Recent Articles

The maintenance shutdown of the UPM Kaukas pulp mill, which began in August, will be extended for two weeks until October 11, 2025. In addition, the UPM Pietarsaari pulp mill will be temporarily shut down for approximately two weeks in November.

Often, when the books are full and profitability is high, management is loath to take maintenance downtime. Is the opposite true--when profitability is down should we take more maintenance time?

The PM40 closed Friday, 3 October 2025, at 5452.

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 3 October 2025 down 8.9% from the 4 October 2024 level.

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

Western Forest Products will curtail lumber production at its British Columbia sawmills by 50 million board feet in the second half of 2025, equal to 6% of its annual lumber capacity. The company attributes the reduction to weak markets, higher U.S. softwood lumber duties imposed in August 2025, and limited economic log supply, according to Western Forest Products.

Pete Hoekstra says he hopes the United States and Canada can strike a deal on softwood lumber, an issue that predates both of Donald Trump's terms in Washington.

The pulp and paper industry faces constant pressure to optimize efficiency, reduce waste, and maintain quality while adapting to an evolving market.

The pulp and paper industry is navigating a period of profound transition. Consolidation among global producers, demographic shifts in the workforce, and ongoing ERP migrations are reshaping how mills approach operations. At the center of these changes is a fundamental question: what role should Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) play in the next decade of pulp and paper?

EPIQ Machinery inaugurated its new head office in downtown Montreal, nestled on the third floor of the iconic Canada Cement building. The occupancy of these new premises represents a significant milestone for the Canadian equipment manufacturer.

It will replace one of the existing recovery boilers, increasing the mill's green energy production. Start-up is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.

Valmet will deliver a Quality Control System (QCS) to Metsä Tissue's Mariestad mill in Sweden. The intelligent system will support the performance and ensure quality of the mill's tissue machine PM 35.

Toscotec will supply a complete rebuild of PM3's drying section to Papeterie le Bourray mill in Saint-Mars-la-Brière, France. This marks a repeat order for Toscotec, following the successful PM4 rebuild in 2020 where a new headbox helped the mill achieve its target.

Konecranes has received an order from Valmet Paper Technology (China) Co., Ltd. to supply a comprehensive range of cranes for their facility relocation in Wuxi. The contract was booked in May 2025, with delivery scheduled for November 2025.

Kadant Inc. announced it has completed the integration of Vayeron Pty Ltd, a pioneer of smart conveyor monitoring technologies. Kadant acquired Vayeron on August 21, 2024, and integrated it into its Material Handling reporting segment.

Kemira expands its offering into industrial water treatment services and has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Water Engineering, Inc., a company specialized in water treatment services with headquarters in Nebraska, USA, from Nolan Capital, Inc.

The start-up of the new paper machine PM 8n is scheduled for the end of 2026.

On September 10, 2025 Voith broke ground on a multi-million-dollar project that will expand and modernize its roll service center in West Monroe, Louisiana - adding more than 20 new jobs and supporting the local economy.

Sebright Products Inc., a leading manufacturer of waste handling and recycling equipment, is proud to announce that it has officially achieved ISO 9001 certification, the internationally recognized standard for quality management systems (QMS).

Sebright Products Inc., a leading manufacturer of waste handling and recycling equipment, is proud to announce that it has officially transitioned to a 100% employee-owned company. This milestone marks a significant step in the company's commitment to empowering its workforce and ensuring long-term sustainability and growth.

Graphic Packaging International was voluntarily dismissed from the case.

Saint-Gobain Canada officially marked the completion of its expansion and sustainable upgrade project at its CertainTeed Gypsum plant in Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, transforming the facility into North America's first zero-carbon (scopes 1 and 2) gypsum wallboard plant and the largest in the world. First announced in 2022, Saint-Gobain completed major electrification upgrades allowing the plant to be solely powered by renewable electricity.

Ahlstrom, a global leader in sustainable fiber-based specialty materials, announces a major milestone in its sustainability journey with the implementation of a biomass boiler at the company's Rottersac site in France. This will reduce the site emissions with approximately 80% and significantly lowering the carbon footprint of products, benefiting Ahlstrom's customers. This location serves as a key hub for Ahlstrom's food packaging operations in Europe.

Sappi North America is concerned with the announcement from The Nature Conservancy regarding its agreement with Brookfield Renewable to acquire four hydroelectric facilities on the Kennebec River in Maine, including the Shawmut Dam.

This new milestone represents significant and accelerated progress, positioning the Coalition at 45% of its goal to mobilize at least US$ 10 billion by 2030. Collectively, these commitments aim to protect or restore 3.65 million hectares of Brazilian forests.