The Herty Advanced Materials Development Center, Savannah, Ga., USA, will mark its 75th year anniversary this year by celebrating its achievements, milestones, and growth. Through a host of activities, Herty will honor the legacy of Dr. Charles H. Herty, whose pioneering work in process chemistry helped create the modern pulp and paper industry in the Southeastern U.S. The Herty Center will recognize its long-standing achievements and its industrial partners, the impact it has had on economic growth, and present its exciting new initiatives.

Established by the State of Georgia in 1938, the Herty Center was created to provide research and development support to the pulp and paper industry. Early work at the Herty Center focused on chemical pulping and the commercialization potential of southern softwoods, and especially southern pine. This work directly enabled the modern pulp and paper industry to develop in Georgia and throughout the Southeast. This industry has evolved to become a key industry within Georgia, topping $25 billion in output in 2011, providing more than 118,000 jobs and generating $15.1 billion in revenues, with the majority of this coming from pulp and paper manufacturing.

Today, the Herty Center specializes in biomass conversion technologies, advanced non-woven materials, fibers, and pulp and paper operations. Herty is a "new product accelerator" for its clients by offering technical, market, manufacturing, and development services.

"The Herty Center is recognized as a global leader in technology development," Dr. Alexander Koukoulas, president and CEO, said. "We validate new process and product concepts for industries in a variety of key market sectors including pulp and paper, chemicals, non-woven materials, and the emerging biomass-to-energy industry. With a solid tradition and recognized reputation in our contract manufacturing capabilities, we also partner with many of our clients to demonstrate new ideas, develop novel products, and de-risk the commercialization of new technologies. We have a great track record and look to continue the legacy of quality service, while developing strong partnerships and cooperative agreements that can accelerate new technology development."

In 2011, the State of Georgia transferred management of Herty to Georgia Southern University (GSU) to enhance economic and business development in the state of Georgia. Some of the Center's accomplishments include:

• Development of the acid sulfite process based on southern pine
• Development of cellulose acetate from southern pine
• New processing technologies for recycling fiber
• Novel wet-laid industrial non-woven products
• Creation of processes to add strength to building and paper products
• Development of synthetic fabrics for the medical industry
• Development of advanced composites for the transportation industry.

More information on the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center is available online.

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Sappi Fine Paper North America (SFPNA), Boston, Mass., USA, this week announced its call for entries for the 2013 North American Printers of the Year awards, a competition that recognizes print excellence and innovation across 10 categories for work produced on Sappi papers. In addition to industry-wide recognition, award-winning printers may receive up to $20,000 in design support and 5,000 lbs of paper towards marketing and brand initiatives. Selected printers will also gain increased visibility with current and potential clients by being featured on their own page in Sappi's Printers of the Year Online Resource, a database tool for designers, print buyers, and corporations.

All entries must be received by February 22. Printers can submit any work printed in the U.S. or Canada between January 1 and December 31, 2012, that uses Sappi paper as the dominant stock. For each entry, six copies of the printed piece must be submitted by mail along with one copy of the entry form. An entry form and downloadable PDF entry form are available online. For more details and the entry form, contact Sappi at 1.800.882.4332.

Printers may submit entries for one of the following 10 categories: Annual Reports, Books, Brochures, Calendars, Catalogs, Digital Print, Magazines (sheetfed), Magazines (web), Printer's Own Promotions, or General Print (any printed material not included in the other categories). Each printer may submit an unlimited number of entries but each entry must be accompanied by its own entry form. The awards are:

• Gold Award winners represent the top prize in each category and are designated Sappi Printers of the Year. The 10 Gold winners are each rewarded with up to $20,000 and 5,000 lb. of paper in support of the printer's marketing and brand initiatives.
• Silver Award winners from each Sappi North America sales region are chosen in each of the 10 categories. Finalists then move on to represent their regions in the challenge for the Gold Awards and vie for Sappi Printers of the Year status.
• Gold, Silver and Judges' Award winners will be featured on their own updatable web page in Sappi's Printers of the Year online resource to better connect them with designers, print buyers, and corporations.
• Bronze Award winners will be included in the Printers of the Year online database, with their contact information available to all users.

All entries will be judged on overall impact of the piece, degree of difficulty in the printing techniques, and technical excellence. A panel of judges was chosen from recognized print institutions and trade professions, including: Lauren Elliot, principal of Wicked Good Print Production; Dr. Malcolm Kief, professor in the Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly; Ken Lantz, independent print and process consultant based in New York; and James K. Tenorio, professor in the Graphic Communications Management Program at University of Wisconsin-Stout Wisconsin's Polytechnic University.

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This year's TAPPI-PIMA Student Summit was hosted by North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., USA, which gave the other attending schools a taste of southern hospitality. One hundred ninety five students attended the 2013 Summit, including three that attended from TAPPI's Student Chapter in Grenoble, France. Fifty-six industry professionals attended. Most of the industry representatives were there to participate in recruitment interviews.

The Career Fair was especially successful. Students were able to speak directly to company representatives in an informal setting. Job interviews took place nonstop on both Saturday and Sunday, with one company reporting that it had made five job offers before noon on the first day.

The technical sessions were well received. Gary Scott chaired a young professional's panel on the decision to enter the job market or go to graduate school. Margaret Joyce presented a fascinating update on her work in printed electronics at Western Michigan University. Tyrone Wells, Ph.D. candidate from IPST, gave a presentation on his research—using bacteria to change lignin into biodiesel. Bob Kinstrey with Jacobs Engineering provided an overview of project management.

Those interested in the 2014 Student Summit can contact David Bell atTAPPI for more information. Karen, place the two photos in the best arrangement—general crowd first and job interviews second.

