International Paper Co., Memphis, Tenn., USA, yesterday (September 11) said it will close its Courtland, Ala., paper mill by early next year, laying off 1,100 workers. The mill has a production capacity of 950,000 tpy, of which 765,000 tpy is uncoated freesheet.

"This decision to permanently close capacity is primarily being driven by demand decline for uncoated freesheet paper products in the U.S.," CEO John Faraci said in a statement. The decision to close the mill took months and was finalized at a meeting of IP's board of directors on Tuesday of this week.

The Courtland mill produces papers for forms, envelopes, labels, copiers, printers, and magazines. The demand for uncoated freesheet in North America has been in decline since 1999 and has recently accelerated as consumers continue to switch to electronic alternatives such as online publications and electronic billing and filing.

IP said that it is committed to helping the 1,100 employees impacted by the closure. The company will work closely with union officials concerning benefits and other assistance programs for impacted hourly employees. Salaried employees will be eligible for severance packages and outplacement assistance. Employee assistance providers will be available to support employee and family needs.

"We explored numerous business and re-purposing options for the Courtland Mill, but concluded that permanently closing the mill best positions the business for the future," said Printing and Communications Papers SVP Tim Nicholls.

After the Courtland closure, IP's Printing and Communications Papers Business will consist of four paper mills focused on uncoated freesheet, bristols, and specialty papers markets:

• Two uncoated freesheet paper mills—Eastover, S.C., and Riverdale, Ala.
• Two specialty paper mills—Georgetown, S.C., and Ticonderoga, N.Y.

The company's fluff pulp business is not impacted by this announcement.

"IP's Printing Papers business remains a valuable and strategic part of IP. Our manufacturing, commercial, and supply chain capabilities are strong, as is our commitment to serving the North American uncoated freesheet market," Nicholls added.

The company estimates that the mill closure will result in pre-tax noncash asset write-off and accelerated depreciation charges of approximately $550 million and pre-tax cash severance and other shutdown charges of approximately $125 million to be recorded during the remainder of 2013 and in 2014.

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SCA, Stockholm, Sweden, this week reported that it will make a public cash offer for the Chinese tissue company Vinda. The offer is conditional upon SCA achieving an ownership share in Vinda in excess of 50%. SCA is currently the second largest shareholder in Vinda, which is listed on the Hong Kong Exchange.

The offer will be Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) 11.00 per share, corresponding to a premium of approximately 34.5%, based on the average closing price over the past 30 trading days. The offer corresponds to a market capitalization of approximately SEK 9.4 billion (about $1.41 billion) for all shares in Vinda.

SCA became a part owner in Vinda in 2007 and currently has a 21.7% holding in the company with two representatives on its board of directors.

Vinda is the third largest tissue producer in China, which currently is the world's second largest tissue market. In 2012, Vinda's sales rose 26% and amounted to approximately SEK 5 billion. The company's operating margin was 12.9%.

"Vinda is a strong player in the Chinese tissue market and has demonstrated healthy growth and profitability. As a majority shareholder, we would see the potential to further strengthen the company to ensure its future competitiveness," said Jan Johansson, president and CEO of SCA.

The complete prospectus for the offer is expected to be presented no later than September 30, which is the date on which the acceptance period will also commence. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the fourth quarter of this year and SCA will thereafter consolidate Vinda in its accounts.

Provided that the offer for Vinda will be accepted, SCAs pro forma sales for the full year 2012 would have increased from SEK 85 billion to approximately SEK 90 billion. Pro forma operating profit, excluding items affecting comparability, for the full year 2012 would have increased from SEK 8.6 billion to approximately SEK 9.2 billion.

The intention is that Vinda will remain listed on the Hong Kong Exchange.

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TAPPI, Atlanta, Ga., USA, will organize another tissue program to be held at its PaperCon 2014 Conference, scheduled for April 27-30 in Nashville, Tenn. The program will focus on technical advances in tissue making, converting, and on tissue education.

"We received fantastic feedback from our first Tissue360° Forum in Atlanta," says Larry Montague, president and CEO of TAPPI, "so we wanted to provide more of what tissue makers need. Several of our outstanding members have stepped up to organize another program this year."

The tissue market is growing globally, with private label growing faster than national brands. This is especially true in North America, where more than half of the new capacity has been structured sheet technology for private label customers. In Europe, dramatic new converting technologies have developed to improve tissue quality and performance. These trends are creating an increasing need for credible technical information and training.

TAPPI responded by organizing the first Tissue360° Forum in April, 2013. The forum attracted a large crowd to its three-day program of peer-reviewed non-commercial technical papers. The 2014 Tissue360° Forum will feature more of the same, with an emphasis on converting technologies and TAPPI courses for those who want to grow their knowledge of this dynamic segment. The editorial team from Tissue360° will assist TAPPI tissue experts in the development of the program content.

Tissue360° magazine is TAPPI's semi-annual print and online publication for the tissue and converting industry. More information about Tissue360° is available online. PaperCon is TAPPI's annual pulp and papermaking conference that attracts nearly 1,800 executives and technical professionals from around the world. It is the largest technical program in the world and the largest industry trade fair in North America. More information about PaperCon also is available online.

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Sappi Fine Paper North America (SFPNA), Boston, Mass., USA, this week announced the official launch of Act Now! A Better Response to Direct Mail, a dynamic, educational resource that guides readers through the essential principles of creating effective mailings that deliver results. Act Now! showcases the strategies and techniques behind how direct mail can strike a uniquely delicate balance: the ability to package a message that will not only pique reader interest, but also ultimately drive consumer response

"In an increasingly virtual world, tangible forms of communication can cut through the noise and have significant impact, and because of this, the value of mail should not be underestimated," said Jennifer Miller, EVP of Coated Business and chief sustainability officer, SFPNA. "The power of print combined with smart design elements that will increase engagement—folding, coating, integrated technology—is what makes direct mail more memorable for the recipient, and also shine in the marketing mix."

Sappi's ambition for this project was to clearly address the role of direct mail in an increasingly digital world while also designing a piece that captures the essence and excitement of how one feels when opening an engaging printed piece of mail.

By working closely with direct mail and format expert Trish Witkowski of foldfactory.com to drive the research and content that serves as the backbone of the guide, Sappi's Act Now! resulted in an easy-to-use, original resource for defining and demonstrating the advantages of mail, including its return on investment. In fact, Sappi notes, a recent study shows that direct mail brings in approximately $12 for every dollar invested (The Power of Direct Marketing, Direct Marketing Association, 2011-12).

"We put substantial effort into defining and demonstrating the process that is involved in getting the maximum achievable results out of mail, breaking it down into three distinct parts—strategy, format, and analysis," states Witkowski. "Anyone can get great results with mail at either end of the budget spectrum, and we're giving you the formula for success."

Design firm VSA Partners was charged with the creative on the project, whose final format is a tailored box with a clever opening mechanism. The recipient unzips the package to find a useful guidebook as well as varied samples of real-world mail pieces that serve as unique case studies. From a card campaign for a local butcher that wants to educate its neighbors on sustainable practices, to a dimensional format for Facebook, the samples showcase a variety of options that will inspire and educate by demonstration.

"Today's digital and data-driven marketers never ignore the fact that direct mail remains a vital part of the multichannel mix. Presentation is always key," saya Dana Arnett, CEO of VSA Partners, "and consumers often favor and appreciate print to be the most effective and captivating way to connect with a brand."

In addition to design suggestions, Act Now! provides designers with a simple set of guidelines to best navigate USPS mail requirements, and also instructs marketers on how to utilize current technology to optimize their distribution lists for results that are both creative and cost-effective.

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This week at Print 2013 in Chicago., Ill., USA, Two Sides U.S. announced that Lynette Maymi, a 34-year-old self-employed design professional from Pompano Beach, Fla., is the winner of the Two Sides Eco-graphic Challenge. The contest was initiated to develop an engaging infographic that clearly presents facts about the sustainability of print and paper. Maymi was awarded the $2,500 grand prize and will be acknowledged in all published versions of the eco-graphic (see photo).

