A special mill tour of White Birch Paper’s Bear Island newsprint mill, sponsored by Nalco, will follow the TAPPI PEERS Conference and the Research Forum on Recycling October 17 -20 in Norfolk, Va., USA. Participation in this tour ($20 additional registration fee option in conference registration form) is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The tour bus will depart the Marriott hotel on Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m., for the two-hour (100-mile) run to the mill at Ashland, Va. It will depart the mill at 2:00 p.m. and arrive back at the Marriott around 4:30 p.m. The bus has WiFi, A/C, bathrooms, and a video screen.

The Bear Island mill (photo below) produces 650 metric tpd of newsprint from TMP and recycled fiber furnishes (recycle plant has 325 metric tpd capacity). The tour will include the recovered fiber receiving warehouse (including grading or sorting area), pulping (with a view of detrasher content), flotation cells (inspection door), ccntrol room (data historian, "quality" or process intervention procedures for brightness, dirt, stickies, etc.), and dry lab of machine (with paper samples or tear-offs available for inspection). A wrap-up Q&A session and lunch will take place immediately after the tour. In addition, other areas within the mill that have both group interest and mill accessibility will be available.

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Range Fuels, Broomfield, Colo., USA, reported this past week that its commercial cellulosic biofuels plant near Soperton, Ga., has started production of cellulosic methanol using non-food biomass in the initial phase of operations. The first phase of the Soperton Plant operations employs Range Fuels’ two-step thermochemical process, which uses heat, pressure, and steam to convert non-food biomass, such as woody biomass and grasses into a synthesis gas composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The syngas is then passed over a proprietary catalyst to produce mixed alcohols that are separated and processed to yield a variety of low-carbon biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol and methanol.

The cellulosic methanol produced from Phase 1 will be used to produce biodiesel, ultimately displacing diesel oil in transportation fuel markets. It may also be used to displace diesel in heating applications, used as a fuel additive in gasoline-powered motor vehicles, or used to power fuel cells. Range Fuels plans to begin production of cellulosic ethanol from the plant in the third quarter this year. The cellulosic ethanol will meet ASTM standards for fuel-grade ethanol and will be used to displace gasoline in local and regional transportation fuel markets.

"We are ecstatic to be producing cellulosic methanol from our Soperton Plant, and are on track to begin production of cellulosic ethanol in the third quarter of this year," David Aldous, Range Fuels’ president and CEO, said. "This milestone is a giant step in overcoming the technological and financing challenges facing the commercialization of cellulosic biofuels and positions us extremely well to expand production of cellulosic biofuels. Additionally, with the first U.S. commercial production of cellulosic biofuels from non-food biomass, Range Fuels has taken a giant step in delivering on its vision of offering solutions to the pressing global challenges of energy independence, the environment, and the economy."

The Soperton Plant will initially use woody biomass from nearby timber operations, but plans to experiment with other types of renewable biomass as feedstock for the conversion process, including herbaceous feedstocks such as miscanthus and switchgrass. Range Fuels plans to expand the capacity of the plant to 60 million gal of cellulosic biofuels annually with construction to begin next summer. The Soperton Plant is permitted to produce 100 million gallons of ethanol and methanol each year.

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Total U.S. printing and writing (P&W) paper shipments increased 1% in July compared with July 2009, according to AF&PA’s July 2010 Printing-Writing Paper Report released this week. Three of the four major P&W grades posted increases compared with last July. U.S. purchases (shipments + imports – exports) of P&W papers declined 1% in July. Total P&W paper inventory levels increased 3% from June 2010. Some additional key findings include:

• Uncoated free sheet year-to-date shipments increased versus the same seven months of 2009, the seventh consecutive month where 2010 y-t-d exceeded 2009 y-t-d
• Coated free sheet shipments increased y/y for the ninth consecutive month
• Coated mechanical shipments surged for ninth double-digit growth versus year-ago
• Uncoated mechanical shipments increased y/y for the seventh consecutive month.

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August newsprint prices in the U.S. rose for the twelfth consecutive month (+ $10/metric ton to $640/metric ton in the East and $5/metric ton to $590/metric ton in the West), as reported by Mark Wilde, senior analyst with Deutsche Bank. The increase was driven by pass-thru of earlier price hikes (especially for big national buyers) and implementation of Boise’s $25/metric ton increase, he adds.

