Our history

History of Kappa Rus

In 1996, a small office was opened in St. Petersburg with the primary objective of introducing a new kind of corrugated fibreboard packaging to the Russian market. All shipments were sourced from Denmark, where one of AssiDoman’s factories was situated. The Russian packaging market steadily grew, and new major consumers emerged, so a decision was made to build a factory in the Leningrad region.

In 1997, a new factory was constructed and launched, initially under the name AssiDoman, as part of the Swedish conglomerate. The company received substantial tax incentives and created numerous job opportunities for hundreds of Vsevolozhsky district residents.

In 2001, the company AssiDoman merged with the European conglomerate Kappa Packaging. The merger positively influenced the further development of the Vsevolozhsk factory. The shareholders of the conglomerate decided to focus on the development of their Eastern European businesses, including the ‘Kappa St. Petersburg’ factory.

In 2002, the Swedish conglomerate SCA acquired the SCA St. Petersburg factory in Kommunar (formerly known as ‘Komsomolets’ OJSC, succeeding ‘Komsomolets’ SOE).

Between 2011 and 2012, ownership of the SCA St. Petersburg factory was transferred to Smurfit Kappa, becoming ‘Smurfit Kappa St. Petersburg South’. This marked a new chapter in the history of the Kommunar factory. The factory’s exterior was revamped, the surrounding area was fixed up, and funds were allocated for machinery upgrades: a Martin 924 inliner was installed, and the corrugator was modernized.

In 2013, a legal merger took place between the Vsevolozhsk factory and the Kommunar factory. The unified ‘Smurfit Kappa St. Petersburg’ company emerged, boasting vast opportunities and a drive to grow.

In 2017, the Smurfit Kappa Group acquired the ‘SOYUZ’ production and experimental factory in Moscow. By 2018, it was renamed ‘Smurfit Kappa Moscow Soyuz’. In 2021, the company changed its name to ‘Smurfit Kappa Rus’, consolidating all its factories in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

In 2023, following a change in shareholders, ‘Smurfit Kappa Rus’ Joint-Stock Company changed its name to ‘Kappa Rus’ Joint-Stock Company.

Currently, ‘Kappa Rus’ JSC is a trusted employer in its operational cities, such as Moscow, Vsevolozhsk, and Kommunar.