"Two Sides reached out to the country's most creative talent to help us promote the sustainability of print and paper in a way that's fun and easy to understand, and Lynette certainly delivered," said Two Sides U.S. President Phil Riebel. "She created an ‘eco-graphic' that helps correct common misperceptions about the sustainability of printed communications, like the ones perpetuated by misleading environmental marketing claims that urge people to go paperless to protect the environment. We couldn't be more thrilled with her work."

Maymi said that "I've always had an obsession with paper, so it was exciting to be able to illustrate the positive environmental practices of the paper industry. As a new mom, environmental responsibility is an important subject to me. And helping people, especially students, receive accurate information is equally important. I am quite honored to have my design chosen by Two Sides to represent the facts and help bust some myths!"

Two other designers received honorable mentions: Taylor Pederson of Chanhassen, Minn., and Lisa Marek Olson of Inver Grove Heights, Minn.

Support for the Eco-graphic Challenge was provided by the following Two Sides U.S. members: Boise Inc., Domtar Corp., Lindenmeyr Munroe, PrintMediaCentr, Unisource Worldwide, UPM, and Western States Envelope & Label.

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The New Zealand government is investing $2.5 million over a maximum of five years to support research that will increase the productivity of the forestry industry, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced this week. The funding will support the development of new technologies that can be used by pine tree breeders to reduce the time it takes to breed and plant new improved trees by 15 years.

The Radiata Pine Breeding Co., which has formed a partnership between 16 forestry organizations, Scion, and the University of Canterbury, is researching and developing the new technologies.

"Science and innovation are major drivers of economic growth and international competitiveness. The government is committed to ensuring we invest in purpose-driven research that benefits New Zealand," Joyce said. "The New Zealand forestry industry directly employs 20,000 people and contributes an annual gross income of $5 billion. This investment will contribute to the industry's further expansion. The project will bring companies and industry bodies together to find solutions, through science and research that will enable us to develop a more technologically advanced and economically successful forestry industry," Joyce added.

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Children that struggle with hunger do not look any different from other kids in their classrooms or neighborhoods, but they're suffering from an invisible struggle. In the U.S., childhood hunger affects one in five children. In Canada, 38% of those helped by food banks are children.

SCA, Philadelphia, Pa., USA, Makers of Tork® branded products, this week announced it has teamed up with the No Kid Hungry campaign and Food Banks Canada in an effort to help break down the barriers that prevent families from receiving regular and healthy meals.

In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of Tork Xpressnap, SCA says it will make a donation to the No Kid Hungry campaign (for U.S. participants) and Food Banks Canada (for Canadian participants) for every Xpressnap AD-a-Glance submitted to TorkUSA.com/EveryGlance,  through October 31, to ensure that children are getting the nutritious food they need to live, learn, and grow.

Foodservice operators and consumers are encouraged to help connect hungry kids with meals by submitting an AD-a-Glance and voting for their favorite designs. SCA is also awarding $1,000 to 10 operators with the "Most Creative," "Most Original," and "Most Popular" submissions.

Participants can also share their AD-a-Glance across social media platforms and encourage family, friends, and colleagues to participate and support the cause.

SCA will be donating up to $5 for each AD-a-Glance submission (up to a maximum contribution of $25,000 for No Kid Hungry and $5,000 for Food Banks Canada). Through the No Kid Hungry campaign, just $5 can help connect a child in need with up to 50 meals. And just $1 to Food Banks Canada helps them acquire and share $20 worth of food. Participating in the promotion is a quick, easy way to make a difference in the lives of hungry children in North America.

"We are proud to help such important organizations who understand this growing problem that impacts so many families in our communities and has been providing answers and assistance for many decades," said Suzanne Cohen, Marketing Director Foodservice for SCA's AfH Professional Hygiene business in North America. "SCA strongly supports the values that both Share Our Strength and Food Banks Canada uphold and we look forward to helping them make a lasting imprint through this partnership campaign."

No Kid Hungry is taking major steps to end childhood hunger in America through access, education and awareness. At work in all 50 states, the team connects kids with nutritious food and teaches families how to cook healthy and affordable meals. This month (September) is No Kid Hungry Month, a time when consumers have the opportunity to dine out for No Kid Hungry, as thousands of restaurants across the nation unite to raise funds towards the cause.

"We believe no child should go hungry, but one in five children struggles with hunger in America," said Tom Nelson, president of Share Our Strength. "With the support from partners like SCA, we are working to make No Kid Hungry a reality, so that all children get the healthy food they need every day."

Food Banks Canada represents and supports the food bank community across Canada, serving 85% of those accessing food banks. The organization helps nearly 900,000 Canadians each month by distributed food and providing food assistance programs to those affected by hunger. Food Banks Canada and its Say No to Hunger campaign aims to meet the short-term needs of hunger and work for far-reaching social change.

More information on how to participate is available on the Every Glance is a Chance website.

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Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, reports that its Charmin toilet paper teamed up with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens to kick off the 2013 football season "in style." Charmin kicked off the Charmin Relief Project, a program designed to bring consumers better bathroom experiences when they are away from home, with state-of-the-art restrooms at Denver, when the Denver Broncos hosted the Super Bowl XLVII Champions, the Baltimore Ravens.

With the launch of the NFL football season, fans around the country celebrated the first day back at the stadium, with tailgates, food, and drinks. While tailgating is a big part of fans' football experience, Charmin notes, it also brings along the inevitable trips to portable potties. This year, Charmin put a fresh spin on the standard tailgate bathroom experience, delivering upscale restrooms to football fanatics at tailgates across the country.

The Charmin Relief Project will kick-off in Denver, continue on to three other stadiums, providing approximately 20 clean and fresh-smelling portable restrooms to football's biggest fans. This fall, tailgaters at four NFL games will be invited to enjoy an upscale bathroom experience outfitted with attendants to ensure each and every Charmin restroom visit is as good as the first.

"At Charmin we believe every trip to the bathroom should be something to enjoy," said Janette Yauch, Charmin Brand Manager at P&G. "The Charmin Tailgating-Potties provide our version of a bathroom experience touchdown – providing soft, perfect relief when fans need it most."

In addition to creating a better restroom experience, Charmin will provide interactive games and activities to help fans make the most of their tailgate. Visitors to the Charmin End Zone will also be invited to win Charmin-themed prizes (coupons, seat cushions, etc.).

Joining the team this year is actress, TV host, former NFL cheerleader and life-long football fan, Stacy Keibler.

"I've been a football fan my entire life and I love to tailgate before the games," said Charmin spokesperson, Stacy Keibler. "I'm very excited to partner with Charmin on their efforts to provide a better bathroom experience to football fans!"

The former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader dedicates much of her time to causes and topics related to health and fitness, sitting on the advisory board of After-School All-Stars, a program that provides after-school programs such as academic support, enrichment opportunities, and health and fitness activities for children in need.

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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 quality team leader, site manager, senior industrial designer, sales manager, and technical service manager. Current, specific job openings at companies and locations in the TAPPI Career Center include:

Employer	Title	Location
Clark Nexsen	Senior Industrial Designer	Brunswick, Ga.
DuBois Chemicals	Sales Rep.-NE La./SE Ark.	Louisiana
Fluor	Site Manager	Louisiana
KapStone Paper & Packaging	Sales Manager-Oakland	Oakland, Calif.
KapStone Paper & Packaging	Quality Team Leader	Longview, Wash.
RockTenn Merchandising Displays	Design Assistant	Bentonville , Ark.
Tru Vue Inc.	Technical Service Manager	McCook, Ill.

More information about these jobs is available online.

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According to a new report published by Transparency Market Research, New York, N.Y., USA, titled Specialty Pulp and Paper Chemicals (Basic, Functional, Bleaching and Process Chemicals) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2013 - 2019, the specialty pulp and paper chemicals market was valued at $17.94 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach $24.18 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2013 to 2019.

Specialty pulp and paper chemicals are used in a variety of functions such as deinking, bleaching, and coating during the production of specialty papers. Specialty paper is a niche segment and accounted for less than 5% of the overall paper production. However, the increasing demand for specialty papers in a wide range of industries for abrasive backings, paint masking, carpet flooring, medical packaging, and art media is expected to drive the demand for the market. In addition, growing global population that in turn drives businesses, consumer sector, industrial sector, food, and graphics is expected to contribute to the growth of the market.