Considering secular issues facing the newsprint industry, producers are exploring opportunities to move some capacity to other paper grades such as kraft paper and light-weight containerboard. Producers are also focusing on off-shore markets like Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East where demand is growing, Wilde explains.

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All major North American producers (NewPage, Verso, Myllykoski N.A., Abitibi, Catalyst, and Irving) have announced a $60/ton price increase on uncoated mechanical grades, effective mid-September/early-October, Wilde says. If successful, this will be the third price increase for the year. The current price increase is driven by improving industry fundamentals—reduced supplies, improving order backlogs, and higher operating rates. The current price hike is also driven by improvement in advertising demand in the second quarter and a pick-up in catalog business. List prices in August remained flat. In July, prices were up for most of the uncoated mechanical grades, while preliminary July shipments were slightly weaker than expected.

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In uncoated free sheet, the North American market "is just about OK," Wilde says, noting that 50-lb offset roll prices in August rose $5/ton to $930 - $950/ton. Prices for 20-lb repro bond were flat at $1,100 - $1,140/ton. Domtar recently announced a $40/ton price increase on certain premium grades (excluding commodity UFS grades) for deliveries after August 15. Wausau also set a 3% - 5% increase on premium and specialty papers. Discussions with trade contacts suggest that market conditions remain steady (high operating rates and low inventory levels), Wilde adds.

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Bleached board/SBS in North America, Wilde reports, is "a tight market," with 16-pt folding carton rising $10-15/ton to $1,090 - $1,140/ton in August (+8.8% y/y), essentially completing the $50/ton price hike. This is the second price increase after the $40/ton April price increase. The current price hike is driven by improved demand (strong order backlogs and high operating rates) and tight supplies (spring maintenance downtime and machine closures), Wilde explains. "We've heard skepticism from some carton converters, suggesting miss-match between carton volumes and tight markets," he adds. Prices for 14-pt cupstock were flat at $1,350 - $1,405/ton after two price increases of $50/ton each in March and June/July.

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List prices for coated unbleached kraft board (20-pt folding carton) were flat in August after the $40/ton price increase in June/July (first increase since August 2008), Wilde says. At current levels of $865 - $925/ton, prices are up 4.7% y/y. The recent price increase was driven by strong beverage demand and a pick-up in back-to-school activity. This increase will help restore the spread with coated recycled board prices, which rose in September 2009, January 2010, April 2010, and August 2010. Based on strong demand and reduced supply (Graphic Packaging’s closure of Golden, Colo., beverage packaging plant and six folding carton plants), Graphic Packaging (No. 1 North American producer) recently announced a $50/ton price increase, effective at the end of this month).

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AbitibiBowater, Montreal, Que., Canada, reported this week that it has settled with the Government of Canada regarding its assets and rights in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, expropriated by the provincial government under Bill 75 in December 2008. The Government of Canada will pay AbitibiBowater C$130 million, representing not more than the fair market value of those rights and assets, following the company's emergence from creditor protection.

As part of the settlement agreement, AbitibiBowater will waive its legal actions and claims against the Government of Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The settlement agreement is conditional upon AbitibiBowater obtaining approval of its terms by the Superior Court of Quebec in the CCAA proceedings and by the U.S. court in the chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings as well as court approvals in the U.S. and Canada of AbitibiBowater's restructuring plans. Following emergence, the settlement payment will be paid to the new Canadian entity.

"We believe this is an acceptable settlement for our company, stakeholders, and creditors, given the set of circumstances faced by the company at this particular time as well as the inherent uncertainty of any judicial process," David J. Paterson, president and CEO, said. "We are now able to move forward and focus on finalizing our restructuring process and plans to emerge from creditor protection in the fall 2010."

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Ahlstrom, Helsinki, Finland, reports that it has completed a project to increase the speed of an off-line coater at its Jacareì mill in Brazil. The higher speed of the coater will significantly boost coating capacity of the mill and, the company notes, will enable it to better satisfy the growing demand for coated papers and further reinforce the company’s leadership in the Brazilian and South American markets.

The Jacareì mill mainly produces one-side coated papers for release liners, labels, packaging, and other coated specialties. A large part of Ahlstrom's coated papers are also produced in Europe at mills in Stenay, France, and Osnabrück, Germany. The Stenay, Osnabrück, and Jacareì mills are part of Ahlstrom's Label and Processing Business Area, which operates seven production sites in France (3), Germany (2), Italy (1), and Brazil (1).

