News Release

Japan Pulp & Paper Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Akihiko Watanabe, President; hereinafter, the “Company”) announces that Ball & Doggett Group Pty Ltd (headquartered in Melbourne, Australia), a consolidated subsidiary of the Company, has acquired a sign and display business in Australia and a flexible packaging materials business in New Zealand, through its operating subsidiaries.

OVOL Japan Pulp & Paper group has made the acquisition in accordance with its business policy for the Non-Japan Wholesaling segment set out in the Medium-term Business Plan 2023. The policy is to strengthen its sales of paper related material. Through product diversification that is complementary to its exiting sales network and to create additional value and revenue streams through M&A activities. The details of the acquisition are as follows.

Conect, a wholesaler having strengths in the sign and display market, provides one-stop services ranging from selling media such as paper and films as well as hardware such as printers, to offering technical services. With the acquisition, B&D will strengthen its sign and display business by leveraging Conect’s brand power.

Cas-Pak, a wholesaler of flexible packaging materials for food, sells thermoforming, retort, pouch, vacuum, and other food packaging films, as well as casings and thermoforming machines. With the acquisition, BJ Ball aims to add the flexible packaging materials business as a new pillar of business in New Zealand besides its main business of paper and paperboard wholesaling, and the sign and display business operated by its subsidiary Aarque. Another objective of the acquisition is to create synergies in the group by selling its labels and paper packages through Cas-Pak’s sales channels.