Summery 1500s-1988
1500s
It starts with watermills
The industrialisation of Norrköping begins.
The first water-powered flour mills are built
on Kvarnholmen, which later gives its name to
Holmen Works (Holmens Bruk).
1600s
1609 Holmen is born
Duke Johan of Östergötland (son of King Johan
III) lays the foundation for Holmen Works in
Norrköping by building a munitions factory
on the island of Kvarnholmen in the waters of
Motala Ström.
1627 Louis De Geer comes to town
Dutchman Louis De Geer begins bringing more
industry to Norrköping.
1652 De Geer dies
Louis De Geer dies, leaving behind an empire
of flour mills, ironworks, a munitions factory
and a brass foundry.
1700s
1719 The Russians torch Norrköping
Norrköping is overrun by Russian forces. Large
parts of the Holmen Works site are destroyed by
fire, along with almost all of the town.
1750 The Holmen Tower is rebuilt
The prominent Holmen Tower is rebuilt after
the Russian attacks.
1800s
1837 The first paper machine
Holmen’s first paper machine is installed on
Kvarnholmen.
Holmens Bruk AB
1854 Registered as a limited
company
Holmen becomes a limited company and is registered under the name of Holmens Bruks och
Fabriks AB.
1900s
1907 Shares floated
Holmen’s shares are listed on the Stockholm
Stock Exchange.
Carl Wahren becomes CEO.
1915 Hallsta factory begins work
Holmen’s new paper mill in Hallstavik (capacity 30 000 tonnes/year on three paper machines)
comes on line.
1927 Holmen buys up YFA
Having become the majority stakeholder in
Norrköping’s AB Förenade Yllefabrikerna
(YFA) in 1917, Holmen becomes sole owner of
the large textile producer, which gradually develops into one of the most modern in Europe.
1938 von Sydow follows Wahren
Carl Wahren stands down as CEO and is succeeded by Christian von Sydow.
1943 Sawmill business begins
Holmen begins its sawmill business with the
purchase of Backa-Hosjö AB, whose assets
include the Sparreholm steam sawmill.
1963 von Sydow is replaced by Gabrielsson...
Christian von Sydow stands down as CEO and
is succeeded by Lars Gabrielsson.
1968 ... who in turn is succeeded by
Önnesjö
Karl Erik Önnesjö becomes CEO.
Summery 1500s-1988
1969 Wargön is purchased
Holmen acquires Wargön Mill in Vargön.
1970 Textile business wound up
Förenade Yllefabrikerna (YFA) is wound up,
bringing an end to Holmen’s textile business.
The familiar symbol of one of Europe’s most
modern textile factories disappeared from the
Norrköping skyline when Holmen closed YFA
in 1970.
1977 New mill in Braviken
Braviken’s new paper mill opens.
1983 Sulphite factory in Hallsta
closes
The sulphite factory at Hallsta Paper Mill is
closed down.
1984 Holmen Fiberweb launches
The manufacture of nonwoven fabrics begins at
a new plant (Holmen Fiberweb) next to Braviken Paper Mill.
Karl Erik Önnesjö departs as CEO and is succeeded by Christer Zetterberg. Önnesjö becomes the new chairman of the board.
1985 MoDo/Iggesund takes stake in
Holmen
AB Iggesunds Bruk, whose principal owner is
Mo och Domsjö AB, buys its first major stake
in Holmen.
1986 Holmen buys Fiskeby
Holmen acquires Fiskeby AB in Norrköping
(except Division Board).
Paper mill in central Norrköping closed down
Holmen’s paper mill in central Norrköping is
closed down, marking the end of the company’s
industrial era on the islands in Motala Ström
after 377 years of unbroken activity.
Holmens Bruk AB
MoDo/Iggesund ups ownership
Iggesund buys a major new stake in Holmen
from Lundbergföretagen. This gives MoDo/Iggesund over 15 per cent of the votes and around
11 per cent of the capital in Holmens Bruk AB.
1987 Holmen becomes part-owner of
MD Papierfabriken
Holmen buys a 25.1 per cent stake in the West
German München-Dachau Papierfabriken, Western Europe’s largest producer of LWC paper.
MoDo’s tissue paper taken over
Holmen acquires MoDo’s tissue paper business,
MoDo Konsumentprodukter.
Holmen associated company within
MoDo
MoDo buys all of private equity firm Ratos’
Holmen shares and then also Marieberg’s
shares in Holmen. This gives MoDo (including
Iggesund’s Holmen shares) control of almost 80
per cent of the votes and around 40 per cent of
the capital in Holmens Bruk AB, which is now
an associated company of Mo och Domsjö AB.
1988 Zetterberg hands over to
Engman
Christer Zetterberg leaves Holmen to become
President of PKbanken. He is succeeded by
Gunnar Engman.
MoDo-Holmen-Iggesund = Mo och
Domsjö AB
The merger of MoDo, Holmen and Iggesund
becomes final when MoDo’s offer to shareholders in Holmen and Iggesund results in MoDo
owning over 90 per cent of both companies by
the turn of the year.