Archives

The PM40 closed Friday, 2 October 2020, at 3015.

Get the latest PM40 updates by listening to the weekly Nips show and the PM40 Daily Show on Pulp & Paper Radio International.

The PM40 closed 2 October 2020 down 0.8% from the 4 October 2019 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Sonoco and Sappi.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

In my many decades in the industry, I can seldom remember times when our industry was as active and moving forward as it is now, Covid or no Covid. Perhaps the explosion in tissue growth in the 1970's was comparable, but I even doubt that. A rival could be when China burst upon the modern scene in the 1990's perhaps, but on a worldwide basis, now is about the busiest time I can remember. What's driving this? Several key factors are at work.

ABB to supply leading Mexico packaging paper producer Grupo Gondi with a robust and reliable automated paper testing solution for its greenfield site in Monterrey, Mexico.

Metsä Fibre Oy and AFRY have entered into a preliminary agreement for the engineering, project management and site services of the chlorine dioxide plant at the Kemi bioproduct mill in Finland. The project is a continuation of AFRY's previous basic design of the chlorine dioxide plant.

ANDRITZ has received an order from JSC Management Company of the Holding Belorusskie oboi, Belarus, to complete and start up its production line for folding boxboard. Start-up is scheduled for 2021.

To improve its business processes and achieve more-efficient collaboration between production and marketing, Century Sunshine has embarked on a new digital transformation journey.

Kadant Solutions, a division of Kadant Inc., marks a successful five-year market presence of the CeraEdge™ creping blade line for use in tissue production.

Metsä Fibre and Andritz signed a preliminary agreement on wood raw material reception and feed equipment for the Kemi bioproduct mill.

As a company, Mondi's goal is to continuously delight their customers with innovative and sustainable packaging and paper solutions.

Paper manufacturer Steinbeis produces around 300,000 tons of recycled paper every year. But it is operating in a hotly contested market and to continue offering competitive prices and producing paper sustainably, the company is aiming for cost efficiency through digitalization - with SAP HANA.

While some companies and industries have been slowed by the pandemic, others have taken flight thanks to ingenuity, strategic pivots, and recognition of the demand for health and safety-oriented products.

Stora Enso has selected UMV as the supplier of an offline coating section to be installed at their Forshaga site in Sweden. The delivery includes all equipment for application of dispersion barriers including mechanical installation, the order value are undisclosed. Start-up and commission will take place in the 2Q 2021.

Valmet announced 14.88 percent share acquisition of Neles' shares from Solidium Oy on June 17, 2020 and has gradually increased its ownership further to 29.5%.

Valmet streamlines its services to customers globally by introducing 'Valmet's way to serve' concept. The aim is to provide the best customer experience in all the touch points of the customer journey. Valmet's services are based on comprehensive services offering, lifecycle collaboration and core commitments.

Valmet has entered into an agreement to acquire PMP Group in Poland. The enterprise value of the acquisition is approximately Euro 64 million, plus a conditional and capped earn-out component. The acquisition is estimated to be completed on October 1, 2020 at the earliest.

Valmet and Metsä Board have signed an agreement on data-driven optimization of paperboard quality of the board machine at Metsä Board's Kemi mill. The machine produces premium quality white top kraftliner. Valmet will supply the mill with Valmet Industrial Internet VII Data Discovery and VII for Paper Quality solutions.

Six Valmet Total Solids Measurements (Valmet TS) will be supplied as part of the delivery by SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions of water and wastewater treatment plants for Klabin's Puma II project in Brazil.

BillerudKorsnäs joins forces with Syntegon Technology to launch Recyclable Flow Wrap, a paper based packaging solution that enables a shift from conventional plastic to renewable and recyclable materials.

Cascades is launching the first 100% recycled and recyclable thermoformed cardboard tray designed for fresh food packers using automated equipment in North America.

Launched in 2012 by the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN), Diaper Need Awareness Week encourages real talk and simple actions to ensure that all parents and caregivers have access to clean diapers and other necessities so their babies can thrive.