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Below is the latest listing of job openings in the TAPPI Career Center. The current listing includes job openings for a variety of positions including, R&D manager, lab director, paper mill GM, R&D manager and chemist, maintenance engineer, account sales reps, engineering intern, executive director of pulp and paper foundation, and maintenance manager. Current, specific job openings at companies and locations in the TAPPI Career Center include:

Employer	Title	Location
Boise Inc.	PPS-Mgr., Production Plant	Salt Lake City, Utah
Burrows Paper Corp.	Electrical Engineer	Mississippi
Burrows Paper Corp.	Maintenance Manager	Pickens, Miss.
Confidential	R&D Manager	Albany, Ga.
Crane & Co.	Senior Manager, Technical Support	Dalton, Ga.
DuBois Chemicals	Account Sales and/or Service Rep.	Green Bay, Wis.
DuBois Chemicals	Account Sales and/or Service Rep.	Arkansas/La.
Enzymatic Deinking Tech	R&D Chemist or Scientist	Atlanta, Ga.
FPInnovations	Black Liq. Rec./Combustion Res. Eng	Vancouver, B.C.
New Indy Containerboard	General Manager (Paper Mill)	Ontario, Canada
New-Indy Containerboard	Maintenance Engineer	Ontario, Canada
Norpac-Weyerhaeuser	Engineering Internship	Longview, Wash.
Washington P&P Foundation	Executive Director	Seattle, Wash.
Wis. Institute for Sustainable Tech.	Lab Director	Stevens Point, Wis.
Wis. Institute for Sustainable Tech.	Paper Machine and Allied Lab Spec.	Stevens Point, Wis.

More information about these jobs is available online.

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Total U.S. printing and writing (P&W) paper shipments decreased 9% in December 2012 compared with December 2011, according to the recently released AF&PA (Washington, D.C., USA) December 2012 Printing-Writing Paper Report. For the year of 2012, P&W and related paper shipments were 4.6% below the 2011 level. All four of the major P&W grades posted decreases compared with December 2011, with inventory levels increasing in November 2012, led by double-digit increases in mechanical grade papers.

Additional key findings of the report included: 

• December shipments of coated free sheet (CFS) papers decreased 7% compared with December 2011 and were down 3% for the year in 2012. Year-to-date imports of CFS through November were down 12% compared with the 11-month period in 2011. 
• Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments decreased 7% compared with December. Annual purchases of UFS papers for the year were down 4% compared with 2011. Year-to-date UFS imports were up 4% in 2012 compared with the same 11 months in 2011. 
• December uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments decreased 27% compared with December 2011, with annual shipments 17% below 2011 levels.
• December shipments of coated mechanical (CM) papers decreased 10% compared with December 2011 and 5% for the year.

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Total U.S. industry consumption of recovered paper in December 2012 was 2.38 million tons, less than 1% higher than in November, according to the AF&PA (Washington, D.C., USA) December 2012 U.S. Recovered Fiber Monthly Report. Receipts decreased for most grades and, coupled with the flat consumption, caused across-the-board decreases in inventories. Total consumption in 2012 was 3% lower than in 2011.

U.S. exports of recovered paper in November dropped off 4% from the strong October figures, though they were still 4% higher than November 2011. Total exports of recovered paper in 2012 were 5% lower than in 2011.

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Total U.S. kraft paper shipments were 118,000 tons in December 2012, a decrease of 12% compared with the prior month, according to the recently released AF&PA (Washington, D.C., USA) December 2012 Kraft Paper Report. While bleached kraft paper shipments increased year-over-year 22%, the 17% year-over-year decline in shipments of the larger segment—unbleached kraft paper—was significant enough to bring overall kraft paper shipments down compared with 2011.

Total month-end inventory increased 13% to 85,700 tons in December 2012 compared with November 2012 month-end inventories.

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Boise Cascade L.L.C., Boise, Idaho, USA (to be converted to a corporation and renamed Boise Cascade Co.), this week announced that it has commenced an underwritten initial public offering of 11,764,706 shares of its common stock pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In connection with the offering, Boise Cascade intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,764,706 shares. The estimated price range for the initial public offering is $16.00 to $18.00 per share. Boise Cascade has been approved to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance, under the symbol "BCC."

The registration statement on Form S-1 relating to these securities has been filed with the Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed through the Commission's website.

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Fortress Paper Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., Canada, reports that the cogeneration project at its Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill is nearing completion, with engineering and procurement completed and overall construction progress continuing and currently at approximately 94%. However, commissioning and startup activities have incurred delays as a result of various factors, including unforeseen piping related delays, reduced manpower availability, and minor scope of work adjustments.

As a result, the company now expects delivery of power to begin late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of this year, and anticipates additional costs in the 10%-20% range for the overall cogeneration project. Hydro Quebec is aware of the postponement and the company anticipates delivery of power pursuant to the power purchase agreement in the normal course.

The Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill continues to ramp-up its production of dissolving pulp. Despite promising operating results in November and December 2012, the mill has encountered challenging ramp-up issues that are intrinsic to a dissolving pulp mill ramp-up, the company says. It now expects that the implementation of its "Operating Excellence" program will improve operating efficiency and productivity in the near future.

Chadwick Wasilenkoff, chairman and CEO of Fortress Paper, notes that "although the beginning of 2013 has presented certain minor technical issues and constraints beyond our control, we believe that these matters will be resolved in the near term and we will continue on with our progress towards full capacity."

Fortress Paper operates in three business segments: dissolving pulp, specialty papers, and security paper products. The company operates its dissolving pulp business at the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill in Canada, which is also in the process of expanding into the renewable energy generation sector with the construction of a cogeneration facility. The company is also seeking to expand its dissolving pulp capacity with the recent acquisition of the Fortress Global Cellulose Mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Qué., Canada, which the company intends to convert into a dissolving pulp mill and where it intends to re-start the cogeneration facility.

