Suzano Papel e Celulose and Klabin plan increasing their share in the sale of paper for packaging, which presents strong growth in Brazil. Putting their revenues together, the rivals earned nearly R$ 3 billion (US$ 1.76 billion) in the first half, a result driven mainly by the segment of cardboard and corrugated paper, intended for packaging. According to the Marketing Director of Suzano Papel e Celulose, André De Marco, the segment of paper for food packaging, powder detergent, hygiene and cleaning, and that of corrugated paper boxes, are the ones with the greatest potential for growth. The executive says Suzano has privileged the segment of card stock, in which it expects to grow nearly 5% this year. According to De Marco, the foreign market, in which stand out North American and European countries and China, presents an even greater demand for card stock. Suzano Papel e Celulose registered earnings of R$ 1.15 billion (US$ 676.5 million) in the first half, and 14% of its net earnings resulted from deals businesses related to the card stock segment.Klabin, leader in the segment of paper and stock for packaging, registered, in the first half of 2010, revenue of R$ 1.75 billion (US$ 1.03 billion), an increase of 25% compared to the same period of 2009. The result was driven by the sales of lined paper and corrugated paper that, together, were responsible for 67% of the volume of sales of the company. The volume of corrugated cardboard paper and corrugated cardboard plates shipped by Klabin in the second quarter of the year reached 134 thousand tons, an increase of 17% compared to the same period of 2009. In the first half, the dispatch of Klabin was 18% higher than in the same period last year. The segment of card stock of Klabin, including stock for liquids, reached 327 thousand tons, 38% above the first six months of 2009.The company already invested nearly R$ 143 million (US$ 84.1 million) in the first half of the year to increase the productive capacity, purchase equipment and perform improvements in the plants of the company, among other investments. According to information of the Brazilian Association of Corrugated Cardboard (ABPO), the production of the half had growth of 19% compared to the first half of last year.
