Lars G. Sundblad was born on July 24, 1923 in Iggesund, Sweden. He received his Masters of Science in Chemical Engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm in 1947.After graduation, Sundblad began his career as assistant to the mill manager at Wifstavarfs Sulphite Pulp Mill. He joined Iggesund Forest Industries in 1951 where he served as Assistant to the General Director and CEO until he was promoted to General Director and CEO in 1956. He held this position until his retirement in 1984. Despite Iggesund’s good reputation, the company had a very small capacity for pulp production when Sundblad accepted his position as CEO. As company head, Sundblad helped encourage growth through innovation.
After a trip to the United States in the early 1960s during which he observed new packaging techniques and processes, Sundblad developed a strong interest in consumer packaging. Upon his return to Sweden, he shared his new knowledge of packaging with the company’s shareholders, convincing them to invest in technology that would produce solid bleached multiply package board-something never before seen in Europe. By 1963, Iggesunds Bruk Corporation built a new mill for the production of packaging board. Soon the mill purchased the first Inverform board machine and under Sundblad’s leadership, the company perfected the machine’s design. While Iggesunds Bruk Corporation’s decision to purchase the first Inverform machine was a controversial and risky one, the gamble paid off and Invercote became the most widely used paperboard in Europe. Under Sundblad’s leadership, Iggesund Paperboard has earned a solid reputation for high quality products and strong focus on process development.
Sundblad has been a member of the Swedish Association of Pulp and Paper Engineers (SPCI) since 1948 and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) since 1969. He served as Chairman of the board of the Swedish Forest Industries Federation from 1989 to 1991.
In 2005, Sundblad was awarded the prestigious Ekman Medal of the Swedish Association of Pulp and Paper Engineers, one of the most distinguished awards in the Swedish forest products industry, for his distinguished leadership, vision, and drive. Because of his strong leadership and investment in the future, Sundblad has established Iggesund Paperboard as an industrial leader.
Lars Sundblad and his wife, Kristi, have three children, Junnor, Eric, and Kristina.