The company operates its specialty papers business at the Dresden Mill in Germany, which produces specialty nonwoven wallpaper base products. Fortress operates its security paper products business at the Landqart Mill in Switzerland, where it produces banknote, passport, visa, and other brand protection and security papers, and at its Fortress Optical Facility in Canada, where it manufacturers optically variable thin film material.

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Great Northern Paper Mill (GNP), East Millinocket, Maine, USA, has received $50 million in New Market Tax Credit financing from Enhanced Community Development, New York, N.Y., a subsidiary of enhanced Capital Partners. The financing includes $40 million in Maine New Market Capital Investment tax credits and $10 million in Federal New Market Tax credits.

This investment will be used for capital improvements at GNP that will result in up to 50 new jobs at the mill by the end of the year, plus more than 100 new indirect jobs in related industries including logging, forestry, and trucking. The plant upgrades include a conversion from oil to clean-burning natural gas, a 30% increase in annual production capacity, and a complete overhaul of the grinder room.

Other parties involved in the deal include Cate Street Capital, Stonehenge Community Development, U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corp., Vulcan Capital, and the Finance Authority of Maine.

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Minerals Technologies Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., USA, reports that a satellite precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant announced in October 2011 at a Double A paper mill in Tha Toom, Thailand, is now operating. The joint venture is Minerals Technologies' second satellite PCC plant with Double A at the Tha Toom mill. The new PCC facility, which will be operated by Double A Specialty Minerals Co., will eventually produce some 80,000 metric tpy of PCC after it ramps up production.

The Tha Toom mill also has signed a commercial agreement for Minerals Technologies' FulFill E-325 technology. The adoption of this technology by Double A had been announced previously as an agreement with an unnamed Asian papermaker.

"Our relationship with this premier papermaker, which goes back to 1996, is further strengthened by the startup of this satellite PCC plant and the use of our FulFilltechnology," said D.J. Monagle, SVP and managing director, Paper PCC. "We are very pleased to further our long-time partnership with this environmentally focused brand leader."

Double A exports its premium copy paper to more than 100 countries and is a leader in environmentally friendly pulp and paper production based on its Farmed Trees concept. Up to one million Thai farm families plant fast-growing eucalyptus trees in previously unused space between rice patties and tapioca fields to increase their income and provide a sustainable fiber source for Double A.

Minerals Technologies constructed its first PCC satellite plant in 1986. Today, the company has 57 satellite plants in operation or under construction around the world.

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Western Forest Products Inc., Vancouver, B.C., Canada, has entered into a conditional agreement to sell its former Woodfibre Pulp Mill site for $25.5 million. The site, consisting of 212 acres of industrial waterfront land, is located at the head of Howe Sound, southwest of Squamish, B.C. Closing of the sale is subject to certain conditions, and Western will be responsible for satisfactorily remediating the property to applicable environmental standards prior to closing the sale. The net proceeds from the sale are expected to be approximately $17 million.

"Our non-core asset divestiture program will continue to further strengthen our balance sheet and provides additional financial flexibility to pursue our strategic capital plan," said Dominic Gammiero, chairman and CEO.

Western Forest Products is an integrated Canadian forest products company and the largest coastal British Columbia woodland operator and lumber producer with an annual available harvest of approximately 6.4 million cubic meters of timber, of which approximately 6.2 million cubic meters is from Crown lands and lumber capacity in excess of 1.1 billion board feet from eight sawmills and three remanufacturing plants.

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Xerium Technologies Inc., Raleigh, N.C., USA, a global manufacturer of clothing and roll covers used primarily in the paper production process, this week announced the closing of two more of its manufacturing plants, further headcount reduction in Europe, and the movement of polyurethane roll casting equipment to China. Within the last year, the company has initiated the closing of four manufacturing operations, installed new machines in low cost countries, and lowered its SG&A costs. The company is in the beginning stages of a multi-year repositioning of its cost structure and asset base to better mirror its served markets.

Xerium has begun negotiations to close its paper machine clothing facility in Zizurkil, Spain, with its employees' representatives and is closing its spreader roll facility in Charlotte, N.C. The company expects permanent annualized cost savings of $3.2 million from these actions.

"These closures, while difficult on the affected people and communities, are reflective of Xerium's need to restructure its cost profile and to better align its asset base with natural market sizes," said Harold Bevis, Xerium's president and CEO. "These actions demonstrate our management team's resolve to take immediate and continuous steps to get Xerium back on track to deliver increased Adjusted EBITDA and shareholder value."

Xerium's measures announced this week are in addition to previously announced cost restructuring actions expected to result in annual savings of $13.8 million, bringing the cost-takeout total to $17.0 million. These cumulative actions include:

• Reduction of selling costs in Europe via termination of sales agency agreements
• Closure of clothing production operation in Argentina
• Closure of roll covering plant in France
• Reduction of base costs in Europe via headcount reduction
• Closure of clothing plant in Spain
• Closure of roll covering plant in North Carolina
• Redeployment and expansion of capabilities and capacity in China and Mexico.

"The company is just getting underway with its multi-year repositioning and expects significant additional cost restructuring actions in the future. There is a pace to these repositioning actions as they are complicated and are all being funded from the company's natural cash flow," Bevis added.

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U.S. containerboard production in December 2012 grew 1.5% over November 2012 and 2.3% over the same month last year, AF&PA (Washington, D.C., USA) reports in its recently published December 2012 U.S. Containerboard Statistics Report. However, the month-over-month average daily production decreased 1.8%

The U.S. containerboard operating rate for December 2012 lost 1.7 points from November 2012, down from 96.9% to 95.2%.

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Total December 2012 boxboard production in the U.S. increased by 6.4% compared with December 2011, but decreased 0.4% from November 2012, according to the AF&PA (Washington, D.C., USA) December 2012 U.S. Paperboard Report published this week.

