Pankakoski Mill Oy
Finnish specialty cartonboard producer making high-thickness folding boxboards, kraftboards and uncoated boards from virgin fibre.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Pankakoski Mill Oy, which trades under the brand Pankaboard, is a Finnish specialty cartonboard producer based at Pankakoski in eastern Finland. The company describes itself as a leading supplier of special cartonboards, offering high-quality cartonboard solutions for packaging, visual, industrial and functional applications. Its core competence lies in high-thickness folding boxboards, kraftboards and uncoated specialty cartonboards, produced from virgin fibres and approved for food contact in accordance with applicable regulations. All grades are made without optical brightener (OBA free), and the mill's fibre compositions are tailored to specific converting requirements. The modern company was established in 2006, when an international investment group led by Dr Dermot Smurfit bought the Pankakoski mill operations. The site itself, however, has a much longer industrial heritage: the company states it is one of the first manufacturers of paperboard in Europe, with board making at Pankakoski dating back to the early twentieth century. Over the following decades the mill was repeatedly rebuilt and modernised, adding board machines, a hydroelectric power plant, a groundwood plant, biological wastewater treatment and biofuel-based steam generation. Pankaboard's product portfolio is organised into folding boxboards, kraftboards, woodpulp boards, specialities and SBS boards. The mill is known for an exceptional thickness range, with coated folding boxboards available up to 1 mm. In 2023 the company launched the PankaKraft product family, and it has announced PankaTray Kraft, a new ovenable tray board made from 100% high-quality kraft fibres in 250–550 gsm, for launch in August 2026. The company operates an integrated biofuel-based steam plant at its mill and serves customers worldwide through its own sales offices and an extensive sales agent network. Sales offices have been opened in Espoo, Germany, Poland, the UK, Russia (closed in 2022) and North America. The head office and mill are located at Ruukintie 2, 81750 Pankakoski, Finland, with a sales office at Bulevardi 7 A in Helsinki.
History
The Pankakoski mill site has a long industrial history. According to the company, it is one of the first manufacturers of paperboard in Europe, with board making at Pankakoski beginning in the early twentieth century. The mill's own timeline records that board machines were in operation by 1914, and that a hydroelectric power plant and a new groundwood plant were completed in 1964. In 1979 the old BM1 and BM2 were replaced by a new BM2, and in 1980 BM3 was rebuilt, raising the mill's output to 75,000 tonnes per annum. The 1990s brought further modernisation: a rebuild of BM2 in 1995, the start-up of a Condebelt® drying section in 1996, and in 1999 a new biological wastewater treatment plant and a new biofuel boiler. Production of SBS boards began in 2001, and production of recycled products ended in 2002. The modern company, Pankaboard, was established in 2006 when an international investment group led by Dr Dermot Smurfit bought the Pankakoski operations. From 2007 the company expanded its commercial footprint, opening an Espoo sales office that year, followed by sales offices in the UK (2013), Russia (2014, closed in 2022), Germany and Poland (2015), and North America (2016). Technical investments continued in parallel: a new QCS on BM2 and upgraded heat recovery in 2008, upgraded heat recovery for BM2 and BM3 in 2009, a new headbox lip and rebuilt steam and condensate systems in 2010, a new online QCS for BM3 in 2011, a new debarking line in 2013, a dilution head box and sheeting line for BM3 in 2014, new formation control on BM2 and online fibre analytics in 2016 and 2017, and a new automation system for the groundwood plant, BM2 and BM3 in 2018. The sheeting line was upgraded in 2019 and again in 2021 (phase 2), a new ERP system was installed in 2019, maintenance functions were insourced and a new CRM system introduced in 2020, and a CalCoil system was installed on BM2 in 2025. In 2023 the company launched the PankaKraft product family. In 2026 it announced PankaTray Kraft, a new ovenable tray board made from 100% high-quality kraft fibres in 250–550 gsm, for launch in August 2026. Today Pankaboard operates as a specialty cartonboard producer with an integrated biofuel-based steam plant at its mill. It serves customers worldwide through its own sales offices and an extensive sales agent network, and its boards are made from virgin fibres and approved for food contact in accordance with applicable regulations.
- 2021
Upgrade of sheeting line (phase 2)
- 2020
Insourcing of maintenance functions; new CRM system
- 2019
Upgrade of sheeting line; new ERP system installed
- 2018
New automation system installed for the groundwood plant, BM2 and BM3
- 2017
Online fiber analytics
- 2016
New formation control on BM2; sales office in North America
- 2015
Sales office in Poland; sales office in Germany
- 2014
Dilution head box for BM3; sheeting line for BM3; sales office in Russia (closed in 2022)
- 2013
New debarking line; sales office in UK
- 2011
New online QCS system for BM3
Products and positioning
Leading supplier of special cartonboards with a flexible operating model, specialised production assets and skilled personnel, serving packaging, visual, industrial and functional applications worldwide.
Folding boxboards
High-thickness coated folding boxboards with thicknesses up to 1 mm.
Kraftboards
Kraftboards for demanding applications.
Woodpulp boards
Boards made from woodpulp.
Specialities
Uncoated specialty cartonboards for a wide range of end uses.
SBS boards
Solid bleached sulphate boards.
PankaKraft product family
Launched in 2023.
PankaTray Kraft
New ovenable tray board made from 100% high-quality kraft fibres, available in 250–550 gsm, launching August 2026.
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