Essity

Essity is a Swedish multinational hygiene and health company headquartered in Stockholm. It was created in 2017 when the hygiene and health activities of Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, commonly known as SCA, were separated from the parent group's forestry operations and listed as an independent company on Nasdaq Stockholm. The name Essity combines the ideas of essentials and necessity, reflecting the company's focus on products used in everyday hygiene, health care, and professional environments. The company operates across consumer and business-to-business categories. Its personal-care portfolio includes baby diapers, feminine-care products, and incontinence products. Its tissue business serves households, workplaces, hospitality venues, and public institutions through consumer tissue and professional hygiene solutions. Its medical-care activities include compression therapy, wound care, orthopaedics, casting products, and related medical supplies. Major brands associated with Essity include TENA, Tork, Libero, Libresse, JOBST, Leukoplast, Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, and Saba, although brand availability varies by country. Essity's modern business developed from SCA's long expansion beyond forestry. SCA acquired Mölnlycke in 1975, adding a significant European disposable-hygiene business, and later built scale through acquisitions in tissue, packaging, medical care, and regional consumer products. Important transactions included PWA in 1995, Wisconsin Tissue in 2001, Carter Holt Harvey's tissue and hygiene businesses in 2004, Procter & Gamble's European tissue business in 2007, Georgia-Pacific's European tissue operations in 2012, and BSN Medical in 2017. SCA also became a major shareholder in the Chinese tissue company Vinda before the Essity separation. Essity serves consumers, retailers, health-care providers, employers, and institutional customers. Its brands are positioned around everyday utility, personal dignity, health outcomes, convenience, professional hygiene, and category expertise. TENA focuses on continence care, Tork on professional hygiene, Libero on baby care, Libresse on feminine care, and JOBST and related medical brands on compression and clinical care. The company competes with large consumer-goods, tissue, medical-supply, and regional manufacturers including Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Unilever, Georgia-Pacific, 3M, Ontex, Unicharm, Sofidel, CMPC, and Santher. Essity has also made sustainability a prominent part of its corporate positioning. Its initiatives include science-based emissions-reduction targets, participation in sustainability indexes, engagement with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy initiative, and packaging objectives involving renewable or recycled materials. At the same time, environmental groups have criticized the company's forestry sourcing and alleged impacts on old-growth forests, biodiversity, climate, and Indigenous communities. Labor relations and market-exit decisions have also attracted public attention. In 2022, Essity announced legal action connected with an industrial dispute at its Kawerau paper mill in New Zealand, and in 2023 it announced its withdrawal from the Russian market. Essity is an active, publicly traded company with a global operating footprint. Reference material describes approximately 36,000 employees and 2023 net sales of approximately EUR 13 billion. The company remains organized around consumer goods, professional hygiene, and health-care solutions rather than a single product category.

