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In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Amcor and Clearwater Paper.

The PM40 closed Friday, 31 March 2023, at 4986.

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 31 March 2023 up 5.1% from the 1 April 2022 level.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

In safety training, it is often mentioned that we should clear our minds of outside distractions in order to operate in a safe manner at work. It is well documented that many accidents have been caused by people distracted by issues at home, traffic on the way to work and so forth.

I don't like you THAT much...

Start-up is scheduled for mid of 2023.

Arauco decided in favor of a complete plant which covers the entire competence of the Siempelkamp Group from the delivery of the raw material to the finished laminated board. The plant will be built in Zitácuaro, Mexico, where Arauco already produces particleboard.

Turkish MDF and particleboard producer Starwood Orman Urunleri Sanayi A.S. has successfully produced first fibers with its new fiber preparation system from Andritz. Production of fibers for MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) started only five months after commencement of installation.

Valmet introduces Mill-Wide Optimization (MWO) to enhance overall pulp and paper mill profitability. With Valmet MWO, production teams can boost the mill's performance by making well-informed decisions across different process areas towards shared goals.

The start-up of the machine is scheduled for middle of 2025.

Billerud comes second when Lund University and the business newspaper Dagens Industri rank the 131 largest companies on the stock exchange in Sweden from a sustainability perspective.

This marks the 6th consecutive year the company has been recognized as a Best Company to Work in one or more of the three categories.

Company Continues to Live its Purpose of 'Better Care for a Better World'.

Phoenix Inkjet products provide Customers with Treated and Untreated Sheet Solutions.

Sofidel, one of the world's leading paper groups for the production of paper for hygienic and domestic use known particularly in Italy and Europe for its Regina brand, has again this year received Platinum recognition from EcoVadis for its approach to sustainability and therefore confirming its place among the top 1% of companies in its sector worldwide.

Huhtamaki North America announces its sponsorship of a sports stadium. In a recently announced five-year deal, Huhtamaki will be the official "sustainable packaging provider" at Children's Mercy Park stadium, home of the US Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Sporting Kansas City. Together, both companies will further reduce stadium's environmental footprint.

Mondi has partnered with Swiss converter ATS-Tanner to create new kraft paper bundle packaging.

It becomes the first coast-to-coast premier pallet supplier.

Ilim Group increases its deliveries to the southwestern regions of China, which has been its prioritized area. By 2025, the share of Ilim Group's board deliveries to the southwest of the People's Republic of China will increase three-fold from 5% to 16%, to another 100 thousand tons of the finished products.

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, announced a joint research project agreement with Nfinite Nanotechnology Inc. to validate the use of Nfinite's nanocoating technology to enhance both recyclable and compostable packaging.

Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc., a cryptocurrency datacenter and power generation company, has executed a new hosting agreement with Conifex Timber Inc.

Hygiene and health company Essity has entered an exclusive partnership with the global technology company Voith to develop a new tissue making process that will reduce energy and CO2 emissions while cutting water consumption by up to 95%.

Paper Excellence says it will appear before MPs if summoned by the Natural Resources committee.

Ox Industries is increasing efficiency and production capacity with a $5 million investment in new high-speed converting lines across multiple facilities.

The world's largest machine for the production of kraftliner has entered service in Obbola plant in Västerbotten, Sweden. This major project has been completed ahead of schedule and within budget, significantly increasing opportunities to produce packaging materials that replace plastic.

Sonae Arauco is investing more than Euro 100 million in its Meppen industrial unit, in Germany. A new production line for wood fibre insulation materials is to be built here, which from 2025 will expand the portfolio to include flex insulation, pressure-resistant wood fibre insulation boards, and blow-in insulation.

Clayco, a full-service, turnkey real estate, architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firm, celebrated the groundbreaking of WestRock's new 410,000-square-foot corrugated box plant in Longview, Washington. Located just outside of the Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area, this marks the first collaboration between Clayco and WestRock.

The fate of Stoneywood paper mill remains unclear, with no new updates on potential talks of a new bidder for the site and the deadline for offers ending on February 21.

