Over the Wire

UPM, Helsinki, Finland, reports that it has concluded environmental assessments for possible second generation biofuel refineries at Rauma and Kuusankoski, Finland. The Southeast Finland Regional Environment Centre noted that UPM's assessment "is well prepared and includes a lot of information about the different implementation alternatives and their environmental impacts." The authority concluded that the assessment is sufficient and meets the requirements of the EIA law and statute.

UPM says it also is assessing alternative locations for a refinery producing transport biofuels at UPM's mill sites in other countries. The company adds hat it is now starting an environmental impact and risk assessment study as part of preparations for a permitting procedure in Strasbourg, France. The plan is to study the option of building a second generation biorefinery at the Stracel paper mill site. This process is estimated to last about a year.

UPM, together with Andritz/Carbona, has been testing gasification technology to produce biofuel from forest energy wood near Chicago, Ill, USA. The initial testing program has been successfully completed. UPM adds that it is continuing to develop the technical concept and the technology solution is estimated to be ready by summer 2010.

"We are making necessary preparations both concerning the technical and the permit issues in the light of an investment decision. Time for the investment decision is not right now but later after the environmental impact assessments have been done and the final technical concept has been selected," said Petri Kukkonen, director for UPM's biofuels business area.

TAPPI/VoIPcare's pilot testing of the qMetrix for Transportation system, designed to help reduce in-transit damage to rolls of paper, will begin by the first of May. Participants in the six-month test of this system, designed in collaboration with members of TAPPI's Shipping, Receiving and Warehousing (SRW) subcommittee, include five railroads, seven mills, two printers and one publisher. Robin Mangold, principal at VoIPcare Technology, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA, notes that these companies represent a significant cross section of supply chain partners focused on the reduction of in-transit damage. Mangold adds that "we are confident additional forward-thinking companies will join the project as we move forward."

Detailed design reviews will be conducted with the pilot participants this month, and the final design document will be published soon afterwards. Development will start no later than the end of this month, and the pilot project will be officially kicked off at the TAPPI SRW meeting in Nashville, Tenn., USA, April 12 -14. Following the pilot study, a detailed review will be conducted by the participants.

The qMetrix system consists of a series of inspections on the railcars, paper that has been loaded and received, and any in-transit damage that may occur. Data gathered will be stored in a central location, allowing analysis of trends on both a company-wide and an industry-wide basis. The system can be deployed throughout the industry without investment in hardware. Adopting the system over multiple publishers, carriers, mills, and printers allows for standardization of processes that have been cumbersome and tedious up until now.

The system will provide notification of railcar damage to the railroads immediately after equipment inspections have been completed, allowing them to respond quickly to the timely information. The system will also send in-transit damage reports to the railroads, mills, and publishers the moment the damage inspections have been completed. All inspection data as well as uploaded pictures will be available to the parties for claim resolution.

VoIPcare points out that millions of dollars are being spent every year across the industry on in-transit paper damage. As this program moves forward, it adds, the amount of damage should be reduced through an increased awareness of protective measures that work more effectively, increased visibility of damaged cars, and improved accountability throughout the supply chain. Financial benefits from using the system include an overall reduction of damaged rolls, reduced manpower, and improved data metrics with the capability to identify patterns and areas for improvement.

More information about the qMetrix for Transportation system and the TAPPI SRW pilot project is available on VoIPcare's web site.

European mechanical paper markets are improving, according to CEPIPRINT (the Association of European Publication Paper Producers), Brussels, Belgium, which has issued its most recent monthly summary of European (Western + Eastern) mechanical paper statistics. In November 2009, the newsprint market recorded a 22% rise in European shipments overseas year-on-year, which translates into an increase in exports of 27,000 metric tons. This put year-to-date newsprint exports almost on a level (- 0.3%) with the same period last year. There was a 10% (87,000 metric tons) reduction in European domestic deliveries, with the largest drop in tonnage volumes seen in the U.K., Germany, and Italy.

European demand in the SC-magazine paper sector contracted 4.0% (13,000 metric tons) last month compared with the same period last year. Total European shipments were down 6.5% (26,000 metric tons), with the drop in exports split between North America and Oceania.

November shipments of coated mechanical reels to outside Europe were sitting flat (0.9%) on the previous year, but domestic shipments fell 11% (72,000 metric tons), with Italy, France, and Germany posting the largest declines. The uncoated mechanical sector saw a 22% (7,000 metric tons) rise in exports in November, with Turkey taking the lion's share of the increase. Domestic shipments were down 10%, with the reduction evenly split across the main markets for the uncoated mechanical grades.

Global sawlog prices jumped almost 8% in the third quarter of 2009 because of improved lumber markets in the U.S. and Europe, the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ), Seattle, Wash., USA, reports. In the third quarter, the Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) had the highest quarter-to-quarter jump in its 15-year history, according to WRQ. The Index increased for the third straight quarter and reached just over $73 per cubic meter.

