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The PM40 closed Friday, 29 January 2021, at 3545.

Get the latest PM40 updates by listening to the weekly Nips show and the PM40 Daily Show on Pulp & Paper Radio International.

The PM40 closed 29 January 2021 up 12.6% from the 31 January 2020 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate 3M and Universal Forest Products.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

Suppose an unfriendly force decided, through penetration of computer systems, to shut down the packaging business, from paperboard manufacturing through converting. From the glimpse we saw last week, which seemed to be a one-off incident, it appears possible.

Solenis, a leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals, has signed a global partnership agreement with Diversey, a world leader in the hygiene, cleaning and infection prevention industry.

Solenis will increase prices by 5 to 20 percent on all sizing product lines across the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions, effective immediately or as customer contracts allow.

Sun Paper started up a new packaging production line PM 2 in Laos. As the 6th packaging paper machine that Voith supplied to Sun Paper, PM 2 started up 18 days ahead of schedule and is Sun Paper's second paper machine outside of China.

Valmet and Shanying International Holdings Co., Ltd., have signed an agreement for an additional three years of Valmet's roll maintenance and condition monitoring services at the company's Anhui mill in China.

Cascades is pleased to announce that, once again this year, its Kingsey Falls, Victoriaville and Drummondville units held an outstanding fundraising campaign for the benefit of Centraide Centre‐du‐Québec.

For the second year in a row, the media, research and financial information products company Corporate Knights has named Cascades one of the world's 100 most sustainable corporations.

UPM has been ranked on the 22nd place in the list of 100 most sustainable corporations by the Canadian-based media and research company Corporate Knights.

Hygiene and health company Essity is launching new ranges of washable absorbent underwear within its feminine care and incontinence products categories.

Hygiene and health company Essity has been recognized as one of the world's 100 most sustainable companies by Corporate Knights. The list was announced virtually during the World Economic Forum.

U.S. Kimberly-Clark brand, Huggies®, is proud to announce its debut appearance in the big game on February 7, with a new commercial welcoming newborn babies to the world. The 30-second spot airing in the second quarter is planning to feature babies born that very day, a first for both the company and the broadcast itself.

When the coronavirus pandemic accelerated a nationwide trend of declining print-advertising revenue amid temporary business closures, the Inland Empire Paper Co. saw an opportunity to innovate by developing two new paper products.

Lecta presents an extensive new range of Termax products for the demanding, dynamic thermal paper segment, the result of deep technical know-how and years of experience in manufacturing specialty papers.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has created three sustainable packaging products for a brand-new range of vegan products from food manufacturer Orkla.

This release base paper features a densified, super-calendared kraft sheet with a functional back for dual side differential silicone coatings. The functional backside also supports good print fidelity.

The new portfolio includes a variety of sustainable solutions for single and multi-pack products, including the Rollor bottle pack, BiPack, and Pop-up insert.

Smurfit Kappa has launched a new range of eBottle packaging solutions for the rapidly growing online beverage and liquids market. The new portfolio includes a variety of sustainable solutions for single and multi-pack products, including the Rollor bottle pack, BiPack, and Pop-up insert.

The in-house developed adhesive technology used in OptiCut is available for each of the primary direct thermal linerless end-use environments - from retailing and logistics, to quick service and takeaway restaurants.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, announced on 22 January 2021 its plan to strengthen its position as Europe's leading producer of folding boxboard by increasing production capacity.

S&P Dow Jones Indices announces the following changes to the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

The increases will be applied individually, and depending on product category, effective for shipments beginning on February 22, 2021.

Sonoco announced it is implementing a $50 per ton price increase for all grades of uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) in the United States and Canada, effective with shipments beginning March 1, 2021.

Sonoco, one of the most sustainable, diversified global packaging companies, is pleased to announce it is partnering with Integrated Systems, Inc., a vertically integrated robotics and advanced automation provider, to aid Sonoco's businesses in continuing to advance its use of automation to improve the efficiency of the Company's global manufacturing operations.

