Archives

The PM40 closed Friday, 13 October 2023, at 4861.

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

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Greif and Smurfit Kappa.

The PM40 closed 13 October 2023 up 8.7% from the 14 October 2022 level.

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 150 papermaking innovators and legends have been enshrined. This month, we profile the late Ernst Richard Behrend, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

No, we are probably walking...

As part of Alkim Kağıt latest investment to extend the range of paper grades and achieve the highest product quality standards, A.Celli will provide an ÆGO SIZER film size press.

Start-up is planned for autumn 2024.

The pioneering and eco-friendly plant will produce high-density and medium-density fiberboard (HDF/MDF) from date palm fronds, a material normally considered farm waste.

Start-up is scheduled for 2025.

Objective to improve efficiency, runability and paper quality with cutting-edge machine technologies and concepts from Voith.

Sweden's OptiCept Technologies has entered an agreement with the Chilean forestry company CMPC. Cuttings will now be boosted with nutrients using a unique vacuum impregnation technology called OptiBoost.

The start-up is scheduled for the second half of 2025.

Headquartered in Cedartown, Georgia, CedarChem offers a full suite of water and wastewater treatment products for industrial and municipal markets, primarily in the southeastern U.S.

Valmet was awarded an order for state-of-the art ThruAir drying equipment that will be installed at Procter & Gamble's Box Elder tissue mill in Utah.

Valmet will supply a biomass plant to Göteborg Energi AB in Gothenburg, Sweden. Göteborg Energi is building a new plant to produce energy and district heat from renewable and recovered sources.

Ahlstrom is extending its product range of pressure-sensitive adhesive packaging tape applications. MasterTape® Pack supplements the fiber-based product offering supporting megatrends like e-commerce and the global need for more sustainable packaging solutions.

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has been recognized for its AmSky and AmPrima more sustainable packaging solutions, earning a place on Walmart's 'Circular Connector' platform.

Tork, an Essity brand, announced new research revealing the link between clean, well-functioning workplaces and employee satisfaction. Notably, the research found that 86% of office employees regard cleanliness as the most important aspect of a good work environment.

For the past three years, Store Brands has recognized private-label organization leaders and brands across the world whose innovative ideas are driving positive change in the industry. Lazzareschi was recognized for his leadership in technological and personnel investments to enhance Sofidel's sustainability efforts.

UPM Raflatac, a global supplier of innovative and sustainable self-adhesive paper and film products, announces a new line of Graphics Solutions, now available in North and South America. UPM Raflatac acquired AMC AG in Germany last year, which included this line of high-quality self-adhesive films and laminates, large format versatile printing and sign films.

New packaging design ensures optimal protection and eliminates transport damage by integrating one-way shock sensors.

Demand for forest raw materials from family forestry remains. To meet the need for winter, from both the timber market and Södra's industries, Södra is raising the prices for spruce and pine timber from 9 October.

SCA will increase the price on NBSK pulp (Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft) in Europe. The new price will be 1,200 USD, effective as from now.

The partnership underscores Lenzing and Kentaur's commitment in accelerating the development of a circular model for the functional workwear sector.

As market demand for high-performance, sustainable building materials is increasing, Ahlstrom continues to grow its glass fiber tissue business and strengthen its manufacturing platform globally by completing a major investment at its plant in Madisonville, KY, U.S.

State-of-the-art facility will meet region's growing product demand.

LP Building Solutions (LP) announces the opening of its new state-of-the-art LP SmartSide ExpertFinish prefinishing facility in Bath, New York. The 90,000-square-foot facility will bring more than 60 new jobs to the area over the next several years.

Up to 1 million boxes will be made each day at Visy's new corrugated cardboard box factory in Hemmant, Queensland.

The $17.7 million investment is expected to create 30 new jobs.

Accursia Capital now operates the Stenay plant under a new brand, Stenpa. The Company, which will be renamed to Stenpa SAS produces specialty paper and has an annual capacity of 55,000 tonnes.

