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The PM40 closed Friday, 12 March 2021, at 4294.

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 12 March 2021 up 38.8% from the 6 March 2020 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Avery Dennison and International Paper.

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 Georg Jayme, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Andritz has successfully started up next-generation disc filter technology with eight PrimeFilter D disc filters at Malaysia Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited in Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Sappi started up new coating kitchen at its Condino, Italy, paper mill supplied by Austrian GAW technologies.

At the construction site of the Palm paper mill in Neukochen, the assembly of the world's fastest and widest corrugated base paper machine is now in its final phase.

We are delighted to be speaking at/sponsoring the 2021 virtual International SAP Conference for Forest Products, Paper and Packaging. During three days of dynamic content, you will have an opportunity to meet with the industry's largest players, get hands-on with the latest innovation from SAP and discuss how your organisation can look towards the future and drive digital evolution.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will increase prices by 10 to 15 percent on all polyacrylamide polymers, coagulants and retention aids across the EMEA region, effective immediately, or as customer contracts allow.

Valmet has received several pulp technology orders from Nine Dragons to its pulp mills in China. The deliveries include fiberlines and core components for recovery boilers and lime kilns. The deliveries will be done in phases and the start-ups are scheduled for 2022 and 2023.

Valmet will supply a folding boxboard making line (BM 1), a fine paper making line (PM 3) and a bleached chemi thermo mechanical pulp (BCTMP) production line to Liansheng Pulp & Paper in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, China. The lines will be delivered to a new greenfield mill in Zhangzhou, which will eventually have a total pulp and paper capacity of 3.9 million tonnes annually. The start-ups of BM 1, PM 3 and BCTMP line are scheduled for the 3Q 2022.

Voith offers a new polyurethane (PU) roll cover that has been developed for press rolls: the IntensePress. This has been specifically designed for use in the demanding applications of pulp machines and twin-wire presses.

The number of wood transports by rail will be increasing significantly in Finland from 2023 onwards when the bioproduct mill in Kemi is commissioned.

Our pulp and paper mills, including our Hawesville Mill in Kentucky, have been using wood fiber, water and basic chemistry to make useful, recyclable products for more than a century. As technology has advanced, our processes have become more efficient and more sustainable.

UPM, Arla Finland and K Group have teamed up with Oppi&ilo to create Finland's first educational activity book designed to teach Finland's 60,000 preschoolers about recycling. The Kierrätyskaverit ("Recycling friends") activity book aims to make recycling a fun, easy and inspiring part of their daily lives.

Mondi and Tesco Central Europe have launched a new partnership, in which Mondi will purchase the retailer's warehouse corrugated waste to create recycled paper for the retailers' shopping bags.

Paper-based packaging leader, Graphic Packaging International emphasizes its commitment to supporting beverage brands on their plastics reduction journey with its latest recyclable paperboard packaging solution, Cap-It™.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced a suite of 3D solutions to help manufacturers and retailers create rich user experiences and accelerate go-to-market speed.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced a suite of 3D solutions to help manufacturers and retailers create rich user experiences and accelerate go-to-market speed.

Sonoco has been selected for FORTUNE magazine's World's Most Admired Companies list for 2021 and as one of Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the United States.

UPM's goal is to develop, encourage and reward every employee in their work. UPM paid a total of EUR 51 million as short-term incentives to employees in 2020. The incentives were paid for the good 2019 results and for personal success in one's own work.

Speaking at the city council meeting on March 4, Formosa said he wanted to announce that the Catalyst Paper Corporation mill in Powell River will be starting up one paper machine.

Sharply rising input costs, particularly relevant to pulp and energy in combination with very high freight rates due to global logistic constraints make price increases unavoidable.

Amcor and the Alliance share the belief that collaboration and collective action are critical to eliminating plastic waste.

Amcor has partnered with McKinsey.org, a nonprofit founded by global consultancy McKinsey & Company, to develop recycling and waste management solutions that can be applied across communities in Latin America.

UPM Biomedicals is excited to announce its collaboration with bioconvergence company CELLINK. The partnership brings together UPM's expertise for producing non-animal derived, nanocellulose biomaterials with CELLINK's years of experience in method development for 3D bioprinting, offering new groundbreaking solutions to this growing life sciences market.

The Somerset County paper mill now the subject of a class-action lawsuit says it "strongly disputes" allegations that its facility has led to so-called "forever chemicals" contaminating a growing number of residential water wells in the Fairfield area.

Hong Kong-headquartered Nine Dragons Paper announced it will invest US 1.3 billion to open two manufacturing facilities in Malaysia.

Together, these investments and financial contributions total $961.1M and will lead to the creation and retention of 376 jobs in the Sherbrooke region, as well as protect 267 jobs related to the Kruger Wayagamack plant in Trois-Rivières, Québec.

Smurfit Kappa UK & Ireland is investing in high quality print and conversion equipment in Tannochside, Scotland.

Domtar Corporation announced that it completed the previously disclosed sale of its Personal Care business to affiliates of American Industrial Partners for $920 million. This divestiture is a significant milestone in the Company's strategic transformation to become a leading paper, pulp and packaging company.

Fort Dearborn Company announced that it has acquired Hammer Packaging Corporation. The combined organization takes advantage of Hammer's state-of-the-art technology to enhance Fort Dearborn's leadership position in the decorative label and packaging marketplace by further expanding the company's geographic footprint, capacity and capabilities.

