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Jan Johansson
President and CEO, SCA
o
“WE HAVE A UNIQUE CUSTOMER
OFFERING THAT’S AN INTEGRAL
PART OF OUR LIVES — SIMPLE,
INDISPENSABLE PRODUCTS THAT
IMPROVE OUR EVERYDAY LIFE”
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES
ver the next decade, an estimated one billion
new consumers will have a disposable
income of over usd 5,000, the dividing
line at which individuals generally begin to
buy products for their own well-being.
That’s good news for sca.
For me, having just taken over as ceo, it makes me almost
giddy to think of the great opportunities that sca
has for growth in the world. We have a unique customer
offering that’s an integral part of our lives – simple, indispensable
products that improve our everyday life. We have
strong positions in markets throughout the world. I’m
thinking of our world-leading position in incontinence
protection with tena, our very strong regional positions
in children’s diapers like Libero, Drypers and Pequenin,
or sanitary protection like Libresse, Bodyform and Saba.
sca’s acquisition of Procter & Gamble’s tissue operations
will increase the rate of branded sales in Europe of facial
tissue, paper towels and toilet paper.
These are all important opportunities for growth for us.
BECAUSE WE WILL GROW. In my fi rst meetings with
colleagues, the stock market and the media, I have been
clear in announcing that growth, both in sales and profi tability,
is high on the agenda. Speed is another item. Over
the last few weeks, I’ve visited our business areas and spoken
with many fellow employees. I’ve experienced a very
solid sense of competence and professionalism in all four
business areas. With this as a starting point, I believe we
can raise the bar in terms of speed to the market.
The third item on my agenda is simplicity. To be quick,
we have to simplify our internal procedures and operating
systems so that we ensure energy is spent on the right
thing: The customer! The consumer! Growing! Creating
profi tability!
One of my most recent visits to our operations was to
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Forest Products. sca has always considered its forest holdings
to be strategic in nature, something we want to have
control over. We have great advantages in today’s climate
of Russian export duties and a supply shortage. Timber
prices have increased dramatically, and we’re seeing that
more and more people in the world now share our positive
view on forest holdings. This gives us a secure fl ow
of raw materials, is a renewable resource and helps absorb
carbon dioxide.
In recent years, sca has taken decisive steps in shifting
from being a commodity supplier to a company with
high-quality value-added products, a company based on
preferred partners. This is a shift I greatly respect and I
will promote further.
Keep an eye on our development! ▲
PHOTO: SCA