Boise Cascade has completed the previously announced acquisition of Brockway-Smith Company (BROSCO), a leading wholesale distributor specializing in doors and millwork.

Pixelle employs six people to maintain operations and oversee decommission activities. The company is selling the paper machines and the related equipment.

With a single operating location in Winnipeg, Canada, Reliance's operations are strategically located to serve the primary agriculture markets in North America. Reliance products utilize a unique in-mold fluorination barrier (IMF) process which provides a compelling additional capability to the Greif portfolio of barrier technologies.

Mondi has received RUB 57 billion ($568 million) into its London bank account and it is in possession of a letter of credit for the final RUB 23 billion ($229 million), which will be paid in two equal instalments in each of November and December 2023.

Norske Skog has completed a transaction for the sale of the Tasman mill industrial site and remaining mill assets to the Australasian pulp, paper, and packaging group Oji Fibre Solutions.

Rengo Co., Ltd. announces that major subsidiaries in the folding carton business, Fuji-Hoso Shiki Co., Ltd. and Marufuku Co., Ltd. will be merged on October 1, 2023, and their trade name will be changed to Fuji-Marufuku Co., Ltd.

The Nomination Committee of SCA proposes that Helena Stjernholm be elected as chairman and member of the SCA board at the annual general meeting on March 22, 2024. SCA's current chairman, Pär Boman, as previously communicated, has declined re-election.

Huet joins as an independent member of the Quad board.

Yokley retired from EY in June 2022, where he spent 34 years serving in various capacities, including Audit Partner in Georgia, New York, Australia, Sweden, California, and North Carolina.

Roseburg Forest Products is pleased to announce that Stuart Gray officially assumed the role of president and CEO on Oct. 1, 2023, finalizing a leadership transition first announced in July of this year. Grady Mulbery, who served as the company's top leader for the past seven years, retired on Sept. 30.

The K3 machine is one of three CRB machines at the Kalamazoo facility and is the company's longest-running machine. K3 ceased operation on July 1 and this announcement reflects the decision to permanently shut down the 125,000-tons per annum machine.

Sappi Europe completed a consultation process on the closure of Stockstadt mill in Germany and agreed on the social plan for the employees. In addition, an agreement has been signed for the sale of the site. The closure of the site should be completed during the first calendar quarter of 2024. Once all closure elements are taken into account, the impact is expected to be cash neutral.

Lecta chooses EcoVadis for its supplier certification process.​

Metsä Tissue will aim to have fossil free mill fleet by 2030 and accordingly it has stopped using coal as an energy source in its Kreuzau's mill in Germany. Since September 2023 the Kreuzau mill in Germany has been replacing the use of fossil-based lignite by wood pellets in the mills heat production.

The reported milestones align with the Pregis Purpose to Protect, Preserve, and Inspyre and the company's commitment toward its visionary 2K30 objectives.

Rottneros is extending its commitment as an active partner in Sting Bioeconomy's Industri Partner Program. The Industri Partner Program is a platform and catalyst for the crucial green transition aimed at creating a sustainable industry with reduced environmental and climate impact.

Sappi Europe's Kirkniemi Mill in Lohja, Finland, has successfully made the switch from using fossil fuels to renewable energy to fuel the production of the Galerie paper range.

Smurfit Kappa has inaugurated a pioneering purification and wastewater treatment plant in Belgrade, Serbia, the first of its kind in the country. The state-of-the-art plant is located on the site of Smurfit Kappa's Belgrade paper mill, which was acquired in 2019.

Firefighters were on the scene for around three and half hours.

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. is announcing that in order to optimize inventory levels and address lower-than-anticipated demand, its Témiscaming Paperboard operation and one of its High-Yield Pulp lines will be idled for 3 weeks, beginning on October 7, 2023.

Workers say management has not been bargaining in good faith and filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.