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The mill survived the war thanks to the support of its Austrian owner

Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill

For almost three years of war, the mill did not stop for a single day. Thanks to the support of its Austrian owner, Pulp Mill Holding, headed by Dr. Heinz Zinner, Kyiv СPM has not only survived the economic turbulence by refocusing on the domestic market, but is also creating the conditions for restoring its position on the international market.

The Austrian owner, Dr Heinz Zinner, focuses on sustainability and continuous development of production processes

Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill is a full-cycle manufacturer with a capital-intensive business structure, that is why investments are of vital importance. Despite the challenging economic environment, the Austrian owner, Dr Heinz Zinner, has approved an intensive modernization program.

Since 2022, the mill has invested €15 million in development, including about €10 million only in 2024. One of the largest projects was the replacement of Yankee cylinder of the paper machine. Thanks to timely equipment upgrades, Obukhivskyi mill produces more than 320,000 tons of quality products annually, meeting the needs of the domestic market for hygiene paper products and corrugated cardboard packaging.

Last year, the team and the owner increased production volumes of both paper products and cardboard for boxes through the efforts of the company’s management and owners.

 As of the beginning of 2025, the corrugated packaging production capacity is almost at the pre-war level, and paper production has reached about 80% of its maximum, says Dr. Heinz Zinner.

Non-stop production, customer focus and competitive products ensure a stable financial performance of Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill. The company is one of the largest taxpayers in Ukraine. In 2022, the company paid about one billion UAH to the budget, in 2023 – 1.43 billion UAH, and in 2024 – almost 1.5 billion UAH.

A voluntary certification of products and production processes in accordance with international standards facilitates the export potential of Kyiv CPM.

In October last year, Kyiv CPM passed a recertification audit of its business processes. In particular, the manufacturer confirmed:

– compliance with the ISO 22000:2018 standard for food safety management of packaging materials;

– compliance with the requirements of the ISO/TS 22002-4:2013 technical specification for production processes;

– implementation of additional provisions of the international FSSC 22000 scheme for comprehensive quality control.

In addition, the mill received the FSC-STD-40-004 certificate from the Forest Stewardship Council, which confirms the origin and supply chain of raw materials.

A vision for the future: Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill regains its position on the global market

At the beginning of the war, the mill suffered serious losses in logistics and sales, but thanks to the strategic vision of its owner PMH, headed by Dr. Heinz Zinner, and the efforts of the team, it managed to rebuild its supply chain. Today, the mill cooperates with partners in Poland, the Baltic States, Georgia, Armenia, and Mongolia, which has helped to increase sales abroad.

Although achieving pre-war financial performance is currently possible in the long term, the owner and management of KCPM are optimistic about the future. Investment increase and renewal of international cooperation prove that even in difficult times Ukrainian industry is able to develop and move forward with confidence.

Based on the material of comments.ua.

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