Over the Wire

European paper and forest products companies that have diversified away from the mature European publication paper market and invested in new growth areas saw improved profitability in the first half of 2015, reports Moody's Investors Service.

 

Demand for paper is expected to increase 2% - 12% annually, depending on paper grade. Over the past decade, the domestic pulp industry has steadily increased its usage of pulpwood because of higher pulp production, less usage of bamboo, and because several pulp mills switched from recycled fiber to wood fiber.

 

"The decisions we are announcing today are connected directly to our five-point transformation plan, which sets out a clear, achievable path to our becoming a higher value chemistry company," said Mark Vergnano, president and CEO of Chemours.

 

The first stage of the project includes the construction of a tissue paper converting line. The second stage involves installation of a 54,000 metric tpy tissue machine. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2018.

 

Von Drehle reports that they have spent $100 million on the expansion for a new tissue machine as well as storage for the large rolls it will produce. Currently there are 70 employees working on site. As the rebuilt Natchez site begins to transition from construction to production, the number of employees will reach 160 or 170 by 2017.

 

The new ACP allows the development, testing, and production of a wide range of advanced, specialty, and high performance materials, like nanocrystalline cellulose—an exceptionally strong, low-cost, renewable composite material that has multiple applications in the automotive and aerospace industries.

 

"We have not had a single break in production," said Mill Manager Cory Gallant. "Despite the incredible amount of construction activity on site, we have remained fully functional with more than 340 employees producing pulp products every day for markets at home and abroad."

 

Metsä has chosen Valmet's Advantage DCT concept for the upgrade of its tissue machine TM 1 in Raubach, Germany. Startup is scheduled for the first half of 2016. An extensive package of services including engineering, installation of the tissue machine, supervision, training, commissioning, and startup is in the delivery.

 

The husband and wife team at PG Paper have managed to build a successful paper company that has built a reputation with graphic papers. They will start distributing globally to test the response to what they feel are very reputable and well-respected brands in the premium packaging board industry.

 

In addition to growth in attractive board segments, an investment decision would also include a streamlining of the production structure within the business area Packaging Paper as the current production of kraft papers at the Gruvön production unit would be discontinued and replaced by production at other BillerudKorsnäs units.

 

The Student Sustainability Leadership Scholarship program was developed as part of Evergreen Packaging's commitment to building a sustainable business and promoting sus¬tainable communities. Evergreen's focus on sustainability includes promoting community engagement that involves environmental, economic, and social considerations.

 

The machine processes automotive filter paper such as oil or air filter paper in grammages from 80 to 300 gsm, or thickness from 0.3 to 2 mm. The T 2 has been customized for the specific requirements of Shandong Renfeng China and will be delivered at the beginning of 2016.

 

The value of the order was not disclosed, but according to Valmet, typically, the order value of automation system deliveries ranges from below EUR 1 million to EUR 3 million. The Valmet delivery includes a Valmet Kappa Analyzer for the pulp mill and Valmet IQ QCS for the rebuilt board machine.

 

"OptiConcept M has really made its breakthrough as an industry standard for paper and board manufacturing, which is proven by this repeat order from Lee & Man," said Juha Kivimaa, director, sales technology in Valmet's paper business.

 

Announcing the limit – which is designed to act as a ban – environmental minister Eva Kjer Jansen commented that consumer safety is paramount and there should not be harmful fluorinated substances in the paper and paperboard in contact with food.

 

The contract was for wood to be hauled from Oakfield when Mclaughlin was actually taking the wood from Sebois to Hinckley, a shorter distance. The state’s district attorney has now provided additional information, including that Mclaughlin was charged last year with a similar crime.

 

The Capital Region is now competing in the fourth round of development funding controlled by Gov. Cuomo’s administration. The process will work to select winning projects from among the ten New York state regional councils. The council hopes to make final judgments in these next few months and begin rewarding incentives by early 2016.

 

In August 2014, California became the first U.S. state legislature to enact legislation imposing a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags at large retail stores. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law on September 30. The ban has been in effect in the largest state in the union since July 1.

 

The new location will focus on cleaning rolls from Wisconsin to the East Coast and into the southern U.S. Other locations will continue to be serviced from the Minneapolis headquarters.

 

This new system is based on technology that almost completely eliminates the bending effect of rubber rolls due to the ply embossing pressure.

 

"Texture can influence our decisions as it creates an emotional connection. It’s important to communicate
a brand’s personality, and create a memorable first impression, through every touch point, starting with a company’s identity system," said Neenah Sr. Brand Manager, Kathy Kemps.

 

Through a hydraulic system, the pressure of the independently driven rider roller can be adjusted to handle thin papers like bible paper or tea-bag paper but also packing paper and thick paperboard for cores.

 

Each product manufactured on an S60 can be memorized by the machine, enabling the operator to quickly recall and program properties such as roll diameter, perforation count, paper tension, roll density, etc. in seconds, thus decreasing product change times and increasing productivity.

 

Tomas Biström (Master of Science, Economics) has been appointed Director, Corporate Responsibility at Kemira effective September 1. He has previously been responsible for Kemira's Compensation and Benefit globally, including the successful implementation of Kemira's performance management process.

 

Software house announces one retirement, several promotions.

 

You only have a few more days to make sure you have a chance to present in the Student Poster Session. The deadline for the Call for Posters is September 1.

 

The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background in the manufacturing of machinery equipment. To be successful in this role, you will need to exhibit high level project management skills in addition to being mechanically and/or process oriented.

 

The 2015 PEERS Conference features five new panel discussions. Gain first-hand knowledge of new solutions and best practices through a series of important and lively panel discussions at the TAPPI PEERS Conference, October 25-28 in Atlanta, Ga., USA.

 

TAPPI's Tissue360° forum is seeking forward-thinking speakers and ideas for the upcoming program.

 

Bonnie was Dave Carlson's constant companion and often accompanied him to industry events (Dave specialized in corrugated), always rising above any health challenges with a smile and a show of strength in her presence.

 

Is a cloud based system right for your mill? TAPPI invites you to a complimentary webinar on Tuesday September 22, at 12:00 p.m. EST, hosted by Christophe Deslandes, VP and CTO of KapStone Paper and Packaging, to learn more about this exciting topic.

 

The Extractives Control webinar, September 24, will discuss how paper machine deposition problems related to natural pitch, stickies, and coated broke synthetic binders significantly affect paper machine efficiency and product quality.

 

TAPPI–IDCON courses are specifically designed to help you master the essentials of maintenance.

 

Papers covering research in characterization, production, and processing of nanomaterials and applications both within and outside of the paper and packaging industries are sought, especially those from the recent 2015 International Nanotechnology Conference for Renewable Materials, held this past June. Submission deadline is November 4.

 

Gain a solid introduction and practical information on identification, measurement, and control of primary IH hazards at this September 16-17 course.