These acronyms are prevalent in the paper and packaging industry. Wondering how Extended Producer Responsibility, European Union Deforestation Regulation (Europe), or Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (Europe) might affect your business? Reach out to your MIDLAND representative and we will connect you with our environmental affairs experts to answer your questions.

UPS announced that it has completed the acquisition of Andlauer Healthcare Group Inc. , a leading North American supply chain management company headquartered in Canada and offering customized third-party logistics and specialized cold chain transportation solutions for the healthcare sector. Under the terms of the acquisition, AHG shareholders receive CAD $55.00 per share in cash, representing a total purchase price of approximately CAD $2.2 billion (USD $1.6 billion). This acquisition underscores UPS’s commitment to providing global specialty capabilities as a leading provider of complex healthcare logistics. With the addition of AHG’s specialized cold chain network and expertise, UPS Healthcare customers will benefit from reduced transit times, enhanced end-to-end visibility, deepened global reach, and leading quality assurance.

Trade (Consumer Book) Revenues Down 9.4% for Month of August, and Down 5.3% Year-to-Date The Association of American Publishers (AAP) released its StatShot report for August 2025, reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Religious Presses, and Professional Publishing. Total revenues across all categories for August 2025 were down 4.4% as compared to August 2024, coming in at $1.6 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 2.8%, at $9.2 billion for the first eight months of the year.

FMCSA’s waiver approval for electronic warning beacons clears major hurdle, Morgan Stanley contends Wall Street investment firm Morgan Stanley sees the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s recent waiver to allow high-tech roadside safety beacons a turning point for autonomous trucking. “We believe this is a significant milestone in the path to widespread commercial adoption of autonomous trucking because while the overall regulatory environment for autonomous trucking is quite favorable, small practical rules friction like this has been viewed as significant hurdles by some parties pushing back on its adoption,” wrote Morgan Stanley freight transportation analyst Ravi Shanker in a research note on Monday. “This shows that regulators are open to easy and practical solutions to ease the rollout of this technology.” FMCSA recently granted a limited three-month renewable waiver to Aurora (NASDAQ: AUR), allowing the autonomous truck developer to use cab-mounted flashing warning beacons instead of reflective triangles – which much be deployed manually by the driver – to warn of a stopped truck on the roadside.

After four decades of a successful partnership in the paper industry, Pam Mantor and Helen Hawekotte are heading out for their final sales call and a well-earned retirement. Pam and Helen were a dynamic duo who were pioneers in the development of corporate end user paper programs. They blazed trails in the tech, telecommunications, and banking industries with the likes of Apple, HP, Microsoft, Sprint and DISH. Midland was fortunate to have Pam and Helen as valued employees and teammates. We will miss their market perspective and wealth of knowledge. We are a better company for having them on our team. We cherish the fond memories and many years of success shared with Pam and Helen. "You can't retire from being great" Unknown

Christopher DeLetto has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Christopher has played a key role in advancing the company’s acquisition strategy and supporting long-term growth initiatives. Christopher succeeds his father, Ralph DeLetto, with whom he worked closely over the last year, and who generously shared his knowledge and experience to help prepare Christopher for this important leadership role. With a background in investment banking and private equity, Christopher brings strong financial expertise and strategic insight to MIDLAND. In his new role as CFO, he will oversee all financial functions of the company and play a key role in shaping MIDLAND’s strategic direction and continued growth. “Christopher has quickly become an important part of our leadership team,” said Mike Graves, President and Chief Executive Officer of MIDLAND. “He knows our business, he brings great financial skills, and he has a deep connection to MIDLAND’s history. Jim (O’Toole) and I are confident he’ll do a terrific job in his new role.”

