Paper Clips

Bain Capital Private Equity, a leading global private equity firm, through Fedrigoni Holding Ltd, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Gruppo Cordenons, a leading international manufacturer of high end specialty papers for luxury packaging and premium publishing applications. The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals, as the company says in the press release received by Lesprom Network. Gruppo Cordenons will be acquired and managed as an independent company. However, over time, Fedrigoni Group shareholders see a significant opportunity to share best practices, increase operations know-how and improve service and innovation by strengthening its range of high value-added special papers and key relationships with customers, supplemented by a brand that is widely recognized on international markets, where Gruppo Cordenons generates almost 70% of its turnover. Click Read More below for additional information.

Please be advised, effective with shipments July 1, 2018 the US transaction price for 45 gsm Marathon Newsprint from Catalyst Paper will be increasing by $22.00/Metric Tonne for new and existing orders. 43 gsm and 40 gsm Marathon Lite newsprint will be increasing according to past practice. Please be advised, effective with shipments July 1, 2018, the US transaction price for 20.9# (34gsm) directory business with Catalyst Paper will be increasing by $30.00 / short ton for new and existing orders. Other basis weights will be increased according to past practice.

Since 2014, a unique Domtar internship program has helped immigrants find work and make connections in Aneby, Sweden. The program also helps people who are reentering the workforce after a long gap. For people like Moustafa Alahmad, this 10-week internship program is a lifeline. Alahmad is an ambitious, intelligent young man who studied finance at university. He speaks Kurdish, Arabic, Ukrainian and Russian. Forced to escape the civil war in his home country of Syria, Alahmad fled to Sweden, a nation known for its culture of inclusion and equality. Since he arrived, he has been able to earn enough money to get by, but it’s been difficult to find a steady job. Click Read More below for additional information.

Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (“the Company”) has announced that, at a meeting of the Board of Directors held today, the Company resolved to reorganize the production structure for its paper business. Hokkaido Mill (Yufutsu) is to shut down all paper production machines and related equipment for the production of paper (253,000 MTPY). Fuji Mill (Fuji) is to shut down all paper production machines and related equipment for the production of paper (135,000 MTPY). Kushiro Mill is to shut down its No. 8 paper production machine due to a decline in newsprint demand (143,000 MTPY). Click Read More below for additional information.

Brazilian pulp and paper producer Suzano shut operations throughout Brazil over the weekend in response to an ongoing strike by truck drivers over diesel fuel prices, a company spokesman said Tuesday. Rafael Mastrocola, head of investor relations for Suzano, told S&P Global Platts the company already had reduced output, since Friday took it further and "as of now we have halted pretty much all of our sites." Click Read More below for additional information.

For the first quarter ended 31 March 2018, Lecta had revenue of €375.4 million versus €376.3 million in the first quarter ended 31 March 2017, a decrease of €0.9 million or -0%. EBITDA decreased by €4.9 million, or -16%, from €30.2 million in 1Q2017 to €25.3 million in 1Q2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

Lars Lundin has been appointed Senior Vice President Paper and will take up his new role no later than the first of december 2018. He succeeds Nils Ringborg, who will remain part of Group management as advisor to the CEO. "Lars has shown himself to be an excellent manager of change, with years of experience in both production and marketing. His collection of skills will be invaluable in the continued drive to develop our business and I have no doubt that Lars will take Holmen Paper to new heights", says Henrik Sjölund, President and CEO of Holmen. Click Read More below for additional information.

ISLA® Duo cupstock is Kotkamills' solution to an ever-growing problem. It does not contain any plastics or waxes that are harmful for the environment or health. Easy recycling makes ISLA® Duo cups an integral part of the circular economy and makes sure that the valuable wood fibre can be reused. A traditional single-use coffee cup includes a barrier layer made from plastic, which prevents absorption of liquids and greases. The barrier layer in ISLA® Duo products is a water-based dispersion coating instead of PE plastic. Being plastic-free enables the products to be easily recyclable in normal paper and board recycling, and the wood fibre can be reused fully. ISLA® Duo cupstock doesn't contain any waxes harmful for the health nor do they cumulate in the nature like plastic. Click Read More below for additional information.

