Over the Wire

Uncoated free sheet paper shipments increased slightly. Coated free sheet paper shipments decreased. Uncoated mechanical paper shipments decreased. Uncoated mechanical paper shipments decreased, while imports increased. Total inventory levels increased from December.

 

Unbleached kraft boxboard production in the U.S. increased over the same month as last year but decreased compared with last month. Total Solid bleached boxboard and liner production decreased compared with January 2015 and production of Recycled Boxboard increased.

 

Paper and paperboard packaging material is projected to be the fastest growing segment, in terms of material used in sustainable products, in the next five years. The global sustainable packaging market is projected to grow at CAGR of 7.2% (7.17%) from 2015-2020.

 

A new report covers kraft lignin for the period of 2015-2021. This higher purity of lignin has future applications in aromatics and in other industries such as fertilizers / pesticides. It's now considered an emerging product market. There's growth of supply, market demand, and diversity of market applications.

 

Demand for paper products from manufacturing in China and India will be a primary boost for the hydrogen peroxide market in the forecast period 2015-2023. Common as a paper bleaching agent, more than 40% of demand from the $3.7 billion global hydrogen peroxide market in 2014 was taken up by the P&P industry.

 

The stock of paper was bought for EUR 8.3 million and sale of machinery, including two pulping units to Egyptian clients and the newsprint PM 14 to a Chinese company, was completed in September for EUR 7.9 million. The energy generator is valued at EUR 2.5 million. Only 10 employees remain. Demolition is planned for mid-2017.

 

Producing a high quality product at low cost is key to the company's survival, said the VP. Even with several production benefits, profits are not soaring. The company said it must focus on reducing manufacturing costs while producing high quality paper to stay competitive long term. For now, lower oil prices also are also helping.

 

Voith will be responsible for supplying the new tissue lines (OTW February 11) which will be equipped with NipcoFlex T shoe presses and the EcoChange system to allow a reliable reel spool change. Each machine will have a manufacturing capacity of nearly 220 metric tons of paper daily, at a speed of 2,000 meters per minute.

 

Fort Smith's (Ark., USA) workforce, centralized location to raw materials in the form of cellulose-based pulp, as well as distance to its industrial customers were determining factors in selecting the site. The facility will supply products to a variety of customers, including the broader wipes and hygiene markets. It will create 83 jobs.

 

Investigation into the incident showed that the fire arose next to a rotating axle, the heat from which caused smoldering that rapidly spread at the site located in Sweden. Pulp production is running, 99 days after the fire, at 75%. Full production will be resumed once the fourth and final refiner line is restarted at the end of March.

 

Process additive tank, tall oil tank, and filter systems are part of one project, along with a new process building. PE is completing design of a black liquor oxidation tank project, including controls, power distribution, structural supports, platforms, and process piping at a mill in Florida, USA, along with Alabama and Georgia site cost estimate projects.

 

Two Ahead 2.0M machines will be installed at Vinda’s Sanjiang facility in Guangdong province, where Vinda already has eight Toscotec-supplied tissue machines running, to attain a total mill capacity of 250,000 metric tpy. The other Ahead 1.5M project has a design speed of 1,700 m/min and additional production capacity of 30,000 metric tpy,

 

The new rebuild at the mill in Italy is featuring a double layer fully hydraulic TT Headbox-MLT including polished pipes, a TT SYD-18FT with deckle insulation, and the yankee steam and condensate removal system.

 

Established in 1989, Excel is an innovative designer and manufacturer of award-winning point-of-purchase displays, high-graphic retail packaging, in-store signage, and industrial packaging. Approximately 120 employees are now part of Georgia-Pacific. The acquisition includes a state-of-the-art converting plant in Aurora.

 

The folding carton plant is strategically important for the company.The $20 million expansion will create 43 new jobs in Staunton, Va., USA.

 

The upgrade at the site in Springfield, Ore., USA, started in ­January and at the current progression rate as of late February should be complete by the end of the year, Michelle ­Winetrout, company spokeswoman, confirmed this past Friday.

 

In addition to corrugated and fulfillment services, the company plans to operate the Viva Foam segment of H.P. Neun. The May 2016 acquisition, of which terms were undisclosed, require Jamestown to hire several new personnel in its Rochester, N.Y., USA, facility and operate in greater capacity at the Lyons, N.Y. facility.

 

Jimmy Luyet, Rock City GM, said the larger company they are part of means better market access. In the past four years the Harrison, Ark., USA, plant has grown in sales from approximately $50 million to $65 million. The goal is $70 million for 2016, soon reaching $80 million. On Rock City's behalf, the merger has also been good news.

 

The new project features EUR 31 million in a powerful investment from Stora Enso.The polyethylene (PE) coating line will be integrated into a mill located in Beihai, China. The new mill is expected to be in operation during the second quarter of 2016 with the new line in operation in mid-2017.

