Over the Wire

Kruger Inc., Montreal, Que., Canada, is reportedly planning a major expansion project, possibly at its Crabtree mill just northeast of Montreal. According to a report by the Monteal Gazette, the U.S. state of Tennessee is also ready to offer an incentive package for Kruger to install a new machine at its existing Memphis, Tenn., tissue products plant.

The provincial development agency Investissement Quebec is said to be talking with Kruger about financing of a new machine at the Crabtree mill. Analysts say the project could cost around $100 million, the Montreal Gazette reported. Both Crabtree, with 70,000 metric tpy of production capacity, and the Memphis mill, with 100,000 short tpy of capacity, make personal hygiene products. Crabtree employees some 700 people.

Kruger bought the Memphis tissue mill from a bankrupt U.S. company for $24 million in 2002 and announced a $42-million upgrade in 2005 as its U.S. market share rose. The mill's capacity was raised to 100,000 short tpy. Kruger also has a 40,000 metric tpy tissue mill at Lennoxville, Que., and an 89,000 metric tpy tissue mill in New Westminster, B.C., Canada.

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Less than a year after launching its Conservation and Community Partnerships Grants program, the independent Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Washington, D.C., USA, says that its forest certification program is celebrating achievements to date – and inviting applications for 2011.

"SFI anticipated far-reaching benefits through the grant program because we know first-hand how building conservation and community partnerships can lead to tangible, on-the-ground results," SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow said this week. "To say we are impressed with project outcomes so far is an understatement."

By opening its 2011 Request for Proposals for Conservation and Community Partnerships Grants, SFI is nviting applications for projects that address current topics of importance to the SFI program, such as the role of certified forests in emerging bioenergy markets, avoidance of controversial sources such as illegal logging in the global supply chain, improved wildlife habitat management and conservation of biodiversity, and community-based projects such as those that address management of culturally important lands.

There is also a new category to support smaller projects such as forestry educational programs for children and green building projects for low-income residents, with five to seven grants available in amounts up to $5,000.　In 2011, SFI will award up to $200,000 in new grants.

The 2011 RFP and latest information about the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant program are available online. The deadline for 2011 grant applications is Tuesday, February 15.

Last year, SFI awarded nine grants totaling $307,500 in funding for 2010, including some multi-year projects that brought the total commitment to $675,000 over three years. Through the involvement of partners, these projects will leverage additional resources and achieve a total value of almost $2.7 million, SFI notes.

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North American newsprint list prices in December were flat m/m, reports Mark Wilde, senior analyst with Deutsche Bank. Domestic demand has stabilized, inventories are falling, and advertising trends are improving. But the key element, he adds, has been a surge in exports, particularly to the Asian markets. In October, North American shipments were +1.2% y/y with domestic shipments -5.4% y/y and exports +20% y/y (lower than the ˜50% average monthly growth posted in the first 10 months). Newsprint consumption by U.S. daily newspapers was down just 1.3% y/y in November (-7.9%ytd).

AbitibiBowater recently emerged from bankruptcy protection. During the reorganization process, Abitibi cut its newsprint capacity by 41% to 3.3MM metric tpy, according to Wilde.

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U.S. kraft paper List prices in December remained flat for all kraft paper grades, according to Wilde. In August, trade papers had reported a $30 - $40/ton increase in kraft paper prices, he adds. Extensible sack kraft prices rose $30/ton in August (July = +$30/ton), essentially completing the $60/ton price increase. Multiwall kraft producers implemented a full $40/ton price hike in August. On the sack grades, producers implemented $40/ton of the announced $60/ton price increase in August. The price increases are driven by tight supplies and improved demand, according to Wilde.

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Domestic SBS (solid bleached sulfate) board list prices in December were flat at $1,130 - $1,180/ton (+12.7% y/y), Wilde reports. "While markets are still tight, we are hearing some reports of demand easing in recent weeks," he notes. SBS unmade orders declined to 470,000 tons the week of December 1, from 506,000 tons the week ending November 17. In October, producers implemented the full $40/ton price increase. Since the beginning of the year, prices are up $130/ton, Wilde says.