Catalyst Paper announced that it has entered into a Sales and Purchase Agreement with ND Paper LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Ltd.(“ND Paper”), a Hong Kong Stock Exchange listed company, for the sale of Catalyst’s U.S. operations to ND Paper for US$175 million. Upon the closing of this transaction, ND Paper will acquire Catalyst’s Rumford, Maine and Biron, Wisconsin mills along with the associated staff at the company’s U.S. operations center in Dayton, Ohio. Catalyst has agreed to provide transition support services to ND Paper to assist with the development of certain operational and administrative functions required for the two U.S. mills. Click Read More below for additional information.

Effective with deliveries on or after July 1, 2018, UPM is increasing the transaction price of all Coated Groundwood and Coated Freesheet Web grades. The transaction price of Coated Groundwood Grades will increase $2.00/cwt, including all basis weights and finishes of Cote; Ultra; Valor; Star. The transaction price of Coated Freesheet Web will increase $2.00/cwt ($40/st), including all basis weights and finishes of Finesse.

Stora Enso has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Through the agreement Stora Enso and SLU intend to establish a long-term collaboration in research and development, education, competence building, and innovation within the fields of forestry and bio-based materials. The main objective of the collaboration is to jointly drive research projects to develop new knowledge within sustainable forestry and wooden biomaterials. Special focus areas include bio-based materials, forest and ecosystem management, forest technology and plant- and forest production. Moreover, the collaboration will act to strengthen competence development of staff members at Stora Enso and SLU. Click Read More below for additional information.

DocuCheck Inkjet Security Papers are available in DocuCheck Basic®, DocuCheck Ghost®, DocuCheck Impede®, DocuCheck Watermark®, and DocuMark® Custom. DocuCheck Inkjet Security Papers offer the same security features as the high-performing DocuCheck product line. With a wide variety of in-paper features such as invisible fibers, indicator stains and watermarks, DocuCheck Inkjet Security Papers provide customers with security options and help businesses prevent, deter or detect fraud. “Appvion’s commitment to remain responsive to the business market needs as well as the printing industry’s demands motivated us to develop DocuCheck Inkjet Security Papers,” says Dave Pauly, Appvion’s director of carbonless, security and specialty papers. Click Read More below for additional information.

When people think of paper manufacturing, the first natural resource that comes to mind is probably trees. But water plays an equally important role in our industry. That’s why sustainable water management is one of our top priorities. The location of our facilities shows how important water is to our manufacturing process. We’ve built our mills near abundant water supplies, such as the shores of rivers, to draw water for our operations. Managing these natural resources is important to us and to the communities in which we live. Click Read More below for additional information.

Please be advised we plan to increase the price of our 27.7# (45.0 gsm.) standard newsprint by $22.00 per metric ton effective July 1, 2018. Prices for all other newsprint basis weights will be adjusted proportionally as per past practices.

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.

The recent $40 million modernization projects at the Irving Pulp & Paper and Irving Tissue facilities in Saint John represent an investment in the future of New Brunswick. At peak, the projects included over 1200 workers from 84 local contractors and more than 400 employees at these two Saint John mills. Every year there are more than 1700 small N.B. businesses across more than 250 communities - from two employees to hundreds - that supply goods and services to the JDI forest products value chain. From seed to shelf we are adding value and jobs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Preem and RenFuel are assessing, in collaboration with Rottneros, the construction of the world’s first lignin plant for biofuels, at the pulp mill in Vallvik, Söderhamn. The plant is expected to produce an annual volume of 25,000-30,000 tonnes of lignin, and will be completed in 2021. The collaboration between the companies means that Preem will be the first fuel manufacturer in Sweden to use lignin in its production. Via the company Lignolproduktion AB, which is jointly owned by Preem and RenFuel, the aim is to reach a total annual production capacity of 300,000-500,000 tonnes of lignin, based on the assumption that more plants similar to that in Vallvik are established in the future. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM Paper Europe and North America (ENA) business has been renamed UPM Communication Papers to underline the industry focus and global reach of the business area. It also highlights UPM's long-term commitment to sustaining its global graphic paper business, building on the view that paper will continue to be an important part of the media mix in the publishing industries and business communication. UPM Communication Papers is a world leading producer of graphic papers, offering an extensive product range for advertising and publishing as well as home and office uses. Click Read More below for additional information.