Global sawlog prices started to move up in the fall after having reached a bottom in many markets earlier this year. The recent upswing has been the result of a tighter log supply but also because of improved operating rates at many sawmills in both the U.S. and Europe. The U.S., the Nordic countries, Central Europe, the Baltic States, and Russia have experienced the largest price increases (in local currencies) over the past six months.

The GSPI, which is based on conifer sawlog prices in 19 key regions worldwide, was $73.30 per cubic meter in the third quarter, up 7.6% from the previous quarter. Much of the increase was because the U.S. dollar weakened against most currencies in the WRQ regions, but there were also higher log prices in Europe in the local currencies. Despite the recent increase in the GSPI Index, it is still 15% lower than a year ago and 20.3% below the all-time-high in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The biggest declines in log prices (in U.S. dollar terms) since the peak in early 2008, have occurred in the Baltic States, the Nordic countries, and in Western North America. In these regions, prices are now more than 25% below their all-time highs. Log prices in the U.S. South, Central Europe, Latin America, and Oceania have fallen relatively less and are currently 5% - 10% below their peak about 18 months ago, WRQ notes.

Log prices have probably reached their bottom in this cycle last spring and it can be expected that they will continue the recent upswing in 2010 because of increased demand for lumber in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. So far this year, Europe, Northern Africa, and China have been some of the most rapidly growing markets for lumber exporters, and this trend is likely to continue into next year. There is also some good news coming out of Russia, WRQ adds. Lumber exports increased slightly in 2009 compared with 2008 and might reach the third highest level on record. This is mostly due to the high demand for lumber in China. Softwood lumber shipments to China have been up almost 60% this year. The strong export lumber market has mostly benefited sawmills in Siberia and the Russian Far East. More information is available on the WRQ website.

Sustainable packaging markets will reach $170 billion by 2014, according to a recent report by Pike Research, Boulder, Colo., USA. Worldwide packaging industry revenues will increase from $429 billion in 2009 to $530 billion by 2014, representing a growth rate greater than that of the global economy itself. Along with this growth comes an ever-greater burden on the environment in the form of raw materials, energy, transportation, and disposal impacts. However, Pike Research forecasts that the sustainable packaging sector is growing much faster than the overall packaging industry, and the firm anticipates that eco-friendly packaging will nearly double in revenues between 2009 and 2014, from $88 billion to $170 billion.

Generally, according to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, sustainable packaging involves "a closed loop flow of packaging materials in a system that is economically robust and provides benefit throughout its life cycle." The Coalition envisions "a world where all packaging is sourced responsibly, designed to be effective and safe throughout its life cycle, meets market criteria for performance and cost, is made entirely using renewable energy and once used, is recycled efficiently to provide a valuable resource for subsequent generations. In summary: a true closed loop system for all packaging."

Pike Research Managing Director Clint Wheelock notes that "the sustainable packaging challenge is one that must be solved by multiple parties in a spirit of cooperation. The move toward more environmentally responsible packaging is being embraced by consumers, manufacturers, retailers, advocacy groups, and world governments alike."

Pike Research anticipates that plastic-based packaging will be the fastest-growing segment of the sustainable packaging sector between now and 2014. "More eco-friendly plastic packaging will have a huge impact," says Wheelock, "because it represents more than a third of the total global packaging industry, second only to paper packaging."

The Pike Research study, titled Sustainable Packaging, assesses the global market opportunity for more environmentally-friendly packaging. It examines key market drivers and includes detailed five-year forecasts for the total packaging market as well as the sustainable packaging sector, segmented by packaging material categories and world regions.

AbitibiBowater, Montreal, Que., Canada, this week closed the sale of its Recycling Division's material recycling facilities -- located in Arlington, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas, USA -- to Waste Management Recycle America for $12 million. The company will continue operating its recycling programs in Arlington, Houston, and San Antonio, as well as in 20 other major metropolitan areas across North America. With this transaction, AbitibiBowater says it will refocus the company's recycling efforts on its community recycling Paper Retriever program, as well as on the EcoRewards recycling initiative for commercial customers. Waste Management, as part of the sale, has agreed to process materials generated by these two programs.

"The sale of our Texas processing assets allows us to refocus our energy on expanding our recycling services to more customers in more cities across North America, while supporting responsible paper use and recovery," stated Sylvain Longval, VP, Recycling - North America. "These turnkey recycling programs are a testament to AbitibiBowater's product stewardship, leadership in recycling, and proactive approach to sustainability."

Ahlstrom Corp., Helsinki, Finland, reports that it will close a paper machine for filtration materials at its Barcelona, Spain, mill. Negotiations with personnel representatives at the mill were started this past November as part of the Group restructuring program underway globally, and due to the global overcapacity in some filtration materials. The negotiations concerned all employees of the plant, excluding the sales office.

Closure of the paper machine will result in a reduction of 37 positions, impacting both blue-collar and white-collar employees. The layoffs will be implemented flexibly from the end of 2009.

