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The PM40 closed Friday, 11 December 2020, at 3542.

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 11 December 2020 up 8% from the 13 December 2019 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate International Paper and Stora Enso.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

Ladies and gentlemen, the first class of inductees to the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in Appleton, Wisconsin was inducted more than two decades ago in 1995, and today, more than 140 papermaking innovators and legends have been enshrined. This month, we profile the late Richard B. Scudder, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has successfully started up the PrimeLineCOMPACT tissue production line delivered to Xuan Mai Paper Co. Ltd. for its mill in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Andritz has signed an agreement with Laroche, based in Cours, France, to acquire LM Industries comprising Laroche SA and Miltec SA, France. Andritz will take over all Laroche entities and their business worldwide. Closing of the transaction, which is subject to approval by the Andritz Supervisory Board, is expected at the beginning of 2021.

Turkish industrial company Starwood Orman Urunleri Sanayi has commissioned Austrian industrial plant engineering group Andritz to supply a fibre production line for its medium-density fibreboard (MDF) plant located in Inegol, Andritz said.

Kadant Black Clawson LLC, a subsidiary of Kadant Inc., announced it has received an order from 819 Virginia LLC, a subsidiary of Cascades Inc., to supply the complete stock preparation solution for its new production line at its Ashland, Virginia facility.

Kemira, a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for water intensive industries, and Danimer Scientific, a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable materials, announced a partnership to develop biodegradable aqueous barrier coatings for more sustainable paper and board products.

Sun Chemical has further enhanced its online troubleshooting guide (http://inktsa.sunchemical.com) by adding potential solutions to common pressroom challenges in coldset and metal package printing processes.

Valmet has supplied analyzers and Industrial Internet solution to Hansol Paper in South Korea. The delivery includes two Valmet Fiber Furnish Analyzers one to Janghang mill and one to Cheonan mill and, a Valmet Brightness Measurement to Shintanjin mill.

Valmet enhances the offering of Valmet Paper Lab, an automated paper testing laboratory, for linerboard applications. In recent years, a large share of the Valmet Paper Lab deliveries has already been for linerboard applications. With a new S-Test module, Valmet Paper Lab offers a complete laboratory package for linerboard producers.

The co-determination negotiations have now been completed, and as a result at this stage altogether 372 employees, 227 in the Services business line and 145 employees in the EMEA area organization in Finland will be temporarily laid-off due to low workload.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a leading, global manufacture of high performance fibre based solutions, supplying products to the flooring industry for over 40 years. Following the launch of FibRoc®, communicating the identity and positioning of the new product platform, Ahlstrom-Munksjö is pleased to announce the launch of the FibRoc® Flooring product portfolio.

BASF and the Swedish packaging material manufacturer BillerudKorsnäs have developed a unique home-compostable paper laminate for flexible packaging. It can be used to produce wraps with individually adjusted barrier properties e.g. for cookies, ice cream, cereal bars and dairy items as well as wrappers for fish, meat and cheese freshly sold in supermarkets. And it is a solution that meets today's requirement for sustainability by being organically recyclable.

As we adjust to the new normal with packaging playing an ever greater role in our lives, fears around packaging safety are front of mind. Six in ten consumers now claim to wash their hands thoroughly after touching packaged groceries and household products.

The Hygiene and health company Essity is strengthening their dedication to the Global Handwashing Partnership, as a strategic partner.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company, a leading provider of paper-based packaging solutions to food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer products companies, has been named to Newsweek's 2021 list of America's Most Responsible Companies based on a detailed analysis of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) factors.

Kimberly-Clark announced that it was named one of the 2020+ Top Companies for Executive Women by Working Mother Media (WMM) for the fourth consecutive time.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced that Julie Currie has joined the Company as its new Executive Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer. Currie succeeds Renee Badura, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, who will be retiring after 34 years of service to the Company.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, a leading global provider of marketing and business communications, introduces a comprehensive vaccination distribution toolkit -- for healthcare providers, government agencies, retail pharmacies, and large enterprise organizations -- aimed at delivering quick-turn marketing, communication, and operational support upon the release of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine.

Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, has been awarded a platinum score in the latest EcoVadis rating, alongside the company's regional counterparts Sappi Europe and Sappi Southern Africa.

Smurfit Kappa has been recognised as a leader in innovative packaging design scooping numerous prestigious awards recently in Brazil.

The ISE is an index that tracks the performance of listed corporations based on the aspects of corporate sustainability, social justice, environmental balance and corporate governance.