Expera Coated Products announced today a new brand of liners used in the manufacture of Advanced Composites. AeroBak™ liners are designed with specific properties and performance characteristics to meet the extreme challenges encountered during the manufacture and delivery of prepreg. These properties represent years of development of both the base sheet and the coatings. “Expera Coated Products’ AeroBak™ liners deliver solutions to the market using unique technologies that extend our products beyond traditional release liners,” explained Harry Challender, Vice President of Expera Coated Products. “Through collaboration, our team leverages the depth of experience we have in both paper and coating technologies to provide a distinct product to address individual requirements. Expera Coated Products is committed to this industry as witnessed by our recent investment in capacity designed around the unique needs of the composite market.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation has approved $30 million for expansion and improvements to its nonwovens manufacturing facility in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The plant produces nonwoven materials for Kimberly-Clark's North American adult and feminine care brands including Depend, Poise and U by Kotex. The two-year project will focus on expanding the plant's production capacity and efficiency, and is expected to add 14 new jobs at the site, while maintaining current employment. Click Read More below for additional information.

Smurfit Kappa Group plc is pleased to announce that it has agreed to acquire Reparenco, a privately owned paper and recycling business in the Netherlands, for a cash consideration of approximately €460 million following a competitive process. Reparenco operates a two machine paper mill in the Netherlands with a capacity of 675,000 tonnes together with a 750,000 tonne recovered fibre operation. Reparenco employs 315 people with Gross Assets of €189 million and generated EBITDA of €41 million in the 12 months to April 2018, during which time the business continued to ramp up production. Click Read More below for additional information.

The continued existence of Germany's specialty paper manufacturer Feldmuehle Uetersen, which has been in insolvency proceedings since January this year, is assured. With effect from 1 June, the company will be taken over by a holding company, according to Andreas Jung, spokesman of insolvency administrator Dr. Tjark Thies. The company reports that the buyer is a holding company that has not yet been active in the paper industry. Paper production is said to continue unchanged. Feldmuehle Uetersen can produce up to 250,000 tpy of white, coated label paper, packaging paper, and graphic paper.

A company with a Middletown presence is laying off 60 employees starting this summer. All affected employees at Essity Operations Wausau, 700 Columbia Ave., have been notified of their layoff dates and that their separation from employment will be permanent, according to a mass layoff notice sent Thursday to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Employees are expected to be terminated from employment starting Aug. 16, with all separations complete by the end of September. Fifty-four of the affected employees are represented by a union. Click Read More below for additional information.

RISI reports that Lecta and Burgo are separately raising prices by 6% to 7% on CWF and UWF grades effective with deliveries from July 2018 onward.

Reality is setting in for about 225 paper mill workers in Camas. Layoffs announced in November 2017 are now underway. Many losing their jobs have worked at the mill for decades. Workers expressed a lot of sadness, grieving the loss of jobs they spent decades doing. The decision is forever changing the city that was built around it. “There's been a paper mill in Camas for 138 years,” Korhonen said. “We were proud to make paper in Camas." Click Read More below for additional information.

Interfor Corporation announced that it has resumed operations at its sawmill in Grand Forks, BC following severe flooding in the area over the past two weeks. The sawmill was temporarily curtailed on May 10, 2018 as a precautionary measure due to the escalating flooding in the region. Even though the sawmill was not operating during this time, a series of measures were taken by mill personnel to protect the operation against potential damage. Fortunately, such actions limited the risk to the mill’s infrastructure and equipment and has allowed the mill to resume operations now that the water level has receded. There are ongoing issues in the region related to rail line damage and the Company will be working with its carriers and customers to manage through the related logistics issues. Click Read More below for additional information.

Stora Enso and Sulapac have signed a joint development agreement to combat the global problem of plastic waste by accelerating the use of fully renewable, recyclable and biodegradable materials in packaging. Through the joint development agreement, Stora Enso will licence Sulapac’s materials and technology, and begin the development of fully renewable caps and closures for liquid packages. Other areas for joint development work include food packages and packages for consumer electronics. Click Read More below for additional information.

Effective with all orders shipping on or after July 1, 2018, Evergreen Packaging is raising the transaction price on all specialty and coated groundwood products by $2.00/cwt. This increase applies to all products, including, but not limited to, the brands listed below: TruSpec4; TruSpec4.5; TruSpec5; Coated Freesheet; Coated 1-Side. ALL Grades, Basis Weights and Finishes. All standard upcharges will continue to apply.

