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The PM40 closed Friday, 29 October 2021, at 4381.

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 October 2021 up 47.9% from the 30 October 2020 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate PCA and Sonoco.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

There is a dangerous movement going on in major capital projects in North America these days.

The L2A pulp drying line at Bracell's "STAR" project in Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil, supplied by Andritz, has achieved a new production world record.

Valmet will supply a repeat order of an OptiConcept M board production line for Pratt Industries in Henderson, Kentucky, USA.

Schumacher Packaging, a corrugated board producer and full-range supplier of paper-based packaging solutions, has commissioned Voith to rebuild PM 2 at its Myszków site in Poland.

Valmet has been chosen as the second most attractive employer by the Finnish engineering professionals. The ranking was published in Universum's annual survey, which is the biggest employer attractiveness survey in Finland.

Valmet has signed a new Euro 300 million sustainability-linked syndicated revolving credit facility (RCF) agreement. The new RCF refinances an existing Euro 200 million credit facility and will be used for general corporate purposes.

In the future, Voith Group will be the sole owner of the Voith Hydro Group Division, which previously was operated as a joint venture with Siemens Energy.

Dextex wetlaid sterilization wraps have a long history of use in the sterilization industry and are well recognized throughout the globe for their reliable performance.

Pure Supreme is a well-established premium white-top kraftliner, optimized for offset printing. BillerudKorsnäs is now launching an upgraded version of Pure Supreme, which is more than a facelift - it could even be regarded as a new product. It offers excellent print results in terms of colour fidelity and lifelike image reproduction. Its strength and stiffness ensure high runnability, allowing for high-speed printing and converting processes.

DS Smith has opened its first hybrid Customer Innovation Hub. The centre, based in Lisbon, is equipped to support collaborative innovation and design sessions for customers in face-to-face, online and hybrid settings.

Sonoco has received a 2021 Innovator Award for its EnviroSense® PaperBlister™ package in the category of Innovation in Design Optimization. Sonoco's all-paper PaperBlister package is further evidence of the Company's commitment to developing more innovative, sustainable packaging options for customers and consumers alike.

Glatfelter Corporation, announced that it was the recipient of the prestigious Supplier Innovation Award presented by Rockline Industries at its annual State of Rockline event held virtually on October 6, 2021.

Greif, Inc., a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced today that it is featured in Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces list for 2021, ranking among the top 100 companies as part of a collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a development and research company.

Glatfelter Corporation (NYSE: GLT), a leading global supplier of engineered materials, has been nominated as a top three finalist for the 2021 Hygienix Innovation Award for its sustainable, cellulose-based GlatPure™ back sheet used in Hygiene products. This award promotes innovation within the disposable absorbent hygiene market.

KBX Logistics (a subsidiary of KBX) and Georgia-Pacific - affiliates of Koch Industries, Inc. - each received SmartWay® Excellence Awards from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for outstanding environmental performance and leadership in their supply chain operations.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has introduced its first recyclable functional barrier paper bag for salads in the Group LSDH's Les Crudettes range. The sustainable packaging is a fully integrated solution - Mondi operates across the value chain from sustainably managed forests, to producing pulp and kraft paper, applying the coating and printing the final material.

Mercer International Inc. is proud to announce that President and CEO, David Gandossi, has been announced as the CEO of the Year during the prestigious 2021 Canada's Safest Employer Awards ceremony (CSEA). Mercer was nominated in two outstanding categories: President and CEO, David Gandossi as CEO of the Year, and Mercer Celgar for Canada's Safest Manufacturing Employer.

Global packaging and paper leader Mondi has been recognized by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in the 'Top Performer' category for the third year in a row in their annual review of member companies' sustainability reports.

Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, announced today that Forestry Certification Manager Rebecca Barnard received the Society of American Foresters' (SAF) Young Forester Leadership Award.

Smurfit Kappa has developed an innovative new packaging solution for detergent together with McBride, the leading European manufacturer of private label products for the cleaning and hygiene market. The Click-to-Lock Pods Box is a 100% paper-based solution which provides a sustainable and safe alternative to the traditional plastic box for laundry pods.