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U.S. CUK (coated unbleached kraft) board list prices in December rose $20/ton to $935 - $995/ton, +12.9% y/y, Wilde reports. This is the third price increase of the year, he adds, noting that YTD prices are up $110/ton. Graphic Packaging announced a $40/ton increase effective December 1 and MWV announced a $50/ton increase effective in mid-December. "With domestic beverage packaging demand still good and CUK attracting substitution from high-priced SBS, it appears that producers may be able to implement the remaining $20 - 30/ton increase this month," Wilde says.

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AbitibiBowater Inc., Montreal, Que., Canada, has acquired full ownership of the Augusta Newsprint Co., Augusta, Ga., USA., buying out joint venture partner Woodbridge International Holding's 47.5% stake in the mill. Augusta Newsprint will pay Woodbridge a $90 million promissory note plus the lesser of $15 million in cash or Augusta's pro-rata portion of the partnership's cash on the day before the transaction was announced.

With two newsprint machines, the Augusta mill has a production capacity of 419,000 metric tpy.

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Emami Paper Mills, part of the Emami Group of Kolkata, India, reportedly has planned to invest more than Rs2,000 crore for capacity expansion as well as to foray into the pulp and writing paper segment. The company plans to increase its capacity from 450 metric tpd to 750 metric tpd at an investment of Rs550 crore in 2010-2011. The company will invest about Rs1,500 crore over the next three years to expand into the pulp and writing paper segment.

Emami currently produces newsprint at its two India-based mills in Kolkata and Balasore, Orissa.

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Fraser Papers Inc., Toronto, Ont., Canada, and its subsidiaries announced that a meeting of creditors was held this week in Toronto to vote on the consolidated plan of compromise or arrangement filed with the Ontario court overseeing its restructuring proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) of Canada.

Despite the support of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the court-appointed monitor, the company did not receive the sufficient support from creditors at the meeting. As a result, Fraser will not be implementing the plan.

Under criteria set out in the CCAA, the plan required approval of the majority of creditors in number and 66 2/3% by dollar value of claims filed by creditors. The company reported that 98.4% of creditors voted in favor of the plan. However only 41.7% of claims based on dollar value supported the plan, which is below the required level for plan approval.

During the meeting, the monitor indicated that implementation of the plan was expected to result in estimated recoveries of some 19% - 20%, on an undiscounted basis.

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Rayonier, Jacksonville, Fla., USA, this past week announced that it will proceed with the final analysis for converting the company's fluff pulp fiber line at Jesup, Ga., to high purity cellulose specialties pulps. The analysis will include market assessment, detailed design and engineering, and cost estimates.

The company expects the analysis to be completed by mid-year 2011, when the board is expected to make a final decision on the project. If approved, the converted line would be scheduled to begin production in 2013.

Rayonier anticipates that cellulose specialties fibers markets will continue to grow, resulting in ongoing strong, world-wide demand. The company's current cellulose specialties capacity of 485,000 metric tpy is sold out and the addition of the new line would raise the total cellulose specialties capacity to 675,000 metric tpy.

"We are meeting with our current and potential customers, and expect to receive commitments for most of this additional volume," said Lee Thomas, chairman and CEO. "The board's action speaks to our continued commitment to the Performance Fibers business. The business is a vital contributor to our balanced business mix and is expected to continue to play a crucial role in our financial performance."

Rayonier's cellulose specialties fibers, which include acetates, ethers, and high-strength viscose, are used in the manufacturing of products such as filters, LCD screens, pharmaceuticals, food additives, paints, tire cords, and sausage casings.