Total printing-writing paper shipments decreased four percent in April compared to April 2017. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels decreased less than one-half of one percent from March. Imports of printing-writing papers decreased less than one-half of one percent compared to March 2017 imports, while exports remained flat compared to March 2018. •Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments in April 2018 increased year-over-year, the third increase in four months. Imports of UFS decreased 22 percent year-over-year in March – the tenth consecutive decrease of 12 percent or more. Exports of UFS papers increased 25 percent in March compared to March 2017. •Shipments of uncoated mechanical (UM) papers decreased year-over-year in April 2018 by more than 20 percent. Imports of UM decreased one percent year-over-year in March. Exports of UM decreased 45 percent year-over-year in March. •Shipments of coated free sheet (CFS) paper and coated mechanical (CM) papers in April both declined year-over-year for the eleventh consecutive month. Imports of CM papers increased 33 percent compared to March 2017, partly on the strength of a 47 percent year-over-year increase in CM imports from Canada.

Wisconsin based paper mill, celebrates Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds® promotional campaign from the Paper and Packaging Board. The Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds® campaign is an industry-funded effort to highlight the important role paper and packaging play in lives, helping to accomplish goals and keep goods and products safe. “We are pleased to see the Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds® campaign in the market,” said Jim Koronkiewicz, BPM General Manager. “Our mill has made paper for over 75 years and while we have observed the increased use in technology, statistics show that paper usage creates a long-lasting impression and helps aid communication. The use of promotional videos, information and new brand ambassadors help to strengthen the consumer connection established by the campaign." Click Read More below for additional information.

Kimberly-Clark announced its 2018 Bright Futures Scholarship Program has awarded $1.2 million in college scholarships to 60 children of Kimberly-Clark employees in 17 U.S. states. Recipients were chosen based on academic achievement, leadership, work experience and involvement in extracurricular activities. Marking its 26th year, the Bright Futures program provides scholarship grants worth up to $20,000, or $5,000 per school year, for full-time students attending accredited colleges and universities. Since its inception, the program has awarded over $40 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 students. Click Read More below for additional information.

On 21.5.2018, the Helsinki Court of Appeal rendered its judgment in a case in which Metsähallitus claims damages from Metsäliitto Cooperative, Stora Enso Oyj and UPM-Kymmene Corporation based on their conduct on the wood market in 1997–2004. In its judgment, the Court of Appeal rejected the claims made by Metsähallitus and ordered Metsähallitus to compensate the defendants’ legal costs. The total amount of the joint and several claim for damages made by Metsähallitus in the Court of Appeal was 124.9 million euros. Metsäliitto Cooperative’s share of the capital of the claimed damages was 39.1 million euros. In addition, Metsähallitus claimed compensation for indirect damages, VAT, interest and compensation for legal costs. Click Read More below for additional information.

The aim of the partnership is to construct a new facility to produce advanced renewable fuels from tall oil with a capacity of 100 000 tonnes per annum. Construction of the new facility, subject to permission process and final approval from both companies, is expected to cost around 500 MSEK to build and is planned to be operational in 2021. Tall oil is a residual product from the production of kraft pulp in SCA’s mills Östrand, Obbola and Munksund. SCA is presently expanding its kraft pulp mill Östrand and as a result the production of tall oil from the mill will increase by more than 100 per cent. Between the two partners, the parties constitute the full value-chain from the raw material to the refining process, distribution and sale of the renewable fuel to the customers. Click Read More below for additional information.

Please be advised that, effective with deliveries July 1, 2018, the US transaction price for the following grades from Catalyst Paper will be increasing for new and existing orders. Grades impacted include: Orion®; Vision®; Escanaba®; Dependoweb®; Capri®; Consoweb®. This increase applies to all basis weights as designated above, finishes and grade extensions.

The bio-methanol treatment plant supplied by ANDRITZ is designed to produce 5,000 tons of bio-methanol per year. The plant is a key part of a new process producing sustainable bio-methanol from renewable raw material. Bio-methanol can be used in shipping, for example, as a stand-alone fuel, as well as for the production of biodiesel (RME), as an additive in petrol, or as a raw material in the chemical industry. The methanol produced is compliant with the IMPCA Reference Specifications for merchantable methanol. Start-up of the plant is scheduled for the third quarter of 2019. The global methanol production is in the order of 80 million tons per year and is generated mostly from fossil raw materials. In the chemical wood pulping process, methanol is formed as a by-product that contains many impurities. This raw methanol is purified to a merchantable bio-methanol, which is chemically identical to fossil-based methanol. The bio-methanol generated contributes towards reducing the amount of fossil greenhouse gas emissions. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sappi North America announced the call for entries for its 2018 Ideas that Matter grant program, inviting designers to show the world how design – specifically print – can play an important role in changing lives for the better. Sappi established the Ideas that Matter grant program 19 years ago to fund designers who apply their creative talents to causes that address significant issues facing our society. For nearly two decades, Sappi has witnessed firsthand how the creative and integrated work of designers can change society. Sappi remains committed to the belief that good ideas inspire people to take action, and great ideas change the world. Though many media choices are available, print is at the heart of influential and effective messaging and a perfect complement to promote positive social causes. Click Read More below for additional information.

