Mayr-Melnhof
An Austrian international group producing cartonboard, folding cartons, and other paper-based packaging. Austrian carton board and packaging manufacturer
Last updated October 17, 2026
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Overview
Mayr-Melnhof is an Austrian paper and packaging group headquartered in Vienna. The company operates across two closely connected areas: the manufacture of cartonboard and paper, and the conversion of those materials into folding cartons and other packaging products. Its activities are associated with the MM Board & Paper and MM Packaging businesses, which supply packaging materials and finished packs to food, beverage, consumer-goods, pharmaceutical, tobacco, household, and other industrial customers. The group’s industrial roots are connected to the Mayr-Melnhof family, whose history in Styria is documented from the fifteenth century. The modern industrial business developed over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, while large-scale cartonboard production began in 1950 with the installation of the first cardboard machine at the Frohnleiten mill in Styria. Frohnleiten subsequently became a central production and investment location for the group. Mayr-Melnhof expanded from a primarily Austrian cartonboard producer into a multinational packaging organization through internal investment, acquisitions, and consolidation of production assets. A major corporate milestone came in 1994, when the group was reorganized as a stock corporation and listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. Its later development included investments in food-contact cartonboard, purchases of cartonboard and paper mills in Europe, and expansion in folding cartons and pharmaceutical packaging. The company’s packaging footprint has included production facilities in Austria, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Chile, Jordan, the Netherlands, and other markets. In 2021, Mayr-Melnhof sold its mills in Baiersbronn, Germany, and Eerbeek, the Netherlands, to Oaktree Capital Management while acquiring the Kwidzyn mill in Poland and Kotkamills in Finland. In 2022, it strengthened its pharmaceutical packaging position through the acquisition of Eson Pac and Essentra Packaging, including Essentra’s US subsidiary. Mayr-Melnhof’s business model depends on the availability and cost of recycled fibre, virgin fibre, pulp, energy, chemicals, transport, and other production inputs. Its strategy therefore combines scale, geographic diversification, vertical integration, and modernization of mills and converting plants. The group also positions cartonboard and fibre-based packaging as an alternative to some plastic formats, including through investment in food-contact cartonboard. At the same time, the business remains exposed to cyclical demand, energy prices, environmental regulation, and changes in consumer-goods and pharmaceutical packaging volumes. The company remains listed in Vienna and is controlled by the Mayr-Melnhof family together with public shareholders. Its primary identity is that of an international B2B packaging manufacturer rather than a consumer-facing product brand.
History
The Mayr-Melnhof name derives from a Styrian family whose documented history reaches back to 1423. Franz Mayr, an industrial owner from Spielberg in Styria, received the title Edler of Melnhof in 1859 and a hereditary baronial title in 1872. The family established residences and estates in several parts of Austria. These aristocratic origins provide the historical background to the corporate name, but the modern company is principally a paper and packaging enterprise. The industrial development of Mayr-Melnhof’s current business accelerated during the twentieth century. In 1950, the first cartonboard machine was installed at the group’s main mill in Frohnleiten, Styria. That installation marked the beginning of large-scale cardboard manufacturing and made Frohnleiten a long-term industrial center. Over subsequent decades, the group built capacity and expanded its position in the European cartonboard market. In 1994, Mayr-Melnhof was transformed into a stock corporation and listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. The public listing created a structure combining family control with public ownership. The family has continued to hold a majority interest, while the balance of the shares is traded in the market. This ownership model has remained an important feature of the group’s identity. During the 2000s, Mayr-Melnhof pursued both international expansion and portfolio rationalization. In 2008, MM Packaging acquired 60% of Superpack, a Turkish folding-carton manufacturer in Izmir. The same year, the group closed its cartonboard plant in Nikopol, Bulgaria. In 2010, it closed the Deisswil mill in Switzerland after concluding that the facility was no longer competitive. The closure affected 255 employees. Mayr-Melnhof attributed the decision in part to