Essity

Essity is a Swedish multinational hygiene and health company headquartered in Stockholm. It was created in 2017 when the hygiene and health activities of Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, commonly known as SCA, were separated from the parent group's forestry operations and listed as an independent company on Nasdaq Stockholm. The name Essity combines the ideas of essentials and necessity, reflecting the company's focus on products used in everyday hygiene, health care, and professional environments. The company operates across consumer and business-to-business categories. Its personal-care portfolio includes baby diapers, feminine-care products, and incontinence products. Its tissue business serves households, workplaces, hospitality venues, and public institutions through consumer tissue and professional hygiene solutions. Its medical-care activities include compression therapy, wound care, orthopaedics, casting products, and related medical supplies. Major brands associated with Essity include TENA, Tork, Libero, Libresse, JOBST, Leukoplast, Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, and Saba, although brand availability varies by country. Essity's modern business developed from SCA's long expansion beyond forestry. SCA acquired Mölnlycke in 1975, adding a significant European disposable-hygiene business, and later built scale through acquisitions in tissue, packaging, medical care, and regional consumer products. Important transactions included PWA in 1995, Wisconsin Tissue in 2001, Carter Holt Harvey's tissue and hygiene businesses in 2004, Procter & Gamble's European tissue business in 2007, Georgia-Pacific's European tissue operations in 2012, and BSN Medical in 2017. SCA also became a major shareholder in the Chinese tissue company Vinda before the Essity separation. Essity serves consumers, retailers, health-care providers, employers, and institutional customers. Its brands are positioned around everyday utility, personal dignity, health outcomes, convenience, professional hygiene, and category expertise. TENA focuses on continence care, Tork on professional hygiene, Libero on baby care, Libresse on feminine care, and JOBST and related medical brands on compression and clinical care. The company competes with large consumer-goods, tissue, medical-supply, and regional manufacturers including Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Unilever, Georgia-Pacific, 3M, Ontex, Unicharm, Sofidel, CMPC, and Santher. Essity has also made sustainability a prominent part of its corporate positioning. Its initiatives include science-based emissions-reduction targets, participation in sustainability indexes, engagement with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy initiative, and packaging objectives involving renewable or recycled materials. At the same time, environmental groups have criticized the company's forestry sourcing and alleged impacts on old-growth forests, biodiversity, climate, and Indigenous communities. Labor relations and market-exit decisions have also attracted public attention. In 2022, Essity announced legal action connected with an industrial dispute at its Kawerau paper mill in New Zealand, and in 2023 it announced its withdrawal from the Russian market. Essity is an active, publicly traded company with a global operating footprint. Reference material describes approximately 36,000 employees and 2023 net sales of approximately EUR 13 billion. The company remains organized around consumer goods, professional hygiene, and health-care solutions rather than a single product category.