The non-recurring items related to the closure amount to approximately EUR 7.5 million, of which EUR 5.5 million are asset write-downs and EUR 2.0 million cash related items. The non-recurring items are included in the total amount of approximately EUR 34 million announced to be booked in the financial results of Ahlstrom Group in 2009.

The Barcelona plant employs 92 people, of whom 10 work at the sales office. The plant produces filtration media for transportation and liquid applications. In addition to the paper machine, the plant operates a saturator, slitter winders, liquid converters, and a warehouse, which are not impacted by the closure.

Domtar Corp., Montreal, Que., Canada, has announced that it will dismantle its permanently-closed Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada, pulp mill. The company will continue to remove machinery and equipment from the site and will take steps to engage the services of demolition contractors and file for a demolition permit.

The Prince Albert pulp and paper mill was permanently closed in the first quarter of 2006 and has never been operated since. The dismantling of the paper machine and converting equipment was completed in 2008 and the dismantling of the remaining assets is expected to start early this year.

Domtar is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity. It is also a manufacturer of paper grade, fluff, and specialty pulp.

Hayat Kimya A.S., Turkey, has ordered a complete tissue production line from Metso, Finland, to be installed at the company's mill in Yeniköy, near the city of Izmit. Startup is planned for the fourth quarter of 2010. The value of the order will not be disclosed. Metso will deliver a complete tissue production line, including a stock preparation system and a tissue machine. The delivery will also include an extensive automation package with machine, process, and quality controls. Complete engineering, installation supervision, training, startup, and commissioning are also included in the delivery.

The new line will have a design capacity of 70,000 metric tpy of high-quality facial, toilet, and towel grades. Raw material for the new line will be virgin fiber. The production line is optimized to save energy and to enhance final product quality.

Hayat Kimya A.S. is part of the Hayat Group, which primarily operates in the chemicals, hygienic products, paper, and wood-based industries. The Hayat tissue facilities have a paper production capacity of 65,000 metric tpy and a converting capacity of 60,000 metric tpy. With the new investment, the total production capacity of Hayat Kimya will reach 135,000 metric tpy, making it the largest tissue producer in Turkey.

Iggesund Paperboard, Sweden, reports that during 2009 it reduced emissions of fossil carbon dioxide by 65% at Iggesunds Bruk, where the company's flagship product, Invercote, is made. The reduction by 63,000 metric tons corresponds to the emissions from 17,500 cars per year.

"Even before this move, our business operations were already highly robust and sustainable," adds Guy Mallinson, business director of sales at Iggesund. "Almost 95% of Iggesunds Bruk's current energy consumption is from biofuels and we only have one more investment step left before our vision of a paperboard mill totally free of fossil carbon dioxide emissions will be a reality."

The major reduction in Iggesund Bruk's carbon dioxide emissions was implemented during 2009, coming from a combination of energy savings plus investments in increased capacity for biofuel use. Mallinson emphasizes, though, that the measures are not primarily motivated by the media's intense focus on carbon emissions. "We can't respond in a short-term, erratic way, like public opinion sometimes does. In accordance with our long-term approach to the environment, we evaluate environmental aspects when making every investment decision. But our job, and there is no contradiction involved, is to deliver a first-class product at a competitive price."

For decades Iggesund has been implementing a long-term environmental program at Iggesunds Bruk. The company's energy supply is based on heat from Iggesund's own production process plus electricity, almost half of which is also produced by the company. Today more than 90% of this electricity comes from biofuel, and soon the mill will also be self-sufficient in electricity. With regard to heat, Iggesunds Bruk produces a surplus. As well as being used in the production process, the heat is also used to dry timber in a nearby sawmill and to heat almost 1,000 homes in the local village. "It's unfortunate that public environmental opinion tends to focus on one particular issue at a time, when industries are forced by necessity to see the overall picture," Mallinson says. "Here at Iggesund Paperboard we're not just good at cutting carbon dioxide emissions, we're a world leader when it comes to operating a major process industry with minimal environmental impact."

SCA, Stockholm, Sweden, reports that it has invested SEK 500 million in a new lime kiln at its Ostrand pulp mill in Timra, Sweden. Production at the Ostrand plant increases by 10,000 metric tons of pulp per year and the mill reduces its fossil-based carbon dioxide emissions by 80%. The new lime kiln, expected to be put in operation by the end of 2011, will replace two existing oil-fired lime kilns and will use fuel pellets from SCA's BioNorr plant in Harnosand. The investment also makes a future increase in capacity possible.

The Ostrand mill's two existing lime kilns consume approximately 17,000 cubic meters of oil per year and significant savings will be made when the oil is replaced with biofuel. The new lime kiln will also lead to lower chemical and maintenance costs. "The new lime kiln will enable us to increase our production and, at the same time, we will achieve a dramatic drop in Ostrand's greenhouse gas emissions," says Ingela Ekebro, site manager at the Ostrand plant.

