Södra exits SunPine, selling 25% stake to VAROPreem
What's the deal? SödraDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has completed the sale of its 25% ownership interest in SunPineDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → AB to VAROPreemDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The Swedish forest-owner association had co-owned SunPine, a producer of renewable products based on tall oil, since 2008. The transaction is now approved and finalised.
What's the endgame? Södra said its purpose with SunPine — driving the development and market for tall oil — had been achieved. The sale lets it redirect resources toward other priorities tied to the long-term value of family forestry.
Why now? SunPine's business operations changed, and with them its need for expertise and ownership, prompting Södra to divest. "Through the sale, the company can enter its next phase, while we can focus our resources on other areas that make a difference," said Lotta Lyrå, president and CEO of Södra.
By the numbers: The divestment is expected to boost Södra's earnings and will be recognised in the third quarter. Södra, Sweden's largest forest-owner association with more than 50,000 family forest owners as members, generated sales of SEK 29 billion in 2024.
The signal: The exit reflects how strategic investors are pruning stakes once their original rationale is met. For Södra, the sale converts a profitable 18-year holding into capital and focus, while SunPine gains an owner aligned with its next stage.
Read more: Cision News
Image credit: USDAgov