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Sappi Fine Paper North America (SFPNA), Boston, Mas., USA, this week called for entries in its North American Printers of the Year awards for 2011, a competition that recognizes print excellence and innovation in 10 categories for work produced on Sappi papers. Through the awards, printers have the opportunity to win up to $20,000 in support of their marketing and brand initiatives and to be featured in Sappi's new searchable online database for designers, printer buyers and corporations.

This SFPNA award recognizes the fine art of print production and the ability of an elite group of printers to achieve perfection within a complex manufacturing and production environment, the company explains. Printers of the Year judges review dot fidelity, cross overs, binding, color consistency across forms, and overall print integrity within 10 categories. All entries for Sappi's 2011 North American Printers of the Year must be received by the February 28 deadline.

Printers can enter any existing work printed between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2010, that uses Sappi paper as the dominant stock and is printed on a Sappi paper in the U.S. or Canada. For each entry, six copies of the printed piece must be submitted by mail along with one copy of the entry form. An electronic version of the entry form and downloadable pdf entry form www.sappi.com/na/poy are available online.

Printers may submit entries for one of the following 10 categories: Annual Reports, Books, Brochures, Calendars, Catalogs, Digital Print, Magazines (sheetfed), Magazines (web), Printer's Own Promotions, or General Print (any printed material not included in the other categories). Each printer may submit an unlimited number of entries but each entry must be accompanied by its own entry form. All entries will be judged on overall impact of the piece, degree of difficulty in the printing techniques, and technical excellence.

The 10 Gold Award winners in each category receive up to $20,000 in support of the printer's marketing and brand initiatives, and additionally up to 5,000 lbs. of paper provided by Sappi to support their sales and marketing projects. Gold, Silver and Judges' Award winners will be profiled through their own updatable web page on Sappi's Printers of the Year online resource to better connect them with designers, print buyers, and corporations. Bronze Award winners will be included in the Printers of the Year online resource, with their contact information available to all users.

The judges, none of whom work for SFPNA, define the standards for print quality based on their technical expertise. They were chosen from recognized print institutions and trade professions, including: Bill Garno, director of Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) Printing Applications Laboratory (PAL), Malcolm Kief, professor in the Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly, Ken Lantz, North American managing director of the Business Unit Hi Resolution for Kinetic in New York, and Lauren Elliot, principal of Wicked Good Print Production.

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As the material required to make toilet paper and napkins grows increasingly scarce, SCA, Sweden, is expanding its ties with suppliers. As explained in a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article this past week, SCA, which has $14.5 billion of annual sales, uses recovered fiber to produce napkins, toilet paper, and hand towels it sells to offices, restaurants, and schools in the U.S. But it faces tighter supply, in part because of less paper waste but also because of competition for the fiber from Chinese paper companies, according to the WSJ.

SCA thus is putting more money into a program that advises recycling centers and provides funding to upgrade equipment. The company hopes the steps will allow it to get about 50% of its recovered fiber supply from recycling centers in the program later this year, up from 30% now. This year SCA also plans to add recycling centers in more cities, WSJ notes.

SCA began its program by forming relationships with a handful of recycling-center owners located near its U.S. manufacturing facilities, including those in Atlanta, Ga., Chicago, Ill., and Birmingham, Ala. The company provides the recycling centers with financial backing to buy upgraded equipment and offers consultation on operations and marketing. In return, the recycling centers sell recovered fiber exclusively to SCA. The recycling centers may sell varieties of recovered paper that SCA doesn't need to other manufacturers.

Last fall, SCA increased its investment in a Chicago recycling plant so that it could bring in additional equipment that compresses the paper into bales. SCA is putting together a "multicity arrangement" with other recycling centers, declining to specify where. "We're organically growing existing partnerships and adding new ones," says David Knight, director of fiber procurement for SCA's Americas division, which contributes $2.1 billion of the Stockholm-based parent's annual sales.

WSJ points out that for SCA, close ties with recycling-center owners has meant it can encourage investment in sophisticated equipment upgrades that enable recyclers to process more "dirty" paper, or materials that are more difficult to recycle such as books, envelopes with plastic windows, and paper with heavy graphics.