Performa Light CarbonZero is a carbon neutral, renewable and recyclable cartonboard offering that helps Stora Enso's customers to achieve carbon-related sustainability targets and show concrete and measurable actions on climate change through their packaging.

Sun Chemical has launched Xennia® Pearl pigment inks for high-speed industrial applications during Innovate 2021 Textile Innovation Week.

The Twin Rivers Paper Company, a leading producer of specialty paper products, has received compostability certification from the Biodegradable Products Institute® (BPI®) for its portfolio of EcoBarrier® PFAS-free packaging papers.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announces that due to continued inflationary pressure on the business it will raise prices by 50EUR / 50GBP (for the UK) per ton on all tube and core grades sold in the Company's EMEA regions. The increase is in direct response to the continued escalation of its cost base and will be effective for all shipments made on or after the 1st November 2021.

WestRock Company announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share on its common stock, an increase of $0.01 per share from its previous dividend rate and representing an annualized increase of $0.04 per share, or 4%.

Rottneros and Arctic Paper have signed a Letter of Intent regarding a 50/50 joint venture in Kostrzyn, Poland with the aim of building a moulded fiber tray facility. The start-up of the new facility is planned for the end of 2023. The investment is expected to amount to 12-15 MEUR, corresponding to approximately 120-150 MSEK.

Rottneros is partnering with KAPSU, a startup company within the beverage industry, based in Karlstad, to develop and produce a new plastic-free beverage solution. The new container will be made of 100% fiber from local certified forests.

Construction is already underway on the new heat extraction plant, which is a joint venture with Bioenergie Group. The project is a further example of how Smurfit Kappa works with local communities to minimise waste and find uses for by-products.

UPM Biomedicals and Cellbox have signed an agreement for providing a unique live cell shipment solution. The plant derived and animal-free transport technology for living cell and tissue cultures allows shipping of live 3D cell assays between researchers and pharmaceutical companies.

Ron Van Den Heuvel, 67, is serving a 90-month sentence in federal prison for fraud stemming from his operation of Green Box, a business that he pitched to investors as a way to convert food-contaminated waste into reusable paper and plastic products.

Northern Pulp is once again signalling legal action against the Nova Scotia government over what it says amounts to $450 million in losses it incurred by the closure of the Pictou County pulp mill.

The owner of a Terrace Bay pulp and paper mill has been fined for violating Ontario's occupational health and safety rules over a 2019 incident in which a worker became caught in a pulp machine.

Pregis, a leading global manufacturer of protective packaging, celebrated production start-up at its new $80 million blown film extrusion facility in Anderson, South Carolina with a ribbon cutting attended by Governor Henry McMaster and industry partners.

Trex Company plans to develop a new multi-faceted production site in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Cascades inc. announces that it has completed the sale of its 57.6% equity stake in Reno De Medici S.p.A. ("Reno de Medici", or "RDM Group"), previously announced July 5, 2021, to a subsidiary of funds managed by subsidiaries of Apollo Global Management, Inc. for an all-cash price of €1.45 per share corresponding to a total cash consideration of approximately €315.3 million (approximately CAN$ 461 million, before transaction related fees).

Essity has acquired Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.'s professional sports tape brands Coach, Elastikon and Zonas, which are established premium products in the US market.

Glatfelter Corporation, a leading global supplier of engineered materials, today announced it has completed the previously disclosed acquisition of Jacob Holm for aggregate consideration of approximately $302 million including the extinguishment of Jacob Holm's existing debt and other adjustments. This transaction was funded through a new $500 million senior unsecured notes issuance.

The Park Falls Pulp & Paper Mill, which was purchased by Maynard Industries, will go up for auction on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 9 a.m.

UPM has sold the Kaipola mill site in Jämsä, Finland, to Kaipola Green Port Oy. Kaipola Green Port is a real estate development company owned by Finnish private citizens.

