Company swap gets PaperlinX out of France and into Italy

Under the deal, two transactions will take place: PaperlinX will purchase Antalis’ Italian paper merchanting business; and in turn Antalis will buy PaperlinX’s paper merchanting business, Axelium, in France. Australian-based PaperlinX, the largest paper merchanting company in the world, hopes that this takeover will see it get back on track in Europe following a failed attempt at getting to critical mass in France.

“These transactions will strengthen our position in Italy, improving our market scale, while also allowing us to exit France where we have not enjoyed sufficient scale to compete at the level we would like,” said Tom Park, managing director of PaperlinX, Tom Park.


The company described the decision to sell the French business as being difficult, due to the dedication of its employees but believed that the transactions will allow both PaperlinX and Antalis to focus on areas with a greater competitive advantage.

“It’s taking the strategy of focusing our resources so we can get a better market position,” said David Shirer, executive general manager for PaperlinX, Australia.

It’s still early days for the transaction and the final purchase and selling prices are yet to be agreed on. PaperlinX expected that the transactions would conclude within three to four months, with both businesses operating as usual during this period.