Nevertheless, increasing environmental concerns regarding certain chemicals used in the production of specialty papers is expected to hamper the growth of the specialty chemicals market. Development of new chemicals and technologies in the manufacturing of specialty papers coupled with the growing demand for recycled paper is expected to open new opportunities for the growth of the market.

Functional chemicals were the largest product segment and accounted for more than 50% of the market in 2012. This segment is expected to be the fastest growing due to increased demand for value added paper such as pigments, dyes, and coated paper. Process chemicals were the second fastest growing segment and are expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 4% from 2013 to 2019.

North America and Europe dominated the market, together accounting for more than 80% of global consumption in 2012. However, Asia Pacific, expected to become the fastest growing, is estimated to have a value of approximately $4 billion by 2019. The primary reason for this is expected to be the growing paper industry in India and China.

More information is available online.

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Reportlinker.com, New York, N.Y., USA, this week announced that a new market research report is available in its catalogue. Paper & Paperboard: Global Industry Guide covers the industry on a worldwide basis, with data projected for the next four years.

The guide provides top-line qualitative and quantitative summary information, including market size (value and volume, and forecast to 2017). It also contains descriptions of the leading players, including key financial metrics and analysis of competitive pressures within the market.

According to the new guide, the global paper and paperboard market had total revenues of $389.9 billion in 2012, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.3% between 2008 and 2012. Market consumption volume increased with a CAGR of 1.8% between 2008 and 2012, to reach a total of 391.7 million units in 2012.

The performance of the market is forecast to accelerate, with an anticipated CAGR of 5.2% for the five-year period 2012 – 2017. This is expected to drive the market to a value of $502.2 billion by the end of 2017.

More information about this report is available online.

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Wood costs account for 50% - 55% of the production costs for pulp mills in the U.S. Historically these costs have often been substantially lower in the southern states than in the northwest, the two major pulp producing regions of the country. However, this has been changing with the most dramatic regional price movements in North America happening in the U.S. Northwest, where prices for softwood chips, the major fiber source for the region's pulp mills, have fallen for five consecutive quarters. Chip prices in the second quarter of 2013 were down by a third from early 2012, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review (NAWFR), Seattle, Wash., USA.

In contrast, softwood residual chip prices in the U.S. South have remained practically unchanged for more than three years, even though the supply of wood chips has increased as the result of higher lumber production in the region.

Wood chip prices in the U.S. South are still lower than in the western states, but pulp mills in the southern states are consuming a higher percentage of higher-cost wood fiber in the form of roundwood, making the total average fiber costs in the South only slightly lower than in the West. Just a few years ago, the average softwood fiber costs for pulp mills in the west were more than 50% higher than those in the South.

Southern prices for both softwood and hardwood pulp logs in the second quarter of 2013 were unchanged from the previous quarter, after isolated price spikes during the always volatile winter season, as reported by NAWFR. However, pulp mills typically take spring maintenance outages, which reduce demand for wood fiber, resulting in downward prices pressure on logs. The fact that both softwood and hardwood roundwood prices remained unchanged this spring indicates additional demand is being felt from other sources, ie. pellet and OSB mills in some regions, and that harvest levels have picked up after the housing recession.

Prices for pulp logs, which are the major fiber source for pulp mills in the South, have slowly trended upward the past two years and are expected to continue this trend during the rest of 2013. Since June, heavy amounts of rainfall have begun to cause challenges for wood supply deliveries, and there are early indications that wood prices in the South are climbing in the third quarter.

More information is available online.

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Empresas CMPC, Chile, reports that it will close the Papeles Rio Vergara newsprint mill in Nacimiento, Chile, on November 30. This decision to close the mill was due to increased electricity prices, which led to higher production costs, the company noted.

During the past 10 years, the company has had an electricity supply contract at the mill with prices compatible with newsprint production. However, this contract is due to expire soon. Despite numerous attempts and considerable efforts on the part of the company, Empresas CMPC says it has been unable to obtain a new supply contract with prices that would allow the mill to continue operations.

For these reasons, production was substantially reduced in the past. As CMPC has previously announced, 2012 production was 130,000 tons, compared with an average of 200,000 tons from 2000-2011. Production capacity in 2013 has been 60,000 tons.

"This was a sad and difficult decision for CMPC. We did not want to close the mill, and have searched for options to keep Papeles Rio Vergara in operation. Unfortunately, the economic reality of higher electricity prices made this impossible. The company will make every effort to accommodate the mill's workforce; the 202 workers will be offered a retirement plan with corresponding indemnification program, as well as initiatives to reallocate workers into other subsidiaries of CMPC, and a special bonus for workers who remain with the company until November 30," said Hernan Rodriguez, CEO of Empresas CMPC.

The Papeles Rio Vergara mill has been producing newsprint since 1957, continuing production even in challenging circumstances such as the 2010 earthquake. All other CMPC businesses, which are substantially less power-intensive, will continue to operate normally. The company is moving forward with investments in cogeneration in electric and thermal energy, which will produce approximately 82% of the energy required for CMPC's Chilean operations in 2013.

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FutureMark Paper Group, Westport, Conn., USA, a producer of "responsibly made" recycled printing papers, this week launched Future JetTM, the industry's first high-recycled, coated digital inkjet paper. Compatible with both dye- and pigment-based printers, Future Jet has excellent print quality on the greenest paper available.

"After extensive product development testing and industry collaboration, we're thrilled in more ways than one with Future Jet. Not only did we develop the first coated recycled digital ink jet paper, but we've also created a product that performs beautifully with outstanding print fidelity," said Steve Silver, president and CEO of FutureMark Paper. "Our testing on dye-based printers has revealed that Future Jet paper provides breakthrough print quality, with the added benefits of consuming less ink and no need for an extended media dryer."

FutureMark tapped a group of leading paper and coating scientists to assist in the creation of the industry's first coated digital inkjet paper made with more than 90% recycled fiber. Following two years of development and testing, the resulting Future Jet product offers a high quality recycled digital inkjet solution for book publishers, direct mail providers, and commercial printers. Customer tests indicate Future Jet offers high print quality, even on four-color applications where there are demanding facial tones and heavy coverage forms.

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International Paper (IP), Memphis, Tenn., USA, this week authorized a share repurchase program to acquire up to $1.5 billion of the company's common stock. The company intends to repurchase such shares over the next 2-3 years in open market repurchase transactions. Also this week, the company announced its board of directors is raising the company's quarterly dividend by 17%.

"The authorization of this repurchase program and the dividend increase reflect our continued confidence in International Paper's long-term profitability and sustainable free cash flow generation," said John Faraci, chairman and CEO. "International Paper continues to be committed to a balanced use of cash in a way that maximizes value to our shareowners."

IP is a global producer of packaging and paper with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia, and North Africa. Its businesses include industrial and consumer packaging and uncoated papers, complemented by xpedx, the company's North American distribution company. The company employs some 70,000 people and is strategically located in more than 24 countries serving customers worldwide. IP's net sales for 2012 were $28 billion.

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Monadnock Paper Mills Inc., Bennington, N.H., USA, a producer of technical/specialty and printing and packaging papers, this week announced its membership in the Gift Card Network and its educational committee to raise awareness of the benefits of forest materials as alternatives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and bio-plastics (i.e. PLA) for gift card programs. Monadnock, along with fellow manufacturers of sustainable card materials, will contribute educational resources and drive discussions around ecological options for card production.

"We are proud to welcome Monadnock to the Gift Card Network membership," said Matt Davies, Gift Card Network founder and director. "As one of the major players in the new technologically-advanced paper card industry, Monadnock brings support to our efforts to empower merchants in finding new ways to innovate their gift card programs for the benefit of consumers."

Monadnock notes that consumers are increasingly seeking brands that demonstrate corporate social responsibility and are holding them accountable by demanding that concrete, meaningful actions be taken to implement environmental practices. A greener gift card program, it adds, is an opportunity to significantly reduce environmental impacts, with about 3 billion gift cards generated each year, 99% of which are made of non-renewable plastic.

