Navigator completes acquisition of Gomà-Camps
With the completion of the operation, the company becomes the second main player in the Iberian tissue market
Navigator, one of the largest tissue manufacturers in Portugal, completed the acquisition of all the shares of Gomà-Camps Consumer (GC Consumer) and the French company Gomà-Camps France SAS, which is now called “GC Consumer”.
Until the formalization of the transaction, they belonged to the Gomà-Camps Group, one of the oldest and most prestigious Spanish family business groups, with more than 260 years working in paper production.
The acquisition of the business, announced in February by the company, is part of the Navigator Group’s growth and diversification plan, reinforcing its strategic position in the Iberian tissue market and making it the second largest player in the sector, with capacity to produce 165 thousand tons annually.
Upon completion of the acquisition, the company increases the existing tissue production capacity in Aveiro and Vila Velha de Ródão, with the Ejea de los Caballeros manufacturing unit, near Zaragoza, which contributes over 35 thousand tons of paper production and up to 60 thousand tons of finished products.
The company started in the tissue business in 2015, with the acquisition of the company MAS, in Vila Velha de Ródão, a unit that currently has an annual production capacity of 60 thousand tons. And, in 2018, it took another step forward with the construction of the tissue industrial complex in Aveiro – with a capacity of 70 thousand tons per year – connected to the Navigator pulp mill.
The geolocation of the Spanish manufacturing unit contributed to a more optimized management of the Iberian customer portfolio and also made it possible to gain proximity to European markets outside Iberia, boosting the exploration of new businesses in Spain and France, through the supply of large chains of food retail.
With this, the group reinforces its market and customer diversification, which will now have a more complete product portfolio. According to the company, the operation also allows for the integration of talent, experience, work methods and excellence in the execution of the 151 professionals of the GC Consumer unit, guaranteeing them access to new opportunities for professional development.
NEW GROWTH CYCLE
The integration of the new plant will contribute to accelerating Navigator’s growth in the tissue segment, which will be the second most important area in terms of business volume within the company, ahead of sales of renewable energy, cellulose and packaging.
The company’s estimate is to reach around €300 million in consolidated sales, from high quality tissue papers, benefiting from the advantages and competitiveness that the development of a vertically integrated activity can provide.
INNOVATIONS AND RECOGNITION
In addition, with the operation, it will be possible to focus on innovation in processes and products, one of the fundamental pillars of the company, through which new solutions adapted to the newest market trends are frequently launched.
Examples of this are the Amoos Air Sense toilet paper, the first to be launched on the Iberian market with incorporated perfume capsules that allow the fragrance to last longer – which earned Navigator the Five Star Award – and the new Amoos Calorie Control kitchen towel, which has “pearls” created by special embossing technology, resulting in a particularly effective role in absorbing liquids and fats from freshly fried foods.