Unbleached kraft boxboard production increased over the same month last year and increased compared with November 2012. Total solid bleached boxboard and liner production increased compared with December 2011 and increased compared with November 2012. The production of recycled boxboard increased compared with December 2011 but decreased when compared with November 2012.

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CCL Industries Inc., Toronto, Ont., Canada, a producer of specialty packaging for the consumer products and healthcare industries, has agreed to acquire the Office & Consumer Products and Designed & Engineered Solutions businesses of Avery Dennison, Pasadena, Calif., on a debt free basis for $500 million cash. A syndicate of banks has committed to provide debt financing to close the transaction.

The two businesses had combined revenues of approximately $910 million with an estimated adjusted EBITDA of $110 million in the calendar year of 2012. The transaction requires regulatory approval but subject to that is expected to close by mid-year.

Geoffrey Martin, president and CEO of CCL Industries, said that "this acquisition has the potential to transform our company at many levels. We are acquiring the Avery brand as part of the transaction to build on the franchise established for many decades for labels and other printable media that consumers and businesses use in digital computer printers around the world. In addition, we are significantly expanding our CCL Label market sectors with our entry into the North American durable goods market. This acquisition is the largest in CCL's history and takes the company's pro-forma annual revenue above $2 billion for the first time. We know both businesses well and have admired the people and the products for many years."

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Liansheng Paper Industry Co., China, has started up a new Metso-supplied containerboard production line, PM 6, at its Longhai site in the Fujian Province of China. This is the first startup of Metso's OptiConcept M production line that "represents a new way to design, build, and operate a paper machine."

The PM 6 startup was successful with record-breaking results. "The whole startup was perfect. It took less than three hours in total from having stock on the machine to getting the web on the reel, and we had a very good startup speed of 800 m/min. No paper tails were seen on the hall floor during the startup period," Xue Rong Jun, project manager of Fujian Liansheng, said.

The new 7.25-m-wide PM 6 production line has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 metric tons of recycled fluting in the basis weight range of 65 to 100 gsm. The design speed is 1,200 m/min.

Metso's delivery included a complete OptiConcept M boardmaking line from headbox to reel with air systems, a machine control system, a quality control system, two winders, and Metso clothing.

The PM 6 OptiConcept M production line is designed for high productivity with low operating costs. Industrial design and new engineering innovations provide for simple assembly of the production line. "The installation required 30% to 40% less working hours compared with a conventional project," Jun reported.

Also, usability and safety aspects are at a new level. For instance, the design allows for easy, fast, and safe changing of wear parts, which reduces the duration and costs of maintenance shutdowns, Fujian Liansheng explained. "The design of walkways is very ergonomic, spacious. Walkways are on one level, no running up and down stairs, so the machine is very safe and convenient to operate and maintain. Since there are no cantilevering beams at the wet end, the drive side and tending side are symmetric, and the machine drive side is very spacious compared with a traditional machine construction," Jun said.

In the photo below, Chen Yan Yang, the owner of Fujian Liansheng, holds a sample of board produced on the new PM 6, which is the company's third Metso-supplied production line.

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Metsä Board Corp., a part of Finland-based Metsä Group, has divested the property and production assets of its Alizay mill site in France to Conceil Général l'Eure for EUR 22 million. Conceil Général l'Eure plans to sell the Alizay property and assets to one or several other operators.

Metsä Board had permanently shut down paper production at Alizay in early 2012, following the shutdown of pulp production in 2010, as part of the company's strategic transformation from a paper producer to a paperboard company. Together with local authorities, the company had undertaken a voluntary reindustrialization project to create jobs and draw new businesses to the site.

EUWID Pulp & Paper, Germany, reports that Thai paper manufacturer Double A, simultaneously with the sale to Conceil Général l'Eure, has taken over paper operations of the fine paper mill in Alizay for an amount of EUR 18 million. Double A reportedly has plans to restart paper operations in Alizay in four months, and will continue production of office paper with an unchanged capacity of 300,000 metric tpy. The remaining parcels and properties are to be managed by EPFN (Etablissement Public Foncier de Normandie), which plans to create a river port, among other things, EUWID added.

Metsä Board noted that divestment of the Alizay assets does not impact its annual sales and does not have any material impact on operative results. Related to the divestment, Metsä Board will book approximately EUR 16 million in positive non-recurring items in the Paper and Pulp business area's operating result. Of the non-recurring items, EUR 11 million reversal of impairment according to IFRS5 will be booked in the 4Q 2012 operating result and EUR 5 million capital gain and reversal of provisions in the 1Q 2013 operating result.

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Schumacher Packaging Werk Grudziądz, a German, family-owned company with almost 65 years of tradition, has ordered a new Intelli-Jet V® hydraulic headbox from PMP Group, Italy, The delivery will include the Intelli-Jet V hydraulic headbox with Consistency Profiling System. The 5-channel unit, approximately 3,100 mm on the pond side and with a design speed of 950 m/min, will be installed on Schumacher's PM 1, which is producing testliner. PMP Group will also be responsible for the unit's assembly and supervision over the machine's startup, which is scheduled for the second half of this year.

Currently,Schumacher Packaging owns five production sites in Germany (Ebersdorf, Sonneberg, Bielefeld, Forchheim, and Hauenstein) and three in Poland (Grudziądz, Bydgoszcz, and Wrocław).

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UPM, Helsinki, Finland, has signed an agreement to sell assets and part of the land of the UPM Stracel paper mill site in France to Blue Paper SAS, the joint venture company of VPK Packaging Group NV and Klingele Papierwerke. The transaction is expected to close during March once all legal and administrative conditions are fulfilled.

UPM stopped production of coated magazine paper at the mill on January 4. Blue Paper SAS will convert the mill to produce recycled fiber-based fluting and test liner. Production is expected to start after completing investments this September. Blue Paper SAS will create 130 new jobs at the mill that will be offered to former Stracel employees.