The recovered paper that SCA needs demands a higher grade of office paper than the sort that typical recycling plants process. Since there are plenty of willing buyers on the open market for lower grades of recovered fiber, few recycling plants have an incentive to take the necessary steps to meet SCA's specifications, such as sorting out brown paperboards. But with SCA as the designated buyer, locked in with contracts typically lasting several years, recyclers have been willing to make needed upgrades.

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Stora Enso,Helsinki, Finland, and Arauco, a unit of Chilean peer Copec, reportedly have received environmental clearance for their proposed Montes del Plata joint venture pulp mill in Uruguay. A Reuters news report this week noted that the companies have not yet decided whether to go ahead with the 1.3 million metric tpy mill and have not released any related cost figures. However some estimates place the total costs at around $1.5 billion.

As Reuters pointed out, Stora Enso is also exploring construction of new pulp mills in Brazil and China.

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Tembec, Temiscaming, Que., Canada, this week announced that it will invest $25.7 million at its high-yield pulp mill in Matane, Que. The investment will result in "energy, environmental, and economic benefits." Funding will come mainly from the federal government and the Province of Quebec, with $18.9 million related to black liquor credits earned by the company under the Federal Green Transformation Program and $6.3 million from the Agence de l'efficacité énergétique's Heavy Oil Consumption Reduction Program.

The project has two main components. The first is a new anaerobic treatment facility. Estimated to cost $23.9 million, this system treats effluent and collects the methane gas produced in the treatment process, allowing it to be used as a biofuel for drying pulp produced at the site.

With an estimated cost of $1.8 million, the second component involves the installation of an electric boiler that will replace the current heavy oil fueled boiler. The combined effect of the two components will result in the elimination of all heavy oils and the vast majority of the light oils currently used as a fuel source for the generation of the mill's various process steam and drying requirements. They will also result in a significant improvement in the mill's cost structure, with EBITDA projected to increase by $6 million on an annual basis, beginning when the project is completed in mid-2012.

"This investment will result in a significant reduction in costs for Matane and will allow the mill to be competitive in global markets for years to come," said Yvon Pelletier, Executive VP and president, Specialty Cellulose and Chemical Group. "The environmental benefits will also provide an appealing attribute in the marketplace."

James Lopez, president and CEO of Tembec, noted that the investments "will improve the position of the Matane mill in environmental, energy, and economic terms. This initiative is consistent with the company's stated objectives of investing in its core businesses, pursuing opportunities related to green energy projects, and moving all of its facilities into the first or second quartile of their respective cost curves."

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The Twin Rivers Paper Co. in Edmundston, N.B., Canada, has received C$21 million under the Canadian Government's Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program. The mill reportedly will use the funds for upgrades that will improve its environmental performance while producing enough thermal energy to heat more than 1,200 homes.

The Edmundston pulp mill produces bleached softwood sulfite pulp and groundwood pulp that are transferred to the company's Madawaska, Maine, USA, paper mill in slurry form. The mill is fully integrated with the Madawaska paper mill and produces no market pulp. It has a production capacity of 370,000 metric tpy and employs approximately 360 people.

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Canada's Minister of Natural Resources Christian Paradis announced that Irving Paper will receive C$10.4 million under the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program. Irving Paper will use the investment to upgrade two of its mills in New Brunswick, Canada.

The company will invest $9.1 million of the funding in a heat recovery project at its facility in Saint John to improve the energy efficiency of the facility. The remaining $1.3 million will go toward a steam reduction project at the Irving pulp and paper mill at Reversing Falls to make more effective use of waste heat from various processes within the mill.

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Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., Chicago, Ill., USA, reports that all of its U.S. paper mills have been recommended for chain-of-custody certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. Having its mill system fully certified allows Smurfit-Stone to trace and verify the origin of the fiber used in its papermaking operations, which is becoming an increasingly important requirement for many companies that are looking to partner with packaging manufacturers that can help them meet their social and environmental goals.