Essity's history is rooted in Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, or SCA, which was founded in 1929 as a Swedish forestry company. SCA gradually expanded into pulp, paper, tissue, and hygiene products. A major early step was its 1975 acquisition of Mölnlycke, a Western European producer of disposable hygiene products. This transaction established a platform for the health and hygiene activities that would eventually become Essity. SCA continued to broaden its tissue and consumer-products operations through acquisitions. In 1995 it acquired the German paper and packaging company PWA, Papierwerke Waldhof-Aschaffenburg. In 2001 it bought Wisconsin Tissue from Georgia-Pacific Tissue, strengthening its North American tissue presence. In 2004 SCA acquired tissue and hygiene businesses from Carter Holt Harvey, which had been owned by International Paper. In 2007 it purchased Procter & Gamble's European tissue business for approximately EUR 512 million and acquired its first minority stake in the Asian tissue company Vinda. SCA also expanded in Latin America and Asia. In 2011 it acquired Brazilian company Pro Descart, including the Biofral and Drybaby brands, and subsequently invested in a plant at Jarinu in São Paulo state to support brands including TENA and Tork. In 2012 it completed the acquisition of Georgia-Pacific's European tissue operations, including the Lotus brand, for approximately EUR 1.32 billion. In 2013 SCA became Vinda's majority shareholder. By 2015, SCA was described as the world's largest tissue-paper producer. The group then began a structural separation of its forestry and hygiene businesses. In 2015 SCA announced that the two activities would be organized as separate divisions. In August 2016 it announced its intention to split into two separately listed companies. The hygiene and health company also expanded its medical-care platform through the acquisition of BSN Medical, announced in December 2016 and completed around the creation of Essity. BSN Medical specialized in compression therapy, wound care, and orthopaedics and brought brands including JOBST, Leukoplast, Cutimed, Delta Cast, and Actimove. The reported purchase price was approximately EUR 2.74 billion. Essity was separated from SCA and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm on June 15, 2017. As an independent company, it combined consumer tissue, professional hygiene, personal care, and medical-care operations under one corporate identity. Its brands remained locally adapted in many markets, with names such as TENA, Tork, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, and Saba operating across different geographic and category contexts. After the separation, Essity continued to present itself as a global hygiene and health specialist. Its activities span retail products, professional systems, and products sold through health-care channels. The company has emphasized climate targets, renewable and recycled packaging, and participation in international sustainability initiatives. Its environmental record has nevertheless been contested by Greenpeace, while a 2022 New Zealand labor dispute generated litigation-related criticism. In 2023 Essity announced its exit from Russia. Governance changes included the appointment of Jan Gurander as chairman in 2024 and Ulrika Kolsrud as president and CEO in 2025. Reference material reports that Essity operated in approximately 150 countries, served more than one billion people, employed approximately 36,000 people, and recorded approximately EUR 13 billion in net sales in 2023.

1. 2023Russian market exit

   Essity announces its intention to leave the Russian market.

   Source
2. 2018Science-based emissions target

   Essity's emissions-reduction target is approved as aligned with climate science.

   Source
3. 2017BSN Medical acquisition and Essity listing

   SCA adds BSN Medical's medical-care portfolio, and Essity is listed independently in Stockholm on June 15.

   Source
4. 2016SCA announces corporate split

   SCA announces its intention to separate forestry and hygiene activities into two listed companies.

   Source
5. 2013SCA becomes majority shareholder in Vinda

   SCA becomes Vinda's majority shareholder, strengthening its Asian tissue presence.

   Source
6. 2012Georgia-Pacific European tissue acquisition

   SCA completes the acquisition of Georgia-Pacific's European tissue operations, including Lotus.

   Source
7. 2007European tissue expansion

   SCA buys Procter & Gamble's European tissue business and takes its first minority stake in Vinda.

   Source
8. 2004Carter Holt Harvey tissue and hygiene acquisition

   SCA acquires tissue and hygiene businesses from Carter Holt Harvey.

   Source
9. 2001Wisconsin Tissue acquisition

   SCA acquires Wisconsin Tissue from Georgia-Pacific Tissue.

   Source
10. 1995PWA acquisition

    SCA acquires German paper and packaging company PWA.

    Source
11. 1975Mölnlycke acquisition

    SCA acquires Mölnlycke, adding a major Western European disposable-hygiene business.

    Source
12. 1929SCA is founded

    Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget is established as a Swedish forestry company, providing the corporate roots of Essity.

    Source

A global hygiene and health company focused on essential everyday products, professional hygiene systems, and specialized medical-care solutions.

• TENAIncontinence care

  TENA is Essity's principal continence-care brand, offering absorbent products and related solutions for adults experiencing bladder or bowel leakage. The brand serves consumers, caregivers, and institutional health-care settings.

• TorkProfessional hygiene

  Tork provides professional tissue, wiping, soap, dispensing, and hygiene-management solutions for workplaces, hospitality, health-care facilities, and public environments.