SFK Pulp Fund, Longueuil, Que., Canada, will increase green energy production capacity at its Saint-Felicien, Que., mill from 33 to 42.5 MW annually, or nearly 30%. Because the mill is already self-sufficient in terms of electrical power, this additional 9.5 megawatts power generation will be entirely sold to Hydro-Quebec Distribution.

"The Hydro-Quebec call for tenders for biomass power generation is a project that will meet the long-term electric power needs of its Quebec clientele, as well as promote the revitalization of our ecosystem through green energy," SKP Pulp notes. The project is eligible for financing through the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program launched by the Canadian federal government last June and is subject to the execution of an agreement between SFK Pulp and Hydro-Quebec as well as obtaining all required authorizations.

The Ostrand pulp mill produces 420,000 metric tpy of chlorine-free bleached kraft pulp used in the production of printing paper and hygiene products, plus some 90,000 metric tpy of chemically treated mechanical pulpused for the manufacture of hygiene products and packaging products.

SFK Pulp Fund, Longueuil, Que., Canada, reports that its Saint-Felicien, Que., mill resumed production on December 18, four days ahead of the date originally announced. Shutdown of the mill was extended when additional repairs were required to the recovery boiler during the mill's semi-annual maintenance.

The company noted that "thanks to the work of our Saint-Felicien teams and the cooperation of our key suppliers, the mill ultimately only reduced its fourth quarter production of NBSK pulp by 6,000 metric tons, instead of the previously announced 10,000 metric tons due to these additional repairs." In addition, the mill managed to fulfill all of its customers' orders on schedule.

Stora Enso, Finland, has signed the United Nations Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, making it the first paper and packaging company to endorse this initiative. The CEO Water Mandate is an initiative that encourages businesses and industry to create and realize sustainable water strategies.

"Signing this mandate means strong commitment from me, as a CEO; and Stora Enso, as a company, to make responsible water use a major priority," says Jouko Karvinen. "Water scarcity is a global concern that is becoming increasingly important for Stora Enso and the whole paper and packaging industry. The Water Mandate will enable us to share our experiences with other committed companies and stakeholders seeking better ways to manage water resources."

The CEO Water Mandate, launched in 2007 for members of the UN Global Compact, is a public-private initiative designed to assist companies in the development, implementation, and disclosure of sustainable water policies and practices. It is backed by investors representing $1.2 trillion in assets under management. Stora Enso has been a member of the UN Global Compact since its launch in 2000. The company has reported its performance on water discharge flow rates since 2005.

Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, Mich., USA, reports that it has changed its structure "to enhance the company's growth and profitability." Beginning January 1, Universal's Eastern Division was divided into two entities: a Northern Division and a Southern Division. Scott Greene, currently president of the Eastern Division, will become president of the Southern Division. Robert Lees, a 32-year Universal veteran and regional VP of the company's Northeast Region, is being promoted to president of the Northern Division.

The company also announced the appointment of Michael Mordell to executive VP of Purchasing. Mordell, an industry veteran and 16-year Universal manager and leader, will oversee the newly integrated purchasing company, and replaces David Phelps, who is retiring. Additionally, the company's legal entity structure is being modified to more closely reflect its management structure.

Universal Forest Products is a holding company that provides capital, management, and administrative resources to subsidiaries that design, manufacture, and market wood and wood-alternative products for DIY/retail home centers and other retailers, structural lumber products for the manufactured housing industry, engineered wood components for the site-built construction market, and specialty wood packaging and components for various industries.

UPM, Helsinki, Finland, reports that it will invest GBP 17 million in a materials recovery facility at its UPM Shotton paper mill in North Wales, U.K. The company notes that the investment will further strengthen the mill's integrated operations and create up to 160 jobs when operating at full capacity. Construction will begin immediately and will be completed by January 2011. The Shotton mill, which recycles 640,000 metric tpy, is the largest newsprint mill in the U.K. with a capacity to produce 500,000 metric tpy of 100% recycled newsprint.

The materials recovery facility has been designed to allow UPM Shotton to sort dry recyclables such as plastic bottles, cardboard, newspapers, magazines, and metals. The investment is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government with a GBP 1.7 million Single Investment Fund grant and will have up to150 people working on the construction phase of the facility.

Once fully operational, the facility will sort up to 200,000 metric tpy of recyclable material, of which 120,000 metric tpy will be newspapers and magazines, providing 20% of the recovered paper used as raw material in the mill's paper production. Surplus recyclable material will be recycled by other re-processors as required.

Appleton, Appleton, Wis., USA, has completed the sale of C&H Packaging, Merrill, Wis., to InterFlex Group Inc., based in Wilkesboro, N.C. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

This past July, Appleton announced its intention to explore options to sell C&H Packaging, a wholly-owned subsidiary it acquired in April 2003. C&H Packaging prints and converts flexible plastic packaging materials for companies in the food processing, household, and industrial products industries. It employs approximately 80 people.

Appleton's CEO, Mark Richards, said that Appleton intends to focus its performance packaging operations on film production. Appleton's film-producing facilities include American Plastics in Rhinelander, Wis., and New England Extrusion in Turners Falls, Mass., and Milton, Wis.