Essity's history is rooted in Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, or SCA, which was founded in 1929 as a Swedish forestry company. SCA gradually expanded into pulp, paper, tissue, and hygiene products. A major early step was its 1975 acquisition of Mölnlycke, a Western European producer of disposable hygiene products. This transaction established a platform for the health and hygiene activities that would eventually become Essity. SCA continued to broaden its tissue and consumer-products operations through acquisitions. In 1995 it acquired the German paper and packaging company PWA, Papierwerke Waldhof-Aschaffenburg. In 2001 it bought Wisconsin Tissue from Georgia-Pacific Tissue, strengthening its North American tissue presence. In 2004 SCA acquired tissue and hygiene businesses from Carter Holt Harvey, which had been owned by International Paper. In 2007 it purchased Procter & Gamble's European tissue business for approximately EUR 512 million and acquired its first minority stake in the Asian tissue company Vinda. SCA also expanded in Latin America and Asia. In 2011 it acquired Brazilian company Pro Descart, including the Biofral and Drybaby brands, and subsequently invested in a plant at Jarinu in São Paulo state to support brands including TENA and Tork. In 2012 it completed the acquisition of Georgia-Pacific's European tissue operations, including the Lotus brand, for approximately EUR 1.32 billion. In 2013 SCA became Vinda's majority shareholder. By 2015, SCA was described as the world's largest tissue-paper producer. The group then began a structural separation of its forestry and hygiene businesses. In 2015 SCA announced that the two activities would be organized as separate divisions. In August 2016 it announced its intention to split into two separately listed companies. The hygiene and health company also expanded its medical-care platform through the acquisition of BSN Medical, announced in December 2016 and completed around the creation of Essity. BSN Medical specialized in compression therapy, wound care, and orthopaedics and brought brands including JOBST, Leukoplast, Cutimed, Delta Cast, and Actimove. The reported purchase price was approximately EUR 2.74 billion. Essity was separated from SCA and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm on June 15, 2017. As an independent company, it combined consumer tissue, professional hygiene, personal care, and medical-care operations under one corporate identity. Its brands remained locally adapted in many markets, with names such as TENA, Tork, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, and Saba operating across different geographic and category contexts. After the separation, Essity continued to present itself as a global hygiene and health specialist. Its activities span retail products, professional systems, and products sold through health-care channels. The company has emphasized climate targets, renewable and recycled packaging, and participation in international sustainability initiatives. Its environmental record has nevertheless been contested by Greenpeace, while a 2022 New Zealand labor dispute generated litigation-related criticism. In 2023 Essity announced its exit from Russia. Governance changes included the appointment of Jan Gurander as chairman in 2024 and Ulrika Kolsrud as president and CEO in 2025. Reference material reports that Essity operated in approximately 150 countries, served more than one billion people, employed approximately 36,000 people, and recorded approximately EUR 13 billion in net sales in 2023.

• 2023

  Russian market exit

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  Essity announces its intention to leave the Russian market.

• 2018

  Science-based emissions target

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  Essity's emissions-reduction target is approved as aligned with climate science.

• 2017

  BSN Medical acquisition and Essity listing

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  SCA adds BSN Medical's medical-care portfolio, and Essity is listed independently in Stockholm on June 15.

• 2016

  SCA announces corporate split

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  SCA announces its intention to separate forestry and hygiene activities into two listed companies.

• 2013

  SCA becomes majority shareholder in Vinda

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  SCA becomes Vinda's majority shareholder, strengthening its Asian tissue presence.

• 2012

  Georgia-Pacific European tissue acquisition

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  SCA completes the acquisition of Georgia-Pacific's European tissue operations, including Lotus.

• 2007

  European tissue expansion

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  SCA buys Procter & Gamble's European tissue business and takes its first minority stake in Vinda.

• 2004

  Carter Holt Harvey tissue and hygiene acquisition

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  SCA acquires tissue and hygiene businesses from Carter Holt Harvey.

• 2001

  Wisconsin Tissue acquisition

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  SCA acquires Wisconsin Tissue from Georgia-Pacific Tissue.

• 1995

  PWA acquisition

  [1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  SCA acquires German paper and packaging company PWA.

Showing the 10 most recent.

A global hygiene and health company focused on essential everyday products, professional hygiene systems, and specialized medical-care solutions.

• Incontinence care

  TENA

  TENA is Essity's principal continence-care brand, offering absorbent products and related solutions for adults experiencing bladder or bowel leakage. The brand serves consumers, caregivers, and institutional health-care settings.

• Professional hygiene

  Tork

  Tork provides professional tissue, wiping, soap, dispensing, and hygiene-management solutions for workplaces, hospitality, health-care facilities, and public environments.

• Baby care

  Libero

  Libero is a baby-care brand associated primarily with diapers and related products. Its market presence is particularly strong in Nordic and European markets.

• Feminine care

  Libresse

  Libresse offers feminine-care products, including menstrual protection, and is marketed through regionally adapted brand identities and communications.

• Compression therapy

  JOBST

  JOBST is a medical brand acquired through BSN Medical and is associated with compression garments and products used in the management of venous and lymphatic conditions.