The head of Canada's largest manufacturer of tissue products says he's concerned about the industry's supply of paper towel ahead of a potential second wave of COVID-19.

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. is expanding its alternative fiber offerings with Monadnock Hemp Envi Performance Board. Monadnock developed the tree-free bright white premium board with a continued focus on both performance and sustainability.

Mondi, a leading global packaging and paper manufacturer, has collaborated with BIOhof Kirchweidach, an organic farm in Bavaria, to design a sustainable packaging solution for 500g packs of tomatoes on the vine to be distributed to PENNY supermarkets, owned by major German retailer REWE Group.

Neenah expands its wide format portfolio to address significant market demand for safe signage solutions by offering new, innovative solutions with conVerd Board® Wipe Clean™ and DigiScape® FootPrint™.

BanaBag® is an innovative and 100% sustainable product that Smurfit Kappa is now offering to banana producers. It is a unique solution for organic producers, because it protects the fruit and reduces the overheating that other materials produce.

Sonoco has once again been named one of 100 "Best for Vets" companies by Military Times. Sonoco joins other well-known brands, including Kellogg Company, Amazon, Deloitte and L'Oréal USA on the distinguished list.

Due to market conditions that remain unfavorable, after a 6-month temporary shutdown, Kruger Specialty Papers is forced to permanently shut down its newsprint, specialty papers and pulp production at its Brompton Mill. However, the water treatment plant will continue to operate and the biomass cogeneration plant will restart.

Schweitzer-Mauduit International says it is rapidly increased production of its Alphastar Electrostatic Media product at its Wilson, North Carolina manufacturing facility amid doubled customer demand from the prior year.

Metsä Fibre and Econia have made agreements on consulting services related to contractor liability matters and the prevention of the grey economy in the Kemi bioproduct mill project and the Rauma sawmill project in Finland.

Mondi is launching a fully recyclable 80% paper-based packaging solution for cold meats and cheese. The new packaging will reduce plastic usage for Austrian dairy producer SalzburgMilch by approximately 40 tonnes per year, compared to its previously used rigid plastic trays.

As a strategic partner, Lenzing has access to a state-of-the-art development line at the campus in Münchberg with immediate effect. This offers new opportunities for sustainable fiber and nonwoven innovations for a wide range of applications including hygiene, body care and medical.

QuattroR SGR, an Italian independent Private Equity firm investing in turnaround and growth situations, has reached an agreement for the acquisition in partnership with the Marchi Family of a controlling stake in Burgo, a leading Italian and European manufacturer and distributor of graphic papers for magazines, specialty papers and containerboard for packaging.

SCA and the textile recycling company Renewcell have signed an agreement for Renewcell to establish textile recycling at SCA's industrial site Ortviken in Sundsvall. The operation is expected to create one hundred new jobs.

The United Steelworkers (USW), representing more than 14,000 workers in the forestry sector, are welcoming recent changes to Employment Insurance (EI) that will make it easier for workers to access benefits - at least in the short term.

Benjamin William Pascall and Lyndon Michael Quinlivan died after being exposed to the gas on May 24, 2018 at the Ettamogah mill, near Albury, and operated by Norske Skog Paper Mills (Australia) Limited.

Northern Pulp's parent company, Paper Excellence, received approval from the British Columbia Supreme Court to loan money to the Nova Scotia pulp mill so that remaining severance, salary continuation and retiree benefits can be paid to affected workers.

This BCTS program is one of two chosen randomly for audit this year from among all the BCTS programs in the province.

Georgia-Pacific (GP) is building a state-of-the-art gypsum wallboard production facility near Sweetwater, Texas. The new $285 million plant will be located adjacent to GP's existing gypsum plant, and will incorporate state-of-the-art production processes.

Mission Forest Products, a subsidiary of Timberland Investment Resources, is building a sawmill in Corinth that will bring 130 jobs by 2022. The project is a $160 million corporate investment.