Also included in the purchase along with the paper machine are a waste-water treatment plant, a biomass boiler, and other ancillary equipment. With a trim width of 8.5 meters, the paper machine previously produced LWC paper at a speed of 1,600 m/min. From September, the machine will initially have an annual capacity of some 277,000 tons of fluting paper and testliner ranging from 70 to 130 gsm. Production capacity is set to increase to more than 400,000 metric tpy in due course.

The investment to bring the Strasbourg paper plant into line with the latest technical, economic, and environmental standards will total more than EUR100 million. Metso and Kadant are main suppliers for the paper machine and stock preparation, respectively.

The conversion work covers a range of measures that includes a new stock preparation based on waste paper, a new headbox, adaptation of the gap former, conversion of the press and pre-dryer section, a new film press, a new after drying section, improvements to the winders, a new anaerobic waste water treatment, and the introduction of combined heat and power generation. Further significant investments will be made in the areas of automation, process system, paper reel handling, technical and commercial computer systems, starch preparation, and extensive civil works.

The sale of Stracel was part of UPM's plan to adjust its magazine paper and newsprint paper capacity to match the needs of its global customer base originally announced in August 2011.

Klingele and VPK have a joint annual production capacity of 600,000 metric tons of paper and 1,000,000 metric tons of corrugated packaging. This level of demand allows a large portion of the output of Blue Paper to be sold internally, which significantly reduces the investment risk of this additional capacity in corrugated board based on wastepaper.

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Voith Paper, Germany, has created a new product line designed to keep energy, water, and fiber consumption in stock preparation as low as possible. At the same time, customers will profit from its high level of efficiency, quality, and reliability, the company notes.

According to Voith, the new BlueLine is highly adapted to market requirements, offering products with state of the art technology. Voith adds that the products not only give a clear savings in energy, water, and fibers, but are also maintenance-free over an especially long period. Several machine types such as the IntensaPulper, the IntensaMaXX pulper detrashing machine, and the IntegraGuard approach flow screen from BlueLine are already available.

Another BlueLine product, the InfiltraDiscfilter allows the pulp suspension to be dewatered very reliably and is almost maintenance-free. The core of the InfiltraDiscfilter is the bag-free BaglessPlus disc. The corrugated steel surface increases the filter surface of the disc and thus the capacity of the disc filter. Maintenance costs are therefore greatly reduced.

In use, installation and startup of the InfiltraDiscfilter have been quick and easy, leading to a rapid increase in earnings, Voith reports. In addition to the BlueLine products currently available, Voith says it will continue to release further innovations onto the market, such as the new BlueLine IntegraScreen and IntensaDrum drum pulper.

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RockTenn, Norcross, Ga., USA, has elected Steven Voorhees president and COO, with oversight responsibility for the company's operating businesses, including Corrugated Packaging, Consumer Packaging, and Recycling. Voorhees joined RockTenn as EVP and CFO in 2000 and added the responsibilities of chief administrative officer in 2008.

"Steve is an outstanding leader and has been instrumental in building RockTenn over his 12 year career as CFO. He has played key roles in structuring, financing, and integrating the more than $6.5 billion of acquisitions we've completed over that time. Steve has been the leader of the many finance and administrative initiatives that have helped support our operating businesses with low cost and high performing shared corporate services," said Jim Rubright, RockTenn's chairman and CEO. "Steve has a tremendous ability to generate ideas that change the way we transact business and execute them with passion and precision. In his new role, Steve will have the opportunity to continue to create value for our shareholders."

RockTenn, an integrated producer of corrugated and consumer packaging, operates locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and China. The company has some 26,000 employees.

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Harry E. Gould Jr., chairman and president of Gould Paper Corp., New York, N.Y., USA, this week announced the appointment of John S. Cooper as SVP, Corporate Marketing. Cooper, a long-time paper industry veteran, will report to David Berkowitz, EVP, Gould North America, and will be based in the company's headquarters in New York City.

Gould Paper is one of North America's four largest distributors of printing and business papers, with revenues in excess of $1 billion. In 2010, Japan Pulp and Paper purchased a 51% ownership position in Gould. With this acquisition, Gould, in concert with JPP, has offices in virtually every major city throughout the world, with total revenues in excess of $6 billion.

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The European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC) has appointed Beatrice Klose its next chairperson. Klose is the Secretary General of Intergraf - the European Association representing print and digital communications, one of the member organizations of the ERPC. She will keep the chairmanship until the end of 2014.

The ERPC was set up after the successful launch of the first European Declaration on Paper Recovery‟ as an industry own-initiative in November 2000 with the aim of monitoring the progress made towards meeting targets set out in the European Declaration. In 2011 the industry committed to meeting and maintaining a voluntary paper recycling rate target of 70% in EU 27 plus Switzerland and Norway by 2015, which is higher than in any other region in the world, and to pursue qualitative targets in areas such as waste prevention, ecodesign, and research and development.

"The ERPC has been very successful in boasting paper recovery and recycling rates and in improving the quality of paper for recycling in Europe. I intend to continue this line of work and to preserve the valuable contribution of the value chain to green growth and job creation in Europe," Klose said.

Klose graduated with a double degree from the University of Osnabrück and the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Poitiers. She has lived and worked in Germany, the U.S., France, and Belgium. Prior to her work at Intergraf, she worked for the German company Mannesmann in their liaison office in Brussels, Belgium.

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The Gulf Coast TAPPI Local Section will host its Winter Meeting on February 7-8 at the RockTenn Demopolis, Ala., mill training center. The meeting will include a Lime Kiln Maintenance Workshop and presentations on identifying and resolving kiln internal build-up issues. It will be followed by a tour of the RockTenn Demopolis mill kiln and recausticizing areas on Friday, February 8.

Please note that three or more attendees from the same plant site will receive a $20 per person registration discount.