Greif Packaging, Delaware, Ohio, USA, reports that its Riverville, Va., and Massillon, Ohio, mills -- a subsidiary of Greif Inc. -- have achieved Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certification. The mills meet standards demonstrating that they have created and maintain extensive systems to ensure all incoming fiber is sourced from certified land or responsibly managed sources, and that the fiber can be tracked through the stages of production to assure customers that all of the fiber contained in the product originates from well-managed forests, reclaimed materials, or controlled sources. The certifications address both the wood procurement and chain of custody standards from all three organizations for all medium and linerboard products manufactured by Greif.

"This is an important achievement for our mills as it illustrates to our employees, communities, suppliers, and customers that we are committed to our goals of sustainable development, recycling of paper fiber, and promoting responsible resource management and use," said Tim Bergwall, VP and GM of Containerboard Mills. "There is also an advantage for our customers because we have certified our entire mill system to the standards of all organizations."

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp., Northbrook, Ill., USA, a North American producer of unbleached kraft paper products and linerboard, reports that its common stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on January 4. Kapstone's common stock ticker on the NYSE is KS.

Roger Stone, chairman and CEO, noted that "this marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our history. It is also a fitting way to finish off a successful year in 2009. As we strive to raise our profile with the investment community, we are honored to join the ranks of NYSE companies."

KapStone Paper and Packaging is the parent company of KapStone Kraft Paper Corp., which includes paper mills in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and North Charleston, S.C., a lumber mill in Summerville, S.C., and five chipping mills in South Carolina. The business employs approximately 1,550 people.

Papier u. Kartonfabrik Varel, Germany, reports that it will reconstruct its PM 4 containerboard machine, beginning at the end of this year and extending into the summer of 2011, increasing capacity to above 300,000 metric tpy in the range of 120 gsm to 220 gsm. The mill's total capacity will rise from 500.000 metric tpy to 600.000 metric tpy.

In addition to reconstruction of the paper machine, the project will include an upgrade of the stock preparation unit. After completion of the reconstruction, the mill notes that it not only will be able to produce its current lineup of grades, but will also be able to supply growing markets of white liners with paper grades on a 100% recycled fiber basis.

"According to our current planning, about 50% of the tonnage from PM 4 will be reserved for production of white grades. The newly designed scheme for PM 4 as a multi-product-machine will also enable our mill to produce high performance fluting grades and kraftliner substitutes," the company explained, adding that "deckle will be kept at 510 cm until further notice, but all relevant components of the machine are designed for 530 cm deckle." The company also pointed out that "if the trend to broader corrugators continues, we could respond accordingly within the following years."

PM 5, which came on-steam in 2004 with its 560 cm deckle, "is already adapted to the latest development in low-grammage corrugating papers markets. Our today's production volume in our grades JadeWelle and JadeLiner will nearly be kept constant after implementation of reconstruction due to enlarged total capacity," the company said. "Our product portfolio will be completed by our new investment, which will enable our company to provide nearly the whole range of corrugating case materials for various corrugating applications requested by customers. Our large variety of products with remarkably high quality standards from one production site only is quite unique throughout Europe. Also our solid board division will be considered in our future investment scheme for further optimization of production. Finally, our mill will reach a capacity of more than 800.000 metric tons per year in paper and board products."

The first phase of the project begins with an expansion of the power plant. A new steam turbine will not only cover the additional demand in electricity and steam related to increased production capacity, but also increases the mill's energy efficiency as well as reduction in emissions.The project investment will total about EUR 100 million and will create some 15 new permanent jobs. The mill has a current employee force of about 415 people. Suppliers for the project will be selected in the coming weeks, the company notes.

Smurfit Stone Container Corp., Chicago, Ill., USA, reports that Patrick J. Moore, chairman of the board and CEO, intends to retire within one year following the company's emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings. Moore will continue to serve on the board.

The company has filed amendments to its Plan of Reorganization documents in U.S. bankruptcy court that provides for a non-executive chairman of the board upon emergence from Chapter 11. It is anticipated that the new board of the reorganized company will designate a successor to Moore after the company and its subsidiaries emerge from Chapter 11. President and COO Steven J. Klinger will continue to serve in his current role as well as on the company's board of directors.

Moore said that "Steve and I will work together on an orderly, well planned transition. We remain fully committed to leading the company to a successful emergence from our Chapter 11 restructuring. Throughout 2010, we will focus on a seamless leadership succession while profitably growing our business and leveraging the strong operational and financial foundation that our employees have worked so hard to build."

Smurfit-Stone filed its Plan of Reorganization on December 1 and plans to emerge from restructuring proceedings in both the U.S. and Canada either late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2010.