• Wound care

  Leukoplast

  Leukoplast is part of Essity's medical-care portfolio and provides adhesive products and related solutions for wound care and clinical use.

• Tissue

  Consumer tissue portfolio

  Essity's consumer tissue portfolio includes toilet tissue, facial tissue, household towels, and related paper products sold under brands such as Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, Cushelle, Plenty, and regional labels.

• 2022

  Kawerau mill labor dispute

  During a pay dispute involving 145 workers at Essity's Kawerau paper mill in New Zealand, the company announced an intention to sue locked-out striking workers over an alleged strike beginning approximately one hour earlier than stated.

  Source

• Greenpeace criticism of forestry sourcing

  Greenpeace accused Essity and its supplier SCA of unsustainable forestry practices, including alleged clearing of old-growth forests and damage to threatened species, climate stability, and Indigenous communities.

  Source

Read more

• 2023

  Exit the Russian marketStrategy

  Background

  Essity reviewed its operations in Russia amid the changing geopolitical and operating environment.

  Action taken

  The company announced that it would leave the Russian market.

  Source

• 2017

  Acquire BSN MedicalM&A

  Background

  Essity sought to strengthen its medical-care activities in compression therapy, wound care, and orthopaedics.

  Action taken

  SCA acquired BSN Medical, bringing brands including JOBST, Leukoplast, Cutimed, Delta Cast, and Actimove into the group.

  Aftermath

  The transaction broadened Essity's portfolio beyond consumer hygiene and tissue products.

  Purchase price. EUR 2.74 billion (2016-2017 transaction period)

  Source

• 2016

  Separate forestry from hygiene and healthStrategy

  Background

  SCA had developed substantial forestry, tissue, hygiene, and health activities within one group.

  Action taken

  The company announced a plan to split the group into two separately listed companies.

  Aftermath

  The hygiene and health business became Essity and was listed independently in 2017.

  Source

• 2025

  Essity appoints Ulrika Kolsrud as president and CEO[1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Essity's board appointed Ulrika Kolsrud as president and chief executive officer on May 9, 2025.

• 2024

  Essity appoints Jan Gurander as chairman[1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  The company's 2024 annual general meeting appointed Jan Gurander as chairman of the board.

• 2023

  Essity announces withdrawal from the Russian market[1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation

  Essity announced that it would leave the Russian market.

• 2017

  Essity is separated from SCA and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm[1]Essityen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  The hygiene and health operations of SCA were separated into Essity, which became a separately listed company in Stockholm on June 15, 2017.

• 2017

  Essity begins trading as an independently listed company after the SCA split[2]Essity begins trading as an independently listed company after the SCA splitessity.com

  M&A

  SCA's hygiene business was separated from the forest-products business and listed as Essity, creating a dedicated international hygiene and health company.

• 2017

  Essity expands its health and medical-care portfolio through acquisitions[2]Essity begins trading as an independently listed company after the SCA splitessity.com

  M&A

  Following its formation, Essity continued to use acquisitions and portfolio development to strengthen medical, continence-care and professional-hygiene activities, building on assets inherited from SCA.

• 2017

  Essity separates from SCA and begins trading as an independent company[2]Essity begins trading as an independently listed company after the SCA splitessity.com

  M&A · Other

  SCA's hygiene and health business was separated from the forest-products operations and Essity was listed as a standalone company on Nasdaq Stockholm.

• Essity continues portfolio and sustainability work across hygiene and health categories[3]Essity continues portfolio and sustainability work across hygiene and health categoriesessity.com

  Other

  The company has continued developing lower-impact products, professional hygiene systems, and healthcare solutions while managing exposure to pulp, energy, logistics, and other input costs.

1. 1Essityen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Essity begins trading as an independently listed company after the SCA splitessity.com
3. 3Essity continues portfolio and sustainability work across hygiene and health categoriesessity.com
4. 4Essity acquires feminine care business in Brazilfinanznachrichten.de
5. 5Essity Launches Virtual Reality app for Hand Hygiene Educationprnewswire.com