"Sustainability is ingrained in our everyday business practices and is represented in our high-quality paper solutions, which offer a renewable and recyclable alternative to plastic," said Jim O'Rourke, senior manager, Monadnock Paper Mills. "Our participation in the Gift Card Network and its educational committee is consistent with our plastic replacement strategy and demonstrates our commitment to empowering retailers with the knowledge and materials necessary to live up to their corporate social responsibility standards and to enhance brand loyalty among eco-conscious consumers."

More information about the Gift Card Network is available online.

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Nippon Paper Industries' Port Angeles, Wash., USA, mill is performing testing and commissioning activities on its new biomass cogeneration power plant, according to a report this week by Industrial Info Resources (IRR), Sugar Land, Texas. After two years of construction and controversy about burning biomass, the plant should be ready to begin generating power by October.

The Port Angeles mill makes paper for telephone books and other custom paper and newsprint. It reportedly invested some $71 million, and earlier on expected to be reimbursed up to 30% through federal grants.

The new boiler reportedly will make the company more efficient, reduce overall air pollution, and produce 20 MW of energy from forestry biomass that is residue from local timber operations. The new boiler at one time was estimated to cut overall pollutants from the company's papermaking process by 19%.

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Sappi Limited, Johannesburg, South Africa, this week announced its intention to voluntarily delist its American Depositary Shares (ADSs), which are evidenced by American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Sappi will convert its current ADR program into a Level I ADR program to give current ADR holders the option to continue to hold ADRs. Level I ADRs are traded in the U.S. over-the-counter market as opposed to on a U S national securities exchange.

The company's decision to delist from the NYSE is based on the low trading volume of its ADSs on the NYSE as well as the high costs and administrative complexity associated with maintaining its listing and registration in the U S. As of today, less than 1% of Sappi's shares are held through its ADR program, and for the 12 months ended Aug. 28, 2013, less than 1% of Sappi's average daily trading volume occurred on the NYSE, where the company has been listed since 1998.

Sappi says that it believes the resulting savings in costs and management time will benefit the company and its shareholders. Sappi is fully committed to its U S shareholders and believes that the continued trading of the company's ordinary shares on the JSE Limited (JSE), previously known as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, will provide sufficient liquidity to its shareholders, including its U S shareholders, and access to capital for the company.

"Delisting from the NYSE is in line with Sappi's strategy to reduce costs and improve efficiency. As a South Africa-headquartered company, our primary listing will remain the JSE, as it has been since 1937," said Sappi CEO Ralph Boettger. "Sappi remains committed to high standards of corporate governance and transparency in financial reporting."

Sappi is subject to the JSE Listings Requirements, corporate governance standards as reflected in the guidelines contained in the King Report on Governance for South Africa 2009 as well as laws applicable to publicly listed companies in South Africa. Sappi reiterates its commitment to provide investors with timely information regarding significant business and financial developments. The company expects to continue to host regular investor relations activities, including quarterly earnings reporting, earnings calls, analyst meetings, and investor road shows.

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Wausau Paper's mill in Brainerd, Minn., USA, reportedly has a possible buyer, according to several area newspaper reports, but city officials have not yet released the suitor's name. The Brainerd mill, which produced specialty and tape papers, closed this past April, putting some 130 workers out of work.

City administrator Theresa Goble told the Brainerd Dispatch this past week that local officials will soon meet with the potential buyer "to discuss options or alternatives that might be available to facilitate the return of the mill to productive operations."

City Councilman Gary Scheeler said in the newspaper article that "we hope it works out with the potential buyer. To put a business in this plant would be extremely good news for the area. It's too early to tell exactly what the outcome will be."

The city has placed its own bid on the plant's 2.5 MW hydroelectric dam, which is being sold separately from the facility itself, and both sides are now finalizing the deal. Goble said the purchase price is not public information yet.

Wausau Paper closed the non-integrated, single-machine mill after spending $28 million on an additional capacity and upgrade project that was to help the operation turn out more and higher quality masking tape base paper (unsaturated tape-backing paper) as well as food and industrial papers, according to RISI, which added that the upgrade of PM 7 was completed in 2011. After shifting the company's focus to tissue paper earlier this year, Wausau sold its two other specialty and technical paper mills in Wisconsin to Expera Specialty Solutions, and permanently shut its Brokaw, Wis., uncoated free sheet paper mill last year. Wausau Paper had acquired the Brainerd mill for $9.4 million in 2004.

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Smart Planet Technologies Inc., Newport Beach, Calif., USA, a manufacturer in innovative materials that address sustainability challenges in packaging, this week reported that select paperboard grades with EarthCoating® have successfully completed recyclability and repulpability testing at Georgia Tech's Institute of Paper Science and Technology, Atlanta, Ga. EarthCoating is a highly mineralized barrier coating containing less plastic than traditional 100% polyethylene coating, while providing superior performance metrics and environmental advantages.

Traditionally, barrier packaging materials used in forming hot/cold cups, ice cream containers, and folding cartons coated with 100% polyethylene or similar materials, are poor candidates for recycling and often destined for the landfill. However, EarthCoating, when used with select grades of paperboards, can be commercially recycled as light and heavy print virgin bleached board cuttings, thus providing significant economic and environmental gains. In addition, this solution provides high potential for the post-consumer recyclability of barrier-coated packaging.

EarthCoating technology offers a recyclable solution for the approximately two million tons of 100% polyethylene-coated boards produced in the U.S. annually. Recycling collection pilots are being planned such that specific packages can be labeled recyclable subject to FTC Green Guide stipulations.

"EarthCoating continues to prove itself as a superior technology to 100% polyethylene in packaging applications that require high performance heat seal and barrier requirements equal to or exceeding polyethylene. The recyclability of these paperboard materials with EarthCoating overcomes an important technological challenge for the paperboard and packaging industries," says Chris Tilton, CTO of Smart Planet Technologies.

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KapStone Kraft Paper Corp., Northbrook, Ill., USA, reports that its Longview, Wash., mill, one of the largest and most complex pulp and paper mills in the U.S., has achieved one million safe hours worked and now has its sights set on surpassing the two million safe hours worked milestone. Some 1,028 people work at the KapStone Longview mill.

This is the second time that the Longview mill has exceeded one million safe man hours in the past two years. Mill Manager Paul Duncan credits the mill's evolving safety culture with the achievement. "Here, safety is more than a priority; it is a value, a way of life. Priorities can change, values do not."

Duncan added that mill employees continually work to be safe, each day, every day. "Even with all we've accomplished, we know that we are only as safe as our next decision," he said. "This is why, as we go forward, we will continue to hold safety as a core value and a prerequisite for work.''

Formerly part of Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging, the mill and other Longview assets were purchased by KapStone this past July 18, from Brookfield Asset Management Inc. of Toronto, Ont., Canada. The mill is the only U.S. producer of high-performance extensible multiwall sold into global markets, and is a key manufacturer of high quality containerboard and specialty kraft papers.

The mill has a production capacity of 1.6 million tpy of pulp and 1.3 million tpy of kraft paper and containerboard. Its five paper machines include PM 5, 11, and 12, producing kraft paper grades, and PM 7 and 10 making containerboard. PM 12 is the last new kraft paper machine installed in North America in 1990.

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BASF, Germany, reports that it now produces its new cost-efficient binders (CEBs) based on styrene-acrylics and styrene butadiene at its site in Hamina, Finland. Since 2012, the product line has already been supplied primarily to customers in Central Europe from the site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Now, the company notes, its customers in the "Northern European and Russian market "can also benefit from the new products," adding that "BASF can thus supply the whole European paper industry."

Cost-efficient binders are an important building block in the growth plans of BASF's Paper Chemicals division, the company says. Through the development of a new technology, BASF has been successful in reducing the production cost of the binders. With this, paper manufacturers can significantly reduce their chemical costs, BASF points out, further noting that it will continue to invest in research and development of cost-efficient binders, thus laying the groundwork for the consequent expansion of the CEB portfolio.

"Following the huge success of our cost-efficient binders in Central Europe, we continue to invest in this product line to expand the success story all over Europe. With this, we provide paper manufacturers an additional interesting solution to further reduce their costs," said Andreas Tuerk, SVP, Paper Chemicals Europe.

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SCA, Philadelphia, Pa., USA, maker of the Tork® brand of away-from-home paper products in North America, this week announced its new High-End Hand Towels. Featuring an embossed leaf throughout, the towels are soft, strong, and "smart-designed" for class A office buildings, fine dining restaurants, and other top-end establishments.

