Metsä Group plans to boost biodiversity on its land areas in Kemi. Covering more than 650 hectares, the designated site encompasses Metsä Group’s mill area and other areas in the Kemi urban environment. Metsä Group’s operations in Kemi include a bioproduct mill, currently under construction, and a paperboard mill. The company aims to increase regional biodiversity at all its mill locations across Europe, which number more than 20. The goal is to modify land use on the Metsä Group Kemi site to improve the state of nature in the industrial environment. The special features of local nature will be taken into account in the project, and the living conditions of endangered species will be improved. Biodiversity in the area will be increased experimentally and by adopting new operating methods. For example, more than 12 hectares of meadows and sunlit habitats will be added to the Kemi mill area. Only local vegetation will be used in establishing open habitats, and these habitats will be made suitable for endangered species. Various other approaches to increasing the biodiversity of industrial environments will also be tested on the mill site.

Appleton Coated sale 'like a death in the family,' worker says after Thursday ruling Industrial Assets Corp., a used machine dealer and liquidator based in Los Angeles, will be the new owner of the Appleton Coated paper mill as of Friday. The $20 million sale, plus a $1.5 million backstop fund, was approved by Outagamie County Judge Gregory Gill in a hearing on Thursday morning. It included $2.25 million to cover employee health insurance through October and wages for about 100 employees to be recalled for a few weeks to keep the mill at "hot idle" status. That number will then be reduced to 30 employees. The new modified agreement includes the stipulation that Industrial Assets will market the mill for 90 days to see if a new buyer can be found who will restart and operate the mill as a going concern. According to the modified purchase agreement, Industrial Assets met with Appleton Coated management and “determined that the management’s projections for profitable short-term operations were not achievable.” Click Read More below for more of the story.

Verso Corporation confirmed that it has received an unsolicited proposal from Atlas Holdings LLC regarding a potential transaction to acquire all outstanding shares of Class A common stock of Verso for $20.00 per share in cash. Consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities, Verso's Board of Directors, in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, will carefully review and evaluate the proposal to determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interests of Verso and its stockholders. Verso stockholders need take no action at this time.