Seeing off International Paper won’t be easy for Smurfit
Smurfit’s board may have a job convincing shareholders to stick with them if the American firm International Paper makes a bid
Chances are you haven’t heard of a company called GKN. It can trace its roots back to the beginning of the industrial revolution in Britain in the 18th century. It has a storied history. It made steel helmets in World War I and Spitfire planes in World War II. It was, and still is, a British manufacturing and engineering success story and is a major player in the aerospace, defence and car industries.