 

The operation, creating 62 new jobs at $15-$19/hr., and producing a 100% recycled product, will serve independent box makers in North Georgia, East Tennessee, and North Alabama (USA) from a new 150,000 sq. ft. building located in Dalton, Ga.The plant's paper recycling will divert more than 120,000 tpy from landfills.

 

Silver digital enables brilliant, clear-cut color reproduction on front and back and is available from 115 to 350 gsm. It has sharp toner adhesion, is fast drying, and is suitable for many applications, including brochures, displays, cards, packaging, and photo albums.

 

The EarthCoating line of mineralized resins is heat-sealable, engineered for recyclability, and FDA-compliant for food contact. It provides a print surface on paperboard sheets that's waterproof, grease-proof, and bright. The coating provides an optimized high-quality barrier for performance and cosmetic appeal.

 

Just like plastic gift cards, the award winning paper-based gift cards in the Monadnock concept are flexible enough to bend and durable enough to withstand a washing machine cycle. In fact, Monadnock has had no reported failures of its more than 200 million paper gift cards on the market today.

 

Verso announced on Tuesday it is increasing the transaction price of all uncoated grades by $3.00/cwt (C$4.25/cwt), including but not limited to Ideal Offset, Ideal Reply Card, Ideal Enhanced Tablet, and Ideal Tablet, by April 1.

 

The increase will be $3.00 cwt for the following items: Spring Forge Offset; Spring ForgeDigital; Hopewell Offset; Thor PCW; Thor Plus; Glatfelter Offset; Glatfelter End Leaf; Stabilite; Natures End Leaf; Natures Book; Conserve; digiBOOK; Pixelle Book; Adena Opaque, and will go into effect April 1.

 

Following a period of downward price pressure last year, the softwood pulp market stabilized in early 2016 and the outlook is now improving. Södra will increase its market price for NBSK deliveries in Europe to $810/metric ton, effective from April 1,

 

APP is committed to improve company image and responsibility in sustainability. This is achieved through company efforts working to block more than 3,500 perimeter canals to increase water levels on peatland, with a total of 7,000 dams by the end of 2016. This is in addition to recent retirement of 7,000 hectares of plantation.

 

The company said in its report that it has spent $35 million dollars over the past seven years to use new technology to keep particulate emissions as low as they can be. The production site is located near the city of Kamloops, B.C.,Canada.

 

Green Range's brand campaign deals with topics of sustainable forestry and responsible paper production. The Green Range game that comes with paper purchases promotes this by combining entertainment with information. A tree is planted for each player in the online game – a real contribution that everyone can make.

 

With an impressive 4,000 saplings planted on Feb. 26, 2016, in Belgium, Sappi brings the total number of trees replanted by the employee led group above 16,000 since the initiative started six years ago.

 

Stora Enso announced this week that the company is investing EUR 16 million in a new chemical plant at the consumer board mill in Skoghall, Sweden. The goal is to further improve environmental performance by reducing sulfur emissions. The investment is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

 

Low costs of crude oil are bad news for biomass for bioenergy and biofuel achieving a competitive level in the energy market. On the bright side, bioproducts not being used for energy are experiencing a period of healthy development as wood based fibers become potentially and profitably abundant beyond energy use.

 

Forest management designed to supply a previously larger P&P industry has begun to feel the devastation of the loss of traditional business in the past several years. Wood fiber could be used for bioenergy ventures here, replacing paper alongside alternatives in packaging and tissue, but it fights months of falling oil / energy prices.

 

The Senate agreed to an amendment to the 2016 Energy Policy Modernization Act, which recognizes the carbon neutrality of biomass when it comes from forested lands that haven’t been converted to another use.

 

Jose Raymond will oversee stakeholder management, government and media relations, and will be the company’s spokesperson in Singapore. He is a former CEO of the Singapore Environment Council. This is in step with recent company policy of creating a more earth-friendly image after years of deforestation claims.

 

Ahola is currently SVP responsible for strategy and energy within UPM Europe and North America. She has been in her current role since 2013. Ahola joined UPM in 2007, being responsible for strategy creation and implementation processes and the Paper Business Group’s strategy development.

 

Updated with news, in-plant features, and videos on a daily basis, TAPPI would like its members to know about this new site that will keep readers up to date with industry details from around the world.

 

As a corporation, TAPPI must hold an annual Business Meeting. That meeting will be held March 9 via teleconference. Any interested TAPPI member may join us for a brief report on association business--Larry N. Montague, TAPPI President and CEO.

 

TAPPI and NC State are working together to deliver a specialized financial course centered on your objectives in the pulp, paper, and related industries.

 

TAPPI and IDCON are working in partnership to bring you a series of courses, with two starting in April, to strengthen best practices in reliability and maintenance.

 

Albany International is currently seeking to fill the positions of sales, service engineers, and corrugator belt service technicians for locations in the Ohio River Valley and throughout the U.S.

 

Greg took advantage of the many conferences and course work offered and found TAPPI’s knowledge base to be a crucial supplement to his learning curve. In addition, he exploited many of the networking opportunities available to extend his contacts throughout the industry.