• LiberoBaby care

  Libero is a baby-care brand associated primarily with diapers and related products. Its market presence is particularly strong in Nordic and European markets.

• LibresseFeminine care

  Libresse offers feminine-care products, including menstrual protection, and is marketed through regionally adapted brand identities and communications.

• JOBSTCompression therapy

  JOBST is a medical brand acquired through BSN Medical and is associated with compression garments and products used in the management of venous and lymphatic conditions.

• LeukoplastWound care

  Leukoplast is part of Essity's medical-care portfolio and provides adhesive products and related solutions for wound care and clinical use.

• Consumer tissue portfolioTissue

  Essity's consumer tissue portfolio includes toilet tissue, facial tissue, household towels, and related paper products sold under brands such as Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, Cushelle, Plenty, and regional labels.

• 2023Exit the Russian marketStrategy

  Essity reviewed its operations in Russia amid the changing geopolitical and operating environment.

  What changed. The company announced that it would leave the Russian market.

  Source
• 2017Acquire BSN MedicalM&A

  Essity sought to strengthen its medical-care activities in compression therapy, wound care, and orthopaedics.

  What changed. SCA acquired BSN Medical, bringing brands including JOBST, Leukoplast, Cutimed, Delta Cast, and Actimove into the group.

  Aftermath. The transaction broadened Essity's portfolio beyond consumer hygiene and tissue products.

  Purchase price. EUR 2.74 billion (2016-2017 transaction period)

  Source
• 2016Separate forestry from hygiene and healthStrategy

  SCA had developed substantial forestry, tissue, hygiene, and health activities within one group.

  What changed. The company announced a plan to split the group into two separately listed companies.

  Aftermath. The hygiene and health business became Essity and was listed independently in 2017.

  Source

• 2022Kawerau mill labor disputeControversy

  During a pay dispute involving 145 workers at Essity's Kawerau paper mill in New Zealand, the company announced an intention to sue locked-out striking workers over an alleged strike beginning approximately one hour earlier than stated.

  Source
• Greenpeace criticism of forestry sourcingControversy

  Greenpeace accused Essity and its supplier SCA of unsustainable forestry practices, including alleged clearing of old-growth forests and damage to threatened species, climate stability, and Indigenous communities.

  Source

• 2025Essity appoints Ulrika Kolsrud as president and CEO

  Essity's board appointed Ulrika Kolsrud as president and chief executive officer on May 9, 2025.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2024Essity appoints Jan Gurander as chairman

  The company's 2024 annual general meeting appointed Jan Gurander as chairman of the board.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2023Essity announces withdrawal from the Russian market

  Essity announced that it would leave the Russian market.

  Regulation
  Source
• 2017Essity is separated from SCA and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm

  The hygiene and health operations of SCA were separated into Essity, which became a separately listed company in Stockholm on June 15, 2017.

  M&AOther
  Source
• 2017Essity begins trading as an independently listed company after the SCA split

  SCA's hygiene business was separated from the forest-products business and listed as Essity, creating a dedicated international hygiene and health company.

  M&A
  Source
• 2017Essity expands its health and medical-care portfolio through acquisitions

  Following its formation, Essity continued to use acquisitions and portfolio development to strengthen medical, continence-care and professional-hygiene activities, building on assets inherited from SCA.

  M&A
  Source
• 2017Essity separates from SCA and begins trading as an independent company

  SCA's hygiene and health business was separated from the forest-products operations and Essity was listed as a standalone company on Nasdaq Stockholm.

  M&AOther
  Source
• Essity continues portfolio and sustainability work across hygiene and health categories

  The company has continued developing lower-impact products, professional hygiene systems, and healthcare solutions while managing exposure to pulp, energy, logistics, and other input costs.

  Other
  Source

1. Essity
2. Essity begins trading as an independently listed company after the SCA split
3. Essity continues portfolio and sustainability work across hygiene and health categories