Calls are mounting for alternative solutions based on trees, a renewable resource with the capacity to create new environmentally friendly materials for society that can contribute, for example, to significantly reducing the use of plastic and other fossil-based products.

WestRock announced that Margaret Herndon has joined the company as chief marketing officer.

Sonoco has announced it is increasing prices for all rigid paper containers and closures sold in North America by 5 percent, effective with shipments on, and after, January 15, 2021.

Ilim Group signed an agreement with Xiamen C&D Corporation, one of its key partners, on pulp and paperboard supply to the provinces in Southwest China via the Silk Road.

Metsä Fibre and Linde have signed a preliminary agreement of an on-site oxygen supply to Metsä Fibre's new bioproduct mill in Kemi, Finland. The agreement includes construction of an on-site oxygen plant based on VPSA (Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption) technology, as well as operation and maintenance of the plant.

Metsä Group's innovation company Metsä Spring and Valmet begin construction of the 3D fibre product pilot plant in Äänekoski, Finland.

Canadian wood pellet producer Pinnacle Renewable Energy and Canadian forest products firm Tolko Industries have started pellet production at the partnership's 200,000 t/yr High Level plant in Alberta.

Of the total amount, $26.5 million will fund real property and $43.5 will go toward equipment for the 300,000-square-foot expansion.

In order to respond to the fast development of the retail business and egg packaging industry in Eastern and Central parts of Russia, the company is setting up a new fiber packaging manufacturing plant at its existing site in Alabuga, Tatarstan.

A $140 million investment will increase employment by 10 percent at Kimberly-Clark.

Innovative, fully digitized processes will significantly increase the efficiency of waste paper processing and at the same time reduce the specific consumption of energy and water.

Paper Excellence plans to invest over $13 million at its Port Alberni paper mill in British Columbia, Canada. Detailed engineering for the project will start shortly followed by procurement of needed equipment.

The investment of EUR 80 million will enhance Stora Enso's production capabilities for premium packaging board.

Atlas Holdings announced that it has completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of LSC Communications, Inc., a North American leader in print and digital media solutions.

Essity Aktiebolag announced that Essity has made a non-binding indicative proposal to the Board of the hygiene company Asaleo Care Limited ("Asaleo") for the acquisition of additional shares in Asaleo for a consideration of AUD 1.26 per share.

The Mayr-Melnhof Group has reached an agreement to acquire Kotkamills Group Oyj ("Kotkamills") from the previous owners for an enterprise value of around EUR 425 million.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, has on 1 December 2020 signed an agreement to sell a 30 percent stake in its Husum pulp mill in Sweden. The buyer is the Swedish forest owners' cooperative (ekonomisk förening) Norra Skog, with whom Metsä Forest Sverige, responsible for Metsä Board's wood procurement in Sweden, has simultaneously entered into a long-term wood supply agreement.

SCA Wood Supply UK Ltd, which is engaged in the manufacture and distribution of timber and associated products for the Home Improvement and Builders Merchant sector in the United Kingdom, has been divested to BSW Timber Ltd. SCA will keep its organization for the sales of wood products to industrial customers in the UK.

Sonoco announced it has completed the divestiture of its Europe contract packaging business to a subsidiary of Prairie Industries Holdings, a Wisconsin-based contract packaging and contract manufacturing firm backed by The Halifax Group, a Washington, D.C.-based global investment firm, for $120 million in cash.

UFP Industries announced that its Board of Directors approved an agreement for UFP Industrial, LLC, to purchase 100% of the equity of PalletOne, Inc. for approximately $232 million. This price assumes a cash-free, debt-free balance sheet. UFP also agreed to pay $18 million for PalletOne's recent capital expenditures.

The former Ponderay Newsprint Co. mill in Usk has been listed for sale at $11.5 million, following the facility's Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing and closure in June.

International Paper announced a plan to pursue a spin-off of the Company's Printing Papers segment into a standalone, publicly traded company ("SpinCo").

UPM has completed the employee consultation process started in October on its plans to improve efficiency in global functions.

Mondi, a leading global packaging and paper manufacturer, will open its new state-of-the-art paper bags plant in Cartagena, Colombia in January 2021.

Stora Enso is investing EUR 14 million to build a granulation and packing plant for lignin, allowing easier packing and handling of lignin compared to powder and wet form.

The new mill would add 2.2 million tonnes of annual pulp capacity to Suzano's operations.

