Our industry has been called many things during the past 2,000 years, but the term "glamorous" normally does not roll off the tongue when one speaks of the forest products industry.

 

Domtar Corp., Montreal, Que., Canada, has agreed to sell its former Domtar paper mill sites in Ottawa, Ont., and Gatineau, Que., Canada to Ottawa-based developer Windmill Development Group Ltd

 

Concord Blue USA, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., USA, and LanzaTech, Roselle, Ill., have agreed to integrate their individually proven technologies to demonstrate the production of fuels and chemicals from waste materials

 

Lisa Anderson, president of LMA consulting Group, Claremont, Calif., USA, in conjunction with the APICS - Inland Empire chapter, both located in Claremont, Calif., USA, recently conducted a skills gap survey that asked hiring managers and human resources professionals about recruiting and employment trends in manufacturing and distribution

 

Jonathan C. Kerr, executive director, Paper Science and Engineering (PS&E) Foundation, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA, reports that the foundation has received a hoped-for grant from International Paper Co., Memphis, Tenn., to build a study space specifically for the Student TAPPI chapter

 

NPTA National Paper Trade Association, Chicago, Ill., USA, announced this week that its 2014 Stanley O. Styles Industry Excellence Award, the association’s highest honor, for the first time in the award’s 30-year history will be presented to two industry leaders, Don and Max Clampitt of Clampitt Paper, Dallas, Texas

 

The indexed price for NBSK (northern bleached softwood kraft) pulp in the U.S., according to FOEX (Finland) PIX indexes, was $988.06 per metric ton on December 10

 

Brazil’s Pulp and paper exports totaled $5.97 billion from January to October of this year, which is 9.5% higher than for the same period in 2012

 

Total U.S. boxboard production increased by 0.3% compared with October 2012, but decreased 0.2% from last month

 

Appvion Inc., Appleton, Wis., USA, this past week announced the appointment of Matt Denton as SVP and GM of the company's carbonless and security papers business

 

To increase capacity, tissue quality, and efficiency, Ehime Paper, Japan, has rebuilt its PM 8 in Ehime prefecture

 

Fortress Paper Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., Canada, reports that all four digesters at its Fortress Specialty Mill (FSC Mill) in Thurso, Qué., Canada, have now resumed operation after being shut down since December 5 to complete required and preventative repairs to piping

 

L.C. Paper 1881, Spain, has ordered from Toscotec, Italy (and its associate Milltech), a major dry-end rebuild of its SA PM 2 tissue machine in Besalu, Catalunya, Spain

 

The LEIPA Georg Leinfelder GmbH paper mill in Schwedt, Germany, replaced a standard refiner filling with the newly developed Voith (Germany) Pluralis IF in the TwinFlo refiner serving PM 4 at the mill

 

Shreyans Industries, India, has ordered from PMP Group, Poland, an Intelli-Jet V® hydraulic headbox as part of an upgrade of the mill’s printing and writing (P&W) papers machine

 

Tezol Tütün Kagit, Turkey, will install a complete new Metso (future Valmet) Advantage DCT tissue production line at the company’s new mill site in the city of Mersin

 

Zellstoff Pöls, Austria, has started up Europe’s largest new paper machine for specialty papers

 

Kübler & Niethamme, Germany, has invested some EUR 19 million modernizing its packaging papers production site in Kriebethal, in eastern Germany

 

MeadWestvaco Corp. (MWV), Richmond, Va., USA, this week completed the sale of its previously announced U.S. forestlands (501,000 acres) to Plum Creek Timber Co., Seattle, Wash., USA

 

Rengo Co., (Kita-ku, Osaka; Japan) President and CEO Kiyoshi Otsubo announced this week that the company’s wholly owned subsidiary Settsu Carton Corp. (Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan) has established Settsu Carton Vietnam Corp., an 80% financed corrugated box manufacturing company, in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam

 

Germany-based Trützschler Nonwovens and Voith Paper recently reached an important milestone—a nonwovens fabric from the jointly developed production process successfully passed the official 3rd edition of the INDA and EDANA test, and became certified as "flushable."

 

Archroma, Reinach, Switzerland, a global supplier of color and specialty chemicals and the former textile, paper, and emulsions businesses of Clariant, has announced the launch of Leucophor® SKH liquid, which it says "offers papermakers a new opportunity to achieve cost-effective, high-brightness ColorLok® grades of office paper."

 

FiberMark, West Springfield, Mass., USA, a producer of specialty cellulose and synthetic fiber-based printing media, has announces the launch of Endura® Matte 225, a 10-mil latex saturated wet strength paper for eco-solvent, latex, and UV curable inkjet printers

 

Kytola, Alpharetta, Ga., USA, this week announced the newest addition to its industrial oval gear line of flow meters, the stainless steel model SRP

 

Metso, Finland, reports that it now offers the world’s first advanced solution—both measurements and control system—to optimize sludge dewatering at wastewater treatment plants

 

Nippon Paper Industries Co., Japan, this week announced price increases for linerboard and corrugated medium in the domestic market

 

Greif Inc., Delaware, Ohio, USA, has appointed Peter Watson COO of the company, effective January 1

 

SCA, Stockholm, Sweden, announced that its CFO and EVP Lennart Persson will retire on July 1, 2014, after contributing to SCA’s growth in a number of senior positions since 1987

 

Smurfit Kappa Group, Ireland, has appointed John Moloney to its board of directors as an independent, non-executive director

 

This advanced-level course will provide real world examples of paper mills that have made major improvements in their operations by implementing many small improvements throughout the mill.

 

A call for papers has been issued for IPBC, with a deadline of March 31, 2014.

 

Craig Davis, a TAPPI member since 1983, worked for Boise Paper over 25 years.

 

This comprehensive course, January 6-9 in St. Petersburg, Fla., USA, is ideal for anyone new to the pulp and paper industry as well as for anyone who is in the industry and wants to learn about mill wide operations. The course delivers a comprehensive overview of the entire pulping and papermaking process.

 

This TAPPI webinar, hosted by Linda Robertson of International Microbial Associates, will discuss freshwater treatment and the impact water system closure has on paper and board.

 

This is the second part of a series covering the various methods used to produce nonwoven materials. Nonwovens Processes Part II, held January 16 at noon EST, will continue to explore the various processes used in nonwovens manufacturing and will provide an overview of commonly used nonwovens language.

 

TAPPI member John Neun finds great satisfaction in career, industry.

 

This course, being held February 17-21, 2014 at the TAPPI Training Facility in Atlanta, Ga., USA., equips you with the safety skills and confidence needed for nearly any role you serve in your company.

 

A project of the Water Removal Committee of TAPPI’s Engineering Division, this book will be helpful to papermakers and those responsible for solving drying-related problems.

 

Written at an introductory level, this book will be an especially useful tool for introducing students and new industry employees to the field of nonwovens.