"Smurfit-Stone is committed to responsible and sustainable fiber sourcing, and completing this certification process division-wide reaffirms our beliefs," said Mike Exner, SVP and GM, Mill Division. "The chain-of-custody certification also helps us better support our customers in meeting their sustainability goals."

The chain-of-custody certification audits were conducted over a two-week period from Nov. 29, 2010, to Dec. 3, 2010. 　Smurfit-Stone's mills will have the following certifications:

• SFI Certified Fiber Sourcing – U.S. mills' procurement system
• SFI chain-of-custody certification – U.S. mills
• PEFC chain-of-custody certification – all pulp and paper mills
• FSC chain-of-custody certification – all pulp and paper mills.

Smurfit-Stone's Matane, Que., Canada, mill has also been recommended for PEFC and FSC certifications, and its La Tuque, Que., mill received PEFC and FSC certifications in 2009. Smurfit-Stone anticipates extending the chain-of-custody certifications within its converting operations throughout 2011 and 2012.

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Stora Enso Oyj, Finland, this week reported that it will strengthen its position in corrugated packaging in the growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe by expanding containerboard capacity at its Ostroleka Mill in Poland. The EUR 285 million investment project is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2013.

With the ability to produce a modernized product, the new, high-capacity containerboard machine will not only renew the product offering, it will also improve Stora Enso's overall cost position through efficient internal supply of light-weight containerboard made from recycled fiber. In conjunction with the startup, the company plans to shut down containerboard machine No. 2 at Ostroleka Mill.

"Strengthening our competitive position in corrugated packaging in the growing markets of Central and Eastern Europe is at the core of our growth strategy. The investment at Ostroleka is another concrete step in building sustainable and profitable growth for the Group," said Jouko Karvinen, CEO of Stora Enso.

Mats Nordlander, EVP, Packaging Business Area, added that "customer demand for modern light-weight corrugated packaging is increasing rapidly. This investment supports Stora Enso's objective of offering demanding customers new packaging solutions. Recycled fiber is the dominant raw material for corrugated packaging and continues to win share from virgin fibers. The markets for transport packaging in Central and Eastern Europe have grown and will continue to grow by more than 5% per year. This investment will support our growth and increase Stora Enso's self-sufficiency in containerboards from 35% to 60%, and will also clearly improve the cost competitiveness of Stora Enso's Industrial Packaging segment. Stora Enso's integrated RCP collection network in Poland, the new efficient power plant just completed, and this new state-of-the-art containerboard machine will make Ostroleka the benchmark in both cost and product offering in Europe," Nordlander explained.

Stora Enso's corrugated packaging product portfolio includes transport and consumer packaging, packaging design, and machinery. The Group's 20 corrugated packaging plants in Finland, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic States,

The annual capacity of Ostroleka Mill, which is part of Stora Enso's Industrial Packaging segment, is currently 270 000 metric tons of containerboard and kraft paper. The annual capacity of the new containerboard machine will be 455,000 metric tpy, and the annual capacity of PM 2 is currently 85,000 tons of containerboard.

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UPM, Finland, has introduced UPM EcoLite, a new uncoated paper available in very low basis weights of 29 g/m² and 31 g/m². EcoLite is a low cost and environmentally friendly product that provides a competitive option for very low basis weight WFU papers. The new paper is, for example, suitable for mail order catalogs, manuals, booklets and books, inserts, leaflets, and advertising materials. It is a functional choice when whiteness and yellowness are not the most critical elements in the end use, the company notes. The new product is produced at Kaipola mill in Finland. Technical specifications can be found in the online catalogue.

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Twin Rivers Paper Co., South Portland, Maine, USA, this week launched a new lightweight, high-bright hybrid publishing paper known as Border Brite. Manufactured with a proprietary fiber blend that delivers the brightness of freesheet and the opacity advantages of groundwood, Border Brite is ideal for financial printing applications, reference books, and catalogs, the company notes.

