A $3 billion global company formed out of the merger of two specialty paper producers is setting down roots (again) in Alpharetta.
Mativ Inc. was created in July from the combination of Neenah Paper, a Wisconsin-founded company with a 140-year history, and Schweitzer-Maduit International, a cigarette paper manufacturer spun off from Kimberly-Clark in the mid-1990s that has now diversified into other sectors.
Both were based in Alpharetta before the merger, and they’ll stay there as the new company brings 150 employees under one roof at 100 Kimball Place, a six-story office building near the Avalon mixed-use development where Mativ will lease 35,000 square feet. That’s more than a fourth of the building’s 128,000 square feet.
Mativ plans to sublet its other office spaces in Alpharetta upon moving in during the second quarter of next year.
The move is part of the $65 million in cost savings that the companies cited when announcing the merger. Mativ has 7,500 employees around the world, with sales in 100 countries and manufacturing on four continents.
“Mativ is on a mission for growth; and there is no better community for high-growth global businesses than the Atlanta metro region,” said Julie Schertell, CEO of Mativ. “As we bring together two strong workforces into this new global leader in specialty materials, we are creating a dynamic and collaborative space that provides an attractive and inspiring place for our employees.”
Mativ’s commitment to helping its workers innovate locally is reflective of its commitment to providing the best to global customers, Ms. Schertell said in a news release.
While both sides have legacy businesses focused on specialty papers — from printed packaging to tobacco — they are also advancing in other sectors with the creation of new technical materials, such as films used in glass and car wraps, adhesives for wound care, filtration media for water and air, and many more.
The new company will report financial results for two segments. The more growth-oriented sector is Advanced Technical Materials, with five business units including filtration, protective solutions, release liners, healthcare and industrials.
Fiber-Based Solutions will consist of legacy business units from the two companies focused on engineered papers (those used in tobacco) and packaging and specialty paper.