Over the Wire

According to Nielsen's BookScan, which tracks 80% to 85% of print sales, units topped 695 million in the 52-week period ended Dec. 29, 2018 compared to 686.9 million in 2017. Print book sales have been trending upward, albeit at a slow pace, since 2013. Gain was driven by the adult nonfiction segment. Physical audiobooks had a steep drop.

 

Freedonia expects demand for folding paperboard boxes to grow 3.9% through 2022 to $12.8 billion. In 2018, the U.S. levied a 10% tariff on folding paperboard cartons from China. This was scheduled to increase to 25% on Jan. 1 of this year. However, in Dec. 2018, China and the U.S. agreed on a suspension of tariff increases. FMI lists top 12 players in market.

 

Andritz Advanced Thermo Mechanical Pulp technology is a highly optimized process design with modular process steps that ensure enhanced fiber properties at reduced energy consumption. Andritz will refurbish second-hand machines that Kabel Premium bought from a former magazine paper production line.

 

During the last half of 2018, their Nekoosa and Ashdown mills began to identify the causes of, and take action to reduce, the amount of good wood fiber lost to sewers each day instead of being used for making paper — which is almost the equivalent of money going down the drain. Wood fiber loss also causes issues at a mill’s effluent treatment plant.

 

A series of radio and television reports over the past week indicated salaried employees were offered the company's standard severance packages, however, most of the affected were union employees. G-P will also not receive property tax breaks now. A spokesperson for the company confirmed that their Industrial Tax Exemption Program not move forward.

 

Jonas Eriksson, Värö’s Mill Manager, said the new tower will give the fibre line extra availability and the leeway to increase the mill’s production capacity further still. "This will give us increased flexibility, we will not have to stop production to perform some of the planned maintenance or if we ever incur a minor problem at the drying machine in the future."

 

Scope of the concession tender is the building and operation of a port terminal specialized in the storage and shipping of pulp, chemicals, and other inputs related to pulp production with a capacity to handle approx. 2 million metric tpy of pulp. tenure of the concession would be for 50 years. Total would be approx. $260 million.

 

New packaging division focuses on FMCG, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products while the cards division covers the whole range of credit, ID, gift, and customer loyalty cards. Groundbreaking technology for inline printing, future-oriented networking, and in-house ink production thanks to parallel acquisition of Tritron shares.

 

Koehler’s goal with marketing partnership is to replace plastic in flexible packaging materials with paper wherever possible and practical to help replace nonrecyclable packaging with paper, a material whose recycling challenges have already been solved in many countries. For this reason, paper is the clear sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative.

 

Toscotec will rebuild the pre-dryer section of the PM, including 36 new TT SteelDryers with a diameter of 1.8 m, maintaining the same machine length of the existing 43 cast iron cans. Scope of supply includes 4 new TT Uniroll for the first battery. PM5 produces White Top Kraft Liner with a reel trim of 5,500 mm. Rebuild will increase speed up to 900 m/min.

 

Digital printing technology will simplify the complexity of design handling, reducing time from design to print and opening up new opportunities for flexibility in placement and product customization. Beverage brands can take advantage of benefits like dynamic on-package printing and ability to include a variety of designs within the same order.

 

A more resilient paper recycling system, transportation infrastructure, international trade, tax policy, and regulatory reforms and process improvements top its 2019 advocacy priority list. The association is also seeking ways for the industry to effectively apply sustainable manufacturing processes that can compete in planning for the future.

 

Paper receipts are the valued choice of retailers and consumers to document sales transactions. Appvion shares industry anxiety over privacy issues and fraud with e-receipts. Appvion led the industry to discontinue the use of BPA in thermal paper formulation in 2006 as a result of toxicology reports. The science shows that their product is safe.

 

Canada’s forest products sector relies on an efficient and reliable transportation system to move our products through Canada to global markets. Over the past two years, system congestion through the Lower Mainland of B.C. has created real challenges for Canadian forest products companies.

 

Greencoat provides farmers, wholesalers, and retailers with a fully recyclable corrugated package that performs as well as wax in cold and wet environments, and DS Smith’s retail-ready packaging options enable farmers to showcase their brand with durable, multi-color graphics. The new product is 100% recyclable.

 

Strict regulations on cigarette and tobacco packaging is forcing manufacturers to strengthen their quality controls. The challenge is to ensure the quality and conformity of health warnings. With the QCS they can now perform quality checks easily at production stages and make sure that cigarette and tobacco packs are in full compliance with legal requirements.

 

Modern weld design permits faster handling of wood at full capacity. Pins and shafts are heat-treated steel of adequate size to prevent breakage and promote long service life. All come completely self-contained and ready for operation with Mack engineered and tested heavy-duty hydraulic cylinders.

 

Iggesund and its sister facility in Workington were assigned Gold Standard, the highest rating. This means both paperboard mills are among the top 1% of all companies assessed by EcoVadis, and the top 2% of paper companies assessed. Holmen has been included in world’s 100 most sustainable companies drawn up by UN Global Compact and Corporate Knights.

 

The site will be effectively eliminating multiple thousands of tons of toxic emissions in the local area being produced by burning waste straw. The facility is also energy efficient, self contained, and the process was designed specifically to use significantly less chemicals, less water, and less energy than that of a traditional pulp mill.

 

"Valmet will enhance the Metsä Tissue mill's fuel switch to LNG, which is a safe form of energy with low emissions. At the same time, both Gasum and Metsä Tissue gain access to the latest software updates," remarked Juhani Tuomaala, Sales Manager, Automation, Valmet. The system renewal will be delivered in June 2019.

 

Process is based on VTT's low-pressure, low-temperature steam gasification technology, simplified gas purification, and small-scale industrial synthesis. Due to its unique small-scale approach, heat generated by the process can be used throughout the year and the process can be fueled with local waste. Up to 75% efficient.

 

Company announced creation of three divisions with profit and loss responsibility in order to more effectively realize the company’s growth strategy. The divisions are Board, Paper and Solutions. Anders Lundin, today head of BillerudKorsnäs M&A, is appointed EVP, Division Solutions. He will be a member of the company’s senior management.

 

Troy Hill is a proven sales professional offering innovative client solutions. He excels in developing business in new markets with over 20 years of experience in digital printing platforms. Michelle Jambor has over 25 years of experience in specialty papers in direct sales and territory management. Her polymer and fiber saturation knowledge is extensive.

 

Peter Karlsson has been appointed new CFO as of Mar. 1, 2019. His previous positions have included Business Controller for the Södra Group and Interim CFO. He led Södra Wood through the changes to Södra’s involvement in the Interiör segment. Christian Brolin, IT manager, becomes CDO and a member of the senior management team.

 

The winter meeting of the Gulf Coast Local Section will be held Feb. 7-8 in Mobile, Ala., USA.

 

Poor processes in your corrugator’s performance can really affect your organization’s bottom line. Learn proven techniques from industry experts on how to achieve higher productivity, produce better quality products, and reduce waste and downtime at the Best Practices on the Corrugator Course this Feb. in Metro Atlanta, Ga., USA at TAPPI’s Headquarters.

 

It’s the perfect time to plan your New Year training schedule in Paper Making. TAPPI, in partnership with the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST), will be promoting a series of laboratory-focused short courses throughout the year led by distinguished professors in the field.

 

Leverage the Exceptional Training Delivered by TAPPI and IDCON