In November last year, Oji Fibre Solutions (OjiFS) announced it would be investing over $100 million to develop a new fit-for-purpose corrugated cardboard packaging facility in Christchurch, New Zealand. All the behind the scenes work is done and entering the building construction phase.

AMVIG is a Chinese tobacco packager.

A consortium including Bain Capital said on Thursday, Sept. 24 it was offering to buy specialty paper maker Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj in a deal valuing the Finnish firm at around 2.1 billion euros ($2.45 billion).

Boise Cascade Company announced that it has completed the purchase of a new property with building structures in Gallatin, TN.

The sale of Third Dimension, a 29-year-old packaging company, was officially announced to employees and the media during a press conference on Thursday morning, Oct. 1.

Interfor announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its specialty sawmill located in Gilchrist, Oregon to Neiman Enterprises Inc.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced the closing of its previously announced acquisition of Softex Indonesia, a leader in the fast-growing Indonesian personal care market.

LSC Communications, Inc. announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the "Court") has approved its previously announced stock and asset purchase agreement, under which an affiliate of Atlas Holdings LLC ("Atlas"") with the support of certain of LSC's secured creditors (the "Creditor Group"), will acquire substantially all of the Company's assets.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its DLS Worldwide Logistics business to TFI International for $225 million in cash, subject to a customary working capital adjustment.

SCA has signed an agreement to acquire forest land in Latvia. The acquisition comprises an area of 19,150 hectares, of which 13,100 is forest land. The purchase price is EUR 44.5m, approximately SEK 450m.

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is urging the Verso Corporation to consider the impact of the sale of its Wisconsin Rapids mill on all the people in North Central Wisconsin, according to a news release.

UFP Industries announced that its UFP Retail Solutions business segment acquired the equity of Fire Retardant Chemical Technologies, LLC (FRCT).

Ox Industries has restarted the White Pigeon Paper Mill after it is was closed for almost three months. Ox acquired the mill from Graphic Packaging in June and has since converted the mill from clay-coated recycled paperboard (CRB) to high strength uncoated recycled paperboard (URB).

The paper mill in Park Falls is opening their doors after being closed for over a year.

Tony replaces Tim Lowe, who will return to his role on the Board of Directors after acting as Interim CEO.

Mary Laschinger, one of Georgia's most prominent female executives, will retire as CEO and chairman of Veritiv Corporation on Sept. 30, the company announced.

Verso Corporation announced that Adam St. John has resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective as of September 30, 2020. The Verso Board of Directors has named Randy J. Nebel, a current member of the Board, as interim President and Chief Executive Officer.

Over the last two years, Domtar has evaluated the merits of repurposing key paper machines as we adjust our white paper production capacity to match our customer demand. That's why we recently announced we are converting our Kingsport, Tennessee, paper mill into the company's first containerboard facility.

After decades, the Georgia Pacific Gypsum plant is closing its doors and moving out of the Quanah area, leaving over 150 employees uncertain about their future.

When a major U.S. paper producer decided over the summer to shut two of its mills, citing the drop in demand for paper amid the coronavirus pandemic, it sent reverberations through a region that is highly reliant on its timber industry.

Stora Enso will start codetermination negotiations with employees at its Hylte Mill in Sweden regarding a plan to reorganise the mill, including permanent closure of paper machine PM3 and the deinking plant (DIP).

Let's see if Greenpeace pipes up again...

In addition to enabling formaldehyde free coating, the new coating machine will also reduce CO2 emissions by an estimate of 20%, further strengthening Ahlstrom-Munksjö's position as a supplier of sustainable fiber-based solutions.

In its latest ESG Risk Ratings, the sustainability analysis company Sustainalytics has ranked BillerudKorsnäs the most sustainable enterprise to invest in within the packaging sector. For the renowned Swedish company, this top ranking is proof positive that its unswerving focus on sustainability has paid off. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index already ranks BillerudKorsnäs the most sustainable packaging company in the world.