Glatfelter, York, Pa., USA, a producer of specialty papers and engineered paper products, this week announced that it will purchase Concert Industries Corp. from Brookfield Special Situations Management, an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management (Toronto, Ont., Canada) for C$246.5 million ($235 million). Concert, with two facilities in Gatineau, Que., Canada, and Falkenhagen, Brandenburg, Germany, is a supplier of absorbent cellulose-based airlaid non-woven materials used to manufacture a diverse range of consumer and industrial products for global end-use markets, including feminine hygiene (about 80% of its sales) and adult incontinence products, specialty wipes, and food pads. After closing of the transaction, expected by the end of the first quarter, Glatfelter plans to operate Concert as a third business unit along with Specialty Papers and Composite Fibers. Glatfelter plans to finance the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and debt. As of November 30, the company had a cash balance of $136 million and $194 million available under its revolving credit facility.

Concert, which employs about 600 people, recently invested some $70 million to install a new line at its Falkenhagen facility, increasing its annual rated capacity by 18,000 metric tons to a total of 84,000 metric tons. The new line successfully commenced commercial production during the fourth quarter of 2009, and is expected to ramp up significantly in the 2010-2011 period.

PolyOne Corp., Cleveland, Ohio, USA, has acquired substantially all of the assets of specialty healthcare engineered materials provider, New England Urethane Inc. (NEU). The purchase price of $12 million includes an earn-out payable in 2011. Based in North Haven, Conn., NEU provides high performance engineered thermoplastics, services, and solutions to the healthcare market.

"We're pleased to announce the acquisition of NEU, which expands PolyOne's healthcare product offerings. PolyOne will also add critical mass to a niche player in the healthcare field," said Craig Nikrant, VP and GM of Specialty Engineered Materials. "We look forward to leveraging our global reach and NEU's technology and industry knowledge to accelerate healthcare sales growth for PolyOne."

With 2008 revenues of $2.7 billion, PolyOne is a provider of specialized polymer materials, services, and solutions. It has operations around the world.

Canfor Pulp Income Fund, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, has appointed Joe Nemeth as president and CEO of Canfor Pulp Holding Inc., the general partner of Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership (CPLP), effective May 1, 2010. This appointment will follow the retirement of Paul Richards, after the Fund's 2010 annual general meeting.

Nemeth joined Canfor/Canfor Pulp in 2003 as VP, sales and marketing for Pulp and Paper. Prior to this, he was president and CEO of Greenbelt Renewable Energy from 2000 - 2003. He also worked for Fletcher Challenge (now Catalyst Papers) from 1987 - 2000, with his last two positions being paper mill manager at the Elk Falls Division and VP, sales and marketing.

Sven Ombudstvedt, former CFO and senior VP of Yara International and head of corporate strategy at Norsk Hydro ASA, has been named the new CEO of Norske Skog, Lysaker, Norway. He assumed his new position at the beginning of this year. Ombudstvedt succeeds Christian Rynning-Tønnesen, who will leave Norske Skog and take over as head of Norway-based Statkraft.

"The board has considered several highly-qualified candidates, and we are convinced that we have found the best person to take over as chief executive of Norske Skog," said Eivind Reiten, chairman of the board.

The board has focused on finding Rynning-Tønnesen's successor since he informed the board in November that he will return to Statkraft, where he previously worked for 13 years.

Ombudstvedt was head of Yara's upstream activities from 2003 to 2006, and was CFO of the company from 2006 to 2008. From 1991 to 2003, he worked for Hydro, where he was based in Brussels for several years, with responsibilities in marketing, analysis, and restructuring of Hydro's fertilizer division. He was head of Hydro's corporate strategy unit from 2002 to 2003. Since 2008 he has been an executive with SCD, a Paris-based company focusing on M&A activities in the chemical industry.

A few months ago, I visited one of our longtime sustaining member companies, IMERYS. The three individuals in our meeting included Ken Johnson, Business Director, Pigments for Paper North America; Kristina Thompson, Senior Market Analyst, Pigments for Paper Americas; and Ellis Benson, Corporate Accounts Manager.

I was aware of IMERYS prior to my time at TAPPI, but my first up close experience with them was my connection with Phil Jones, Director, Technical Marketing & New Ventures, Pigments for Paper Americas. Phil is a TAPPI Fellow and has served on the TAPPI Board. If you know him and that accent of his, as well as his training and knowledge, you know he instantly makes you realize that you are in the presence of greatness when he speaks. So, you can just imagine my surprise when he spoke at PaperCon08 in Dallas, TX. I had the pleasure of introducing Phil to our audience. I then positioned myself on the edge of my seat to take notes on each and every word that would soon come from the mouth of this industry legend. Phil began his talk with, "Sunshine & Dirt, and that's about all there is to it."

That speech, my friends, led me on my quest to discover more about this company whose corporate headquarters are in Paris, France. IMERYS has nearly 16,000 employees in 47 countries. The company mines industrial minerals in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa, turning these rare resources into value-added solutions that contribute to customer performance in industry and construction.

