Division (16)

High-end PMC. In the Scandinavian market Ahlstrom is by far the leading supplier with a market share of [70-80 %] *, Sonoco ([0-10 %] *) however, is a relatively small supplier comparable to Corenso and Paul. As a result of the merger, one of the at present four existing supply possibilities for high-end PMC is eliminated in this region. Because of high quality requirements in this product market, new market entrants cannot be expected in the short-run. It was feared that with its increased strength Sonoco/Ahlstrom would be more indispensable for the larger customers and would therefore have power to squeeze smaller suppliers.