Go to Smurfit Kappa SSK

• 18th century Forerunners of the business were probably in existence as long as the mid 18th century

• 1854 Purchased by Charles Townsend Hook and his father Samuel Hook – immediately increased production from 5 to 70 tonnes of paper per week of primarily straw-based printing and writing papers

• 1862 The Hooks established a reputation for quality and reliability which continues to flourish today. Only eight years after the founding of the company it was awarded a medal for the excellence of its paper, as reported by the Illustrated London News Reported.

• In 1876 The mill produced 2252 tonnes, but this had increased to over 5000 tonnes by the time the company went public in 1887

• 1906 The mill was almost completely destroyed by a fire on the 12th August , but it was quickly rebuilt

• During the 1920’s, The World Paper Trade Review wrote: ‘to be a regular customer of Snodland is to know supplies will be continuous and reliable’

• Mid 1950's Paper machines No’s 7 & 8 were installed, although both have been significantly modified since these dates to keep in line with new technology

• During post-war period, when the mill was producing Snodland Fine News and Mechanical Printing paper grades, one of the most prominent customers was The Times whose management valued the excellent picture quality produced on Fine News

• In 1961 The Times bought a controlling interest, and they, in turn, were purchased by Rupert Murdoch of News International in 1964

• 1990 The mill was purchased by Jefferson Smurfit in December, after a ‘mercy flight’ by Dermot Smurfit to New York

• 1996 PM8 Rebuild, with a capital expenditure of £30m

• 2002, £350,000 upgrade of coated mill sheeters, No 5 & 6

• 2003, PM1 new Quality  Control Management System involving a capital expenditure of £1.5m

• 2006, merged with the Kappa Containerboard Group