Interfor announced that it has completed the previously announced transaction to acquire WestRock Company's sawmill located in Summerville, South Carolina.

Mittera, a national leader in print and digital communication strategies, has announced its acquisition of select business assets of Creel Printing currently operating in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Neenah, Inc. announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Global Release Liners, S.L., the parent company of Industrias de Transformacion de Andoain, S.A. ("ITASA"), from Magnum Capital and other minority shareholders for €205 million in cash. Closing is expected to occur in early April and is subject to customary conditions.

The Ponderay Newsprint mill, which had been one of the largest employers in Pend Oreille County before it shut down, could be sold at auction in April, according to court records. A federal bankruptcy judge on March 18 will consider a motion by Trustee John Munding to sell the sprawling property near Usk during an auction April 23.

Scapa Group PLC said Monday that AMS HoldCo 2 Ltd, a subsidiary of paper materials manufacturer Schweitzer-Mauduit International Inc, has upped its offer for the Manchester-based maker of medical devices and industrial adhesives.

UFP Industries, Inc. announced that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, The UBEECO Group, has acquired the assets of J.C. Gilmore Pty Ltd.

Pactiv Evergreen Inc. announced that John McGrath has elected to retire as CEO of the company and has been succeeded by Michael King.

At the groundbreaking, the company said the new mill would preserve 1,100 jobs, with another 200 more possibly to be added.

Allen J. Campbell, the Chief Financial Officer of Verso Corporation ("Verso") has informed Verso of his intent to retire in 2021. Mr. Campbell and Verso have mutually settled upon June 30, 2021, as the date of his retirement. On March 5, 2021, the Compensation Committee of Verso's board of directors approved a retention arrangement to incentivize him not to retire before June 30, 2021.

WestRock Company announced that Steven C. Voorhees has decided to step down from his position as president and chief executive officer and a director of the Company for health reasons, effective March 15, 2021. In addition, the Company's Board of Directors announced that, following a comprehensive search as part of the Company's long-term succession processes, it has elected David B. Sewell to succeed Voorhees as WestRock's president and chief executive officer at that time.

As previously announced, Spa Holdings 3 Oy has acquired through a public tender offer more than 90 per cent of all the issued and outstanding shares and votes in Ahlstrom-Munksjö.

Södra is forming the Innovation business area. The initiative will involve a stronger focus on new, profitable business, while the other business areas will gain more traction for the development of their existing operations. Catrin Gustavsson, who is currently Senior Vice President Innovation and New Business at Södra, is to become the new Business Area President.

The Alliance's mission is to develop, accelerate and deploy innovative and impactful solutions, engage communities around the world, and to catalyze investments.

Georgia-Pacific's Brewton Containerboard mill has been named a 2020 Energy Star Challenge Achiever for Industry by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a program developed by the agency to recognize individual facilities for volunteering to reduce energy intensity by 10% within five years.

Huhtamaki Flexible Packaging Europe now offers three different tube laminate structures, for use in oral care and cosmetic products, which have been certified to be fully recyclable.

Effective May 10 through October 20 annually, no campfires or open burning will be allowed on its property in the State of Idaho, except at leased campsites.

Rayonier Inc. released its first Carbon Report detailing the positive net carbon impact generated by the Company's forestry operations.

By achieving its target, the company will have reduced its emissions by nearly 700,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents per year compared to its 2015 level.

Although Bag-in-Box is already a very sustainable packaging, by enabling considerable plastic and CO2 reduction, Smurfit Kappa is continuing to focus effort on raw material innovations, especially by incorporating recycled or bio-based resins to our taps and bags, where the food safety regulations allow it. One of the main steps of this initiative has been recently achieved with the ISCC PLUS certification.

Thirty firefighters responded to the mill.

Wichita firefighters battled a fire at the International Paper Wichita Recycling Facility on Monday, March 8.

A chemical leak Monday morning, March 8, at Ahlstrom-Munksjo Mosinee Mill required a response from the Hazardous Incident Team.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

New sensors provide an alert if 2 metres/6 feet of social distancing has been breached and it can complete contact tracing in less than 10 minutes.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced that Paula Ramos has been named Chief Strategy Officer, effective March 15, 2021, with global responsibility for the company's enterprise strategy. Ramos becomes the first Latina to serve on the company's executive team.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced that Robert Long has been named to the newly created role of Chief Research and Development Officer, effective March 15, 2021, with global responsibility for the company's research, development, innovation and quality functions.

Metsä Group's innovation company Metsä Spring Ltd has made an equity investment in Montinutra Ltd, a startup converting forest industry side streams into high-value bioactive products. The financing round totals approximately EUR 1 million, and Metsä Spring is participating in the round with current and new private investors.

Pregis announces its new film converting facility in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and new machinery assembly facility in Germantown, Wisconsin to meet growing e-commerce demands for its Sharp Packaging Systems® by Pregis brand of poly bagging solutions.

Western Forest Products Inc. ("Western") announced that Mr. James Arthurs and Mr. Lee Doney will not be standing for re-election as directors at Western's Annual and Special Meeting on May 6, 2021, and that Mr. Randy Krotowski and Mr. John Williamson have been appointed as independent directors to Western's Board of Directors.

Around 5:40 p.m. on Friday, March 11, a 911 call came into Pickaway sheriffs office of a man that had suffered a head injury at the Sofidel tissue mill and was bleeding from nose and mouth.