"The leaf design represents quality you can see and feel—and people will notice the quality of these towels," said Joe Russo, SCA VP of sales and marketing, Away from Home Professional Hygiene North America. "We know that for our customers, every impression counts, which is why we used a leaf to reinforce their high-end image and provide a luxurious experience, even in the restroom."

"Our customers have been asking for a high-end line—products that complement their image and offer a superior restroom experience," Russo said. "This new high-end line offers a premium product to address those needs, and we are confident it will open new market opportunities for SCA in North America while providing our customers with a broad line of paper products to meet their end-user needs."

The new line offers nine paper varieties and six dispensing options, including the new Tork Xpress Countertop dispenser. Offered in three colors—white, black, and stainless steel—the Xpress dispensers are designed for high-end restrooms where style and performance are critical. All three finishes offer finger-proof technology to ensure cleanliness, anti-slip pads to stay affixed to a countertop, and one-at-a-time dispensing backed by Tork's guarantee of a 25% reduction in paper use.

To introduce the new line, Tork is offering free two-week trials for its customers.

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Ahlstrom, Finland, has announced price increases in the fourth quarter of 2013 for its filtration materials globally. Ahlstrom notes that the price increases are due to the continued rise in raw material costs such as specialty pulps, chemicals, and energy, as well as adverse currency fluctuations.

Prices of specialty fibers including mercerized pulp, cotton, and glass, as well as energy and chemicals have continued to rise steadily over recent months, the company points out.

The price increase will affect filtration materials produced by Ahlstrom globally. The level and timing of the increase will depend on the markets served, the raw material content of the product, and the agreements in place. The increase will be up to 10%.

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Nippon Paper Industries, Japan, announced that it will increase printing and communication paper prices by 10%, beginning October 21. The company noted that, while depreciation of the Japanese yen trend continues, prices of raw materials and fuels are in an upward trend.

Nippon added that although the company has made sustained efforts to reduce costs, it has proved difficult to absorb all of the cost increases through the company's own efforts, and it thus decided there was no alternative but to pass the cost on to the product prices.

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The Council of Forest Industries (COFI), Vancouver, B.C., Canada, has appointed James Gorman president and CEO, effective September 23. Gorman brings extensive public policy and senior management experience to his new role. He most recently served the Government of British Columbia as the deputy minister of advanced education and prior to that as deputy of education (K-12) and the B.C. Public Service Agency.

Gorman's accomplishments include transforming the B.C. Public Service into a top employer, expanding the province's K-12 education brand into international markets, and managing complex labor relations files on behalf of the government.

"We are exceptionally pleased to have James joining us", said Nick Arkle, COFI board chair, "as his experience at the highest levels of the public service will be instrumental in helping us shape an exciting and productive future for our forest industry and the employees and communities that depend upon it."

COFI is the voice of the B.C. interior forest industry. Its members vary in size and produce lumber, pulp and paper, panels, and engineered wood products at more than 60 facilities across the interior. All share a commitment to a future based on employee safety, sustainable forestry and manufacturing practices, and innovative product development.

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Mario Gosselin, CEO of Kruger Products L.P., Mississauga, Ont., Canada, has announced that Rob Latter has been named corporate VP, Away From Home (AFH) Division and Strategic Planning. In his new role, Latter is responsible for maintaining the company's dominance in the Canadian marketplace as well as strategically growing its presence in the U.S. The AFH Division represents a significant growth opportunity for Kruger Products and is well poised for future expansion.

"The segments we serve are dynamic and as the market leader in our industry, our customers increasingly look to us to help alleviate their evolving challenges," says Rob Latter. "With my team, I intend to navigate these challenges and strengthen our distributor and customer relationships, while continuing to grow our business in new directions."

Latter first joined Kruger Inc. in 1997 as sales manager for the Kruger Packaging Division. Over the next number of years, he proved invaluable to the company, and in 2001 assumed the role of VP, AFH Division, where he drove his team to bolster its market dominance in Canada. He remained in this role before returning to the Packaging business as VP in 2007.

Latter holds a bachelors degree in Business Administration from Concordia University and is the outgoing president of the Canadian Corrugated Containerboard Association. He takes an active role in the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives, including support of its long-time beneficiaries Friends of We Care and Ronald McDonald House Charities.

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Valmet Corp., Finland, reports that its Executive Management Team will consist of President and CEO Pasi Laine and the heads of its business lines, geographical areas, and four key support functions. Members of the Executive Management Team include Laine and the following heads of business line and geographical areas:

Heads of business line

• Jukka Tiitinen, Services
• Jyrki Holmala, Pulp and Energy
• Jari Vähäpesola, Paper

Heads of geographical areas area

• Bill Bohn, North America
• Celso Tacla, South America
• Hannu Mälkiä, EMEA
• Aki Niemi, China
• Hannu T Pietilä, Asia-Pacific
• Markku Honkasalo, Finance (CFO)
• Kari Saarinen, Strategy and Operational Development
• Julia Macharey, Human Resources
• Anu Salonsaari-Posti, Marketing and Communications

Beginning January 2014, Metso (Finland) notes that its Pulp, Paper, and Power business "will serve its customers with an even more focused and competitive approach as an independent, listed company, Valmet Corp."

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Green Hygienics Inc., Cape Coral, Fla., USA, has appointed Jeff Thurgood as its VP of sales. Thurgood has 27 years of varied consumer products sales and management experience. He has led Fortune 500 businesses and entrepreneurial ventures to successful and sustainable market share growth.

Thurgood worked for PepsiCo for seven years on the Pepsi business, growing market share in the vending business by 10 points and "Bottle and Can" business by two points. He then spent 15 years at Kimberly-Clark Corp. in varied roles with consistent promotion and increased responsibility.

"The addition of Jeff Thurgood to our team is key to our plan," stated Philip Rundle, CEO of Green Innovations. "Jeff was a major contributor at Oasis Brands, where we worked together to bring revenue to in excess of $200 million. Oasis specialized in tissue products, whereas Green Hygienics has a plentitude of products that include tissue, wet wipes, and bamboo-based products

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How many times do you get to actually meet with two of the legends of TAPPI's Local Section community--a current leader and a past leader who has a TAPPI award named after him?

So far, only once for me.

During PaperCon2013, I was excited to discover that Paul Magnabosco was going to attend our Fellows Luncheon. I was even more excited when he attended the awards dinner later in the week.

I asked Paul to make the award presentation, named in his honor--The Paul Magnabosco Outstanding Local Section Member Award--to Dan McGuire. In the immortal words of Miley Cyrus, "that was really cool."

After meeting Paul and discovering his continuing passion for our Local Sections, we invited him to Peachtree Corners to meet with TAPPI staff and Scott, half-the-man-he-used-to-be, Frasca (who has lost in excess of 100 lb. during the past two years.) Way to go Scott!

My hat goes off to one of TAPPI's newest employees, Tanya Hickson, for her time, talents, and effort in bringing this meeting to fruition, in spite of all of our crazy schedules.

This gathering was to hear Paul's account of where our Local sections came from and his vision for where he feels they can go...

...and Scott's update on where we are now and our plans for the future.

The meeting really began at dinner the night before and continued from 8:00 a.m. through lunch the following day.

The ideas from this meeting are far too numerous to list; however, I will tell you to be on the lookout for some revitalization coming from our Local Sections in 2014.

I appreciate the passion that both Paul and Scott have for TAPPI as well as the other 7,200 members that we have worldwide.

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

More information on our Local Sections or TAPPI in general is available online.

Until next time...

Larry

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Don't miss out on your chance to attend the Process Control of Stickies Workshop, taking place just before the TAPPI PEERS Conference.

Organized by Dr. Mahendra Doshi, current TAPPI JOURNAL Editorial Board Member and Founding Editor of Progress in Paper Recycling, the workshop will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 15.

The international workshop is designed for engineers, scientists, and technicians who want to get a handle on one of the difficult contaminants in paper recycling - stickies. The workshop will benefit anyone using recycled pulps, working in recycling mills, or affiliated with companies supplying equipment, chemicals, and recovered papers to the recycling industry.