the Swiss emissions-tax setting, although the relevant Swiss federal department stated that the mill had been exempted from the carbon-dioxide tax after committing to reduction measures. The group also developed more vertical control over raw-material supply. In 2013, MM Karton acquired the Folla CTMP mill in Follafoss, Norway, from Södra. The mill had previously been shut because of poor profitability. Mayr-Melnhof restarted production to secure semi-chemical pulp, including chemi-thermomechanical and thermomechanical pulp, for its own cartonboard operations, while making part of the capacity available to external customers. Frohnleiten remained a major investment focus. Over roughly a decade, the site received more than EUR 150 million in investments for modernization and logistics, including work related to its cartonboard machines and infrastructure. In 2014, the company invested approximately EUR 50 million in the development of Foodboard, a food-contact cartonboard intended to support fibre-based packaging applications and replace some plastic packaging formats. A further modernization program announced around 2020 involved approximately EUR 100 million for the site. The program covered upgrades to the KM2 and KM3 machines, the boiler house, wastewater treatment, logistics, and parking and traffic infrastructure. The conversion was reported as completed by mid-2023. The group reshaped its mill portfolio in 2021. It sold the Baiersbronn mill in Germany and the Eerbeek mill in the Netherlands to Oaktree Capital Management. At the same time, it acquired the Kwidzyn cartonboard and paper mill in Poland and Kotkamills in Finland. These transactions expanded the group’s northern and eastern European production base while removing other assets from its portfolio. Mayr-Melnhof then expanded its converting activities into pharmaceutical packaging. In April 2022, it acquired Eson Pac, a Swedish pharmaceutical-packaging group headquartered in Veddige. Later that year, it acquired Essentra Packaging, a British producer of pharmaceutical folding cartons, together with its United States subsidiary. These deals broadened the group beyond traditional board and general consumer packaging and increased its exposure to pharmaceutical customers. In 2023, weaker global market demand and economic effects associated with Russia’s war against Ukraine affected the Frohnleiten operation. The plant temporarily reduced production and shut down its cartonboard machines, and the company reduced its short-term profit outlook. The episode illustrated the group’s exposure to demand cycles, energy and input costs, and wider geopolitical disruption, even though the modernization investments remained in place. Today, Mayr-Melnhof operates as an international B2B producer of board, paper, folding cartons, and specialized packaging. Its activities span mill operations, packaging conversion, food-contact materials, pharmaceutical packaging, and related industrial solutions. The group combines family majority ownership with a Vienna listing and has used acquisitions, divestments, vertical integration, and plant modernization to develop its current position.
- 2023
Frohnleiten modernization completed amid temporary production reduction
[1]The Frohnleiten modernization was completed by mid-2023, while weaker demand led to a temporary production reduction and machine shutdown.
- 2022
Expansion into pharmaceutical packaging
[1]Mayr-Melnhof acquired Eson Pac and Essentra Packaging, including Essentra’s US subsidiary.
- 2021
Major mill portfolio transaction
[1]The group sold Baiersbronn and Eerbeek and acquired Kwidzyn and Kotkamills.
- 2014
Foodboard investment
[1]Mayr-Melnhof invested in Foodboard, a food-contact cartonboard product intended for fibre-based packaging applications.
- 2013
Folla CTMP mill acquired
[1]The Norwegian Folla mill was acquired and production was restarted to support semi-chemical pulp supply.
- 2008
Turkish folding-carton expansion
[1]MM Packaging acquired 60% of Superpack in Izmir, Turkey.
- 1994
Conversion into a stock corporation and Vienna listing
[1]Mayr-Melnhof became a stock corporation and was listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange.
- 1950
First large-scale cartonboard machine installed at Frohnleiten
[1]The installation began large-scale industrial cartonboard production at the Frohnleiten mill in Styria.
- 1850
Corporate origins
[1]The group traces its business origins to the nineteenth century, although the supplied reference does not identify a specific founder of the modern corporation.
- 1423
First documented reference to the Mayr-Melnhof family
[1]The family associated with the corporate name was documented in written records connected with Spielberg in Styria.
Products and positioning
An international, vertically integrated paperboard and packaging group focused on scale manufacturing, fibre-based packaging, food-contact applications, folding cartons, and pharmaceutical packaging.
