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The PM40 closed Friday, 2 September 2022, at 5037.

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

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate 3M and Sappi.

The PM40 closed 2 September 2022 up 2.4% from the 3 September 2021 level.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

In the days of high unemployment, it was almost an unspoken reality that we did not always press our employees to be at the top of their efficiency game. Today, when employees are hard to find, we need to have everyone working at their peak, with appropriate R & R periodically. Today, there is a new trend-- "quiet quitting." I am sure you have heard of it--quiet quitting is just doing what is necessary to get by, in other words, just enough to keep from getting fired. This is a poisonous, demoralizing way of living.

People want green or blue equipment

Kahramanmaraş Kağıt Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (KMK Paper) has selected AFT for their PM1 approach flow rebuild project at the Kahramanmaraş mill. PM1 is a 2-ply board machine using 100% OCC to produce corrugating medium and linerboard grades. The new system is scheduled to start up in the first quarter of 2023.

Andritz has received an order from Yuen Foong Yu Consumer Products Co., Ltd. (CPG) to supply a PrimeLineCOMPACT M1600 tissue production line (PM10) to its mill located in Chingshui, Taiwan, Republic of China. Start-up is scheduled for the 4Q 2023.

Processing line equipment is designed to help control the environment by providing automated functions to improve the facilities overall quality, production, efficiency and decrease human errors. Manufacturing a range of on-line sensors and at-line instruments for moisture measurement and real-time process control for numerous applications, MoistTech supplies solutions that can deliver instant, non-contact moisture analysis of manufactured goods to ensure the accuracy and quality of the final product.

MoistTech manufactures the diamond standard in moisture measurement and control sensors for both use directly on the production line and also for laboratory use. Providing the best solution in the industry, our near-infrared sensors can detect moisture levels within your product as well as thickness, and coat weight, oil, and fat/protein content with one unit. This allows our equipment to be a staple for a wide range of sectors and disciplines, including adhesives, biomass, chemicals, coatings, food, forest products, minerals, renewable energy, textiles and wood products.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will implement an energy surcharge on all products and product lines of up to 20% on all orders shipped on or after September 1, 2022, for all customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

MoistTech provides moisture sensor technology to help your factory maintain efficiency and reduce costs. Our near-infrared (NIR) sensor works directly on your production lines, allowing you to monitor moisture levels with ease. It's a no-contact solution that you can trust to provide accurate readings regardless of the application you are manufacturing.

Valmet further develops its press felt production facilities in Tampere, Finland, by investing in new press felt machinery and equipment. The investment includes a new pre-needling line and a new needling line. The amount of the investment is around Euro 18 million.

Amcor announced the opening of its latest Innovation Center in Jiangyin, China. The new center brings advanced packaging technologies and more sustainable material science to Asia Pacific, helping to drive growth and innovation across the region.

DS Smith is pushing ahead in exploring outside-the-box options, testing materials typically seen in gardens, parks and beaches.

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has been awarded again a Platinum level rating by EcoVadis for the company's corporate social responsibility. Metsä Fibre's score to a record level 82/100 places the company among the top 1 percent of companies assessed by EcoVadis in the manufacture of pulp, paper and paperboard industry.

The new swatch books for Metsä Board's product portfolio are designed to demonstrate the performance of each of the paperboard grades. The images used in the product sample cards have been selected to match the typical end-use area of each product. In addition to a printed sample card, there is an unprinted card of each grade in the folder.

Duro®, a Novolex® brand, is introducing Load & Fold® Shopping Bags and Load & Seal® Shopping Bags, tamper-evident paper bags that offer more secure transport and deliveries for restaurants and retailers.

Smurfit Kappa has developed a new sustainable eCommerce packaging solution for RareBoots4u, a supplier of classic football boots to many well-known names in world football, including Karim Benzema, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount.

Sun Chemical has launched Paliocrom® Satin Gold EH 3600 (L 2131), a mid-shade golden aluminum-based effect pigment with distinct satin character, high chroma and extremely smooth appearance.

Rising energy prices have led to Finnish paper firm Metsä Tissue cutting back on production levels in recent weeks, the company said in a statement. This curtailment could affect the availability of tissue paper products, such as toilet paper, the press release noted, with further halts on the production line likely.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announces that due to the continued escalation in the cost of European energy it will raise prices by €70 per tonne on all recycled paperboard grades sold in the Company's EMEA regions effective for shipments made on or after the 1st September 2022.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announces that due to continued inflationary pressure on the business it will raise prices by 70EUR/ton or 60 GBP/ton for the UK 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 September 1, 2022.

The 3D fibre product demo plant jointly owned by Metsä Group's innovation company Metsä Spring and Valmet was inaugurated in Äänekoski on Monday, 22 August 2022. The demo plant was inaugurated by Minister of Science and Culture Petri Honkonen, President and CEO of Metsä Group Ilkka Hämälä and CEO of Valmet Pasi Laine.

UPM and Dongsung Chemical announce a development partnership that will accelerate the introduction of renewable, sustainable forest-sourced materials into the Asian market and reduce fossil resource consumption.

Maine's highest court has rejected a claim by an Oxford County woman that she was entitled to compensation for her post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing a fatal workplace incident at the NewPage paper mill in 2014.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the start of construction Wednesday on a $97 million project to expand and modernize the WestRock Company paper mill, a major employer and driver of economic activity in Jackson Parish since it began operations in 1928.

With a major investment of EUR 40 million in a now operational production asset, Ahlstrom-Munksjö cements its market position, upgrading its production platform in its well-established Beverage & Casing business.