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Japanese Oji Paper Co. will build a greenfield kraft pulp mill in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, in the southern part of China. To be supplied by Metso of Finland, startup of the pulp mill is scheduled for the end of 2012. The value of the order will not be disclosed, but according to Metso, a typical value of this type of a pulp mill ranges from EUR 100 to 150 million, depending on the scope of the delivery.

Metso's scope of supply covers all main process equipment for the new mill, including chip screens and storage systems, a continuous cooking system, a fiberline including wash presses, ozone bleaching, a wet lap machine, a recovery boiler, an evaporation system, a white liquor plant, and a gas handling system.

The new pulp mill will produce 700,000 metric tpy of bleached hardwood pulp and will be integrated with an existing paper machine at the Nantong mill.

Oji Paper Co. Ltd., one of the world's largest paper producers, manufactures paper, pulp, and processed paper goods, including newsprint, carbonless paper, wrapping and packaging paper, and paperboard. The new pulp mill in Nantong is a part of Oji's strategy to promote business expansion in East Asia.

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A joint venture formed by Olayan Group, Saudi Arabia, and Kimberly-Clark Corp., Dallas, Texas, USA, has ordered a turn-key tissue production line to be installed at its Bahrain mill. The new Bahrain TM 2 line, to be supplied by Voith Paper, Germany, will be located in Isa Town, close to the capital of Manama.

Olayan, one of the largest industrial groups in Saudi Arabia, and Kimberly-Clark, the biggest tissue producer worldwide, have been working together for decades. The TM 2 (details not yet disclosed) will be their second joint venture tissue machine in Bahrain. With the new machine, they intend to consolidate their position in the market.

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BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany, reports that it will contribute EUR 250,000 to the United Nations Central Emergency Fund (CERF) for immediate aid to flood victims in Pakistan. The donation, provided by the BASF Social Foundation, will be used in on-site initiatives such as the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). BASF notes that this way ensures that food, medicine, and relief goods will reliably reach those most in need.

BASF also has started an employee donation campaign at its headquarters in Ludwigshafen. Immediately following the first floods, BASF Pakistan and its employees began relief actions with an initial donation of EUR 40,000. Individual BASF employees also supported the company's internal flood-relief committee, donating food, medicines, and utensils for the relief packets prepared for distribution. BASF established distribution points around company sites in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Sialkot, where relief packets containing basic food items, clothes, bed sheets, clean drinking water, and medicinal aid to combat water-borne diseases are being distributed. Around 1,000 relief packets offering emergency aid to the flood-hit villages and families in the interiors of Punjab and Sindh were dispatched via road.

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The Netherlands-based Paper Excellence division of Indonesia's Sinar Mas Group has re-started the Mackenzie, B.C., Canada, pulp mill formerly owned by Pope & Talbot (Portland, Ore., USA). The town of Mackenzie this past week held a celebration of the re-start, which has generated approximately 220 direct jobs, 500 indirect jobs, and will provide the local community with a significant economic uplift.

A single-line mill, Mackenzie has the capacity to produce some 235,000 metric tons of softwood market pulp annually, including sawdust based pulp and long fiber pulp. It was built in 1972 and was significantly modernized in 1996 with the addition of short fiber softwood digesting production capabilities.

Paper Excellence had first tried to acquire the Mackenzie mill out of bankruptcy in 2008 as part of a three-pulp mill (and a sawmill) $225 million deal that subsequently fell through. A company called Worthington Mackenzie bought the mill in late 2008. After that company walked away from obligations a month later, the provincial government assumed the $1 million a month maintenance costs to keep equipment from freezing in the winter. Several other attempts to acquire the facility failed before the final deal with Paper Excellence was negotiated.

For the re-start, the Canadian Ministry of Forests and Range played a key role in helping the Mackenzie pulp mill secure a new fiber supply, according to local newspaper reports. The ministry reached an economic development agreement with the McLeod Lake Indian Band that provides a five-year, 4 million m³ fiber supply opportunity for the mill. The Province is also investing $10.75 million for an improved road, connecting the communities of Mackenzie and Fort St. James, to ensure that logs and wood fiber for bioenergy can move more efficiently between the two communities.