Cartonboard and paper
MM Board & Paper
The Board & Paper business operates cartonboard and paper mills serving internal converting operations and external customers. Its portfolio includes recycled and fibre-based board, paper products, and semi-chemical pulp inputs. Production assets have included Frohnleiten in Austria, Kwidzyn in Poland, Kotkamills in Finland, FollaCell in Norway, and other European locations. The business is designed to provide material scale and, in selected areas, greater control over fibre and pulp supply.
Folding cartons and converted packaging
MM Packaging
MM Packaging converts cartonboard and other paper-based materials into folding cartons and related packaging solutions. Its customers span food, beverages, household goods, consumer products, tobacco, and industrial applications. The business has operated across multiple regions and has expanded through acquisitions such as Superpack in Turkey. Production capabilities include printing, cutting, creasing, folding, gluing, and automated finishing.
Food-contact cartonboard · 2014
Foodboard
Foodboard is a cartonboard line developed for food-packaging applications. The product reflects Mayr-Melnhof’s strategy of supplying fibre-based formats for uses where packaging performance and food-contact requirements are important. The company presented the material as part of a broader effort to support paperboard packaging and reduce reliance on some plastic formats.
Pharmaceutical folding cartons and packaging · 2022
Pharmaceutical packaging
Mayr-Melnhof’s pharmaceutical packaging activities expanded substantially through the acquisitions of Eson Pac and Essentra Packaging in 2022. The offering includes folding cartons and related packaging solutions for pharmaceutical customers, with production and market capabilities in Europe and the United States. This segment adds regulated, specification-intensive packaging to the group’s established consumer and food-packaging operations.
Semi-chemical pulp · 2013
FollaCell CTMP and TMP
The FollaCell operation in Norway produces semi-chemical pulp, including chemi-thermomechanical and thermomechanical pulp. Mayr-Melnhof acquired the mill to support autonomous raw-material supply for its cartonboard operations. A portion of the mill’s output has also been available to the open market.
Brand decisions
2023
Completed the Frohnleiten modernization programGeneration changeBackground
The Frohnleiten site required modernization of its cartonboard machines and supporting infrastructure.
Action taken
Mayr-Melnhof completed the conversion work by mid-2023, including upgrades associated with KM2, KM3, the boiler house, wastewater treatment, and logistics.
Aftermath
The upgraded site retained its strategic importance, although weak demand later led to temporary production reductions and machine shutdowns.
Planned investment. Approximately EUR 100 million (Announced around 2020; work completed by mid-2023)
2022
Entered a larger pharmaceutical-packaging footprint through Eson PacM&ABackground
Mayr-Melnhof sought to diversify its packaging activities into pharmaceutical applications.
Action taken
The group acquired Swedish pharmaceutical-packaging company Eson Pac.
Aftermath
Eson Pac broadened Mayr-Melnhof’s pharmaceutical packaging capabilities and customer base.
2022
Acquired Essentra PackagingM&ABackground
The group continued expanding its pharmaceutical folding-carton business after the Eson Pac transaction.
Action taken
Mayr-Melnhof acquired British pharmaceutical folding-carton producer Essentra Packaging and its United States subsidiary.
Aftermath
The acquisition added pharmaceutical folding-carton operations in the United Kingdom and the United States.
2021
Rebalanced the cartonboard and paper mill portfolioM&ABackground
The group pursued geographic and capacity changes in its Board & Paper business.
Action taken
Mayr-Melnhof sold the Baiersbronn and Eerbeek mills to Oaktree Capital Management and acquired Kwidzyn in Poland and Kotkamills in Finland.
Aftermath
The transactions increased the group’s presence in Poland and Finland while removing two other European mills from its portfolio.
2014
Invested in FoodboardProduct launchBackground
Demand was developing for fibre-based food packaging that could serve as an alternative to some plastic formats.
Action taken
Mayr-Melnhof invested approximately EUR 50 million in the development of Foodboard at Frohnleiten.
Aftermath
The investment expanded the site’s food-contact board capabilities and supported the group’s fibre-based packaging positioning.