"Publishers are looking for ways to lower costs without compromising quality or performance. Border Brite and our other hybrid products meet that challenge," said Stuart Strong Jr., Publishing Product Segment manager. "As one of the first groundwood-containing papers in the market with a brightness level that rivals freesheet, Border Brite defines a new category of premium hybrid papers that delivers versatility and performance."

Border Brite is a lightweight, high-bright (86) paper available in a basis weight range of 26 - 38 lb. It is machine-finished, providing printers optimal surface smoothness for large-volume applications. As with all Twin Rivers publishing papers, Border Brite is available with recycled content up to 30% and SFI/FSC fiber certification.

Prior to commercialization, Twin Rivers selected several large web publication printers to test the paper. Data from the beta-testing indicate that Border Brite performs on press, especially in the areas of flying splices, tension stability, and roll-to-roll pasting. Additionally, the new paper prints very cleanly with line-type work and in areas of heavier solids, the company reports.

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Nalco, Naperville, Ill.., USA, announced this week that its Water and Process Services division is implementing a price increase for all water services industry segments, effective immediately or as contracts permit. Pricing for most Nalco programs will increase between 7% and 15%, depending on product mix. Price increases will vary by country and industry, driven by local cost increases and will supplement previously announced increases for the paper services segment that were effective December 1 of last year.

The company notes that the price increases are driven by the continued and significant escalation of energy and raw material costs, tightening availability of some raw materials, and rising freight and personnel costs. Nalco sales engineers will contact individual customers to discuss the impact of these increases.

"Price pressure and the availability of key raw materials in particular are making it necessary to appropriately increase prices to help offset these ongoing cost hikes," said David Flitman, senior EVP and president, Water and Process Services.　"These increases will enable Nalco to continue to invest in research and development, manufacturing process improvements, and the development of our people, which allows us to provide sustainable solutions and the value and service that our customers expect."

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Kimberly-Clark Corp., Dallas, Texas, USA, reports that it has become a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate citizenship and sustainability initiative. As a signatory, K-C will support the Global Compact's 10 principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, reinforcing the company's commitment to responsible business practices on a global basis.

K-C's history of environmental sustainability, code of conduct, human rights in employment policies, and other business practices align very closely with the U.N. Global Compact's principles. Joining the Global Compact, the company notes, will help to further improve its efforts by collaborating with other organizations that are focused on a sustainable future.

"We applaud Kimberly-Clark's leadership in joining our worldwide initiative," said Georg Kell, executive head of the UN Global Compact. "In an increasingly interconnected world, corporate responsibility is no longer an option - it is a strategic imperative. The rapid up-take of the Global Compact by companies that have operations around the world, like Kimberly-Clark, reflects this reality."

Kimberly-Clark joins more than 8,000 companies and groups around the world who have signed the U.N. Global Compact to promote responsible corporate citizenship and sustainability. As a signatory, the company will complete an annual Communication on Progress (COP) submission, demonstrating its progress in working towards the Compact's 10 principles.

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The Kruger tissue mill in New Westminster, B.C., Canada, recently installed a new Nexterra biomass gasification system. As described in a recent report by Wood News Now (WNN), Victoria, B.C., which visited the mill, the direct-fired Nexterra system uses woody biomass as fuel and provides about half　of the mill's process steam supply. The system saves about $1 million in natural gas costs per year and cuts GHG emissions and carbon emissions taxes, the report notes.

The yearly fuel supply of 40,000 metric tons is delivered milled down to 3-in. pieces at 40% to 65% moisture. With local sawmills curtailing production, hog fuel is supplemented with municipal and other waste wood. The biomass is stored and metered in a closed fuel reclaim system from Continental Conveyors.