Paper Excellence said in a newspaper report that it expects the Mackenzie operation will supply 80% of its product directly to affiliated mills in Asia, with the other 20% going to customers in North America.

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Metso, Finland, has acquired Camoplast–Finntrack Oy’s rubber belt related business located in Tampere, Finland, for an undisclosed price. The business will be affiliated with Metso’s Paper business line, complementing its product and service offering to the paper industry. The Camoplast–Finntrack rubber belts will serve users of Metso’s winders worldwide.

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Verso Paper Corp., Memphis, Tenn., USA, has launched a mobile website designed especially for customers and the financial community. The mobile version of the company’s website features a simple and efficient user interface that provides quick access to Verso product specifications, contact information for the company’s inside and outside sales representatives, and investor relations information. To access the mobile version of Verso’s corporate website, enter www.versopaper.com in a smart phone’s browser.

"We strive to provide our customers with tools that make doing business with Verso simple. With the proliferation of smart phones and the increase in mobile browsing, I believe providing a mobile version of our corporate website is a step in the right direction," says Mike Weinhold, senior VP of Sales and Marketing. "Future phases of this mobile site will include the ability for our customers to access their own order information and search for available inventory, enabling them to get the information they need to make decisions more quickly, even when they are on the go."

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KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp., Northbrook, Ill., USA, announced this week that it has been ranked fifth on Fortune magazine’s annual list of the 100 Fastest Growing Companies. The ranking, from the September 6, 2010 issue of Fortune, is based on revenue growth rate, EPS growth rate, and three-year annualized total return to investors.

Roger Stone, CEO, said that "we are pleased to be recognized by Fortune as one of the top growing companies. We are encouraged by the trends we see in the marketplace and believe we are strategically well positioned for continued growth."

KapStone is a North American producer of unbleached kraft paper products and linerboard. It operates mills in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and North Charleston, S.C., a lumber mill in Summerville, S.C., and five chipping mills in South Carolina. The company employs some 1,600 people.

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Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Co., China, has ordered a new coated cartonboard production line from Metso, Finland, for its Hongmei mill in Guangdong province, China. Startup of the new production line is scheduled for the end of 2011. The value of the order is not disclosed, but according to Metso, the typical value of a board production line of this type is about EUR 70-90 million, depending on the scope of delivery and production output.

Metso’s delivery will include a complete white lined chipboard machine, from four-ply multi-fourdrinier forming section to winder, with related air systems.

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Co., is one of China's largest paper and pulp producers, currently employing more than 7,000 people. In 2009 the company had a combined production capacity of close to 4.5 million metric tpy of paper and 300,000 metric tpy of pulp. In the financial year ending March 2010, the Group’s net sales amounted to about EUR 1.3 million.

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Stora Enso, Finland, will sell its Baienfurt mill site in Germany to the IGV Industrie und Gewerbeverwaltungs GmbH, a subsidiary of the Lower Bavarian Karl Gruppe, which specializes in acquiring and restructuring industrial sites. The transaction includes the land and buildings of the former Baienfurt cartonboard mill, except the sheeting center and the board machine. The mill had a cartonboard production capacity of 190,000 metric tpy, which ended in December 2008.

Following the divestment, Stora Enso says it will release approximately EUR 45 million of environmental and dismantling provision in the third quarter of 2010 as a positive non-recurring item. The transaction is
expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter.

According to Karl-Gruppe's current plans, the mill site will be developed as a business/industrial park utilizing existing buildings as well as erection of new commercial properties. The site will no longer be used for cartonboard production.

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The new FS folio sheeter, a joint development of E.C.H. Will, Hamburg, Germany, and Pemco, Sheboygan, Wis., USA, is especially designed to meet particular, growing needs of the Asian paper industry in regard to efficiency, flexibility, and quality. With its modular design, working widths from 1,800 to 2,400 mm, and wide variety of configurations from basic to specialized, the new sheeter enables regional or specialized paper mills and converters to act flexible and to easily adapt to different and evolving market needs.

The basic FS configuration is a solid machine with a best-in-class price-performance ratio that can be easily enhanced by different options to the machine concept or by later rebuilds or upgrades. A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) can be integrated to the sheeter to further enhance productivity throughout the whole plant. Additionally, the machine can be fitted with PRO technology from E.C.H. Will for mark-free sheeting of sensitive coated paper and board grades.