Ralph F. DeLetto, of Glenview, passed away peacefully surrounded by family, on September 29th, 2025, the Feast Day of the Archangels. Ralph was a devoted and loving husband to Nancy (nee Menis). He was the proud father of Michael (Molly) and Christopher (Danae) DeLetto and adored PaPa to Rafaella, Ariana and Nikolas DeLetto. Ralph is preceded in death by his parents Ralph J. & Eleanor (nee Panelli) DeLetto. He is fondly remembered by his brother Frank (Maureen) DeLetto; his nieces and nephews, Erin (Dave) DeLetto Miranda, Ryann (Jamie) Urcioli, Elisa (Matt) Levy, Mark (Nicole) Menis; and, his great niece and nephew, Sofia DeLetto and Parker Miranda. He was a dear cousin and friend of many. Ralph grew up in Franklin Park, Illinois. His parents set Ralph up for success in life by rooting him in his Catholic faith. He attended St. Gertrude's School, Holy Cross High School and Dominican University. While at Dominican, Ralph met Nancy, the love of his life. They married at 24, started their family with Michael at 28, completed their family with Christopher at 31, built their dream home at 33 and tackled every turn of life hand in hand. Their fairy tale love story began 47 years ago and will be written into eternity. Despite Ralph’s demanding professional career, he was always present for his family and never missed an important life event or his sons’ games. Ralph counted his daughters-in-law, Danae and Molly, as his own and loved them as if they were. When he became a grandfather to Rafaella and Ariana, his love knew no boundaries. God sent Ralph one final gift, his grandson Nikolas, and his heart was complete. Ralph’s family was the center of his universe and a source of both great pride and strength. Together with his family, he knew all things were possible. Ralph started his career as a Certified Public Accountant at Arthur Young where his talents and astute attention to detail were quickly recognized. Ralph found himself in an exclusive group tasked with advising the firm’s clients on mergers and acquisitions. He loved new and exciting challenges; never settled for mediocracy; and had an uncanny ability to find a way forward regardless of the challenge at hand. Ralph became a CFO at 31 and ultimately found his professional calling in 2002 at MIDLAND. Over the last 22 years, Ralph and his two partners, Mike Graves and Jim O’Toole, have grown MIDLAND into one of the largest privately held companies in Illinois. Ralph loved MIDLAND and, most importantly, its 900+ team members, who he referred to as the “best team in the business”. Ralph was most proud knowing that his sons are going to carry forward his legacy and help MIDLAND reach new heights. Ralph was a force of nature that did not rest until he succeeded. He was loyal, committed and beyond moral reproach. He was a pillar of strength for many. He taught us to always look at the cup half full. He believed in living life to the fullest for tomorrow is not promised and each day is a blessing. We were blessed to have Ralph in our lives for the time that we did because he changed the trajectory of the lives of those that knew him for the better. Ralph will continue to live within our hearts and souls forever. Ralph believed deeply in the work of Northwestern’s Associate Board that screens and invests in next generation cancer research. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in memory of Ralph DeLetto to support the Associate Board of Lurie Cancer Center, c/o Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 420 E. Superior Street, Rubloff Building, 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611, or click here to make an online donation: https://giving.nu/lccassociateboardfy25

Midland is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Ralph DeLetto, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and co-owner of the company. Ralph passed away Monday night following a long and courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family. “Ralph was an extraordinary leader and a trusted partner whose vision and integrity helped shape Midland into the organization it is today,” said Mike Graves, President and Chief Executive Officer. “His contributions to our business and our people were immeasurable, and his legacy will continue to inspire us for many years to come.” Ralph is survived by his wife, Nancy, and his sons, Michael and Christopher, who are also valued colleagues at Midland.

The first-ever American football game to be held in Ireland takes place Sept. 29, and Jameson Irish Whiskey is ready to commemorate the occasion. The brand has declared itself the "Unofficial Whiskey for Football Fans," and has created a slew of events both in the U.S. and across the pond, as well as online content in honor of the first game in Dublin. Bringing “a little Irish mischief, toasting the unexpected moments, and championing fans on their own turf,” the online campaign from Ogilvy runs on Jameson-owned channels and in paid media through Nov. 2. "Jameson has always stood shoulder to shoulder with the fans, and that's why we are excited … to finally celebrate American football in Dublin," says Valeria Catterini, senior brand director, Jameson at Pernod Ricard USA, in a release.  "We can't wait for fans to experience Irish hospitality firsthand as we toast to the game that the fans helped make happen."

On Friday, Sept. 5, downtown Lancaster City was abuzz as its annual Print Crawl returned to the streets to create an immersive print experience for the community. Located in Central Pennsylvania, the small city is not only known for its rich history and notable horse-and-buggy sightings – it’s also home to a thriving arts culture, myriad small businesses, and, of course, print. Now in its ninth year, the Print Crawl is a self-guided tour through Lancaster’s local print shops and creative spaces where participants create a printed, take-home poster. The crawl features a pay-what-you-can model where visitors receive a blank poster and set out on a one-mile loop. Each stop showcases a different style of printmaking – screen printing, letterpress, laser cut, 3D printing, and more – that adds a unique element to the poster. By the end of the crawl, the once-blank posters have transformed into a finished, collaborative piece of art. “Lancaster has always been a printing hub, both locally and even internationally,” Megan Zettlemoyer, owner of Lancaster-based Typothecary Letterpress, and the driving force behind the Crawl, notes. “We also have a great design community locally, between our colleges and universities, and design agencies that call Lancaster home. In a world where ‘print is dead’ has become a pretty common phrase, I felt we needed to let our community know that it is very much alive and well here at home.

Trucking activity in the United States increased again in August, pushing the level up to the highest point since December 2023. Specifically, truck freight tonnage rose 0.9% after gaining 1.1% in July, according to the American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.  “The good news is that truck freight volumes had a nice end of the summer,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “However, while I’d like to predict a strong rebound in freight levels through the upcoming holidays, I can’t. I believe traditional seasonal patterns are off this year as shippers adjust to tariffs. Plus, housing remains soft, the slowing labor market is likely to show up in consumer spending at some point, and most manufacturing metrics are either decelerating or declining.” Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing 72.7% of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Trucks hauled 11.27 billion tons of freight in 2024.*  Motor carriers collected $906 billion, or 76.9% of total revenue earned by all transport modes.