UPM concluded the sale of its hydro power facilities in Steyrermühl to Energie AG

Stora Enso invests EUR 9 million in an automated CLT (cross-laminated timber) coating line at the Ybbs sawmill in Austria. The investment will further strengthen Stora Enso’s position as a leading global provider of engineered wood products for low carbon, sustainable buildings. In the construction industry, there is labor shortage and a pressure to shorten the construction time on-site. The investment enables industrially pre-applied CLT coatings on the CLT walls and floors produced at Stora Enso’s Ybbs site. The automated coating solution results in shorter construction times and higher wood protection. “With this new automation line, we can apply high-quality water-based coating to approximately 500,000m² of CLT walls and floors per year – making us the world leader in this segment. Our customers will benefit from improved protection of CLT against moisture, sunlight, insects and fire, as well as nicely coloured visual surfaces,” says Lars Völkel, EVP Wood Products division.

Second Quarter 2018 Highlights •Earned $0.86 per diluted share and $0.83 of adjusted earnings per diluted share compared to $0.40 per diluted share and $0.54 of adjusted earnings per diluted share in the prior year quarter, up 115% and 54%, respectively. •Segment EBITDA increased $122 million, or 22%, compared to the prior year quarter. •Corrugated Packaging Segment EBITDA increased 39% compared to the prior year quarter. The segment delivered a Segment EBITDA margin of 18.9% and a North American Adjusted Segment EBITDA margin of 20.5%, up 410 and 460 basis points, respectively, compared to the prior year quarter. •Pulp & Paper Week published North American price increases across all of WestRock’s major grades, including containerboard, SBS, CNK, CRB and URB. •Achieved $64 million in year-over-year productivity and a run rate of $975 million of synergy and performance improvements since the creation of WestRock.. Click Read More below for additional information.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in December 2017 were down 3.4% vs. December 2016 and were down 1.1% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in December 2017 were down 7.0% vs. December 2016 and were down 3.6% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in December 2017 were down 12.4% vs. December 2016 and were down 2.0% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in December 2017 were UP 4.9% vs. December 2016 and were down 0.3% year-to-date. Click Read More below for additional information.