The Wrapmatic GRM folio-size ream wrapper from Pemco is the perfect companion to the FS folio sheeter, according to the joint developers. Being a high-performance automatic wrapper with a modular wrapping system and various options to meet any production requirement, the Wrapmatic GRM wrapper handles various ream sizes and all sorts of paper, also coated and carbonless, at a maximum speed of 17 reams/min.

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Honeywell, Morristown, N.J., USA, has introduced its RC500 Remote Terminal Unit (RTU), a modular and scalable controller that integrates with SCADA technology to give industrial manufacturers tighter control of remote operations. The RC500 is designed to withstand harsh environments and is ideal for remote automation needs such as those found in oil and gas applications. It also can operate using minimal electricity, making it suitable to run on solar power and for providing continuous monitoring of remote, fixed assets.

RC500’s open communication platform integrates seamlessly with Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS). When combined with Experion’s SCADA products, the RC500 helps facilities more effectively manage complex remote automation and control applications such as gas flow metering, data concentrator and communications integration, well-head control, pump and compressor control, block-valve automation, and gas stations, leading to a lower total cost of ownership.

With its embedded Linux platform, the RC500 RTU line features models with flexible communication ports and protocol options, enabling facilities to cost-effectively expand the system. It also supports industry standard protocols Modbus and DNP3. Additionally, RC500 is capable of peer-to-peer I/O transfers, making it ideal for transferring and sharing information between devices in a large network.

Other key features include data-logging capabilities with the option to record I/O values and log them into data files. This means critical data from the field is not missed and is available for analysis. Facilities can retrieve the data files and then display them using many applications. The RC500 also features self-resetting fuses, an independent watchdog function for health monitoring and an Ethernet I/O-2 module.

More information about the RC500 RTU and other Honeywell control systems is available online.

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SCA, Sweden, has launched its new ZeoCool temperature controlled packaging that has no internal or external power source. Controlling the internal payload space by reacting to the external ambient temperature, ZeoCool maintains product integrity of +2° C to +8° C. Combining both heating and cooling technology through exothermic reactions and evaporative cooling, ZeoCool eliminates the need for conditioning coolants with fridges and freezers. Compared with standard passive shipping systems, ZeoCool has a significantly reduced size, providing users greater payload space and significantly reduced distribution costs. ZeoCool is ideal for all modes of transport--air, sea, and road.

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Sappi, Brussels, Belgium, will raise prices of coated fine papers (woodfree coated sheets and reels) by at least 7% and uncoated fine papers (woodfree uncoated sheets and reels) by a minimum of 10%, effective September 1. The company attributes the increases to "the continuous rise in input costs that has kept the profitability for the industry at unacceptably low level."

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M-real, Finland, announced that it is raising the price of all of its Kemiart white-top kraftliner grades, beginning September 20. The increase is EUR 50 per metric ton in continental Europe and £45 per ton in the U.K. The company says it also will start negotiations with customers regarding shorter payment terms. The company notes that the increases are driven by strong demand and increased input and transportation costs.

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Also driven by strong demand and increased input and transportation costs, M-real reports that it will raise the price for all of its cartonboard grades, effective October 4. The increase is EUR 100 per ton in continental Europe and £100 per ton in the U.K. As with its white-top kraft linerboard, the company says it will also start negotiations with customers regarding shorter payment terms.

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AquAeTer Inc., Brentwood, Tenn., USA, reports that its president and founder, Michael R. Corn, was recently selected and certified by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers as a Board Certified Environmental Engineer. One of only 2,500 Board Certified Engineers in the world, Corn has consulted for more than 35 years on environmental engineering challenges throughout the U.S. and around the world. He has been a member of TAPPI since 1984 and was a past program chair for the TAPPI Environmental Conference and recipient of the Roy F. Weston Environmental Technical Award from the TAPPI Engineering Division.

AquAeTer recently celebrated its eighteenth year in business. The company has offices in Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Montana, and Tennessee.

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MeadWestvaco Corp., Richmond, Va., USA, this week announced that Guillaume de Demandolx has assumed the role of VP of Sales and Marketing for MWV’s Beauty & Personal Care and Home & Garden businesses. In his new role, de Demandolx will lead the strategy and the sales and marketing teams for these businesses in Europe and in Asia. He will also continue to work with MWV’s Operations leadership to provide oversight and coordination for the activities of MWV’s Wuxi facility (China) along with supporting the company’s emerging market growth efforts.

