INVESTORS IN MSK
Fibers From Nature
Lenzing Biocel Paskov is one of
the companies with a strong Austrian
imprint. The traditional pulp producer was
first part of the Austrian family company
Heinzel for ten years and now belongs
to the multinational Lenzing Group,
which is based in upper Austria. This
Czech-Austrian cooperation is evaluated
exclusively for POSITIV Business & Style
Magazine by the CEO of Lenzing Biocel
Paskov, Ing. Kateřina Kupková.
Let’s start with the basic facts. How was
the cooperation between Biocel and Lenzing born
and how long has your cooperation lasted?
Lenzing bought our company in 2010. At that time, we
belonged to the Austrian family company Heinzel and
we produced pulp for paper mills. The owner at the time,
Alfred Heinzel, as a very knowledgeable expert within
our industry, saw significant potential and possibilities
for further development in Biocel. He wanted to
acquire a financially strong partner with the appropriate
know-how for our pulp mill. At that time, the Lenzing
Group was growing rapidly, expanding its viscose
fiber production capacity and was looking for another
source of raw material. Our pulp technology fitted
very well into the Lenzing Group's product portfolio.
The decision to sell did not take long. Immediately after
joining the Lenzing Group, we started to make large
investments of hundreds of millions of euros.
We supplemented the existing technology in Paskov
with new equipment that enabled us to produce a new
type of pulp called viscose pulp for the production of
viscose fibers. Thus we have moved from the paper
industry into textiles, hygiene and special applications.
We have also made very important investments in the
energy sector. Today, we generate our own heat and
electricity for our own purposes and still have surplus
electricity that we sell to the public grid.
The Lenzing brand is not well known in the Czech
Republic. Can you give us an overview of Lenzing's
current position in Austria and what this cooperation
brings to your company?
The Lenzing Group has a very long tradition in
Austria. It dates back to 1892 and was founded by
the industrialist Emil Hamburger, who built the first
paper mill in Lenzing. Lenzing started to develop textile
fibers in the 1970s and expanded globally around ten
years later. Since 1985, the company has been listed
on the Vienna Stock Exchange. Today it is a large
multinational company with a turnover of 2bn EUR.
The group is a leader in the production of viscose fiber
‘We Certainly Have Very Similar
Work Habits to Our Colleagues in
Austria and the Same High Level of
Responsibility for Our Employees’,
Says Lenzing Biocel Paskov CEO
Ing. Kateřina Kupková
and in the research and development of new types of
viscose fiber, holding many patents in this field.
What is Lenzing’s main product?
Lenzing produces viscose fibers, the flagship brands
being TENCEL™ and VEOCEL™ . The basic raw material
for the production is the pulp produced in Paskov. Our
fibers are mainly used in the textile industry. But not
just there. A significant part of the fibers is also used
in the production of hygiene and healthcare products
or in cosmetics, e.g. biodegradable wet wipes. Hence
the slogan ‘Fibers for Life’. Lenzing fibers can be found
almost everywhere and they are environmentally friendly.
What is cooperation
with the Austrian management like?
The cooperation with our Austrian colleagues is at a very
strong, professional level. We are in contact almost
on a daily basis. As we are a multinational company,
we speak only English with each other. We don't only
work with colleagues from Austria but with many other
nationalities within the group. We participate in various
projects or activities throughout the group. I can give
one current example. At the moment, our experts are
going on an extended working trip to Brazil to help
with the ramp-up of a new plant there. Production in
Brazil is very similar to ours in terms of technology. My
colleagues with their expertise will therefore be a great
asset.
Thank you very much for the interview, Ms Kupková.
Text: redakce
Foto: archiv
Lenzing Biocel
Paskov
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