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In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate WestRock and Nine Dragons.

The PM40 closed Friday, 28 July 2023, at 5302.

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 28 July 2023 up 0.4% from the 29 July 2022 level.

CENIBRA is a 50-year-old pulp and paper company in Minas Gerias, Brazil, that maintains exceptionally high standards, and goes beyond what most other pulp and paper companies do. Ronaldo Ribiero, Head of the Department of Information and Technology, shares with us his insider's experience today.

Urban centric people tend to look down on the agricultural world as being backwards, unlearned and out of date. Nothing could be further from the truth. If one puts a stick in the ground about 1810 and measures progress in productivity and efficiencies since then, no industry has outpaced agriculture. Agriculture advances in genetics (plant and animal), fertilization, irrigation, equipment and electronics have been outpaced by no one. Even our own industry is dependent the thriving growth of one sector of agriculture...forests. So, when I see an advancement in agriculture, I pay attention and consider how we might use it in our own industry.

Start-up is planned for the Q3 2025.

The former double-coated fine paper machine Oulu PM6 in northern Finland will be converted to be Europe's largest board machine and all pulpers naturally have to be of mega size to cope with the annual production volume of 750,000 tons of folding boxboard (FBB) and coated kraft back (CKB).

This is Mirae Paper's second TT SYD installation following another Yankee replacement by Toscotec on PM3 in 2013.

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

Ahlstrom, a leading manufacturer of innovative fiber-based materials, in collaboration with adapa, a leading supplier of flexible packaging solutions, and Maped, a prominent stationery brand, is proud to introduce a groundbreaking flowpack solution for eraser packaging.

LP's industry-leading safety program wins eleventh APA Safest Company Award since 2009

The Flexi-Hex® sleeve is a patented, honeycomb design made from paper that helps protect products in transit.

A 15-year transformation to make marketing better

Rengo Co., Ltd. announces that the Representative Director, President & COO Yosuke Kawamoto has been inaugurated as Chairman of the International Corrugated Case Association (ICCA), an international association in the corrugated packaging industry. His term of office will be for two years, until 2025.

Ideal for retail signage and displays made from thicker substrates like corrugated and poly-based materials, the state-of-the-art technology combines the agility and speed of digital printing with exceptional print quality, a wide color spectrum and minimal energy consumption.

Smurfit Kappa has once again been recognised for its technical innovation and creativity in flexographic printing at this year's Flexographic Industry Association (FIA) UK awards. Building on its previous success, the company has demonstrated its commitment to excellence by securing an impressive total of 14 awards.

Veritiv Connects advances programs that help individuals learn, grow, and thrive with education at the core of the company's community efforts.

Successful financing transaction creates greater financial flexibility and valuable optionality supporting the execution of RYAM's strategic priorities and shareholder value creation.

Fiber-based consumer packaging leader Graphic Packaging has partnered with food processor ABP Food Group (ABP) to develop two new lines of chilled meat packaging for UK supermarket giant Aldi.

Södra Ädla is a new partner of Nordic Forestry Automation (NFA). The company develops next-generation operator support systems for forest machines based on sensor technology from autonomous vehicles and AI algorithms. The investment is done together with Sveaskog and Almi Invest Syd and comprises a total of SEK 10 million.

A WELSH company that manufactures kitchen and toilet tissue paper has been fined £1million after an employee was seriously injured when he was struck in the face by a crane hook.

The Euro 33.9 million investment is focused on equipment upgrades including purchasing state-of-the art machinery for innovative packaging to support ongoing plastic replacement and boost productivity in the East European market.

Huhtamaki is making a significant investment in its Paris, Texas facility in the U.S. The investment consists of an expansion of its manufacturing capacity as well as a consolidation of an external warehouse. The investment into production assets is approximately $30 million, and the warehouse and manufacturing facility will be leased.

Construction is expected to begin in the next 18 months, once the sale closes.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, is investing €16 million in new technology to produce a new packaging range called FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate. This ultra-high barrier paper-based solution for food meets growing customer demand for sustainable packaging that contributes to a circular economy.

After a long process to identify potential buyers, Ahlstrom has received a binding offer from Accursia Capital to acquire the Stenay plant. The potential acquisition is subject to consultation with employee representatives.

The hygiene and health company Essity has completed the divestment of its operations in Russia for a purchase price of approximately SEK 1.2bn on a cash and debt-free basis. Essity has thus exited Russia.

These two plants have a revenue of Euro 105 million in 2022, and provide direct employment to 247 people.

Facilities affected include a paper mill in South Glens Falls, a warehouse and distribution center in Saratoga Springs, and a converting facility in Greenwich.

The curtailment is currently scheduled to become effective July 29, 2023, until August 28, 2023.

The Paper Excellence Group (Paper Excellence) announced its updated organizational structure for its business units following the recent acquisitions of Resolute Forest Products in March 2023 and Domtar in November 2021.

FPInnovations announces the successful completion of the baseline tests of the truck platooning project

Leading provider of sustainable packaging solutions DS Smith has raised the ambitions of its Now & Next Sustainability Strategy to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, Circular Economy.

Georgia-Pacific has produced its 1 billionth EarthKraft™ recyclable padded mailer. The milestone mailer rolled off the production line at our facility in Tolleson, Arizona, just three short years after the product was introduced. The mailer, and its success, is the culmination of listening to our partners and their consumers' desire to develop sustainable products that meet and exceed their needs and expectations.

Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, has achieved A- rating in Ellen MacArthur Foundation's latest Circulytics® circular economy assessment.

The 2022 Novolex Sustainability Report details the company's accomplishments in increasing its recycling capacity, diverting waste from landfills, and using more Chain-of-Custody certified fiber and bio-based resins in its products.

Pactiv Evergreen, which closed its Canton paper mill in early June, issued a denial of wrongdoing in the dumping of chemicals into its wastewater treatment system. In a response to a violation notice from the NC Department of Environmental Quality, the company confirmed it disposed of chemical cleaning solution and sanitizer but said the discharge did not violate the water quality standards.

Sappi's certification to the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard includes proactive measures to promote and conserve biodiversity at regional and local levels.

The report illustrates the company's 2022 contributions to the circular, low-carbon economy while improving people's lives where it does business.

The Prince George mill was temporarily curtailed last week, due to the strike by port workers.

Cenveo did not give a reason for why it closed the plant, though the company has been restructuring after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018.

Fire crews are on the scene of a large commercial fire that began Tuesday night, July 18, at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview, officials say.

Officials said on Saturday, July 22, only six small areas remain smoldering at the Nippon Dynawave site in Longview.

Johan joins the company from Oatly where he served as the company´s Chief Supply Chain Officer.

It was reported 100 workers are getting a 3 percent raise and a $3,800 bonus in their new three-year contract.

Workers walked out and production at the paper mill ceased due to the Teamsters Local No. 346 strike.

UPM Communication Papers plans to continue the temporary layoffs in Finland. The possible temporary layoffs could take place in several periods and would last a maximum of 90 days.

WestRock Co. will close one of its St. Louis facilities, laying off 54 workers in September, according to a notice filed with the state.