Having joined Saint–Gobain Calmar in the U.S. in 2005, de Demandolx moved to Shanghai in 2006 after the acquisition by MWV. He spent the past four years leading MWV’s organization in Asia for both dispensing systems and folding carton packaging. His prior experience includes General Electric in France and Saint–Gobain Pipe division in the U.K

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Have you ever heard of a 120-year-old company (in our industry) with more than 5,000 employees in 28 countries, who had red ink in only one year? I am sure there are others but my memory escapes me at the moment. You may know them as BOBST, FISCHER & KRECKE, KOCHSIEK, ROTOMEC, TITAN, ATLAS, GENERAL, ASITRADE, or MARTIN. (And by the way, the 2010 Flexographic Technical Innovation Award winner for F&K’s smart GPS exclusive Graphic Positioning System.)

I know them as BOBST GROUP, Sustaining TAPPI member for 44 years, great supporters of our corrugated events, and this week as Mike D’Angelo, Vice President Business Unit Web Fed, and Steve Creasey, Business Director Business Unit Sheet Fed. They are two members of a worldwide leading supplier of equipment and services to packaging manufacturers in the folding carton, corrugated board and flexible materials industries. 

On Wednesday August 18, 2010, Eric Fletty and I had the privilege of visiting Bobst Group North America headquarters in Roseland, NJ.

Steve Creasey  has been with Bobst for 16 years. He is originally from the UK but most recently he is a transplant from Shanghai, China, where he was a key player with their folding carton operations. Bobst has had plants in China since 1997. Their main product lines dealt with tobacco, general packaging and pharmaceuticals. Steve will take over for Mike D’Angelo as he moves into the Flexible Packaging business segment arena. Although Bobst has been involved in flexible packaging since 1988, the company is still viewed as a relative newcomer to many people. Mike is in his 28th year with Bobst and still maintains a very positive spirit towards our industry. He has also been a loyal TAPPI member since 1983.

The New Jersey location was formerly a manufacturing plant for many years. After consolidation it now serves their customers in the following distinct areas:

• Product Demonstration Center
• Training Center
• 24/7 Customer Service
• 24/7 Technical Service Support Center
• Parts Warehouse and Distribution Center

The 80-plus employees in NJ seem to like what they are doing very well as they support all 280 employees in North America. Some of them have been around for 40 years. The smiles from everyone I spoke to was also a big tip off.

Mike's Top Three views on TAPPI membership are as follows:

• TAPPI definitely suits the needs for networking with customers on a global stage. The local sections also provide a very good venue for networking on the local stage.

• We need a clearing house for industry information and TAPPI fills that need.

• TAPPI provides an opportunity to serve the industry. This allows Bobst to reinforce our image as a good industry neighbor. We have supported many TAPPI events and served on several committees over the years in the corrugated sector. Now with a whole new TAPPI, we want to branch out into the Nonwovens and Flexible packaging divisions as well.

You can come and see what Bobst has to offer at Corrugated Week 2010 in Baltimore, MD, October 4-7, 2010.

For more information on Bobst Group go to www.bobstgroup.com.

For more information on TAPPI please go to www.tappi.org.

There are two types of people in this industry, TAPPI members and those who should be.

Until next time,
Larry Back To Top

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Herbert O. Teeple passed away on August 7, 2010, at age 97 in Morristown N.J. After graduation from the University of Michigan in 1937, Mr. Teeple worked for Westvaco Chemical Co. in Charleston WV for five years and then joined the International Nickel Co. (INCO)in New York.  During the course of that employment one of the fields he was assigned to cover was the pulp and paper industry and he called on mills in the U.S. and Canada. He became quite active in TAPPI, being INCO's Sustaining Member as well as with technical committee activities, particularly in the Engineering Division.  Because of his contacts with the Canadian mills he joined the Technical Section, CPPA, and in 2001 Mr. Teeple was awarded a plaque marking his 50th year as a member of PAPTAC.

In 1954 he joined TAPPI as an individual member and in 1958 he accepted a TAPPI job as Division Administrator. His 20 years of rewarding work was augmented by several heart-warming awards, including in 1971 an Engineering Division award for services performed, and in 1977 another Engineering award for keeping the Division rating as "Number One." Teeple retired from TAPPI in 1978 and continued work with TAPPI as a consultant to the TAPPI JOURNAL advertising manager.