Sustana Fiber is pleased to announce that it has joined companies from around the world in the creation of a new Consortium, CELAB: Toward a Circular Economy for Labels. CELAB - Circular Economy for Labels - is an industry initiative, founded by companies in the self-adhesive label industry to create greater circularity for its products by enhancing and promoting matrix and release liner recycling around the world.

Tetra Pak has introduced a new collaborative innovation model with leading paperboard producers, a move aimed at tackling the food packaging industry's sustainability challenges.

About 150 Ponderay Newsprint Company employees laid off this summer were determined to be eligible for special federal benefits granted workers who have lost their jobs partially due to foreign competition.

DuPont, Chemours and Corteva announced a cost-sharing agreement worth $4 billion to settle lawsuits involving the historic use of the highly toxic "forever chemicals" known as PFAS.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Air Quality Division is taking escalated enforcement against Graphic Packaging, according to a news release Wednesday, Jan. 27.

BillerudKorsnäs will invest in a new recovery boiler at the Frövi mill in Sweden. The total investment is estimated to SEK 2.6 billion ($313 million) and the new recovery boiler is planned to be in operation at the end of 2023.

It plans to upgrade its recovery boiler system, filtration, condenser and acid system used in the papermaking process.

The Memphis tissue-making facility, K.T.G (USA), will add 27 jobs and invest more than $20 million in equipment to produce facial tissues, its parent company announced.

The €67 million investment in the machine makes it Europe's first dedicated paper machine for speciality kraft paper grades made out of fresh and recycled fibre for retail and online shopping bags.

The project began in May 2019 following a decision to invest EUR 350 million, and it was completed within the budget frame.

SCA's investments in Östrand pulp mill, in addition to the ongoing investments in pulp production at the Ortviken industrial site, will more than double the volume of pulp to be shipped from the Sundsvall region.

AR Packaging broadens its offering to the UK food and healthcare customers by adding local folding carton production through the acquisition of Firstan Holdings Ltd, including its subsidiary Firstan Limited. This strategic move makes the Group a key multi-category provider of folding cartons, flexibles and fibre-based containers in the UK.

Atlas Engineered Products Ltd. ("AEP") has reached an agreement with ZyTech Building Systems LP to acquire the bulk of ZyTech's manufacturing assets from its former Langley location in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada.

Central National Gottesman Inc. (CNG) announced that its Lindenmeyr Munroe division has agreed to acquire Maine Shipping and Packaging Supply, expanding its presence in the Maine market.

Rengo Co., Ltd announced that its joint venture in Thailand, Thai Containers Group Co., Ltd., (TCG) has acquired 94.11% of the shares in Bien Hoa Packaging Joint Stock Company, a corrugated packaging and folding carton manufacturer located near Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, through TCG Solutions Pte. Ltd, TCG's subsidiary.

According to a report by WCBC News, it has been confirmed through a number of sources that a firm is close to finalizing an agreement to purchase the Luke Mill and its woodyard. The firm, known as Whiskey River, would establish a lumber related business at the mill, which was shuttered by Verso Corporation in May of 2019.

Schweitzer-Mauduit International Inc (SWM) said it has reached agreement to buy Manchester-based wound care Scapa Group in a £403m deal.

West Fraser has also received clearance from the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") for the listing of the West Fraser Shares subject to satisfaction of customary listing conditions.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. and Norbord Inc. have completed the previously announced transaction, whereby West Fraser has acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Norbord.

Domtar Corporation announced that John D. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer, has contracted the Covid-19 and is taking a temporary medical leave of absence.

The plan is to break ground this spring with a completion date in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The company has started pre-engineering for increasing the annual production capacity of folding boxboard machine BM1 at the Husum mill in Sweden by approximately 200,000 tonnes.

Verso Corporation announced the appointment of Randy J. Nebel as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Nebel has served as interim President and Chief Executive Officer since October 2020 and has been a member of Verso's Board of Directors since November 2019.

Effective immediately, Wade Brewer has been promoted to the position of Director of Manufacturing.