Investment. Approximately EUR 50 million (2014)
2013
Acquired and restarted the Folla millM&ABackground
Mayr-Melnhof wanted more autonomous access to semi-chemical pulp for cartonboard production.
Action taken
MM Karton acquired the Folla CTMP mill from Södra and resumed production.
Aftermath
The site supplied internal operations while also making part of its approximately 130,000-tonne annual capacity available to the market.
2010
Closed the Deisswil millStrategyBackground
Mayr-Melnhof considered the Swiss mill noncompetitive after producing 112,000 tonnes of cardboard in 2009.
Action taken
The company closed the Deisswil cartonboard mill near Stettlen and arranged measures for the 255 affected employees.
Aftermath
The closure prompted a public disagreement over whether Switzerland’s emissions-tax regime was responsible for the decision.
2008
Acquired 60% of SuperpackM&ABackground
MM Packaging sought to expand its folding-carton presence in Turkey.
Action taken
The company acquired a 60% interest in Superpack, an Izmir-based Turkish folding-carton producer.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened Mayr-Melnhof’s Turkish converting footprint.
2008
Closed the Nikopol cartonboard plantStrategyBackground
The group reviewed the competitiveness and economics of its European mill network.
Action taken
Mayr-Melnhof shut the cartonboard plant in Nikopol, Bulgaria.
Aftermath
The closure resulted in reported liquidation costs and removed the site from the group’s production network.
1994
Adopted a public stock-corporation structureStrategyBackground
The group was developing from a family-linked industrial enterprise into a larger European paper and packaging company.
Action taken
Mayr-Melnhof converted into a stock corporation and obtained a listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
The company combined continued majority family ownership with public-market trading and access to a broader shareholder base.
Recent events
- 2023
Frohnleiten production was temporarily reduced during weak market conditions[1]
Other
After a major modernization program, the Frohnleiten site temporarily reduced production and shut down its cartonboard machines amid weaker demand and economic disruption linked to the war in Ukraine.
- 2022
Mayr-Melnhof acquired Essentra Packaging[1]
M&A
Mayr-Melnhof acquired British pharmaceutical folding-carton producer Essentra Packaging and its United States subsidiary.
- 2021
Mayr-Melnhof sold two European cartonboard mills and acquired Kwidzyn and Kotkamills[1]
M&A
The group sold its Baiersbronn and Eerbeek mills to Oaktree Capital Management and acquired the Kwidzyn mill in Poland and Kotkamills in Finland.
- 2013
MM Karton acquired the Folla CTMP mill in Norway[1]
M&A · Product generation
Mayr-Melnhof acquired the Folla mill from Södra and restarted production to strengthen its internal supply of semi-chemical pulp for cartonboard manufacturing.
- 2012
Bootle packaging plant closed after extended industrial action[2]
Other
The company’s Bootle plant in the United Kingdom was closed following a prolonged period of industrial action.
- 2010
Deisswil cartonboard mill closure affected 255 employees[1]
Other · Regulation
Mayr-Melnhof closed its Deisswil mill near Stettlen in Switzerland after determining that the site was no longer competitive. The company cited the Swiss emissions-tax environment, while the Swiss environmental authorities disputed that explanation.
- 2008
Mayr-Melnhof acquired a majority stake in Turkish folding-carton producer Superpack[1]
M&A
MM Packaging expanded its Turkish operations by acquiring 60% of Superpack, a folding-carton producer based in Izmir.
- 2008
Mayr-Melnhof closed the Nikopol cartonboard plant[1]
Other
The group closed its cartonboard plant in Nikopol, Bulgaria, and recorded liquidation costs associated with the shutdown.
Sources6 sources
- 1Mayr-Melnhofen.wikipedia.org
- 2Mayr-Melnhof press release concerning Bootleweb.archive.org
- 3MM Group official websitemm-group.com
- 4Mayr-Melnhof Completes Its Acquisition of Kwidzyn Mill from IPpaperage.com
- 5Mayr-Melnhof Group completes acquisition of Kotkamills in Finlandlesprom.com
- 6Mayr-Melnhof Group Completes Acquisition of Kotkamills in Finlandpaperage.com
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