Georgia-Pacific is making a significant investment of more than $20 million at its plant in Lebanon, Tennessee. Its existing corrugator will be replaced with a new one to provide the plant with more throughput and provide customers with a better-quality product.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to announce that global building products manufacturer LP Building Solutions is expanding its operations in Sagola Township with support from the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF). The company's $194 million investment is one of the largest projects ever supported by the MSF in the Upper Peninsula.

The recent start of operations at European textile giant Lenzing's recent opening of the world's largest production plant for the eco-friendly fiber lyocell exemplifies Thailand's status as a hub for green and sustainable investments, according to an article published on the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) website.

Amcor announced that it will be selling its three factories in Russia. This announcement is in line with its previous statement regarding scaling down activities and exploring strategic options for its Russia operations.

Ennis Inc. announced its acquisition of certain assets including customer lists and intellectual property of Gulf Business Forms, in San Marcos, TX. Gulf Business Forms is a trade printer specializing in custom-printed documents including business forms, laser cut sheets, brochures, pamphlets, in-line glue booklet, and variable short-run solutions.

Essity has finalized the acquisitions of the Canadian company Knix Wear Inc. ("Knix") and the Australian company Modibodi, both leading providers of leakproof apparel for periods and incontinence. With these acquisitions, Essity will become the global market leader within leakproof apparel*, the fastest growing product segment in Intimate Hygiene which includes Feminine Care and Incontinence Products.

Mondi Plc, a British packaging and paper company, said it has agreed to acquire the Duino mill near Trieste in Italy from the Burgo Group for a total consideration of 40 million euros.

The WestRock Paper Mill ceased operations on June 6th. It was once considered a staple in the Panama City community for almost 100 years. It employed hundreds of workers but now the mill sits empty.

International Trade Minister Mary Ng says Canada is formally initiating a challenge of "unwarranted and unfair" U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber.

Glatfelter Corporation announced that Mr. Thomas Fahnemann has been appointed to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. He replaces the Company's current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Dante C. Parrini, who will be leaving the Company following a 25-year career.

LP Building Solutions (LP) has opened its new global headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, is hosting the annual Specialty Papers US 2022 conference this year on October 4-6 at the Westin Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ponderay Industries, LLC plans for a restart of its paper mill located in Usk, Washington and has announced it is in advanced negotiations with key industry partners. Idled since bankruptcy in 2020, the paper mill has been meticulously maintained and preserved by a team of former mill employees.

The Group plans to invest 160 - 200 MSEK ($15.48 million to 19.35 million USD) to significantly increase capacity and production in the mill's CTMP line.

Energy woes

Ahlstrom-Munksjö, a global leader in fiber-based materials, has been awarded EcoVadis' highest recognition level, Platinum, for the company's sustainability performance.

Two corrugated industry experts have crunched the numbers and concluded that the OCC recycling rate is likely much lower than estimates published by the paper manufacturing sector. Myles Cohen, an industry veteran and founder of consulting firm Circular Ventures LLC, and Ryan Fox, corrugated market analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, estimate the U.S. old corrugated container (OCC) recycling rate is around 69%, far lower than the 91.4% calculated and reported by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) in May of this year.

International Paper has partnered with the Paper and Packaging Board on the Box to Nature campaign. Box to Nature is an industry-wide initiative to encourage box manufacturers to work with brands and ecommerce customers to print an informative consumer message on boxes to increase residential recycling rates.

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., the oldest continuously operating paper mill in the United States, is pleased to announce that it has earned a gold rating in the EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) assessment. This achievement places the company in the top eight percent of the 90,000 companies ranked by EcoVadis. The company has achieved a 30% increase in its performance level since earning a silver rating in its assessment in 2015.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, opened the Group's first recycling laboratory at its Frantschach mill in Austria to test the recyclability of paper and paper-based packaging using non-paper components such as coatings.

Rayonier Inc. released its 2021 Sustainability Report, which highlights actions the Company is taking to enhance the long-term well-being of its investors, employees, communities, and other stakeholders. This report illustrates Rayonier's commitment to transparency around Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and how they are incorporated into its strategic and operational decision-making.

Suzano, the world's largest hardwood pulp producer, was awarded the ESG Model Enterprise Award at the 2022 International Green Zero-Carbon Festival held in Beijing on August 30, 2022. This was awarded by the festival's organising committee including some of China's most distinguished research institutions, consultancies, and media outlets.

Tetra Pak published its annual Sustainability Report, highlighting the company's achievements and progress in the last year and detailing the actions to help realise resilient and sustainable food systems.

EcoVadis has recognised UPM on a Platinum level based on the company's sustainability performance in the following four categories: Environment, Labour and human rights, Ethics and Sustainable procurement. Only one per cent of the 90,000 global companies assessed received the Platinum score.

Canfor Corporation is announcing reduced operating schedules effective September 12, 2022 at its Swedish facilities due to a decrease in market demand. The reduced operating schedules will result in a 15% decrease in production capacity and are anticipated to be in effect through the fourth quarter.

Four people were injured, including one critically, from steam released from a valve at a Roanoke Rapids paper mill.

The decided production stop at Nordic Paper plant in Greåker, Norway, is planned for three days and is estimated to have marginal financial impact on the results of the Company in the third quarter. The production stop is due to the currently very high daily prices for electricity in Norway.

Aaron Hobart died in an industrial accident at the Ahlstrom-Munksjo Thilmany mill last Tuesday. The nature of the incident in the plant has not been released yet.