Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC (“Pixelle”), a leading manufacturer of specialty papers in North America, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the carbonless rolls and security papers business of Appvion Operations, Inc.
The transaction is expected to close in April 2021 and will not include any Appvion production assets. Carbonless rolls formerly manufactured by Appvion will be manufactured by the Pixelle specialty papers mill in Chillicothe, OH, and security papers formerly manufactured by Appvion will be manufactured by Pixelle or Pixelle supply partners.
Commenting on the acquisition, Pixelle’s Chief Executive Officer Timothy Hess said, “As a leader in specialty solutions, Pixelle is well-positioned to incorporate this product portfolio into our business. Pixelle welcomes the opportunity to serve these customers, who we believe will benefit from our experience in providing these technically demanding grades.”
The acquisition expands the Pixelle product portfolio by building on Pixelle’s established brands of carbonless papers (ExcelOne® and Trans/Rite®) and adding DocuCheck® and DocuMark® security papers to Pixelle’s existing brand (Defensa®).
Pixelle was formed in 2018 by Lindsay Goldberg, a private investment firm that partners with business founders, families, and management teams to actively build their businesses. In its two-year history, Pixelle has built an industry-leading four-mill specialty paper platform with mills in Chillicothe, OH, Jay, ME, Spring Grove, PA and Stevens Point, WI. Lindsay Goldberg Affiliate Partner Steven Klinger, Executive Chairman of Pixelle, and his management team have more than 150 years combined experience in building high-performance paper businesses.
Commenting on the acquisition, Klinger said, “A key component of Pixelle’s strategy is to take actions that result in customers viewing Pixelle as an active, valued partner in growing customers’ businesses. Doing that well has developed Pixelle into the market leader it is today and enabled Pixelle to make acquisitions like this one. Pixelle is a great example of how we invest in, partner with, and actively build businesses.”
Total European shipments of graphic papers in March 2018 were down 8.1% vs. March 2017 and are down 4.6% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in March 2018 were down 12.7% vs. March 2017 and are down 8.7% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine papers in March 2018 were down 14.1% vs. March 2017 and are down 10.1% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in March 2018 were down 3.3% vs. March 2017 and are UP 1.7% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in March 2018 were down 1.3% vs. March 2017 and are UP 7.1% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in March 2018 were down 10.8% vs. March 2017 and are down 6.7% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in March 2018 were down 4.0% vs. March 2017 and are down 4.2% year-to-date. Click Read More below for additional information.
Andrei Krés has been appointed as the new CFO of Billerud. Andrei has been the acting CFO since August 2023 and will assume the permanent role immediately. Andrei Krés joined Billerud in 2011 and has since then held several different positions within the company including Head of Group Treasury, Vice President of Group Finance and since August 2023 as acting CFO. "I am entirely confident that Andrei, with his strong financial profile and deep experience within the company, will contribute positively to our financial development as well as bring valuable expertise to the Group Management Team," says Ivar Vatne, CEO and President of Billerud.
Boise Paper has offered a 99.99% Jam-Free Guarantee® on their Boise POLARIS® Premium Multipurpose paper since 2009 and on X-9® Multi-use Copy and ASPEN® 30 Multi-use Recycled Copy papers since 2013. They have recently expanded this guarantee to cover ASPEN 50 and 100 Multi-use Recycled Copy papers, as well as the Inkjet, Laser, and Color Copy papers in their Boise POLARIS Premium line. “We know how important the jam-free guarantee is to customers with large volume, high-speed printers,” says Mary Ignas, senior director of marketing. “They need to maximize efficiency with as little downtime as possible. That’s why we’ve partnered with BLI for the last ten years to validate the guarantee on our highest volume products.” Click Read More below for additional information.