Operations and structure

Essity reports its operations according to three business areas: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue and Professional Hygiene. Personal Care includes the Incontinence Products, Medical Solutions, Baby Care and Feminine Care product categories. Consumer Tissue includes toilet paper, household towels, handkerchiefs, facial tissues, wet wipes and napkins. Professional Hygiene includes complete hygiene solutions, including toilet paper, paper hand towels, napkins, hand soap and dispensers.

Europe is Essity’s largest market. The Group also holds strong positions in North America, Latin America and Asia. Expansion takes place through organic growth and acquisitions.

Organization

Essity has the following four business units:

Consumer Goods, which offers consumer tissue, baby care and feminine care in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Health and Medical Solutions, which offers incontinence products in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa and medical solutions in Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.
Latin America, which offers consumer tissue, baby care, incontinence products, medical solutions, feminine care and professional hygiene in Latin America.
Professional Hygiene, which offers professional hygiene in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.

In addition to the business units, Essity has established three global units:

Global Brand, Innovation and Sustainability has global responsibility for customer and consumer brands, innovation and sustainability and public affairs.
Global Manufacturing has global responsibility for production and technology concerning all product categories with the exception of Medical Solutions.
Global Operational Services has global responsibility for sourcing, logistics, business services, IT and digitalization.

The organization has four Group functions:

Communications
Finance
Human Resources
Legal Affairs

Essity exerts an influence on the Group company Vinda, a listed Asian hygiene company in which Essity is a majority shareholder, through board representation.

Events during the year

Essity took a decision to invest approximately SEK 400m in an integrated facility for the production of pulp based on alternative fibers from plant-based agricultural by-products.

Essity exited the Baby Care segment in Turkey through the divestment of its 50% share of the jointly owned company SCA Yildiz.

The Group-wide cost-savings program, which was launched in September 2018, has been concluded and at the end of 2019 savings amounted to slightly above SEK 900m on an annualized basis.