FORM
6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report
of
Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
under
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For
the
month of January, 2007
Commission
file number: 1-14872
SAPPI
LIMITED
(Translation
of registrant’s name into English)
48
Ameshoff Street
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2001
REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
|
Form
20-F
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X
-------
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Form
40-F
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Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b) (1):
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b) (7):
Indicate
by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form,
the
registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
|
Yes
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No
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X
-------
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If
“Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-
INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
Sappi
Limited’s SENS announcement, dated January 8, 2007, announcing the
appointment of Berry Wiersum as Chief Executive Officer of its European
Operations, furnished by the Registrant under this Form 6-K is incorporated
by
reference into (i) the Registration Statements on Form S-8 of the
Registrant filed December 23, 1999 and December 15, 2004 in connection with
The
Sappi Limited Share Incentive Scheme, (ii) the Section 10(a) Prospectus
relating to the offer and sale of the Registrant’s shares to Participants under
The Sappi Limited Share Incentive Scheme, (iii) the Registration Statements
on Form S-8 of the Registrant filed December 15, 2004 and December 21, 2005
in
connection with The Sappi Limited 2004 Performance Share Incentive Plan and
(iv)
the Section 10(a) Prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the Registrant’s
shares to Participants under The Sappi Limited 2004 Performance Share Incentive
Plan.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
In order to utilize the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”), Sappi Limited (the “Company”) is providing the following cautionary statement. Except for historical information contained herein, statements contained in this Report on Form 6-K may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Reform Act. The words “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate “, “plan”, “assume”, “positioned”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “risk” and other similar expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends which do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. In addition, this Report on Form 6-K may include forward-looking statements relating to the Company’s potential exposure to various types of market risks, such as interest rate risk, foreign exchange rate risk and commodity price risk. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are in some cases beyond the control of the Company, together with its subsidiaries (the “Group”), and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Group to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements (and from past results, performance or achievements). Certain factors that may cause such differences include but are not limited to: the highly cyclical nature of the pulp and paper industry; pulp and paper production, production capacity, input costs including raw material, energy and employee costs, and pricing levels in North America, Europe, Asia and southern Africa; any major disruption in production at the Group’s key facilities; changes in environmental, tax and other laws and regulations; adverse changes in the markets for the Group’s products; any delays, unexpected costs or other problems experienced with any business acquired or to be acquired; consequences of the Group’s leverage; adverse changes in the South African political situation and economy or the effect of governmental efforts to address present or future economic or social problems; and the impact of future investments, acquisitions and dispositions (including the financing of investments and acquisitions) and any delays, unexpected costs or other problems experienced in connection with dispositions. These and other risks, uncertainties and factors are discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with and submissions to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including this Report on Form 6-K. Shareholders and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of the submission of this Report on Form 6-K and are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information or future events or circumstances or otherwise.
 |
Sappi
Limited
|
Press
Release
Embargoed:
Not for publication before 08 January 2007, 13:00 CMT and 14:00 South African
time
Johannesburg,
08 January 2007
Sappi
appoints Berry Wiersum as Chief Executive Officer of its European
operations
Sappi,
the world’s leading producer of coated fine paper, today announced that Berry
Wiersum (51) has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Sappi Fine Paper
Europe (SFPE). Berry
Wiersum replaces Wolfgang Pfarl (62), who will be retiring. Mr Wiersum joins
Sappi Fine Paper Europe on 15 January 2007 and will work with Mr Pfarl for
a
familiarisation period until the end of March 2007 when he will take over
as
Chief Executive of SFPE.
Mr
Wiersum started his career at ICI Fibres, became President of Amoco Fabrics
(Europe), then the President of Amoco Chemicals (Europe), and when Amoco
was
taken over by BP, he moved to BP to assist with the integration of the two
groups in Europe. He subsequently left BP and joined Pechiney S.A. in France
and
ran the CEBAL packaging division until he was recruited as Managing Director
of
the Packaging division of Kappa Packaging BV and member of the Management
Board
responsible for paper manufacture and packaging in the Kappa group. He holds
a
Master of Arts degree with Combined Honours in Mediaeval and Modern History
and
subsidiaries in French and Music from the University of St Andrews in the
UK.
Commenting
on his appointment Eugene van As, Chairman of Sappi Limited said:
“Berry
Wiersum is a seasoned executive with many years' experience in the process
and
manufacturing industry. He
comes to Sappi with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to drive our European
business forward in the years to come.”
