Recent Articles

WestRock Company announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to wholly divest its ownership interest in RTS Packaging, LLC, to joint venture partner Sonoco Products Company for $330 million, subject to customary price adjustments. In addition, the Company has signed a definitive agreement to sell its uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) mills in Eaton, Indiana, and Aurora, Illinois, to Ox Industries for $50 million.

Crews battled a big fire Tuesday night, Nov. 8, at a waste paper plant on the property of Sonoco of Hartsville, according to an official.

The fire was located deep into the warehouse of the smoke-filled facility and was surrounded by stacks of other pallets of product, making locating and extinguishing the fire difficult.

Greif, Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lee Container Corporation, Inc. ("Lee Container" or "Lee"), an industry-leading manufacturer of high-performance barrier and conventional blow molded containers, for a purchase price of $300 million before taking into consideration tax benefits with an estimated net present value of approximately $30 million.

"We are disappointed with the vote for industrial action, particularly at a crucial time for all of our customers," a DS Smith spokesperson said.

No one was injured in the incident.

Western Forest Products has temporarily shut down APD Sawmill in Port Alberni for the next six months, putting more than 100 forestry employees out of work.

Stora Enso invested EUR 80 million to centralise and modernise wood handling at Imatra Mills to enhance its production capabilities for premium packaging board. The investment will additionally reduce the consumption of process water and mitigate environmental impacts. The project, which started up in the first quarter of 2021, is now complete.

This will mean the loss of 85 jobs.

The shutdown will impact 31 of the 106 employees.

Appvion, a Wynnchurch Capital, L.P. ("Wynnchurch") portfolio company, announced the addition of Nekoosa Coated Products, LLC ("Nekoosa" or the "Company") to the platform. Headquartered in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, Nekoosa is a leading provider of specialty engineered materials for the graphics and commercial print markets in North America and Europe.

Louisiana-Pacific Houlton is starting a $400 million expansion to its New Limerick plant to double the production capacity of SmartSide Siding and Trim, which is engineered wood strand technology that protects against hail, wind, moisture, fungal decay and termites, the company said.

Ahlstrom perpetuates its 50-year commitment and support to the global Filtration industry by investing EUR 2 million in a new laminator at Louveira plant, Brazil. With a planned installation in 2023, the equipment is expected to be fully operational by Q1 2024.

Rayonier Inc. announced that the company has entered into two separate agreements to acquire approximately 172,400 acres of high-quality commercial timberlands located in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $474 million from Manulife Investment Management, a leading timberland investment manager.

Ahlstrom will start a strategic transformation program "Stella" to redesign and renew its business platform. This will greatly benefit Ahlstrom's way of doing business by utilizing data and the opportunities for further digitalization.

Resolute currently expects to complete the merger in the first half of 2023, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions to the closing of the merger.

Sealed Air Corp said it would acquire peer Liquibox for $1.15 billion, as the packaging firm aims to boost its presence in the quick service restaurants and liquid packaging segments.

Everybody loves dogs or cats, or do they?

Ladies and gentlemen, the first class of inductees to the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in Appleton, Wisconsin was inducted more than two decades ago in 1995, and today, more than 150 papermaking innovators and legends have been enshrined. This month, we profile the late Nathan H. Bergstrom, Chairman of the Board at Bergstrom Paper Company of Neenah, Wisconsin, who was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

The PM40 closed Friday, 11 November 2022, at 5164.

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 11 November 2022 up 5% from the 12 November 2021 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Weyerhaeuser and Stora Enso.

ND Paper Mill in Old Town is facing legal trouble after a class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Bangor.

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has announced its investment of US$3 million in PulPac, a Swedish company providing disruptive manufacturing technology for low-cost, high-performance fiber-based packaging. Amcor is one of several strategic investors in a cross-industry alliance aimed at driving the deployment of PulPac's technology globally.

The investment in the Kemi bioproduct mill amounts to Euro 1.85 billion and the new mill will start production in the Q3 2023.