In order to better serve its customers and respond to future growth of the sector in Southeast Asia, the company is transferring its Malaysian manufacturing base from Penang to Port Klang, Selangor State, the capital region of Malaysia.

A longtime commercial printing company plans to close its eastside Spartanburg facility Feb. 18 and lay off 401 workers.

The recent ransomware attack on WestRock should be a call to action for manufacturers to tighten their security.

Amcor is applying a three-pronged approach to creating a responsible, more sustainable packaging system. The company is innovating products to be recycled or reused, collaborating with others to make recycling widely available and informing consumers about how to participate in keeping waste out of the environment.

This achievement indicates that Sappi Southern Africa's forest management practices meet the requirements for sustainable forest management set out in the PEFC-endorsed standard for South Africa, SAFAS (Sustainable African Forest Assurance Scheme).

The SmartWay Transport Partnership provides a framework to assess the environmental and energy efficiency of goods movement supply chains and benchmark overall performance.

A CLT frame can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared with a similar concrete frame, according to a new and third-party reviewed Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) from Södra.

Better Planet 2050 quantifies Smurfit Kappa's continued commitment to sustainability, targeting environmental and social sustainability in areas where it believes it can have the greatest impact.

UPM has established a Green Finance Framework as part of its aim to create a future beyond fossils. This accelerates the company's commitment to green values and ensures a high environmental standard across all operations.

The products would significantly reduce carbon footprint in the road transport and aviation, as well as replace fossil raw materials with renewable alternatives in chemicals and bioplastics.

The spokesman said that no injuries were reported in the fire, which emergency radio communications indicated was brought under control in about an hour./span>

In a move to extend the reach of digital services across the U.S., the new 110-inch wide web press for pre-print corrugated production will be installed later this year at a new Hummingbird site opening in Arizona.

On the page, it noted, "On January 13, Norman Bullard was sadly taken from his wife Danielle and four children Na'Riyah Bullard, Danijah Patillo, Carter Bullard and Carson Bullard in a tragic workplace accident. Norman was employed by Twin Rivers Paper Company (an Atlas Holdings Company and Blue Wolf family of portfolio companies) at the Pine Bluff, AR plant. Norman's coworkers remember him as a genuinely great guy who was always there to put a smile on everyone's face."

A massive inferno destroyed a New Jersey paper recycling plant early Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, sparking several explosions inside the warehouse as it collapsed in on itself.

Janne Rantanen has been appointed VP, Mill Manager of the Metsä Group's Rauma pulp mill as of 1 April 2021, as the current Mill Manager Ari-Pekka Vanamo starts as the VP, Mill Manager of Metsä Group's Äänekoski bioproduct mill in Finland. Currently Rantanen works as Technical Manager in Äänekoski bioproduct mill.

Rayonier Advanced Materials' (RYAM) announced its Fernandina Plant--a fixture of the Nassau County community since 1937--has produced 10 million tons of high purity cellulose. The local plant, which produced pulp and paper during the Great Depression and rayon tire cord during World War II, today manufactures a highly-refined performance fiber that can be found in LCD screens, pharmaceuticals, automotive filters and countless essential products.

Rayonier Inc. announced that Meridee A. Moore and Matthew J. Rivers have been elected to its Board of Directors.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced that Sylvain A. Girard will join the company and be appointed as senior vice president and chief financial officer as of March 2, 2021.

Wednesday January 20, 2021, the last roll of paper was produced on SCA's paper machine 5 at Ortviken paper mill in Sundsvall.

UPM Raflatac is strengthening its position in the fast-growing linerless labelstock market by scaling up its production capacity and building a new production line in Nowa Wieś, Poland.

Paperitalo Publications has learned that at least 17 of WestRock's mills and facilities have been affected by the ransomware attack.

Twin Rivers Paper Company issued the following statement Tuesday, January 19, 2021 regarding the loss of a team member Wednesday evening, January 13, 2021, in an accident at the company's paper mill in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The incident is currently under investigation by the relevant authorities.