Sep 09, 2010. /Lesprom Network/. Swedish envelope producer Bong Ljungdahl and the French family-owned company Hamelin have signed an agreement to merge Bong Ljungdahl and Hamelin’s envelope division. After the merger, the new company will have a turnover of around SEK 3.500 million Kronor (Euro 370 million) and some 2,400 employees. The company changes name to Bong and will continue to be listed on the Stockholm exchange, as Nordic Paper Journal reported. Bong and Hamelin have successfully co-operated in a strategic alliance since 2004. The companies are now taking the next step to create a strong European company with good growth prospects. Through its unique geographical coverage, the new company will be able to meet the needs of large pan-European customers. At the same time, the new broad product portfolio will bring a more complete product offering to all customers. “We will increase our customer focus in order to become an even better supplier and our aim is to develop and grow together with our customers. The merger gives us enough scale and a good platform to do this” says Bong’s CEO, Anders Davidsson, who will continue to lead the company after the merger. “After several years of close co-operation, we know the Hamelin organization well, and we complement each other in a good way. With the merger we are able to extend our product offering significantly and, furthermore, we widen our geographic coverage, especially with the units in France, Spain and Poland,” Davidsson continues. "This merger will ensure a brighter future for our envelope division. I’m confident that our strategic investment into the new Bong company will bring us long-term success in the envelope business" says Hamelin's President Stéphane Hamelin, who will join Bong's Board of Directors following the transaction. Bong estimates to reach yearly cost synergies of SEK 80-90 million ($11- 12.4 million) with full effect after two years.