In 1954 Mr. Teeple received a "Proclamation" for being a "Doer of Good Things" for the Association, and in 1994 he was elected a TAPPI Fellow. In 2005 he received a "Golden Award" plaque for his 50 years as a TAPPI member, which gave him lots of satisfaction because along the way he had accumulated many friends whose kind help was greatly appreciated. Back To Top

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The 2010 TAPPI International Conference on Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry is scheduled for 27-29 September 2010 at the Dipoli Congress Centre in Espoo Finland. TAPPI, along with programming partner VTT, has created a technical program that contains more than 80 peer-reviewed papers, 40 posters, and three keynote presentations. Learn more about the event by viewing the conference brochure.

The early bird registration deadline for this conference is 31 August 2010. Register  today for the best rates. Make your reservation at the Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden by 26 August to receive the special conference rate. Back To Top

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Formerly TAPPI Engineering, Pulping and Environmental (EPE) Conference, the TAPPI PEERS Conference answers the most pressing business and technical questions faced by pulp and paper companies as they manage raw materials, assets, regulatory requirements and production assets. With eight focused tracks and more than 40 sessions, this year’s updated conference offers peer-reviewed papers, expert speakers, exclusive networking opportunities and new technologies that can help mills optimize operations.

Access the complete Conference Brochure.

What’s new and different about these events?

A Sustainability Program, organized by PIMA Management Division, focusing on business conditions, the future of fiber, and the impact of sustainability efforts on the pulp and paper industry.

Since PEERS is co-located with the 9th Research Forum on Recycling, you’ll benefit from this bonus programming and critical information for applying new research within the mill and covering a range of topics, from deinking and screening to improving recyclability and quality of recycled papers. The Research Forum on Recycling is open to all PEERS Conference participants.

A full Biorefinery Program that focuses on the latest technical advances in hemicellulose extraction for maximizing biofuel production and minimizing interference with pulp yield and characteristics.

The new Practical Mill Engineering is full of solutions for complex problems. Through workshops and roundtable discussions, mill personnel can learn workable engineering options that they can take back and apply.

No other industry event this year brings together such a vast array of technical knowledge, insight and experience. 

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Sponsored by TAPPI’s NET (Nonwovens Engineers & Technologists) Division and the Nonwovens Institute (NWI), the Innovative Nonwovens Conference (NETInc), November 10-12, 2010 in Raleigh, NC USA, is the only technical conference developed by engineers and technologists to help you understand the innovation behind the science and how it impacts the market.  View the Technical Program for this breakthrough event.

NETInc is unlike any other nonwovens conference because the program is developed by the industry experts that drive innovation and new technology in the nonwovens arena. The NET Division volunteers have strived to build a strong technical program that you have come to expect from TAPPI as well as poignant keynote sessions, cutting edge technology and a tour of NWI’s Pilot Plant facility. For more details about this event, including registration, visit www.netincevent.org.
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The TAPPI PEERS Conference features five technical workshops to help you keep current with new technologies, methods and techniques.  Two are pre-conference events (and involve an additional fee) and three take place during the conference and are included in your conference registration.  All are an excellent investment in your career!  Register by September 20 for the best rates.

Workshops include:

Advances in Paper Recycling Workshop
12:30 pm - 5:30 pm, Sunday, October 17

Bleach Plant Operations Workshop
8 am - 4 pm, Sunday, October 17

BioSat Workshop
1:30 pm - 3 pm, Monday, October 18

Piping System Simulation Workshop
8:30 am - 10:30pm, Tuesday, October 19

Pumping System Assessment Workshop
1:30 pm - 5 pm, Tuesday, October 19 Back To Top

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Keynote Speaker Terence R. "Terry" McAuliffe will speak to conference participants 8:30 to 10 a.m., Monday, October 18.

Terry McAuliffe, a leader in politics, business, and the promotion of green energy, is Chairman of Greentech Automotive (GTA), established to carry out his vision that "no green technology is truly green unless it is affordably green." McAuliffe is also an active investor in and developer of renewable energy companies and projects.