Effective with all new and existing orders with confirmed delivery dates of July 1, 2018 or later, Verso Corporation is increasing the transaction price of all Coated Freesheet Web and Coated Groundwood Web grades by 4% to 6%. This includes, but, is not limited to: ArborWeb Plus® web; Sterling® Ultra web; Sterling® Ultra caliper web; Productolith® Pts. web; Publishers Matte®; Publishers ThinBulk®; ArborWeb® web; Influence® web; Focus® web; Liberty® web; Balance® web; New Era® Matte; New Era® ThinBulk. The increase applies to all basis weights, bulks, finishes and related private label grades.

White Birch Paper set a $22/tonne price increase on shipments of 45-g (27.7-lb) newsprint, effective June 15. All other basis weights will be increased according to past practice, White Birch said.

We are announcing a US$22/metric tonne (for 45.0 gsm) newsprint price increase effective with shipments on or after June 15, 2018. Other basis weights will be adjusted accordingly. Please note that this price increase does not apply to Ponderay Newsprint Company.

Metsä Group has established a new innovation company, Metsä Spring Ltd. The company will, together with partner organisations, invest in new endeavours with the target to identify and develop new business opportunities in sustainable forest-based bioeconomy and circular economy. Niklas von Weymarn has been appointed CEO of the company. He transfers to Metsä Spring from the position of VP, Research in Metsä Fibre, also part of Metsä Group. The office of Metsä Spring is in the heart of the internationally-acknowledged Otaniemi innovation campus in Espoo, Finland. The establishment of the new innovation company does not affect the current research and development activities of Metsä Group’s current business areas. ”With the establishment of Metsä Spring, we want to create a new dimension to Metsä Group’s innovation activities and thereby participate more actively in the development of new business concepts in forest-based bioeconomy and circular economy. A large share of new ideas are generated outside our company and the new business concepts are increasingly developed in novel partnerships. The new innovation company enables Metsä Group to better take part in this activity,” says Metsä Group’s President and CEO and Metsä Spring’s Chairman of the Board Ilkka Hämälä. Click Read More below for additional information.

Stora Enso launches its Green Bond Framework as part of its Sustainable Finance approach. The ambition is to offer a loan-format to support sustainability-focused fixed income investors and to report the direct environmental impacts of some its investments and business activities. The Group will use this bond format to complement its other funding sources. Stora Enso’s strategy on Sustainable Finance is a natural part of its overall agenda on sustainability and an integral part of its focus on being the world’s leading renewable materials company. Stora Enso’s goal is to work with funding partners for whom sustainability is a key part of their lending agenda. Stora Enso’s aim is to have all its suppliers, including those for financial services join the Stora Enso Supplier Code of Conduct. We see this as generating competitive advantage and thus prefer to partner with banks and financial service providers that make sustainability a leading issue in their respective eco-systems. Click Read More below for additional information.

Stora Enso is launching its wood-based biocomposites, DuraSense™ by Stora Enso. This is another major step on the group’s journey to replacing fossil-based materials with renewable solutions. DuraSense is available to companies seeking high performance and a sustainable, bio-based alternative to plastics. DuraSense enables the use of renewable fibres, such as wood, to substitute for a large portion of fossil-based plastic. The production of biocomposites began in 2018 at Stora Enso’s Hylte Mill in Sweden, following the EUR 12 million investment announced in 2017. At full production, the mill’s annual production capacity is 15 000 tonnes, which is the largest capacity in Europe dedicated to wood fibre composites. Click Read More below for additional information.