Please direct any general meeting questions to the program chair: Glenn Hanson, IKD, (502) 338-5487.

 
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The Virginia-Carolina TAPPI Local Section is hosting its Winter Conference in Richmond, Va., USA, on Monday, February 25, with a program focus on "Boiler MACT and Bioenergy Enhancement, Policy, and Standards." Speakers include Dr. Justin Baker of RTI International, Roger Leimbach of Metso Automation, Phil Sparks of Save Environmental, and Dr. Med Byrd, Director of the Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University.

The conference will be held at the Hyatt Place Richmond Arboretum. Registration is open and table-top exhibit space can be purchased. The agenda and registration forms are both available online.

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Malcolm Taylor was one of TAPPI's longest serving members, beginning a lifetime membership that started in 1942. Born in Louisville, Ky., he received B.S. and Ch.E. degrees from the University of Louisville in 1933 and a D.Eng. degree from Yale University in 1940. From 1937 to 1937, Taylor worked as part of the New Deal as a physical science aide and junior chemical engineer. He worked with the Chemical Engineering Department of the Tennessee Valley Authority where he helped maintain Wilson Dam in Northwest Alabama. From 1937 until 1939, he was an instructor of chemical engineering at Yale University.

Dr. Taylor's long and storied history with the paper industry began in 1939 when he began work with International Paper as assistant chief chemist. In 1941 he joined Union Camp where he was assistant superintendent of process engineering in the mill technical department and later became the technical director of manufacturing operations. In 1956, he was appointed to the position of corporate technical director at the company's Wayne and New York City offices. His contributions to the industry are noted by his progression through the ranks of one of the world's largest manufacturers of kraft paper and products.

In 1963, Dr. Taylor became a key player in the establishment of the industry's smelt-water research program that focused on causes and means of prevention of smelt-water explosions in the chemical recovery boiler furnaces used by the kraft pulping industry. He served as chairman of this group's Advisory Technical Committee and was chairman of it's successor committee, the Smelt-Water Technical Committee of the Fourdrinier Kraft Board Institute. Taylor was also a member of the board of directors of the American Society for Testing and Materials. His other notable memberships included the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Chemical Society, the Paper Shipping Sack Manufacturers' Association, the National Council of the Paper Industry for Air and Steam Improvement, and the American Paper Institute. 

Since joining in 1942, Dr. Taylor was involved in many TAPPI activities. He was a member of the Chemical Products Committee, the Alkaline Pulping Committee, and the Testing Committee. He was chairman of the Paper Shipping Sack Testing Committee from 1961 to 1969. He began serving on the TAPPI Standards Committee in 1965 and became chairman in 1969.

In 1971, Taylor was honored as a TAPPI Fellow. Though he retired from all industry work by the early 1980s, he maintained his membership with TAPPI for 30 more years. Through his work and contributions he will be remembered for showing a deep awareness of the important interface between the industry's technology and its commercial interests. His leadership and talent for clear and forceful expression greatly benefited both the Association and the industry.

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A Call for Papers is underway for these three co-located events:

The 2013 TAPPI PEERS Conference, September 15-18, 2013 in Green Bay, Wi., USA has announced the Call for papers. PEERS is the perfect forum for paper industry professionals both to acquire practical operating insights and to network with industry peers in technical sessions, tutorials, round tables, new technlogy sessions and workshops. Suggested topics and more information now available. Deadline for abstracts is March 1, 2013.

An Invitation to Present has been announced for TAPPI's 2013 International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference (IBBC), September 18-20, 2013 Green Bay, Wi., USA. IBBC is the only event dedicated to advancing biorefineries in the forst product industries, and for the first time will be ehld in the Midwest, providing an expanded focus on activities in Wisconsin and surrounding areas. Suggested topics and more information now available. Deadline for abstracts is March 1, 2013.

The International Program Committee for the 10th Research Forum on Recycling announces an Invitation to Present at the 2013 event, September 16-18, 2013 in Green Bay, Wi., USA. Research engineers, scientists, and practitioners are encouraged to submit presentation proposals on all aspects of recycling technologies and operations. Submissions describing both basic and applied research results will be considered. This year's event will provide participants an extraordinary opportunity to hear about the latest in recycling research, discuss mill operation issues, network with peers, and identify future research needs of the recycling community. Deadline for abstracts is March 1, 2013. Learn more.
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The International Mechanical Pulping Conference, sponsored by PI, TAPPI, PAPTAC, SPCI and PTF, will be held on June 3-5, 2014, in Helsinki, Finland.  IMPC 2014 is a major part of PulPaper, one of the world's most premier pulp and paper exhibitions, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of PI, the Paper Engineers' Association.

The Conference Program Committee invites you to submit papers on the following topics:

1. Energy saving in Mechanical Pulping process
2. New applications and innovations
3. Raw materials in Mechanical Pulping
4. Advanced Mechanical Pulping technologies e.g.

• Process control and simulation
• Bleaching
• Water management and effluent treatment

        5.  Mill operations update e.g.

• Production cost saving technologies (energy and chemicals)
• Improving mechanical pulping business potential

        6. Mechanical pulps in paper and board.

Authors interested in presenting a paper or a poster on these topics should submit an extended abstract (˜500 words) to impc2014@vtt.fi. Abstracts are due by February 28, 2013. Authors will be notified of acceptance by May 31, 2013 and final manuscripts are due March 31, 2014.

If you have any questions, please contact Sari Liukkonen, Chair of the Program Committee at +358 40 586 0384, or by e-mail at impc2014@vtt.fi.

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TAPPI and NCSU are partnered again for the first of three introductory level courses for industry professionals that cover the entire pulping and papermaking process.

The 2013 Hands-On Workshop for Pulp and Paper Basics takes place March 4-8 at North Carolina state University in Raleigh, N.C., USA.