The four IMERYS business groups are: Minerals for Ceramics, Refractories, Abrasives & Foundry; Performance & Filtration Minerals; Pigments for Paper; and Materials & Monolithics. In the world, IMERYS ranks No. 1 in kaolin for paper, No. 2 in ground calcium carbonate for paper, and No. 3 in precipitated calcium carbonate for paper.

IMERYS practices EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) as an improvement process that aids in the Sustainable Development principles defined by employees and placed into action plans. The company practices strict environmental management and works in harmony with nearby communities.

The group I visited had some excellent suggestions on how TAPPI can better serve our members and how IMERYS plays a part in our industry with its Solutions for the Green Package. This package is fully recyclable by adding coatings that provide an acceptable MVTR, replacing fluorocarbons by utilizing clay coatings (Barrisurf™). As a matter of fact, the IMERYS Barrisurf™ line of products and offshoots are exceeding expectations of this environmentally friendly barrier.

Ken Johnson's points for the State of the Future of our industry and TAPPI were as follows:
• Packaging will never be out of the public eye.
• We need to reconnect with what the paper mills can do with what the end user wants through the suppliers.
• The end user should be involved in this process and TAPPI is uniquely positioned to promote this to the industry.
• Paper with coating barriers that are recyclable will continue to grow.

"Sunshine & Dirt"? Well, I guess you were right, Phil.

For more information on IMERYS, go to www.imerys.com. For more information on TAPPI, go to www.tappi.org.

Until next time...............

Larry

TAPPI has announced initial members of a multi-industry Advisory Board tasked with guiding conference content for its new BioPro Expo™ event, scheduled for August 24-26, 2010 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The BioPro Expo Advisory Board will combine TAPPI's knowledge of processing wood and wood waste feedstocks with expertise from government and academic entities, technology suppliers, renewable energy consumers and associations in industries with access to a variety of biomass feedstocks, including agricultural, energy crop, forest, pulp and paper, municipal, and food processing.

The Advisory Board will identify case studies, expert panels and technology sessions that focus on realistic options for rapid deployment of bioenergy technologies, as well as those that complement BioPro Expo's extensive tradeshow.

BioPro Expo's conference program is made up of 24 supply, technology and policy-related sessions spread over three days, including sessions from TAPPI's International Bioenergy & Bioproducts Conference (IBBC), which is co-located with BioPro Expo. The initial Advisory Board includes the following organizations and industry experts:

• Alberta Ingenuity Fund -- Chris Dambrowitz, Director, Ingenuity Accelerators Program
• Bioenergy Technologies Quarterly -- Ken Patrick, Editor
• Forest Landowners Association -- Scott Jones, CEO
• Georgia Power -- Charles Scurry, Forest Products Segment Manager
• Jacobs Engineering -- Steve Dowe, Director of Process Technology
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory -- Mark Davis, Principal Scientist
• South Carolina Biomass Council -- Erika Myers, Coordinator, and Thomas French, Bioenergy Manager, Savannah River National Laboratory
• Southeast Agriculture & Forestry Resources Alliance (SAFER) -- Charity Pennock, Project Coordinator
• Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) -- Anne Blair, Diesel and Bioenergy Program Manager
• TAPPI -- Colleen Walker, Ph.D., Project Manager for BioPro Expo

For more information on becoming a BioPro Expo partner, exhibitor or attendee, visit www.bioproexpo.org.

Attendees at PaperCon 2010 will hear first-hand about Starbucks Coffee Company's long-term commitment to environmental stewardship and its goal to develop a comprehensive recyclable cup solution. Jim Hanna, Starbucks Director of Environmental Impact, will kick off the conference on Sunday, May 2 in Atlanta with his keynote address: "It Takes a Village -- Starbucks Quest for the Recyclable Cup." Hanna will provide an overview of Starbucks efforts to significantly reduce its environmental footprint through energy and water conservation, recycling and green construction. He will also discuss Starbucks aim to achieve recyclability or compostability.

TAPPI/PIMA's PaperCon is North America's largest pulp and paper conference, bringing together industry leaders and technical experts to explore market trends and the latest technologies for paper, board and tissue making, coating and printing. For the 2010 event, PaperCon will focus on the talent, technology and transformation needed to ensure long-term competitiveness. The May 2-5 gathering in Atlanta, Georgia, offers a unique opportunity to network with colleagues from all aspects of the industry.

PaperCon will feature a comprehensive program of peer selected and peer-reviewed presentations organized by TAPPI and PIMA. New in 2010, PaperCon also includes a Sustainability Forum and Showcase exploring "the science behind sustainability." This one-day forum on Tuesday May 4th is designed for paper and board product managers, technical marketers, merchants and others interested in learning the basics.

The latest information is available at www.papercon.org. PaperCon Sponsorship and Exhibit Opportunities are available by visiting the website or contacting Shane Holt, Exhibit Sales Manager at +1.352.333.3345 or PaperCon@naylor.com.

The Nominating Committee has recommended a slate of three candidates. Members are encouraged to visit the TAPPI website to review members of the current Board and learn more about the slate of three nominees.