The Nexterra system consists of two 16-ft gasifiers inline. Combustion of biomass in the gasifiers produces syngas that is direct-fired into the boiler to produce steam. The Kruger system has a pre-ignition chamber between the gasifiers and the boiler that is used to blend the syngas with combustion air before it enters the boiler. The boiler currently produces 40,000 lb/hr of steam with a potential capacity of 60,000 lb/hr, the article reports. Target combustion temperature in the gasifiers is about 1000o C (1,900o to 2,000o F), which provides the most complete combustion of fuel and VOCs.

The constrained mill site presented some design challenges, the WNN article continues. The gasifiers were mounted at an angle to fit into the tight space. Also, the area is in a high seismic zone and seismic construction requirements had to be met. Space also was allowed for potential expansion of the system with another boiler. Because the plant is just a stone's throw from downtown New Westminster, it had to be one of the cleanest biomass facilities ever. Particulate emissions are virtually nil and other emissions are extremely low, according to the WNN report.

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Don't miss your last chance! Hurry and take advantage of the financial resources TAPPI makes available to the industry's next generation of leaders -- today's students. TAPPI offers scholarships in a number of areas and you just might be eligible.

We know you're busy and you've been "meaning to" get around to it, so here's one last reminder. The deadline of February 15, 2011 (for most applications) is fast approaching.

To recap, here are the basics.

Who is eligible: The scholarships are available for graduate and undergraduate students with an interest in the pulp, paper, converting, and packaging industries. There are two general types of scholarships:

1- TAPPI Division scholarships. Read more. 
2- William L. Cullison Scholarship: Details available online.

If you're a student, this is a great way to apply for financial assistance for the 2011 – 2012 school year. Note that requirements will vary according to scholarship source (TAPPI Division) so you'll need to check the qualifications carefully. A reference document is available to help guide you through the process.

If you are affiliated with a college or university, share this with your students or other staffers who work with students. They'll be glad you did.

If you're in the industry, perhaps you know of students worthy of scholarship assistance with their education, so please pass this information along.

The deadline for the Technical Division scholarships is February 15, 2011. The deadline for the Cullison Scholarship is May 1, 2011. To be a winner you need to complete an application. Help us help you to fund a portion of your important education endeavors.

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Congratulations to the newest members of the TAPPI/PIMA Young Professionals Committee.

Fourteen young professionals in the pulp, paper and converting industry have joined the committee, a group shaped by soon-to-be college graduates, recent graduates, young professionals in the industry, and accomplished professionals who want to build connections and provide networks for its members. Its purpose is to encourage younger individuals to get involved and advance the industry by building from fresh, creative and driven minds.

The new members and their affiliations are: Laura Beauchesne – White Birch Paper; Maggie Gerhart – International Paper; Zachary Growe – Weyerhaeuser; Nichole Hartley – Ashland; Natalie Hughey – International Paper; Tim Li – Amec; Jamie Percy – Alpac; Eric Schweighofer – Rio Tinto; Derek Sorensen – Alpac; Michael Subilia – Sappi Fine Paper; Dan Sweeney – Utah University; Emily Tomes – Ashland; Ashley Urbanski – BHS; and Bailey Wandyg – Naval Surface.

Currently the Young Professionals Committee is working on installing a new Young Professionals track at 2011 PaperCon, heading a Young Professional Round Table at the 2011 Student Summit in Kingsport, Tenn., incorporating networking events at all TAPPI Conferences, and reaching out and engaging newly graduated young professionals.

The committee is in need of additional young professionals to be a part of the Young Professional Technical Track at 2011 PaperCon, which will include speakers, session chairs, and co-chairs. For each of the sessions, there will be one professional and one young professional teamed up to work together to produce an excellent session.

The rewards for a young professional to get involved include fine-tuning leadership, speaking, and presentation skills, the ability to work side by side with respected industry experts, and the chance to experience the ins and outs of a professional and technical conference in the paper industry.

Those interested in becoming involved and active on the Young Professionals Committee and 2011 PaperCon should contact Libby Hardison.

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