This workshop fills to capacity quickly, so reserve your place now so that you can:

• Find out how different processes affect paper properties
• Perform hands-on laboratory experiments to support your understanding of the process
• Run a pilot plant paper machine
• Solidify your knowledge from close interaction with professionals in small, interactive groups.

Be among the first 32 people to register for this five-day workshop, and you'll gain an invaluable overview of pulping, bleaching, chemical recovery, recycling, papermaking, and converting. You'll receive course notes, a CD, a polo shirt, and 3.7 CEUs!

This workshop is ideal for new 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.

Don't wait too long to register for the March 4-8 workshop. Two additional courses are being offered at NCSU in June and October for those who aren't able to attend the first event.

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Strengthen your understanding of the corrugating process, and linerboard and medium performance properties and manufacture with TAPPI's Linerboard Medium & Corrugated Box Manufacture Course, April 15-16, at the Holiday Inn in Neenah, Wis., USA.

With an emphasis on helping attendees improve corrugating box performance and runnability, this popular introductory to intermediate level course is ideal for process engineers and operators in linerboard and medium manufacturing facilities and corrugating and converting plants.

Instructors Michael J. Kocurek, Professor Emeritus, of Paper Science & Engineering at North Carolina State University, and Jon Porter, Senior Trainer / Process Specialist for Fosber America will address:

• The Corrugated Session (1/2 day) will cover how to achieve the strongest bond and highest quality combinerboard. You'll learn about (1) the equipment, (2) starch, (3) corrugated process technology, and (4) importance of linerboard and medium properties and runnability.
• The Properties and Testing of Liner and Medium session (1/2 day) covers the tests, what they mean, and how the properties of the board affect the tests.
• The Pulp and Paper Mill Operations session (1 day) will cover the technology of the pulp and papermaking processes, and how they affect the quality, properties, tests, and runnability of the liner and medium. 

View the proposed course schedule.

Register by March 15 to take advantage of the Early Bird registration discount. Join TAPPI or renew your membership for the best rates!

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The TAPPI Troubleshooting "Flexos" and "Die Cutters" Sustain Board Caliper & Improve Printing Course is scheduled for April 16-18, 2013, in Neenah, Wis., USA. Join industry veteran Dick Target, founder of On Target Consultants, as he helps attendees identify and address downtime issues and develop a better understanding of machine calibration and how to maintain proper board caliper during the converting process.

Target will use an easy to understand format to help attendees improve the basic manufacturing process. Topics will include: methods to minimize caliper loss in the converting process; one-box set-up techniques; and waste reduction techniques. View the course schedule.

Take advantage of the Early Bird Registration discount before March 16. Join TAPPI or renew your membership for the best rates!
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The Secret, Second Edition
What Great Leaders Know and Do

By: Ken Blanchard & Mark Miller

• Uses the popular "business fable" format that Ken pioneered
• Explains the five essential practices exhibited by the best leaders and provides practical ideas on how to make these a reality in your life.
  

At one time or another, everyone in a position of authority-whether in a multinational corporation or a local volunteer group-wonders what the key to great leadership is. And who better to answer that question than the team of Ken Blanchard, whose books on leadership have sold over 20 million copies, and Mark Miller, who worked his way up from line worker to vice president of one of the largest fast-food chains in the country. In The Secret, Blanchard and Miller use the uniquely accessible "business fable" format that Blanchard pioneered to get at the heart of what makes a leader truly able to inspire and motivate people. Debbie Brewster, recently promoted and struggling, finds herself about to lose her job due to poor performance. In an attempt to save her career, she enrolls in a new mentoring program offered by her company. Much to her surprise, Debbie finds her mentor is none other than Jeff Brown, the president of the company. Debbie decides that she is going to ask her new mentor the one question she feels she desperately needs answered: "What is the secret of great leaders?" Jeff's immediate answer-that great leaders serve their followers-completely flummoxes Debbie. Over the next 18 months, Jeff helps Debbie discover and explore five fundamental ways that leaders lead through service.

The Secret puts what Blanchard and Miller have learned about leadership in a form that anyone can easily understand, embrace, and pursue. It is a book that will benefit not only those who read it, but also the organizations they work in an the people who look to them for guidance.

The second edition includes revised and updated content including:

• A new foreword by John Maxwell
• A new resource section in the back matter summarizing key learning points
• A greater focus on the book's primary focus: servant leadership
• A more humanized protagonist
  
• Numerous other minor renovations throughout. 

Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager, the bestselling business book of all time!

Item #: 12SECRET

View the Table of Contents and Preview.

Member Price: $23.00

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PaperCon Session: Insights into Effective Labor/Management Relationships
Organized by PPMA and PIMA
Monday, April 29, 2013 - 1:30-3:00pm

Many companies have embraced innovative processes for managing labor-management relationships. These processes result in better communication, more effective problem solving, and alignment around shared business goals. Attend this session at PaperCon, part of the PIMA Management Program, and hear examples of effective labor/management teams that yield positive business results. Panelists will share first-person testimonials and stories of challenge, frustration, and success.

Moderator:
Roger Hagan, Zilkha Biomass Energy

Panelists:
Steve Myers, mill manager, Thilmany Paper, Kaukauna, Wis.
Peter Tantalo, operations manager, RockTenn Solvay, Syracuse, N.Y.
Mike Rayome, director, human resources, Graphic Packaging, Wausau, Wis.
Karl Christianson, mill manager, RockTenn, Stevenson, Ala.

PaperCon will take place April 27 through May 1, 2013, in Atlanta, Ga, USA. Designed by industry professionals, PaperCon brings together CEOs, mill managers, superintendents, scientists, process engineers, and suppliers for the largest pulp and paper technical program in the world. No other event provides such a comprehensive program, networking opportunities, and trade fair among such a distinguished group of industry leaders.

Learn more about PaperCon 2013.