Online voting is fast and easy. Voting began December 1, 2009, and will end on January 15, 2010. Be sure to cast your ballot, which is available online for your convenience -- have your ballot number and TAPPI Member number ready.

TAPPI has announced the dates and location for its 2010 International Conference on Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry as 27-29 September, 2010, in Espoo, Finland. This annual, internationally recognized event brings together leading researchers, industry experts, government representatives, policymakers, and other stakeholders to share advances and challenges related to nanotechnology in the forest products and related industries.

"We are excited to bring the same caliber of information and experts to Finland as we drew to our enormously successful nanotechnology event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 2009," said TAPPI President and CEO, Larry N. Montague. "This is the first time the annual conference has been held outside North America, and attendees that historically come from around the globe will once again gain access to cutting edge nanoscience advances, as well as their implications for product development, new revenue streams, safety, and policy development."

To offer attendees the very latest research and experiences in this emerging field, the 2010 Technical Program Committee invites contributions from participants working with nano-enabled bio-materials, products, and their processing. New perspectives on global opportunities, barriers, and trends are sought to provide a foundation for new research and industrial activities. The organizers also encourage submissions on areas such as law, policy, economics, and environmental health and safety.

Potential presenters should submit abstracts to: nano@tappi.org by 5 March 2010, with extended abstracts due 1 June 2010. Please see www.tappi.org/10Nano for abstract requirements.

TAPPI has received accreditation as a developer of American national standards through the Executive Standards Council of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Accreditation by ANSI means that the procedures used by a standards body (TAPPI) in connection with the development of American National Standards meet the Institute's essential requirements.

TAPPI President and CEO Larry N. Montague provided context for the significance of the certification. "As part of TAPPI's turnaround efforts, TAPPI sought outside validation of its long standing Standards Program. This prestigious honor indicates that TAPPI's standards program meets all of the criteria established by ANSI as a developer of industry standards. The certification will allow TAPPI to submit selected standards to ANSI to become American national standards. As the administrator of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to Technical Committee 6 of the International Standards Organization (ISO), TAPPI can now take better advantage of its certified standards program in its participation in developing international standards. This new certification will also help TAPPI as it continues to expand its standards development program to new markets and in areas beyond TAPPI's core of testing methods based on the needs of TAPPI's membership."

TAPPI has long been involved with the development and creation of standards relative to the pulp and paper industry. TAPPI also has TAPPI Technical Information Papers (TIPs), which are documents containing specialized information like data, software, calculations. They are used in the manufacture, evaluation and description of pulp, paper, and related products, written in a standardized format which is readily useable by the industry. Visit this link for more information on TAPPI Standards & TIPs.

Nominations are open for the following awards:

• PIMA'S Executive of the Year: PIMA's highest honor, traditionally presented to senior-level executives in the pulp, paper or converting industries for excellence in management and outstanding contributions to the industry as a whole.
• Mill Manager of the Year: Recognizes the mill manager who has best demonstrated outstanding leadership, management, and organizational skills leading to improved results at the facility for which he or she is responsible.
• The Brookshire Moore Superintendent of the Year: Recognizes the mill superintendent who has shown high personal standards and professional management qualities that contribute to the betterment of those under their management and in their company.
• Technologist of the Year
• Ray H. Cross Community Service Award
• Delano L. "Del" Boutin Local Section Service Award
• Thomas F. Sheerin, Sr. Service Award
• IT Service Award
• Kenneth H. Phillips Specialist Group Award
• Student of the Year Award

The one-page Nomination Forms are available online, in both a printable PDF format or as an interactive online form. Complete award descriptions are also available online. Honor your peers, coworkers, and managers, and help promote management excellence in our industry, by making your nominations for PIMA Awards.

Attend the 2010 TAPPI/PIMA Student Summit and find out what's really happening in the pulp and paper and packaging industries directly from professionals challenged with the day-to-day operations. The Student Summit will give you direct interaction with industry leaders for valuable info on employment and career development within the industry.  Program highlights include:

• State-of-the-Industry Address on "Sustainability and Eco-Confusion"
• Effective networking
• The Annual Engineering Challenge
• Job recruitment interviews with hiring companies
• Sessions on job transition and getting the right job
• Area mill tour

Need travel money? TAPPI has two ways to help you cover up to US$500 in travel costs:

1) The Deborah Ann McNutt Memorial Student Summit Stipend: Thanks to the generosity of Hercules, there are four stipends available. Each one will fund up to US$ 500 in travel costs. Requirements and application details are available online. (Apply no later than December 18, 2009.)

2) TAPPI Travel Stipend Drawing: If you would like to enter your name, send your resume to dtrimmer@tappi.org by December 18, 2009 and agree to be interviewed at the Summit. A random drawing will determine the winner of the stipend, and the winner's resume will be reviewed by our participating companies.

Everyone who attends the Student Summit is a winner and here's your chance to be a special winner compliments of TAPPI & PIMA. So mark your calendar and act now while there's still time!

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