Problems caused by stickies cost millions of dollars to the industry. As indicated above, experts from around the world together with highly experienced speakers from mills offer an excellent overview for managing and controlling stickies. If you could just save one hour of paper machine downtime it would pay for the workshop many times over.

Learn more about this important workshop.

Don't miss this golden opportunity to learn about stickies related issues at this one-day international workshop.

Registration Cost:
$295/member; $345/non-member (on or before August 16); or $345 (if registered after August 16).

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Registration is now open for the 2013 TAPPI Corrugated Press Hands-On Maintenance Workshop, September 17-18 at the Global Equipment USA Warehouse in Skokie, Ill., USA.

This unique course gives you an unprecedented opportunity to get hands-on training on how to audit converting machines. With only 18 seats available, you will have ample opportunity to get your questions answered by instructors Tom Pearce (Pearce Corrugated Consulting), John Bingham (Pamarco), Jim Wegemer (INXinc), Chuck Bobeldyk (Mark-Maker Co.), Randy Kesselring (MarquipWardUnited), as well as representatives from Global Equipment. The schedule for this course is packed into just two efficiently planned days so that participants get loads of skill and experience without much time away from their own operations.

Who should attend?
This Intermediate-level course offers indispensable hands-on maintenance training for corrugated industry plant managers and supervisors, engineers, maintenance teams, and machine operators.

You could pour over all of  the how-to manuals available and still not retain this level and quality of working knowledge.  Completing this workshop will enable you to:

• Use the basic tools to mechanically audit and troubleshoot a press
• Understand press audit procedures for process centering, better quality products, and increased productivity 
• Discuss anilox roll selection, press "fingerprinting," inks and substrates, quality defects amd cause(s), and scoring. 

Register and join TAPPI or renew your membership to receive the best rates.

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The 2013 Building Science Committee Technical Program will include papers on: Process Variation Reduction, Glass Sizing Basics; Burner Safety and Efficiency; Biological Treatment Case Study; Operator and Mechanical Training to Enhance Operational Effectiveness; and IT Systems to Manage Roll Goods and Reduce Waste.

This year's program will focus on aiding production managers and engineers in the fiberglass mat industry. Attendees will get the first-hand knowledge needed to improve their mat processes with production-targeted papers.

These topics and more will be covered in the comprehensive technical program. Tim Worms, of 3M's Industrial Mineral Products Division, is returning by popular demand to present his outlook for housing starts and the roofing forecast for this year. Kirby Erickson, of GAF, will discuss critical safety issues to be aware of as you seek to implement new efficiency and pollution requirements in curing ovens. In addition he will provide an example of how mistakes led to a massive oven explosion and what was implemented to address burner safety going forward. Charles Black, of Charles Black & Associates, will ask if your training dollars are being spent wisely and provide case studies showing how strong training programs can have a positive impact on your company's bottom line. Blaine Krause, of Nalco, will offer case studies on microbial control including its impact on operations, monitoring, control, and examples of newer technology.

The meeting will be held September 18-20 at The Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort in Marco Island, Florida, USA. Meeting registration includes the full conference program, the Building Sciences Committee Meeting, and ample opportunities for networking with other manufacturing personnel and suppliers. Thursday afternoon's activity is a choice of golf, backwater fishing, or a relaxing spa treatment. Group dinners are included in the cost of registration for Wednesday and Thursday evenings at some of the area's finest restaurants. Non-registered spouses and guests are welcome to participate in the activities and dinners for the following costs: $60 per dinner and $95 for golf, fishing, or the spa treatment. They do not have to pay the conference registration fee.

Companies participating as sponsors include ESP, GAF, Georgia-Pacific Chemical, Malarkey Roofing, Momentive Specialty Chemicals, Nalco, PPG, Albany International, Xerium, Ineos, Mallard Creek Polymers, and Majiq. Opportunities to sponsor with this select group of companies are still available and your company will receive special recognition throughout the meeting.
You do not want to miss out on this opportunity to stay abreast of current market trends, new and emerging product/process technical developments, and regulatory issues that are or will be impacting our industries.

For full meeting information including the conference agenda and program summaries, please visit the meeting website today.

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Dear TAPPI recycling family,

We need your help. TAPPI's Recycled Fiber Committee promotes research and education on many topics critical to efficient operation of recycling mills. During the past 25 years, we have organized workshops, tutorials, mill panel discussions, mill tours, and presentations at TAPPI conferences. Our work has played a part in developing the technology and processes we see today.

The next meeting of the Recycled Fiber Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, September 18, at 1:30 p.m. in Green Bay, Wis, USA. Please plan to attend and participate in the meeting. The quality of our work is completely determined by the quality of the people who step-up and help.

Excitement around recycling has waned, but recycling mills continue to provide fiber to our paper machines. Perhaps due to this reduced excitement, it has been challenging to recruit experts in our field to help lead the Recycled Fiber Committee. This fall, Carl Houtman will step down and Neale Fetterly will become chairman of the Recycled Fiber Committee, leaving secretary and vice-chair positions vacant, which jeopardizes the existence of the committee.

As Neale becomes chairman, we need a secretary to help with meeting minutes and membership lists, and a vice-chair who is the technical program chair for the recycling track of the next PEERS conference. These are very important roles and commitments can be fulfilled through email and tele-conferences, and PEERS conference attendance in the fall.

Please volunteer for one of the vacant positions by contacting Carl Houtman via email at choutman@fs.fed.us or finding him at the PEERS conference in Green Bay. If we have several volunteers, we will hold an election during the next Recycled Fiber Committee meeting. Only by people continuing to volunteer can we uphold our tradition of high quality programming on topics related to paper recycling. This is a great opportunity to be a part of a growing community while expanding your leadership skills and increasing your professional contacts.

Sincerely,

Peter Hart
Outgoing
PMD Chairman

Garnet Bremner
Incoming
PMD Chairman

Carl Houtman
Outgoing
Recycling Chairman

Neale Fetterly
Incoming
Recycling Chairman

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Join us on Thursday, September 26, at 1:00p.m. EDT as Thanh Trung, VP of Technology for FITNIR Analyzers Inc., presents a free webinar on Advanced Online Process Analyzers for Pulp Mill Control.

With increasing competition worldwide, pulp and paper manufacturers, particularly those in North America, require greater emphasis on cost reduction and increased efficiency and product quality. Optimization must also focus on minimizing chemical and energy consumption, particularly for those mills that could utilize the excess steam to drive a turbine for electrical generation, allowing for diversification of the revenue stream. To this end, process measurements and control play an important and critical role.

In the late-1990s and mid-2000s, Fourier-Transform Near Infrared (FT-NIR) technology was extensively tested and is now a well proven and accepted technology for online analyzer for measurements of true liquor compositions of various pulping process streams. These online FT-NIR process liquor analyzers have shown excellent up-time while requiring minimal maintenance requirements.

In this webinar, we will briefly review the technology and give further details on economic impacts achieved through the installation of rugged process online FT-NIR analyzers when coupled with advanced process control strategies.

Register Today!

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As a long-time executive with Stora Enso, and now the proprietor of Strategy First Ltd Oy, Asko Hyttinen has used nearly 20 years of TAPPI membership to fine tune his understanding of global behaviors specific to the pulp, paper, and packaging industry. He accomplished this over the years by attending numerous conferences and classes, networking with other members across North America and Europe, and through active participation on a number of TAPPI committees.

Having lived extensively on two continents, including four moves back and forth "across the pond," Asko is familiar with the need to educate oneself on new environments. He applies that understanding to the P&P world, noting he has a pertinent desire to develop the paper and forest products industry inside and outside of industrial companies. "Developing a unique global knowledge and understanding of industry behavior and success factors is key to that," he says.

Find out more by reading this month's Member Spotlight. Spotlight participants are recommended by fellow members and staff. If you would like to nominate a member just send their name (or names) to MemberSpotlight@tappi.org. We will forward a Spotlight Questionnaire for you to fill out and return.

We look forward to seeing you in the Spotlight!

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Alliance Safety Council supported a recent TAPPI membership drive targeted at students and young professionals by sponsoring 50 new members. The memberships are given to undergraduate students in paper/packaging programs as well as professionals entering the industry. The Alliance Safety Council works with TAPPI on the TAPPISAFE safety orientation program.