Government of Russia approved the sale of International Paper's 50% stake in the Russian Ilim Group to the Swiss holding company Ilim SA (a joint venture that owns more than 96.37% of the shares of OAO Ilim Group), Ilim Group said in a statement.

Smurfit Kappa Group plc announces that it has completed its exit from the Russian market. The Group announced its intention to exit the Russian market in an orderly manner on 1 April 2022 and subsequently entered into an agreement to sell its Russian operations to local management.

Twin Rivers Paper Company, a leading producer of specialty and kraft paper products, announced that it has finalized the sale of Plaster Rock Lumber Corporation, its softwood lumber mill in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, to eastern Canadian lumber manufacturer and North American forest products leader Groupe Lebel. The sale advances Twin Rivers' strategy of investing in and growing its core business of specialty and kraft paper production.

Clearwater Paper Corporation announced the planned departure of Michael Murphy as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Mr. Murphy will continue to serve as the chief financial officer and assist the company in the transition through the second quarter of this year.

Gov. Roy Cooper urged the operators of a large western North Carolina paper mill set to shutter to find a way to keep it running, saying a closure would have a "devastating effect" on the region and its people.

The terminal consolidates Klabin's logistics strategy in the State of Paraná.

With the company entering its next growth phase as the first manufacturer solely dedicated to decor paper, Manfred will succeed current CEO Tomas Wulkan, who has led Munksjö since 2018, first as a division of Ahlstrom-Munksjo and most recently as an independent company.

ND Paper, which is owned by Nine Dragons Paper Limited paper manufacturing company in China, is "taking extended downtime," at the mill, spokesperson Jay Capron said Tuesday afternoon. He cited the rising cost of fiber, along with energy costs and market conditions as reasons.

Major milestone in the transformative growth investment in Uruguay.

The changes take effect starting in April.

UPM plans to adapt its uncoated publication paper capacity to a long-term profitable customer demand. The capacity reductions are planned to take place in Germany and Austria.

More paper bottles

Metsä Group's goal is to ensure that Finnish forest assets transfer in a more vibrant, diverse and climate resilient condition from one generation and owner to the next. Regenerative forestry means boosting economic growth and natural assets side by side. As the members of Metsä Group's parent company Metsäliitto Cooperative own around half of private forests in Finland, this goal is significant for all of Finland.

Metsä Group and Fortum, have initiated a pre-feasibility study on the recovery of wood-based carbon dioxide generated as a side stream in the forest industry.

Royale, Canada's Most Trusted bathroom tissue brand†, has achieved carbon neutral certification from the Carbon Trust.

Sonoco has upgraded its Hartsville wastewater treatment site to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Thomas Meth to continue as President & CEO and Ralph Alexander will transition to Lead Independent Director

Blastomycosis is a disease associated with a fungus that grows in moist and decomposing matter, such as wood and leaves. People can get blastomycosis infection by breathing in fungal spores from the air. It does not spread from person to person or between animals and people.

Stora Enso has appointed Micaela Thorström as EVP, Legal and General Counsel and a member of the Group Leadership Team. She will start in her new role in April 2023.

Hundreds of mill workers have now received official lay-off notices in the mail from Pactiv Evergreen, but the letters offered little clarity into the shut-down plan, which remains shrouded in mystery even for mill managers.

Enviva Inc., the world's leading wood pellet producer, reported that all of its associates are safe and accounted for following a strong tornado that touched down in Amory, Mississippi, on March 24, 2023. The storm did, however, damage the company's 115,000 metric ton per year wood pellet production facility, although Enviva's larger plants and ports in the region were not impacted. Enviva's Amory facility insurance covers property damage, inclusive of business interruption and casualty.

An employee of International Paper is hospitalized after getting trapped inside machinery while operating it Sunday evening, according to the Rochester Police Department.

The company told state officials the closing will begin May 14, and should complete within two weeks.

Roseburg announces that Lorraine Russ has joined the company's Commercial Team as Director of Structural and Specialty Panels. In this newly created role, she will lead the company's commercial efforts for softwood and hardwood plywood.

About 150 members of Unifor Local 324-99 ​voted 88% in favor of a new 4 year collective agreement with West Fraser Timber covering ​its Barwick oriented strand board (OSB) mill near Fort Frances.