The European Commission has officially approved Saica Group's acquisition of selected Thimm Group operations across Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania, marking a significant milestone in the company's long-term European expansion strategy. The approval became effective on 23 July 2026, allowing Saica to proceed with the integration of Thimm's manufacturing assets and workforce into its operations.
The acquisition covers all of Thimm's activities in the four countries, including nine corrugated board production plants and one preprint facility. The corrugated packaging plants are located in Alzey, Wolnzach, Eberswalde, Castrop-Rauxel, and Northeim in Germany; Tychy and Skarbimierz in Poland; Všetaty in the Czech Republic; and Sibiu in Romania. In addition, the preprint plant situated in Ilsenburg, Germany, is also part of the transaction.
With the completion of this acquisition, Saica Group will substantially strengthen its production capabilities by adding approximately 1.2 billion square meters of annual corrugated cardboard manufacturing capacity. The transaction will also increase the company's workforce by around 2,500 employees, enhancing its operational strength and regional expertise across Central and Eastern Europe.
Susana Alejandro, President and CEO of Saica Group, welcomed the European Commission's approval and emphasized the importance of integrating Thimm's experienced workforce into the organization. She noted that the knowledge, expertise, and capabilities of Thimm's employees are highly respected within the packaging industry and will play an essential role in supporting Saica's future growth.
Alejandro described the acquisition as a major strategic milestone that aligns with Saica's long-term expansion plans. According to her, the transaction represents another important step in implementing the company's Saica 2025 strategic roadmap, which focuses on strengthening infrastructure, improving customer service capabilities, and expanding operations throughout Central and Eastern Europe.
The acquisition also supports Saica's broader objective of becoming closer to its customers by enhancing its regional manufacturing footprint. A larger production network will enable the company to provide more efficient and comprehensive packaging solutions while improving responsiveness to local market requirements. The expanded presence is expected to reinforce Saica's competitive position in Europe's corrugated packaging industry, improve supply chain efficiency, and create additional opportunities for sustainable business growth.
Overall, the European Commission's approval clears the way for Saica to accelerate its market expansion, strengthen customer relationships, and enhance its leadership position in the European corrugated packaging sector through increased production capacity and broader geographic coverage.
Impact on Product and Chemical Commodity Prices
The acquisition is expected to strengthen the European corrugated packaging market by expanding Saica's production capacity and improving regional supply capabilities. Greater manufacturing efficiency and a broader customer network may increase demand for containerboard, kraft paper, recycled paper, paper pulp, starch-based adhesives, printing inks, coatings, and packaging chemicals used in corrugated board production. In the short term, chemical commodity prices tracked by ChemAnalyst are likely to remain largely stable, as the transaction does not immediately alter production volumes. However, over the medium term, sustained capacity utilization and higher packaging demand could provide modest upward support to prices of paper-related raw materials and specialty packaging chemicals.
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