18, 2021

SKG’s CEO Tony Smurfit Named 2021 European CEO Of The Year Fastmarkets RISI has announced that Tony Smurfit, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Group, has been named the Fastmarkets RISI 2021 European CEO of the Year. The award will be presented at the Virtual Fastmarkets RISI European Con-

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CORRUGATOR BELT SERVICE LLC www.corrugator.com

Serving the corrugated box industry since 1991, Chicago- based Corrugator Belt Service LLC maintains corru- gator belts for peak board quality and performance.

ference, on Monday, March 8th. The European CEO of the Year Award is nominated by a group of investment analysts, industry con- sultants and commentators cover- ing the European and global pulp and paper industry. The reasons cited for Smurfit’s win largely cen- tered around his leadership during

C.U.E., INC. www.Anvi lCovers.com

Makers of single and dual-width Timesaver® Anvil Covers, the premier urethane anvil cover for corrugated die cutting. Timesaver® covers feature a unique construction of solid steel backing and solid steel locking components to ensure a precise fit every time – a vital dependability difference that means seamless installation and a perfect cutting sur- face. C.U.E., Inc. also offers Dura-Latch and Cor-Lock anvil covers, in addition to urethane Lead Edge Feed Wheels.

Tony Smurfit

the Covid-19 pandemic and the company’s continued in- vestment in future growth. One analyst recognized “the company’s resilient performance during the pandemic” as well as “their recent front-footed approach to invest- ing to capitalize on the sustainability opportunities that are emerging in their end markets.” Smurfit Kappa is the fifth largest containerboard pro- ducer in the world. The company operates with a top ca- pacity position in Europe along with notable positions in Mexico and Latin America, as well as North America. In early December, Smurfit Kappa’s stock hit a record high, which was eclipsed this week. Becoming CEO in 2015, Mr. Smurfit has since “delivered total shareholder returns of 180 percent against a market (FTSE100) of 17 percent,” an industry contact said. Following 18 percent profit margins in 2018 and 2019, Smurfit Kappa was on track to another 18 percent margin year for 2020 – with sales of 8.3 billion to 8.4 billion Eu- ros, based on a Fastmarkets RISI PPI Pulp & Paper Week estimate, and a company-guided EBITDA of 1.46 billion to 1.48 billion Euros. A second nominating analyst referred to Smurfit Kappa investments decisions as “clear management leadership, calling the trough on Covid-19 box demand and invest- ing for multi-year box volume and sustainability growth ahead.” A further analyst praised Mr. Smurfit’s “positive man- agement behavior” during the recent Covid-19 outbreak and cited this as a reason for his win. The analyst was par- ticularly impressed by the company’s recognition of their “humble hero employees who kept customers supplied with boxes during the worst of Covid-19.” According to Smurfit Kappa, since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Tony Smurfit virtually visited more than 250 plants, and the Group also paying back govern- ment relief funds it received and provided a fourth-quarter bonus to employees. Smurfit will deliver a keynote speech on March 8th at the Fastmarkets RISI European Conference, to be held vir- tually on Zerista this year.

EMBA www.embausa.com

The EMBA group supports a complete line of corrugated converting machinery for the worldwide market. EMBA’s Quick Set technology enables the highest productivity across a broad range of converting equipment, from mini to super jumbo. EMBA also includes the McKinley jumbo line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters as well as ser- vice, rebuilds and upgrades for both EMBA and McKinley.

EAGLEWOOD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC www.eaglewoodtech.com

Eaglewood Technologies is the Anilox Roll Cleaning Ex- pert! We provide the award winning Sitexco Laser Systems, Sanilox™ Systems and Sani-Blast™ Mobile Service. All our systems are safe for the environment and provide proven tested results! Sitexco Laser Systems are the latest technol- ogy in anilox roll cleaning and are perfect for packaging and label printers. Sanilox™ Systems are the global standard of reliable, environmentally safe anilox roll cleaning.

ESKO www.esko.com

ArtiosCAD and Kongsberg are the most trusted names in CAD/CAM solutions. Esko’s ArtiosCAD is the most widely used CAD software in the world. Esko’s Kongsberg series of tables brings you reliable, outstanding quality for sample- making and short run production.

GARTECH MANUFACTURING COMPANY www.gartechmfg.com

American manufacturers of split heads, patented roll- er-bearing yokes, gang-slot upgrades, custom rebuilds, and glue systems with electronically-geared speed monitoring. Visit our website for information, tips and techniques.

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January 18, 2021

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