BillerudKorsnäs today announces that negotiations with labour unions over a proposal for new organisation will be initiated within short. The proposal contains a full profit and loss responsibility in three divisions. “During my first months with BillerudKorsnäs, it has become clear to me that we have great conditions for profitable growth. In order for us to take maximum advantage out of these conditions, we need to become faster and clarify accountability within the company. This we now want to accomplish through a new organisation in three divisions with full profit and loss responsibility”, says Petra Einarsson, President and CEO of BillerudKorsnäs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Appvion, Inc. announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved the sale of substantially all of the Company's assets to a group of its lenders led by Franklin Advisers, Inc. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of May. The Purchaser submitted the previously announced stalking horse bid on February 8, 2018. Under the terms of the executed asset purchase agreement filed with the Bankruptcy Court, the total consideration is approximately $340 million plus the assumption of substantial liabilities, including many of the Company's contractual obligations. The transaction will substantially reduce Appvion's debt from approximately $585 million to less than $175 million and provide additional liquidity to fund the Company's operations. Kevin Gilligan, Chief Executive Officer of Appvion, said, "We are pleased to receive the Court's approval of the sale of our company to a group of our lenders who have been long-term supporters of Appvion. Their continued investment is a vote of confidence in the future of our business." Click Read More below for additional information.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced a $52.3 million strategic investment plan for its Saint-Félicien pulp mill, located in the Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. The announcement was made at a press conference attended by Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, and many dignitaries and company employees. "The significant investments at Saint-Félicien are expected to improve several areas of the operation, increasing the average daily production capacity by 76 metric tons and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuels by 20%," said Yves Laflamme, president and chief executive officer. Click Read More below for additional information.

Please be advised that Lecta will increase its prices by 5%, for new orders with a delivery date on and after May 14th, 2018. This increase is applicable on web rolls of: Condat Gloss, Silk, Matte, Digital; Garda Gloss and Silk Matte, Digital; Creator Star and Silk Matte, Digital; Mill and private brands Gloss, Silk, Matte, Digital.

Effective with all orders placed on/after June 15, 2018 Technicote Westfield will increase prices by 5% for all Strata pressure sensitive sheeted products. Orders placed prior to June 15, 2018 and scheduled to ship within standard lead times will receive current pricing.

Sappi North America announces a transactional price increase of 4% to 6% on new and unconfirmed orders that book with confirmed delivery dates on or after Monday, May 14, 2018 on the following products: • McCoy Web • Opus Web • Somerset Web • Flo Web • Galerie Web. Standard differentials and upcharges apply. The price increase includes all basis weights and finishes and all private label programs.

Papierfabrik August Koehler SE, based in Oberkirch, recently celebrated the official groundbreaking ceremony for a new paper machine. Watched by some 145 invited guests, including the shareholders of Koehler Holding GmbH & Co. KG, the ground was broken by the Koehler Executive Board and representatives of the contracted construction firms Bold GmbH & Co. KG and Rendler Bau , Dr. Michael Trefz (Voith Paper Holding), the architects Alfons Burkart (archigroup GBR) and Thomas Schweiker (Schweiker Architekten), and the Kehl Building Commissioner Harald Krapp. In his welcome address, CEO Kai Furler, who is the eighth generation of his family to lead Koehler, underlined the fact that the Kehl site, with its three paper machines, will be the largest and most modern production site for specialty papers in Europe. This investment is the most significant in the 211-year history of the company. During its global search for a perfect site for the new production facility, the company came to the conclusion that there is no need to search far and wide when the answer is so close to home. Click Read More below for additional information.

or the first quarter of 2018, total revenue decreased by $23.4 million, or 92.5%, to $1.9 million from $25.3 million for the same period of the prior year. Gross loss was $0.7 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to gross profit of $5.7 million for the same period of the prior year. Click Read More below for additional information.

Financial summary for the quarter: EBITDA excluding special items US$211 million (Q2 2017 US$208 million). Profit for the period US$102 million (Q2 2017 US$88 million). EPS excluding special items 17 US cents (Q2 2017 17 US cents). Acquisition of Cham speciality paper business completed. Net debt US$1,632 million (Q2 2017 US$1,329 million). Click Read More below for additional information.

Effective with shipments July 1, 2018 and after, Kruger will increase the transaction price of all coated grades. This includes Krukote Offset; Krukote Hi Bulk; Krukote 76/80; Krukote Recycled; Krukote Satin/76/80. The increase will apply to all basis weights and finishes.