Covanta, a world leader in sustainable waste and energy solutions, has been named a winner of the Business Intelligence Group's 2020 Sustainability Awards in the Service of the Year category for its innovative circular economy partnership with Greenpac Mill LLC in Niagara Falls, NY.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has filed two notices of violation against Appvion in connection with a chemical spill at its paper mill in Roaring Spring that led to a fish kill in the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River in August.

Corrugated pizza boxes are technically recyclable, and a total of 73% of the U.S. population is estimated to have recycling programs available for pizza boxes, according to a Resource Recycling Systems access study commissioned by WestRock in fall 2019.

DS Smith, a leading provider of sustainable packaging, announced the launch of its new sustainability vision and strategy, "Now and Next," which maps out ambitious commitments and goals for the next decade.

Holmen's paperboard and paper mills have been awarded the highest possible rating by the international assessment company Ecovadis. The paperboard mills in Iggesund and Workington as well as the paper mills Braviken and Hallsta have all been awarded Ecovadis Platinum, which means that all Holmen's mills belong to the absolute top tier of all assessed companies.

Many banks, utilities, telecoms and other service providers continue to encourage (and sometimes force) their customers to switch from paper to electronic communications, using claims that electronic communication is "greener," "saves trees" or "protects the planet" as justification.

A chemical spill Tuesday at Domtar caused fire and police departments to reroute city traffic while workers contained it.

Yves Laflamme, Resolute's president and chief executive officer, was recently recognized for his contributions to sustainability.

Stora Enso is making an investment in dispersion barrier technology at its Forshaga site in Sweden.

Stora Enso has started the production of formed fiber food service products at Hylte Mill in Sweden. The production ramp-up follows the investment announced in 2019 and enables the manufacture of products that are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable.

Georgia-Pacific announced that it is now accepting mixed paper bales that contain single-use polyethylene (PE)-coated paper cups at its recycled paper mills in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Muskogee, Oklahoma.

UPM Raflatac's Forest Film™ label material has received the 2020 Innovation in Responsible Sourcing Award from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). The announcement came on Wednesday, September 30, at the SPC Innovator Awards ceremony as part of this year's SPC Advance virtual event.

Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire at a Pratt mill in Travis Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 29.

Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire at a Pratt mill in Travis Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 29.

A handful of fire departments responded to a structure fire at Sappi North America woodyard just after 5 a.m Saturday, Sept. 19 in Skowhegan.

A Sept. 16 fire at Katahdin Forest Products left one of its sawmill buildings totally destroyed, as well as most of the equipment inside it.

A four-alarm fire at the Sofidel tissue mill is being reported by news outlets. Fire personnel on the scene report two fires inside the C building at 3:50 p.m on Monday, Sept. 21.

Kamloops Fire Rescue says there was minimal damage after a fire broke out within a building at the Domtar pulp mill on Sept. 11.

Production of containerboard was halted at about 2 p.m. on Sept. 9 at the mill, Georgia-Pacific said in an email addressed to the community on Monday.

IT Tech Packaging, Inc. announced that the Company is advancing negotiation with one of its top 5 customers, based in Shandong Province for orders of the paper products. The customer is currently ranked among the top 5 customers of the Company during the past couple of years.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced that John W. Culver was elected to its board of directors, effective immediately. Culver will serve on the company's Audit Committee.

The owner of the Androscoggin paper mill is cutting another 51 jobs, bringing the total to 110 workers laid off since an explosion in April.

Packaging Corporation of America PKG had ramped down its DeRidder containerboard mill operations before the arrival of Hurricane Laura.

Roseburg Forest Products announces that Kara Herron has joined the company as strategic marketing manager.

Roseburg Forest Products announces that Matthew Sally has been promoted to the role of Supply Chain & Logistics Manager for Roseburg's eastern region.

An early morning fire Monday, Sept. 21, at the Evergreen Packaging paper mill has left two contract workers dead, according to a press release from Evergreen.