West Fraser Timber has entered into an agreement to acquire Georgia Pacific's oriented strand board ("OSB") mill near Allendale, South Carolina for approximately $280 million. The transaction is anticipated to close following successful completion of U.S. regulatory reviews and satisfaction of customary conditions.

The first draft of a proposal to help restart idled paper mills in Wisconsin Rapids and Park Falls is being finalized.

Stora Enso is investing Euro 97 million to expand the board production at the Skoghall site in Sweden. At the same time, Stora Enso is initiating a pre-feasibility study to convert the second, currently idle, line at its Oulu site in Finland, to a packaging board line.

Dozens of jobs are coming to Catawba County in a $47 million manufacturing expansion, Gov. Roy Cooper announced.

Nippon Paper Industries Co. -- touted for its high-quality "Kushiro brand" paper used for newspapers and magazines -- ended 100 years of production at its paper mill in Kushiro, Hokkaido, in September, shifting its primary business to thermal power generation.

Essity has decided on new business areas from January 1, 2022. The business areas will be Health & Medical, Consumer Goods and Professional Hygiene. As a consequence of its higher growth ambitions, Essity has also decided on a new sales growth target of more than 5%, which includes both organic sales growth and acquisitions.

Recently, the EPA announced a comprehensive national strategy to confront PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance) pollution.

Enviva Partners, LP welcomes a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) for a more rapid transition to net-zero carbon emissions, a tripling of public investments in clean energy technology, and a growing role for modern bioenergy.

Essity is launching a pilot project to run a paper machine CO2-free with green hydrogen in the company's production facility in Mainz-Kostheim, Germany.

The award recognizes companies for using a range of fuel-saving strategies in their shipping and freight delivery services that reduce transportation emissions and make freight delivery more sustainable.

Stora Enso has introduced the newest addition to its NaturaFluff pulp product portfolio, NaturaFluff Eco by Stora Enso. NaturaFluff Eco is a new fluff pulp grade with a lower carbon footprint, enabling producers of hygiene products - such as baby diapers, incontinence pads and feminine care - to offer consumers a new generation of environmentally friendly, absorbent hygiene products.

From 2022 onwards, Metsä Group will review the herb-rich forests in forests owned by owner-members and intensify its guidance for the management of herb-rich forests. These measures will supplement the Metsä Group ecological sustainability programme, which was started in 2020 and is implemented in commercial forests.

The provincial trust fund for forestry innovation is betting big on a project that aims to prove the economic viability of a more sustainable approach to managing Nova Scotia's woods.

Sonoco announced it is expanding post-consumer recovery and recycling opportunities for its iconic EnviroCan™ paper containers in the U.S. to be used as raw material at 10 of its paperboard mills to produce new paperboard.

Stora Enso's ambition is to offer 100% regenerative products and solutions by 2050. By adopting a regenerative stance, Stora Enso is shifting its sustainability goals from minimizing negative environmental impact to becoming a net positive contributor within the defined focus areas of climate, circularity and biodiversity by 2050.

Suzano's goal to remove 40 million tons of carbon from the air by 2030 has been brought forward by five years to 2025.

The investment, announced in December 2019, was worth EUR 20 million.

Paper Excellence announced that its Catalyst Crofton facility will take a market curtailment of about two weeks in November 2021. The curtailment is in response to on-going global logistics challenges and will be coordinated with a previously planned maintenance shutdown of the facility's biomass power boiler.

The White Mountain Paper Co., formerly Gorham Paper and Tissue, expects to restart tissue production this week at the Cascades mill on the banks of the Androscoggin River.

Domtar will continue to cooperate and participate in the ongoing investigation by the Sûreté du Québec and the CNESST to determine the cause of the accident.

WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, announced that Ward Dickson will retire as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective November 30, 2021. In addition, the company announced Alexander (Alex) Pease will succeed Dickson as WestRock's executive vice president and chief financial officer.

The BC Coroners Service is investigating a death that occurred on Oct. 15 at a Kamloops workplace.