According to new research published this past week by Seeking Alpha, New York City, N.Y, USA, profiling the future of Albany International, Albany, N.Y., a company that primarily and historically focuses on the production of paper machine clothing, the future of the international pulp and paper industry is expected to be in slight growth over at least the next 10 years. 

 

Although there is a clear decline in printing, writing, and newsprint grade paper products as consumers move to digital, the author asks if there are enough growth regions and growth categories to provide some stability to the company’s new Machine Clothing Division. The company itself believes there are, as they articulated in several conference calls and their 2014 presentation to investors. 

 

In particular, management believes that growth in South America and China will offset declines in North America and Western Europe. Industry data cited by Seeking Alpha show that demand for food and beverage packaging, household and hygiene products, and retail displays and packaging will continue to fuel demand for virgin and recovered paper and board for the next several years. 

 

Overall, global growth in the paper, packaging, and nonwovens is projected to be 1.4% - 1.8% annually for the next decade.