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Shibata Cardboard is a corrugated box manufacturer established in 1962, and has built a customer base rooted in the local community in Toyohashi-shi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Stora Enso has appointed Niclas Rosenlew Group Chief Financial Officer. He will replace Seppo Parvi, who has previously announced that he will leave Stora Enso to continue his career outside the Company. Stora Enso has also appointed Carolyn Wagner Executive Vice President, Packaging Solutions division. She will replace Ad Smit who will retire. They will join Stora Enso latest in January 2025 and be members of Stora Enso's Group Leadership Team.

With the recent announcement of Sofidel's intent to acquire the tissue assets of Clearwater, I thought we should take a brief look at the foreign owners currently in the United States.

The PM40 closed Friday, 2 August 2024, at 5564.

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 August 2024 up 6.2% from the 4 August 2023 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Ennis, Inc and Rayonier.

Sonoco Products Company reported financial results for its Q2 ended June 30, 2024. Net sales decreased 5% to $1.6 billion primarily driven by the Protective Solutions ("Protexic") divestiture, the closure of a thermoformed food packaging plant, the treatment of recycling operations as a procurement function beginning January 1, 2024 and lower selling prices; overall volumes were positive and up low single digits including the impact of acquisitions.

Canfor Corporation reported an operating loss of $250.8 million for the Q2 2024, compared to an operating loss of $85.8 million in the Q1 2024.

West Fraser Timber's Q2 2024 sales were $1.705 billion, compared to $1.627 billion in the Q1 2024. Q2 2024 earnings were $105 million, or $1.20 per diluted share, compared to $35 million, or $0.42 per diluted share in the Q1 2024. Q2 2024 Adjusted EBITDA was $272 million compared to $200 million in the Q1 2024.

International Paper reported Q2 2024 financial results. Net sales for the Q2 increased to $4.73 billion, compared to $4.68 billion in the Q2 2023.

Kimberly-Clark says supplies are constrained and private-label brands are offering more promotions.

UFP Industries, Inc. (UFPI) announced Q2 2024 results including net sales of $1.9 billion, net earnings attributable to controlling interest of $126 million, and earnings per diluted share of $2.05.

In the Packaging segment, corrugated products shipments per day were up 9.2% over last year's Q2 and total shipments, with one additional shipping day, were up 10.9%.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company's net income was $190 million, or $0.62 per share, based upon 306.9 million weighted average diluted shares.

The Company recently completed a share capital reduction which has resulted in the creation of distributable reserves giving maximum flexibility to consider the payment of quarterly dividends and otherwise to return value to our shareholders, should the Board consider it appropriate.

Södra posted a stable result for the second quarter of 2024. Several important decisions were made during the quarter in line with Södra's strategy to increase the added value of its wood raw material and do more with each tree.

The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) announced Ms. Heidi Brock, President and CEO of the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), as its new President.

Celebrating a decade with our company, Sophie Beckham is vice president and chief sustainability officer at International Paper, where she works across the enterprise to advance sustainability strategy development and the company's Vision 2030 goal implementation.

Valmet and Körber have on August 1, 2024, to further strengthen the digital solution FactoryPal. FactoryPal is a unique software developed to improve shopfloor manufacturing performance and productivity.

Commissioning is scheduled for October 2025.

The start-up is scheduled for the second quarter 2025.

Bellmer TurboJetter headbox has been successfully started up at Asia Paper Shiwa PM1 in Korea. The TurboJetter hydraulic headbox with its lamellas ensures top quality in paper and board production. The TurboJetter transforms fibers, fines and water into an excellent formation on the wire section of any paper machine.

>Kemira announced an investment to expand the capacity of its sodium chlorate manufacturing facility in Ortigueira, Brazil.

BASF has signed an agreement with Solenis, a global producer of specialty chemicals headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, to sell BASF's flocculants business for mining applications.

Andritz has received an order from C&S Paper to supply two PrimeLineCOMPACT tissue machines for its mill in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, China.