"We're very pleased to have been able to sponsor these young professionals and undergraduate students to become members of TAPPI," notes Kathy Trahan, president/CEO  with Alliance Safety Council. "The contributions made by new members are critical to the success of both the industry and the association. Membership in TAPPI provides a wide range of benefits for these young professionals and students including professional enrichment, networking with peers, and the many educational and learning opportunities offered by TAPPI."

"We are very grateful for Alliance Safety Council's support of TAPPI by their sponsorship of these students and young professionals to become TAPPI members," said Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO. "The association, as well as the pulp and paper industry, needs the active participation of young science and engineering students and professionals to continue to grow and prosper in the years ahead."

The Alliance Safety Council is a 54-year-old nonprofit, member-driven association providing online and instructor-led safety training and related services for the metro Baton Rouge area as well as nationwide. In 2012, ASC trained 120,000+ students from every state in the nation as well as internationally for more than 1,000 contractor companies.

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Kraft Recovery Boilers
By: T. N. Adams, W. J. Frederick, T. M. Grace, M. Hupa, K. Lisa,  A. K. Jones, H. Tran

Kraft Recovery Boilers is a comprehensive textbook that covers recovery boilers in great depth and pulls together information on combustion, safety, emissions, plugging, and corrosion. The book also covers fundamental chemical and mechanical engineering principles that bear directly on black liquor and recovery boilers. It contains information about typical values and the normal range of important variables, plus many example calculations, data tables, and charts of relevant material properties or constants and conversion factors. Written by a team of industry experts, the text includes a great deal of practical information such as simple tests to pinpoint problems, important observations to help understand issues for particular operations, and "rules-of-thumb" that are generally used in the industry. This text was written as a project of AF&PA and published by TAPPI PRESS.

Preview table of contents.

Product code: 0102B064

Member Price: $93.00
Non-Member Price: $140.00

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TAPPI has announced it will be organizing another tissue program to be held at the PaperCon 2014 Conference, scheduled for April 27-30 in Nashville, Tenn., USA. The program will focus on technical advances in tissue making, converting, and on tissue education.   

"We received fantastic feedback from our first Tissue360° Forum in Atlanta," says Larry Montague, president and CEO of TAPPI, "so we wanted to provide more of what tissue makers need. Several of our outstanding members have stepped up to organize another program this year."

The tissue market is growing globally, with private label growing faster than national brands. This is especially true in North America, where more than half of the new capacity has been structured sheet technology for private label customers. In Europe, dramatic new converting technologies have developed to improve tissue quality and performance. These trends are creating an increasing need for credible technical information and training.   

TAPPI responded by organizing the first Tissue 360° Forum in April, 2013. The forum attracted a large crowd to its three-day program of peer-reviewed, non-commercial technical papers. The 2014 Tissue360° Forum will feature more of the same, with an emphasis on converting technologies and TAPPI courses for those who want to grow their knowledge of this dynamic segment. The editorial team from Tissue360° will assist TAPPI tissue experts in the development of the program content.   

Tissue360° is TAPPI's semi-annual print and online publication for the tissue and converting industry. PaperCon is TAPPI's annual pulp and papermaking conference that attracts nearly 1,800 executives and technical professionals from around the world. It is the largest technical program in the world and the largest industry trade fair in North America.

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As part of a partnership agreement with PMMI, the Association for Processing and Packaging Technologies, TAPPI will exhibit at the 2013 PACK EXPO. PACK EXPO, Sept. 23-25, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nev., USA, is North America's largest packaging and processing trade show.

"TAPPI is excited about our partnership with PMMI and our participation in PACK EXPO," notes Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO. "Packaging is a major part of our industry and as an exhibitor at an industry leading trade show we will have the opportunity to interact with professionals from many aspects of the business and showcase TAPPI's member services and industry information products related to both our PLACE Division and Corrugated Division"

Sponsored by PMMI, PACK EXPO provides a comprehensive showcase of packaging and processing technology for more than 26,000 packaging and processing professionals and 1,700-plus exhibitors. The three-day event includes the latest developments in new materials, containers, package design, food safety, and sustainability. The exhibit covers a full range of vertical markets of consumer packaged goods companies.

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There are some great ideas waiting for you at the TAPPI PEERS Conference.

You still have time to register online for PEERS, a conference that can help you maximize efficiency and mill operations.

Projects that will improve your energy consumption and compliance:

• Precipitator dust purification – mill case study
• Latest electrostatic precipitator technology 
• Improvements in emission controls and MACT compliance.
  

Improvements to your pulping operation:

• Kraft pulping innovations
• CIO2 bleaching strategies
• Bagasse and bamboo pulping.  
  

Latest in recycling technology:

• Deinking technologies
• Microstickies measurement and control
• Water loop management.
  

You will also not want to miss:

• Networking with global experts in pulping, recycling, engineering, and bioenergy
• New Technology Showcase – hear about the latest supplier innovations
• Trade fair with more than 30 leading suppliers and consultants
• Tour of Historic Lambeau Field.
  

Special Mill Registration Offer:
For one flat fee, pulp, paper, and tissue mills can bring an unlimited number of employees to PEERS. Corporate offices and multiple sites within a single company can register multiple employees for discounted rates as well. You can attend for one hour, one day, or the entire conference and take advantage of the topics related to your job.  

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CorrExpo 2013 attendees will be able to learn about cutting edge trends in employee relations, retail packaging, and lean manufacturing via three new, concurrent, 60-min. workshops. In addition to paid conference attendees, these workshops are also open to all exhibit visitors at no extra charge.The workshops will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, immediately prior to the exhibit opening that day.  CorrExpo will be held October 7-9, 2013 at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Ind., USA.

"The workshops touch on key areas critical to the successful operation of any box plant or board mill--employee management and relations, retail packaging, and improving manufacturing efficiency," notes Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO. "They will provide 2013 CorrExpo attendees an invaluable learning opportunity on top of what is already the industry's best technical program and an exhibit featuring the latest in technology."

Workshop 1: Racing Toward Employee Engagement - Jill Kopanis, corporate director, Human Resources, Dynamic Dies Inc., will demonstrate why Employee Engagement requires a committed team and ongoing preventative maintenance. Attendees will walk through the important four "tune-ups" and learn about the nine key "pit crew positions" that help to make employee engagement happen. "Any business, particularly manufacturing, will find increased employee engagement valuable," Kopanis says. "For truly engaged companies, the average return on investment is 27% higher. Whether you're in a service industry, packaging, or other manufacturing – if you don't want to see 27% higher profits, you're in the wrong business."

Workshop 2: Why Hasn't Lean Worked in the Corrugated Industry? - Baskar Kotte, president and CEO, Quality Systems Enhancement, will discuss why efforts to enact lean manufacturing didn't work as well as anticipated. "Lean Manufacturing has been around for a while, but not many practitioners are getting the results they want," Kotte says. "They're missing things –and the first mistake is that the initiative often ends up being about 80% training, and 20% implementation. We have to flip it. A better ratio is to spend 20% of the time and effort on training, and 80% on implementation." According to Kotte, another mistake plants make is lack of follow-up on results. "If they know what the impact is – through financial analysis, and other tools – plants will be more successful," he says.

Workshop 3: Retail Ready Packaging - Drew Gilchrist, owner, Gilchrist Packaging and Principle Associate, CHAINalytics LLC, and Rick Putch, managing director, Dicar Consulting Services Worldwide, developed the presentation. Retail Ready Packaging has gained a foothold in North America as retailers discover benefits including reduced operational costs and improved in-stock rates.

"RRP is an initiative that began in Europe, and it's very well penetrated in Western Europe, where they're basically using corrugated or secondary packaging, to help products load onto the store shelves more efficiently," Gilchrist says. "Think of it as Lean Manufacturing principles applied to retail stores."

The workshop will focus on Shelf Ready Packaging, one of four types of RRP, which allows a case containing more than one consumer selling unit to be placed on the store shelf in one motion. Studies have shown a 48% improvement in shelf stocking time by using SRP.

