What Kartonsan does

Kartonsan Karton Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. is a publicly traded Turkish manufacturer of coated cardboard (kuşeli karton), founded in 1967 as Turkey's first private-sector producer in the category and commencing production in 1970. Headquartered in Istanbul (Gayrettepe) with a single integrated manufacturing facility in Başiskele, Kocaeli, the company produces approximately 30 product varieties of coated cardboard used primarily in packaging applications (consumer goods, food packaging, industrial packaging) and serves customers across approximately 30 countries. According to 2020 data, Kartonsan holds 41% of Turkey's coated cardboard market and positions itself among Europe's prominent producers in the segment.

The company's production technology is built around waste-paper utilization exceeding 90% as raw material, a cogeneration plant (operating since 1997) producing electricity and steam internally, and a Membrane Biological Reactor (MBR) wastewater treatment system installed in 2015 — the first such installation in Turkey's coated cardboard sector — which enables daily reuse of approximately 3,200 m3 of wastewater. Kartonsan is supported by an extensive certification stack including FSC-CoC (since 2011), ISO 9001/14001/45001/50001, and ISEGA food-contact certification, alongside KVKK/GDPR privacy compliance. The company operates with 320 employees (121 white-collar, 199 blue-collar, all full-time, end-2020) and wholly owns Dönkasan, a subsidiary that manages wastepaper supply.

Kartonsan's go-to-market is sales-led and direct, combining domestic Turkish enterprise sales, international export sales to ~30 countries, and an e-sales portal (kartonsan.visionnext.com.tr) for transactions; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is part of Pak Topluluğu (PAK Group), a diversified conglomerate of 19 companies spanning food, packaging, coated cardboard, and real estate, which holds majority ownership. Revenue figures are not disclosed in publicly available sources, and the most recent General Assembly (14.04.2026) elected not to distribute profit. The company trades on Borsa Istanbul under the KARTN ticker.

Name

Kartonsan

Legal name

Kartonsan Karton Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.

Website

https://kartonsan.com.tr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kartonsan is Turkey's leading coated cardboard manufacturer, founded in 1967, holding 41% domestic market share and exporting to approximately 30 countries. It produces around 30 product varieties serving packaging and industrial customers from a single integrated Kocaeli facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coated Cardboard Manufacturing

NAICS

Paperboard Container Manufacturing (32221), Paper Manufacturing (322)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Paper Mills (2621)

akta.pro primary industry

Recycled Containerboard (Testliner) Manufacturing (IMAMAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fiber-Based Sustainable Packaging (Recycled Paper, Molded Fiber, Bagasse) (IMALAMAA)

Keywords

• Coated cardboard manufacturing
• Paperboard production
• Industrial packaging materials
• Sustainable paper manufacturing
• Waste paper recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Coated Cardboard Manufacturing and Sales: Kartonsan generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of coated cardboard (kuşeli karton) products. The company produces approximately 30 product varieties and sells to customers in nearly 30 countries. The company also sells electricity and steam from its cogeneration plant.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kartonsan manufactures and sells coated cardboard (kuşeli karton) used primarily for packaging applications. The company operates a manufacturing facility in Kocaeli, Turkey, producing approximately 30 different varieties of coated cardboard from waste paper as the primary raw material (>90% utilization). It also generates electricity and steam through its on-site cogeneration plant.

Product overview

Kartonsan is a coated cardboard (kuşeli karton) manufacturer operating in Turkey and Europe. The company's product portfolio centers on its core offering of coated cardboard, with around 30 different product varieties available. Products are offered through standard commercial channels including e-sales (E-Satış) and e-collection (E-Tahsilat) portals. The product range includes various specifications and price tiers to serve different customer requirements across approximately 30 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coated Cardboard (Kuşeli Karton)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PAK Topluluğu (PAK Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAK Group is the main shareholder of Kartonsan. The group consists of 19 companies operating in food, packaging, coated cardboard, and real estate sectors. Kartonsan is part of this larger corporate family, with shared governance and strategic direction.
• DönkasancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDönkasan is a subsidiary of Kartonsan that handles wastepaper supply and management. This vertical integration supports Kartonsan's high waste paper utilization rate (90%+).
• KASAD (Kaidan Kağıt Sanayicileri Derneği)minorOthersKartonsan is a member of KASAD (Cardboard Paper Industrialists Association), the Turkish cardboard industry association.
• Kocaeli UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with Kocaeli University for applied and theoretical training programs. Supports education sector development and provides practical training opportunities.
• Licensed Recycling FirmsminorOthersKartonsan collects packaging waste from its operations that cannot be utilized internally and passes them to licensed recycling firms in compliance with packaging waste control regulations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sappi Europe: South African-headquartered but Europe-anchored coated and specialty paper producer with major coated board capacity. Comparable as a competitor in coated folding boxboard serving premium packaging end-uses.
• Stora Enso: Finnish-Swedish integrated forest products major with a large Packaging Materials division producing coated unbleached and folding boxboard. Competes with Kartonsan in European coated cardboard and offers broader portfolio scale.
• Pactiv Evergreen: North American-focused fiber-based and foodservice packaging manufacturer. Comparable as a major paperboard converter/producer with adjacent food-contact certified paperboard grades.
• International Paper: US-listed global forest products and packaging major with significant European industrial packaging operations. Comparable as a large incumbent in paper-based packaging competing for the same converter/brand-owner customers.
• Mondi: UK-listed packaging and paper group with significant corrugated and functional kraft paper capacity plus uncoated/coated specialty papers. Comparable as a European integrated paper-packaging competitor with export reach.
• Smurfit Kappa: Global containerboard and corrugated packaging leader with extensive European operations. Comparable as a large European paper-based packaging producer targeting similar end-use packaging customers.

Direct peers

• Kotkamills: Finnish manufacturer of folding boxboard and other coated paperboard grades, recently restructured under new ownership. Directly comparable niche coated cardboard producer competing for European converter customers.
• Heinzel Group: Austrian paper manufacturer operating uncoated and coated paper/paperboard mills under brands like Starkraft and Zehetner. Direct competitor in European coated cardboard grades serving converters.
• Mayr-Melnhof Karton: Austrian-headquartered, Europe's largest coated recycled fiberboard producer with multiple mills serving folding-box applications. Directly comparable to Kartonsan as a coated cardboard specialist serving European converters and brand owners.

Regional players

• Klabin: Brazil's largest integrated paper and packaging producer with coated and kraftliner grades. Comparable as an integrated emerging-market paperboard major, though primarily serving Latin American end-markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kartonsan-karton-sanayi-ve-ticaret-as-kartn-

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kartonsan