Van
As also expressed his appreciation for the contribution of outgoing Chief
Executive of SFPE, Wolfgang Pfarl: “Wolfgang Pfarl has made an enormous
contribution to the paper industry in Europe through Leykam Mürztaler, then KNP
Leykam, and subsequently Sappi where he helped create the leading coated
paper
producer in Europe. His legendary courtesy and friendship to customers and
employees alike will long be remembered.”
ENDS
Notes
to
editors
Abbreviated
CV of Mr Berry Wiersum:
|
2006-
Present
|
Private
company (Netherlands) - professional services, consultant on
mergers and
acquisitions
|
|
2000-2005
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SMURFIT
KAPPA PACKAGING B.V., Helmond (European leader in kraft and recycled
paper, integrated downstream into corrugated and solid board
packaging)
|
|
Managing
Director Packaging
|
|
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Member
Management Board
|
|
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1999-2000
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PECHINEY
S.A., Paris (Major global producer of plastic and aluminium tubes
and
aerosols for cosmetics industry)
|
|
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Managing Director of CEBAL division |
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1997-1999
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AMOCO
CHEMICALS (EUROPE) S.A., Geneva (Mid size chemical group specializing
in
polymers and intermediates. World leader in PTA)
|
|
President
|
|
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Member
Amoco Chemicals Business Team
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|
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1994-1996
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AMOCO
FABRICS (EUROPE), Amstelveen (Leading producer carpet backing
and
non-wovens for hygiene industry)
|
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President
|
|
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1979-1993
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ICI
FIBRES LTD., Harrogate, various positions including:
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1991-1993
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Business
Manager Nylon Textile Filament
|
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1987-1991
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Trade
Sector Manager, Weaving & Nylon Staple
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1985-1987
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Sales
Manager ICI Switzerland
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Mr
Wiersum is married with four children and speaks fluent Dutch, English, German
and French.
About
Sappi Limited
A
global leader in the pulp and paper industry, Sappi Limited (NYSE, JSE, LSE),
headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, conducts its business through
two
business units, Sappi Fine Paper and Sappi Forest Products. Sappi Fine Paper,
operating in Europe, North America and South Africa, produces a wide range
of
coated fine paper brands with an international reputation for quality and
innovation. The company also produces a range of uncoated graphic and business
papers, coated and uncoated specialty papers, as well as casting release
papers. Sappi Forest Products owns or manages approximately 540,000
hectares of plantations through Sappi Forests; is a leading Southern African
fully integrated pulp, packaging paper and newsprint business through Sappi
Kraft ; and is the world’s leading producer of chemical cellulose used in
the manufacture of viscose fibre through Sappi Saiccor; Sappi
Trading, based in Hong Kong, operates a trading network for the international
sales and distribution of the products of the two divisions outside their
core
operation regions. Sappi has manufacturing operations in nine countries on
four
continents, sales offices in some 50 countries and customers in over 100
countries around the world.
About
Sappi Fine Paper Europe
Sappi
Fine Paper Europe is a division of Sappi Limited, a global leader in the
pulp
and paper industry. Sappi
Fine
Paper Europe brands include Magno, HannoArt, Presto and Royal graphic papers,
as
well as Algro, Leine and Parade speciality labelling and packaging papers.
Customers worldwide specify these for the highest quality publishing,
promotional, labelling and packaging applications.
For
more
information visit www.sappi.com
Issued
by:
Brunswick
on behalf of Sappi Limited
Tel
+27
(0) 11 442 8803 (South Africa)
Tel
+44
(0) 207 404 5959 (London)
For
further information:
André
Oberholzer
Group
Head Corporate Affairs
Sappi
Limited, Johannesburg
Tel
+27
(0) 11 407 8044
Fax
+27
(0) 11 403 8236
Mobile
+27 (0) 83 235 2973
e-mail
andre.oberholzer@sappi.com
Liesl
Weber
Corporate
Communications Manager
Sappi
Fine Paper Europe
Tel
+32
(0)2 676 9784
Fax
+32
(0)2 676 9669
Mobile
+32 (0)495 588 784
Liesl.Weber@sappi.com
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
Date:
January __, 2007
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SAPPI
LIMITED,
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by
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/s/ D.J. O’Connor
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Name:
D.J. O’Connor
Title:
Group Secretary
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