CorrExpo 2013 is TAPPI's annual world-class event dedicated to the corrugated packaging industry. It will feature educational programs as well as exhibits highlighting supplier innovations. CorrExpo's Exhibit will highlight suppliers' innovations and provide ample opportunities for you to learn about their products and services.

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The Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA), a public-private partnership working to develop jet fuel and co-products from forest-based feedstocks, is a new, promising approach to successful commercial development and the establishment of sustainable production of bioenergy and bioproducts. Linda A. Beltz, Ph.D., NPDP, director, Technology Partnerships for Weyerhaeuser, will present "NARA: Public Private Partnerships to Advance the Forest Products Industry" during TAPPI's International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference, September 18-20 in Green Bay, Wis., USA.  

Weyerhaeuser announced its engagement with NARA as a subcontractor to support investigations into feedstock development, including sustainable production, cost-effective use of under-utilized harvest material, and conversion of lignin into value-added products. Weyerhaeuser also contributes to NARA in team leadership and development of Phase and Gate processes. 

Learn more about NARA and the latest in advancing biorefineries in the forest products industry at the International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference. IBBC, the only industry event of its kind, is held in conjunction with the PEERS Conference (September 15-18), TAPPI's leading event for those involved in mill pulping operations, engineering projects, and environmental processes. Also included is the 10th Research Forum on Recycling.

IBBC includes three full days of technical sessions through which you will also be able to learn the latest developments in the forest-based biorefineries. Build your relationships with key decision makers at the ample networking opportunities both on the exhibit floor and the conference dinner and receptions.

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The Bleaching of Pulp
By: Peter W. Hart and Alan W. Rudie

Previous editions of The Bleaching of Pulp have provided comprehensive information on the technology used to bleach wood pulps. The 5th edition will continue this tradition as the premiere industry text on bleaching technologies but will be more focused on the modern industrial processes with less emphasis on fundamental science. New or more comprehensive sections are included on elemental chlorine free bleaching, enzymes, acid treatments for hexeneuronic acids, control of mineral scale, and multi-stage modeling as used to optimize bleaching among multiple stages.

Preview table of contents and sample pages.

Product code: 0101R331

Member Price: $155.00
Non-Member Price: $232.00

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Piping System Training is a course anyone in the piping system industry can use. This course provides real-world practical knowledge for junior engineers, is a good refresher course for senior engineers, and helps operations and maintenance supervisors, design and process engineers, and operators and maintenance personnel better understand how piping systems operate.

Attend Piping System Training courses planned for two locations coming this fall:

• October 2-3 in Chicago, IL
• October 23-24 in Houston, TX

This course provides the foundation of piping terminology, mathematics, and the underlying concepts and principles that determine the performance of individual piping system elements and the system as a whole. Piping System Training places an emphasis on understanding the relationship between components that make up the piping system.

Visit the course website to find more information and register.

 Earn 1.6 CEUs and carry back with you two indispensable manuals as well as greater confidence in your work.

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TAPPI's problem-solving course designed for those working in industrial settings returns this fall.

Root Cause Problem Elimination Training
October 8-10 in Raleigh, N.C., USA.

This maintenance course is designed to show you how to cut to the core of problems - and eliminate them - by tying cause and effect together with logical thought processes and easy-to-grasp diagrams. You'll learn from case studies and predictive maintenance tools to better analyze root cause and repeat failures.

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This seminar will reveal how your organization can build and sustain successful reliability and maintenance improvements. 

Results Oriented Reliability and Maintenance Management Course
October 22 in Seattle, Wash., USA.

Reliability isn't accomplished with a focus on one fix or another as you know.  It's an ever-changing system of many different practices.  Improve overall maintenance reliability by learning more about the tools, processes, indicators, and obstacles from a one-day training course that's consistently rated among the best.

This is the final time this course will be offered in 2013.

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Calls for Papers have been issued for PaperCon 2014.

After a record attendance in 2013, PaperCon will again bring together CEOs, mill managers, superintendents, scientists, process engineers, and suppliers for the largest pulp and paper technical program in the world. The event will take place April 27-30, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn., USA. Learn more about PaperCon 2014.

For 2014, PaperCon is once again co-located with the Tissue360° Forum, NETInc (Innovative Nonwovens Conference), RPTA (Recycled Paperboard Technical Association) P-T Seminar, and the OpEx Reliability Workshop.  Each of these events is open to full PaperCon registrants and papers in these areas are welcome.
 
Calls for Papers and Posters have been issued.  The conference theme is In Tune for Stability, Agility, and Profitability, and authors are encouraged to include this within their papers.  

Papermakers Program:
The Papermakers Program encourages topics on paper machine upgrades, product development, stability, agility, and fluid fundamentals, and recycled paperboard. The deadline for submission of abstracts is Nov. 10, 2013.  Abstracts for panel discussions and roundtables are welcome.  See Papermakers Program Call for Papers.

Coating and Graphic Arts Program:
The Coating and Graphic Arts Program will focus on The Future of Print and its Demands on Paper and Coatings. The deadline for extended abstracts for this program is October 16, 2013.  See the Coating and Graphic Arts Program Call for Papers.

All abstracts must be submitted using TAPPI's Speaker Management System for consideration by the TAPPI and RPTA program committees.

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The Foundations of  Leadership Excellence Course is the only leadership course specifically focused on the paper and packaging industry.

Foundations of Leadership Excellence explains the fundamentals of leadership and management skills for emerging leaders, high-potentials, area operating managers, and other technical professionals. This three-day session takes place Oct. 22 - 24, 2013, at the TAPPI Training Facility in Metro Atlanta, Ga., USA.

This course will sell out at 25 participants.

The instructors for this course have approximately 100 years of combined experience in leadership, management, and human resource roles within the pulp and paper industry.

Course curriculum covers industry specific, real-world scenarios. Participants will develop personal leadership skills through the use of influence. They will learn to impact organizations from a 360 degree perspective and how to address the challenges of team building, accountability, performance management, and other critical factors of organizational success.

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As TAPPI is getting ready to celebrate its 100th Year Anniversary in 2015, we were wondering how much industry expertise we have in this great group of professionals.

So, we decided to post a discussion question on our TAPPI Social Media outlets. We asked, "How many years of paper and/or packaging experience do you have?"
 
Who knew such a simple question would have such an impressive response.

With more than 7,000 TAPPI members, all over the world, we have counted 650-plus years of industry experience! And that's just counting the first 30 people who have responded. Now you probably can't find that anywhere else . So why don't you join us?

From those "born" into the industry to third generation professionals. From paper to packaging, to sustainability, environment, tissue, converters, and consulting. This TAPPI network has something for everyone.
 
Become a part of this unique community of paper and packaging professionals, and add your expertise to our group, and network with others to learn something new.

Visit our website to learn more today!

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The TAPPI Centennial Celebration will be a multi-year long series of outreach events and educational offerings showcasing the proud history and promising future of the global pulp, paper, packaging, and related industries. This once-in-a-lifetime event will expand public awareness, foster further connection, and provide outstanding opportunities for collaboration, growth, and investment in our future for all of those involved. Goals for the TAPPI Centennial Celebration are:

• To honor TAPPI's 100 years of connection, education, and advancement as a foundation for the sustainable success of our members, our industries, and the world we share
• To recognize the achievements of those who built our industry and to inspire those who seek to build its future
• To celebrate the contributions and innovations of the global pulp, paper, and packaging industries to human culture, commerce, health, and social advancement
• To sustain the industry and support its growth, vitality, and future through the TAPPI Foundation.

We invite you to be a part of this momentous event. The sooner you join us the more opportunities there are for recognition of your company, its products, and key innovations. Keep in mind that an early commitment allows you to spread your investment over multiple years' budgets.

For more information on sponsorship and volunteer opportunities please contact dbell@tappi.org.

The sponsorship prospectus can be downloaded online.

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Do you have a history book gathering dust on your shelf? TAPPI's 100th year is coming soon and we are looking for donations to the TAPPI Library. Specifically, we are interested in histories of companies and mills in the paper and packaging industry (both producers and suppliers). Each donated book will have a bookplate in the front cover recognizing the donor. For more information please contact David Bell.

Please send books to:
c\o David Bell
TAPPI
15 Technology Parkway, South
Suite 115
Peachtree Corners, Georgia 30092

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