He is involved in a next-generation fuel cell company, a wind project in the southwest and is currently investigating the repurposing of shuttered paper mills for bioenergy production. McAuliffe will share how his vision applies to the pulp and paper industry and the future of renewable energy.

Learn more about TAPPI PEERS Conference and the Research Forum on Recycling.
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The Hands-On Workshop for Pulp and Paper Basics is open for registration.  This training program, scheduled for October 4 - 8 in Raleigh, N.C., will be the last opportunity this year to take advantage of this popular training program.  Co-sponsored by TAPPI and North Carolina State University, this five-day workshop is ideal for process engineers, manufacturing operators and technicians, sales and service personnel, machine operators and maintenance personnel -- everyone who wants a better understanding of the pulp and paper business.

You can expect to learn more about pulping, bleaching, chemical recovery, recycling, papermaking and converting all in the short span of one week.  The workshop balances lectures with labs and helps you acquire a lasting background to pulp and paper technology, operations and markets.  And, for those of you seeking CEU credits, this workshop offers 3.7 continuing education units (CEUs) to participants who attend at least 80 percent of the education sessions and complete a final program evaluation.  Register by September 20 to ensure your involvement in this comprehensive workshop. Back To Top

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Conference attendee registration for BioPro Expo & Marketplace 2011, the largest conference and exposition in the Southeast covering ‘ready for market’ technologies and processes for the biomass production and consumption process, has officially opened.

This event registration also includes the International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference (IBBC), which is co-located with the BioPro Expo event.

BioPro Expo & Marketplace 2011 and IBBC will be held on March 14-16, 2011, at the Atlanta Hilton in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This event will provide suppliers of agricultural, municipal and wood wastes, as well as producers of dedicated energy crops and food processing facilities, with in-depth educational sessions and a comprehensive trade show and marketplace focused on practical ways to transition products, residues and waste streams to energy along with critical biofuel/bioproduct resources.

Visit BioPro Expo & Marketplace or IBBC to learn more about these events and to register to attend.
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TAPPI is proud to be a co-sponsor of Paper Middle East 2010 to be held at the Cairo International Convention Centre, Egypt, September 18-20, 2010.

The paper industry has a long history in the region and is been as one of the major strategic industrial sectors that have great impact on the national economy of many Arab states. That is why PaperME Exhibition was born to meet the strong growth and the market demand in all the Middle East and Africa.

Paper Middle East Exhibition (PaperME 2010) is now well on the way to be the largest and most specialized international exhibition held in the Middle East and Africa for the paper, board, tissue industry. It is viewed as one of the must-attend and most authoritative exhibitions for highly qualified business dealings and a place where all companies can sign important commercial partnerships.

More information about this program is available at www.papermideast.com/
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This November 10-11, join your colleagues in Chicago, Ill. USA for Specialty Papers 2010 -- the only conference devoted exclusively to the latest developments in the specialty papers sector.

The technical program includes 18 presentations from a cross-section of industry experts from organizations like Suntech Resources LLC, Hewlett Packard, Kimberly Clark, FPInnovations and Western Michigan University. You will find two days of in-depth coverage of global market trends; insights into how to improve the manufacturing process, reduce costs and increase competitiveness; the latest technology developments and the forecast for sustainability and LCA. The conference includes two round-table lunches covering the industry's hot-button topics (as determined by attendees!) where attendees can share and learn from successes and setbacks.

Register before August 27, 2010 to take advantage of the 'Super Early Bird' savings! Back To Top

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Call for papers now open!  Exhibition & Sponsorship opportunities now open!

TAPPI is proud to once again be a co-sponsor of 65th Appita Annual Conference and Exhibition to be held at the Energy Events Centre, Rotorua, New Zealand, April 10 - 13, 2011.

Papers are now being invited for presentation at the 65th Appita Annual Conference & Exhibition. The 65th Appita Annual Conference & Exhibition showcasing the latest innovations, technologies and techniques is to be held on April 10 - 13 in Rotorua, New Zealand.  The 2011 event, themed "Innovate for the Future" – Resources-Pulp-Paper-Print-Packaging, will cover all aspects of the industry through the supply chain, from resources through to print and packaging. The Conference will explore new opportunities and techniques to drive innovation in manufacturing and converting processes.

Closing Date for Offers: 5 November 2010.

More information is available at www.appita.com.au/conference65.
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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." – (anon.)
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