Between May 14 and 24, Klabin’s Monte Alegre Unit in Telêmaco Borba will perform its annual Maintenance Shutdown. More than 4,000 services will be executed over 11 days on the equipment at the unit to ensure the safety and continuity of the operation. The Maintenance Shutdown is compulsory for companies that have machinery such as boilers and digesters. Completing the tasks on schedule requires a large number of workers, many of whom work exclusively in pulp and paper mill shutdowns. Click Read More below for additional information.

Containerboard capacity continued to increase, rising 1.9 percent in 2017 to a record 38.9 million tons. Containerboard accounted for 46.2 percent of U.S. paper and paperboard capacity in 2017. Tissue paper capacity is on a long-term expansionary trajectory, approximately in line with U.S. population growth, and rose 0.2 percent in 2017. Four tissue paper machines started production in 2017. Those capacity additions were partly offset by two mill closures that same year. Reflecting displacement from digital media, capacity for newsprint and printing-writing papers continued to decline in 2017. Three mills and six machines producing these grades were permanently closed that year. Click Read More below for additional information.

The premier of British Columbia, John Horgan, has asked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to provide the promised assistance to Catalyst Paper and other Canadian paper mills, reports Terrace Standard. “The massive tariffs imposed by U.S. authorities at the behest of a single Washington state company put the jobs of 1,600 British Columbians working at three Catalyst pulp mills at risk,” Horgan wrote in a letter to Trudeau. “While I appreciate the magnitude of other U.S. actions may seem signifiant – steel, aluminum and softwood lumber stand out – the future of three coastal communities is at stake in this matter.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Paper machine 11 at Catalyst Paper Corporation’s Powell River mill went into start-up mode on May 7 after a three-week production curtailment of uncoated groundwood paper. The curtailment started on April 16 in response to a shortage of fibre and United States Department of Commerce tariffs on uncoated groundwood paper.

Consolidated net sales increased 10 percent to a record $266.5 million in the first quarter of 2018 compared with $242.1 million in the first quarter of 2017. Revenue gains resulted from higher volumes, both organic and with the November 2017 Coldenhove acquisition, a higher-priced sales mix, increased selling prices and favorable currency effects. Operating income of $24.1 million in 2018 decreased 11 percent from $27.0 million in 2017. Income benefited from volume growth, a higher value mix, increased selling prices and currency, but was more than offset by higher input and distribution costs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Revenue in Q1 2018 was $323.7 million, compared to $289.3 million in Q1 2017, an increase of $34.4 million or 11.9%. The increase in revenue was due to the combination of: an additional 6 days of sales in Q1 2018 compared to Q1 2017; the favourable impact of increased sales volume; and a Consumer selling price increase in Canada in Q4 2017; partially offset by the unfavourable impact of foreign exchange fluctuations on U.S. dollar sales. Net income in Q1 2018 was $1.6 million, compared to $6.9 million in Q1 2017, primarily due to lower Adjusted EBITDA of $6.8 million, higher depreciation expense of $1.1 million, an increase in interest expense of $1.0 million, a decrease in foreign exchange gain of $0.4 million and the loss on sale of fixed assets of $0.4 million. These items were partially offset by a decrease in tax expense of $3.8 million and the change in fair value of derivatives of $0.6 million. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sappi increases prices for its LWC and MWC grades prices by 6-8% from July 1st 2018 for all markets due to continued cost increases and strong demand. This follows previous announcements made for its woodfree coated and woodfree uncoated grades.

Verso Corporation reported financial results for the first quarter of 2018, including net sales of $639 million, net loss of $2 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $41 million. "Verso had a good start in the first quarter of 2018, with sales revenue up 4 percent to $639 million, Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) up 58 percent to $41 million, and Adjusted EBITDA margin up 2.2 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2017," said Verso Chief Executive Officer, B. Christopher DiSantis. "We continued to grow our specialty papers business, now 24 percent of total revenue, and are seeing the benefits of our SG&A cost improvement initiatives, with an improvement of $8 million versus the first quarter of 2017. Looking ahead, we have positioned Verso well to benefit from improved operating rates and are building a better business." Click Read More below for additional information.

In addition to significantly boosting the mill’s production capacity, the upgrades will further enhance our first quartile performance in safety and quality. With this major investment, the Camden plant will continue to be a stable and significant employer in this region, paying good wages and benefits to our valuable employees. The upgrades, which will begin later this year, will include an upgraded new planer mill, a new continuous dry kiln to increase drying capacity, as well as new Sawmill equipment that will help increase the mill’s production capacity. Work is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2019. Click Read More below for additional information.