Biber Holding Ag

Biber Holding AG (BIBER) was founded in 1862 and became a holding company in 1968. The company is one of the biggest paper manufacturers in Switzerland and produces fine paper, printing & writing paper, newsprint & magazine paper. It began a restructuring programme in 1994 to concentrate on paper manufacturing, has sold its subsdidiaries engaged in paper trading during 1995 and intents to sell its paper converting division in 1996. The company has divided its operation into three divisions: The fine paper division covers the production of coated woodfree, coated mechanical, uncoated woodfree paper and pulp. The newsprint division covers the production of paper for the printing & publishing industry, including the recycling of paper to be used as raw material in the production process. The paper converting division consists of the subsidiary John Dickinson Stationery Ltd (UK), which is engaged in selling office supplies and stationary. BIBER has subsidiaries in Italy, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Great Britain and the United States. Fine paper accounted for 63% of 1995 revenues; newsprint paper, 23% and paper converting, 14%.