Amcor Flexibles North America will permanently close its Akron, Ohio-area label-making plant in March, consolidating its operations with a plant in New York and eliminating 108 jobs.

This is part of the ongoing strategic development process to transition the Tasman mill in New Zealand out of standard newprint production.

SCA is changing the name of its business area Paper to business area Containerboard as of January 1, 2021. Following the discontinuation of its publication paper operations during the first quarter, SCA's paper production will consist solely of packaging paper, a product with a stable and growing demand.

Atlantic Packaging announces the launch of a recyclable can carrier system, Fishbone, to replace plastic ring handles. The Fishbone beverage carrier is a curbside recyclable, biodegradable, and performance tested product that will eliminate single use plastic from beverage packaging.

BillerudKorsnäs' contribution to the low-carbon economy and actions to cut emissions have been recognized by the global environmental non-profit CDP, when BillerudKorsnäs secured a place on the prestigious 'A List' for tackling climate change.

Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) released Innovative, Sustainable, Resilient: Recommendations from Canada's Forest Sector to Drive Economic Recovery and a Net-Zero Carbon Future. The report, submitted to the federal government, outlines how Canadian forestry workers, forest management, and forest products can help kickstart a green economic recovery.

CDP, a global non-profit organisation, has recognised UPM as one of the world's Triple A List companies for tackling climate change and taking actions to ensure sustainable forest management and water security. Only ten out of more than 5,800 companies were able to receive a Triple A recognition and UPM got it for the second year in a row.

Enviva Partners, LP announced that its first shipment of sustainable wood pellets is on its way from Port Panama City in Florida to Japan's Iwakuni Port.

Essity has been recognized for its leadership in corporate sustainability by global environmental non-profit CDP, securing a place on its prestigious 'A List' for tackling deforestation.

Graphic Packaging International (GPI), a global market leader in paper-based packaging solutions for the food, beverage, foodservice and consumer products segments, is continuing its commitment to innovation by expanding its global research and development center in Louisville, Colo. The facility is growing with a focus on innovating with customers to support strategic growth initiatives including plastic substitution.

At Lecta, we are reaffirming our commitment to sustainability by moving towards developing innovative solutions that contribute to reducing our environmental impact and encouraging the circular economy.

Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, has been recognized for leadership in corporate sustainability by global environmental non-profit CDP, securing a place on its prestigious 'A List' for tackling climate change, as well as acting to protect water security - two of the three environmental themes covered by CDP. 

Mondi has secured a place on CDP's prestigious 'Triple A List' for tackling climate change as well as acting to protect forests and water security. Mondi has been recognised for leading on corporate environmental ambition, action and transparency worldwide.

Sustainability is integrated in every part of SCA's operations. In order to make long term priorities and to ensure sustainable development, SCA has established corporate objectives to be met by 2030.

Tetra Pak is the only company in the carton packaging sector to be included in the CDP leadership band for five years in a row and to score an outstanding double 'A' for climate and forests in 2020.

Borregaard has entered into a new employment contract with President and CEO, Per A. Sørlie (born 1957).

Willamette Falls Paper Company, Inc., a Columbia Ventures Corporation subsidiary, announces Ed Buehler will join Willamette Falls Paper Company as part of their executive leadership team.

After a fire broke out Wednesday evening, Dec. 2, at Inland Empire Paper Co., firefighters were quickly able to contain the flames.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced that Julie Currie has joined the Company as its new Executive Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer. Currie succeeds Renee Badura, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, who is retiring from Quad after 34 years of service to the Company.

Pixelle Specialty Solutions, the owner of a Jay paper mill where an April 15 industrial explosion led to layoffs of 177 employees, said it plans to continue making paper there but will not rebuild paper-making equipment that was damaged by the blast.

Preparatory work belonging to the pre-engineering for the Kemi bioproduct mill project of Metsä Fibre continues with new preparation activities in the mill area.

Resolute Forest Products has recognized employees of the Coosa Pines Mill at Childersburg for their safe work performance of more than 250,000 safe work hours. The mill achieved this milestone on Oct. 4, 2020, following 141 continuous safe workdays.

Sappi Limited, a global leader in dissolving wood pulp as well as graphic, packaging and speciality papers and biomaterials, announced that Marco Eikelenboom (53), currently Vice President Marketing & Sales, Graphic Papers at Sappi Europe, has been appointed as CEO of Sappi Europe as from 1 April 2021.

An employee at the Pixelle paper mill in Chillicothe fell Wednesday night on a metal pole.