The global spread of COVID-19 is severely impacting all our lives and presenting us with an extreme challenge. At Iggesund Paperboard Inc. we place the utmost priority on the safety and wellbeing of our employees, customers and business partners.

Cascades, (TSX: CAS), a leader in eco-friendly recovery, packaging and hygiene solutions, announces that it will supply recycled plastic needed to make medical visors to help in the fight against COVID-19. This comes in response to an initiative led by the Tristan and Bauer companies, which will ensure the final assembly of the components.

Over forty packaging firms from twenty countries have come together to create an organization called “Fiber Shield” to create single-use, disposable face shields in response to COVID-19 and the global shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical professionals. 

Paper Excellence is extending the curtailment of paper production at its mill in Powell River, likely until mid-summer.

Consumer packaging company Graphic Packaging has revealed plans to close White Pigeon, Michigan coated recycled board (CRB) mill and PM1 containerboard machine in West Monroe, Louisiana.

The decision was revealed as part of the company’s strategic actions and announcements in its first-quarter 2020 results.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released its March 2020 Printing-Writing Monthly report. According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased four percent in March compared to March 2019.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released its March 2020 Packaging Papers and Specialty Packaging Monthly report. Total packaging papers and specialty packaging shipments in March increased three percent compared to March 2019.

The “Paper Chemicals Market by Type (Process Chemicals, Functional Chemicals, Pulp Chemicals), Form (Specialty Chemicals, Commodity Chemicals), and Region, Global Forecasts 2018 to 2025” study provides an elaborative view of historic, present and forecasted market estimates.

The global paper chemicals market size is projected to surpass USD 42 billion by 2025.

Established in 1978, Gulf Paper Manufacturing was the first company to start manufacturing paper in the Gulf region in 1981. Owned by two families of Kuwaiti entrepreneurs, it operates three production lines at its Mina Abdullah paper mill in Kuwait: PM1 produces packaging grades, mainly Fluting medium, Test liner and white top liner, using 100% recycled paper; PM2 manufactures tissue from 100% virgin pulp; the third is a tissue converting line.

Valmet will supply new reel and winding technology and surrounding equipment for Metsä Board Kyro mill in Finland. In the rebuild, new reel and winder with an automatic transfer rail connection will be installed to modernize the board machine KK 1. The start-up is scheduled for the second half of 2021.

Sonoco (NYSE: SON) announced it is increasing prices for all paperboard tubes and cores sold in the United States and Canada by a minimum of 8 percent, effective with shipments on and after Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today released its March 2020 Containerboard Monthly report. Total Containerboard production in March increased 10 percent compared to March 2019. It was up eight percent when compared to the same three months of 2019.

New-Indy Containerboard announced that it has acquired Shoreline Container, a Michigan-based paper and packaging company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Voith strengthens its winder product portfolio with the introduction of the new TwinDrive double unwind, another solution for significantly boosting winding capacity. The system was specifically developed for paper manufacturers that impose the most stringent efficiency requirements on their production process.

Whatever line of work you are in, there are probably bits of jargon or terms of art that you use. In our world, we talk a lot about forest management, and naturally enough, about managed forests. So, what does that mean?

Lessebo Paper launched Lessebo Recycled in 2019, an uncoated range of papers produced from sorted waste, sourced from Europe. This innovative product made with recycled content is now FSC® certified (licence code FSC-C021923).

Dale Robert Dill, Ph.D., passed away April 15, 2020. He graduated from Kansas University with a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Dill was a longtime employee of Monsanto, where he was awarded multiple patents in the area of paper chemistry; he became known as “Mr. Size Press” for his important work in that area.

Verso Corporation (NYSE: VRS) today announced that Matthew M. Archambeau has been appointed Verso's Senior Vice President, Manufacturing and Energy, effective immediately.

The Arne Asplund Mechanical Pulping Award for 2020 has been granted to Mr Bengt Åkerblom, Vårby, Sweden, the owner and founder of Dametric AB.

Join Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar of Texas Tech University on April 28th as he discusses the functional applications of textile substrates given the challenges brought upon by COVID-19 Coronavirus. Register now or learn more here.

Register today for TAPPI's latest free webinar, Do We Need an Industry 4.0 Lexicon?
Held on Wednesday, April 29 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST.

TAPPI Academy offers many alternative training options that you could utilize during any downtime.

Reach out and find a mentor or protégé. Use TAPPI Connect’s Mentor Match to meet and stay connected while face-to-face interaction is not safe.

TAPPI is pleased to announce the recipients of its highest honors for 2020. Meet the winners and also learn which paper achieved top honors as TAPPI Journal’s Best Research Paper of the Year.

TAPPI Member Deals has a few deals that can help you while sheltering in place. Discounted Sam’s Club Membership, One-Stop-Shop for Gift Cards and bonuses for signing up for ADT Home Security.

We honor Dr. Dale Dill who was a lifetime member of TAPPI and TAPPI Fellow since 1989. He passed away on April 15, 2020. We extend our sympathy and condolences to his families, colleagues and friends.