Grigiškės (company)
AB Grigeo (formerly AB Grigiškės) is a paper and wood industry company group in Lithuania. It is the biggest manufacturer of sanitary-household paper in the Baltic countries. Group's companies manufacture toilet paper, paper towels and napkins, corrugated cardboard and cartons, hardboard and painted hardboard.[1] AB Grigeo employs about 800 staff members.[2] The annual turnover of the company amounts to EUR 32 million. AB Grigeo is a member of associacion Lietuvos Mediena, European Federation of Hardboard Manufacturers FEROPA. AB Grigeo is the first paper company in Lithuania issued the EN ISO 9001 Quality Certificate.
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Paper manufacturing |
| Founded | 1923 in Grigiškės, Lithuania |
| Founder | Grzegorz Kurec |
| Products |
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Number of employees | 800 |
History
The history of Grigeo starts in 1923, when Grzegorz Kurec, a mechanic, hydraulic engineer, and businessman, implemented his engineering designs and built a cardboard manufacturing factory at the confluence of Neris and Vokė rivers. The factory gave rise to the town of Grigiškės, where the Grigeo Vilnius facility is currently located. The production capacities and product range of the factory increased, and production of white cardboard, cardboard boxes, and rolling paper started. Before the start of World War II, the mill employed 300 people. It was nationalized in 1940. The Grigiškės paper mill was destroyed and burned down by a retreating German army. Its rebuilding took over one year. Grigiškės paper mill was the largest cellulose and paper manufacturer in Lithuania in 1980-1985 and employed almost 3,000 people. The state company running the Grigiškės paper mill also managed the Pabradė and Naujieji Verkiai factories. The company was privatized in 1990, became a stock company in 1992, and went public in 1994.[3]
Controversy
On January 7, 2020 the member company Klaipėdos Kartonas has been found to have been dumping large amounts of industrial waste waters into the Curonian Lagoon via a secret pipe. This resulted in AB Grigeo stocks falling over 30% at Nasdaq Vilnius, prompting the closure of the sales. Other consequences include major retailers removing Grigeo products from their shelves and canceling further orders. [4]