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PaperCon Programs Now Available

Customize your learning and networking experience at PaperCon to best fit your professional needs. Bring back ideas, innovation that will help you be more effective and efficient.

Papermakers program will give you everything you need to know about paper machine performance evaluations, running mill trials, and product certification.

Eight peer-reviewed Coating sessions focus on scientific developments and practical tips. Highlighs include opacity enhancement with Ti02 and advancements in barrier coating.

PIMA Management sessions provide excellent insight for mill managers, production managers, and executives. This year's sessions will help you develop effective labor/management relationships and show you how to motivate today's employees.

The Tissue360 Forum provides a comprehensive peer-reviewed technical program unlike any other. You will learn about fiber, water, and energy savings, the latest softness and strength additives, and forming concepts.

The OpEx Reliability Workshop will help you improve reliability and maintenance in your mill. Operator driven reliability, alignment, education, and mill processes will be addressed by leading reliability experts.

The Young Professionals Program (YP) offers those new to the industry an unbelievable opportunity to gain basic industry knowledge and meet experienced industry leaders.


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The TAPPI Tissue Properties & Manufacturing Course will be held on April 27-28, 2013 in Atlanta, Ga., co-located with PaperCon 2013 and the Tissue Forum. This is a great opportunity to get the most out of your conference experience. This Tissue Properties course is designed for those who desire an introductory-to-intermediate level, comprehensive, and structured course on tissue properties and the effect of manufacturing. The course precedes the Tissue Forum at PaperCon 2013 and is an excellent educational component to these technical sessions.

This course will be particularly helpful to non-technical professionals, technical process engineers, operators, suppliers, converters and marketers with 0-5 years of experience in tissue manufacturing. Go to the course website to learn more.

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The highly-regarded Executive Panel on Monday, April 29, will illuminate how industry leaders are thinking and driving innovation in their companies.

See who's speaking.

Designed by industry professionals, PaperCon (April 27 - May 1 in Atlanta, Ga., USA) will bring together CEOs, mill managers, superintendents, scientists, process engineers, and suppliers for the largest pulp and paper technical program in the world. No other event provides such a comprehensive program with networking opportunities and trade fair among such a distinguished group of industry leaders.

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By: Jerome M. Gess and Paul H. Wilson

This book takes the reader through the process of making paper, pointing out where interruptions can occur and where elements added to the system can cause problems in that part or subsequent parts of the papermaking process. The aim of this book is to give papermakers and those involved in the papermaking process the information required to allow them to understand how to track down and solve problems at their source rather than where the problems surface.

Troubleshooting the Papermaking Process.

View the Table of Contents.

Product Code: 0101R298

Member Price: $106.00

Non-member Price: $161.00

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The Introduction to Traditional and Emerging Printing Technology Course will be co-located at the 2013 PaperCon Conference, April 27-29, 2013, in Atlanta, Ga., USA.

This is an introductory course on printing methods and applications, designed for those who need to understand print quality, attend print trials, trouble shoot print problems or are generally new to printing operations. It will be taught by printing experts from TAPPI's Coating and Graphic Arts Division and is an excellent complement to the Coating Program at PaperCon.

As an added bonus, the course will include a tour of Hewlett-Packard's new state-of-the art facility where production laser and inkjet presses will be demonstrated.

Course attendees may also join the Coating and Graphic Arts Opening Session where printing visionary Frank Romano is giving the keynote address. Learn more and register online.

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Paper Roll Damage Expensive?

Attend TAPPI's SRW Workshop this April and be a part of this dedicated group of mills, carriers, warehouses and printers as they collaborate to reduce in-transit damage to rolls of paper.

The Shipping, Receiving and Warehousing Workshop is an affordable working meeting with presentations and collaborative discussions, engaging keynote speakers, and great opportunities for networking. It's something you can't afford to miss.

Why attend?

• Keynote Presentation by Dave Schirmer, Vice President and General Manager of Hearst Enterprises responsible for paper procurement for divisions of The Hearst Corporation.
• Presentations provided by experts from the class 1 railroads, intermodal providers, warehouses, shippers and dunnage manufacturers with extensive experience and practical background knowledge.
• Practical information sharing by all parties in the paper manufacturing supply chain in an interactive environment
  
• Excellent networking opportunity - paper buyers, paper companies, carriers, securing / damage prevention specialists, block and bracing manufacturers, safety experts - all under one roof.

Learn more about the Shipping, Receiving and Warehousing Workshop.

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David Schirmer, Vice President and General Manager of Hearst Enterprises will Keynote at Tappi's Shipping Receiving and Warehousing Workshop this April in Nashville. Schirmer is responsible for paper procurement for divisions of Hearst Corp. including Hearst Magazines and Hearst Newspapers and is one of principles of Newsprint Purchasing LLC.

Tappi's SRW Workshop, taking place April 9-10, focuses on reducing in-transit paper roll damage through collaborative discussions and best practices. Learn more about SRW.

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TAPPI has scholarships to offer. You have a chance to apply for some green (funds to pay tuition, etc.) to fund a satisfying green career. These scholarships are available for graduate and undergraduate students with an interest in the pulp, paper, converting, and packaging industries. There are two general types of scholarships:

• TAPPI Division Scholarships 
• William L. Cullison Memorial Scholarship.

What this message means to you:

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Members receive one-third off TAPPI Press list price items. The 2013 TAPPI Catalog will be mailed to you with your copy of the January/February issue of Paper360.

The catalog features:

• New enhanced event calendar
• New releases
• Best sellers
• And more.

TAPPI Press is known around the world as an industry leader for publishing reliable, practical books, reports, conference proceedings, and CD-DVD-based training products that help members, students, and other industry professionals enhance their technical knowledge in order to solve technical problems.

Check out the bookstore.

All TAPPI Press publications are discounted by one-third for members.

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