Weekly Spotlight
Wood Pellets a Hot Commodity Across U.S.

Over the Wire

TAPPI

Thursday, February 27, 2014 - members edition
GapCon
The wallets of many U.S. homeowners using propane or heating oil as a fuel source have likely taken a big hit this winter, due to unusually cold temperatures, compliments of the polar vortex, and frequent storms
 
Expansion to Make Södra’s Värö Kraft Pulp Mill One of World’s Largest
Södra, Växjö, Sweden, reports that at a meeting this past Monday, February 24, its board of directors decided to invest SEK 4 billion (around $610 million) to implement a major expansion of the company’s pulp mill in Värö, Sweden
 
Ragauskas Named Fourteenth UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair
Arthur Ragauskas, an authority in bioenergy, has been named the fourteenth UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Governor's Chair (University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., USA)
 
APPF Founder Crane Dies
Ted Crane, founder of the Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation (APPF), University of Auburn, Auburn, Ala., USA, passed away on Sunday evening, February 23
 
Naylor, LLC
Market Roundup
Exports Support Growth of Italian Graphic and Paper Machinery Industry
According to Acimga, the Italian manufacturers association of machinery for the graphic, converting, and paper industry, "it’s too early to talk about recovery
 
Russian Paper Industry Market to Reach $6.4 Billion by 2017
Several factors in recent years have helped the Russian paper industry gain a competitive advantage
 
Naylor, LLC
Pulp & Paper
August Koehler Hood Refurbishing Improves Energy Efficiency
The August Koehler SE paper mill in Oberkirch, Germany, contracted Voith, Germany, to replace the hood roof and the hood side walls of its PM 4
 
BioCoop Project to Quadruple SCA Delivery of Energy to Heating Grid
SCA, Stockholm, Sweden, has invested SEK 380 million (approximately $58.5 million) and Sweden-based Sundsvall Energi has invested SEK 100 million (about $15.4 million) in the BioCoop energy project
 
Paper Excellence Plans to Acquire, Re-Open Chetwynd Pulp Mill
Unifor Local 448, Toronto, Ont., Canada, reports that Paper Excellence Canada Holding Corp. (PE) plans to acquire and re-open the Tembec high yield pulp mill in the northern British Columbia town of Chetwynd
 
Xerium Breaks Ground on New Press Felt Plant in China
Xerium Technologies Inc., Youngstown, N.C., USA, held a groundbreaking ceremony this past week for its new state-of-the-art press felt manufacturing facility in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China
 
Containerboard/Packaging
G-P to Close Doraville, Ga., Plant
Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga., USA, reports that it will permanently close its corrugated packaging plant in Doraville, Ga., affecting some 90 employees
 
KapStone Completes Press Section Replacement at North Charleston
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp., Northbrook, Ill., USA, this week announced the completion of a $29 million investment at its North Charleston, S.C., paper mill
 
RockTenn Increases Set-Aside Commitment to 1 Million TPY
RockTenn, Norcross, Ga., USA, and AICC, Alexandria, VA., have announced an agreement whereby the company has increased its annual set-aside for the independent market to 1 million tons per year from 700,000 tons per year
 
Sonoco’s Rural Hall, N.C., Plant Achieves Landfill-free Status
Sonoco Recycling LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonoco, Hartsville, S.C., USA, and one of the largest packaging recyclers in North America, reports that Sonoco Display and Packaging's Rural Hall, N.C., facility has successfully diverted more than 99% of its waste from landfills
 
New Products
Ahlstrom Introduces NatureMold Pulp Molding for Food Packaging
Ahlstrom Corp., Finland, has introduced NatureMold, a new biodegradable pulp molding material for food packaging
 
DeZURIK Announces Maximum Duty Knife Gate Valve for Abrasive, Cyclone Services
DeZURIK, Sartell, Minn., USA, has announced its new KGC-MD maximum duty cast knife gate valve specifically designed to provide shearing and sealing capabilities needed in demanding services such as cyclone separators, recycle high density cleaners, recycle detrashers, or sand cleaners
 
Eaglewood Technologies Launches New Anilox Roll Cleaning System
Eaglewood Technologies, Minneapolis, Minn., USA, has introduced the Sanilox™ Anilox Roll Cleaning System, an environmentally safe system engineered by the makers of Sani-Blast™ systems
 
NewPage Introduces FlexPack Essential
NewPage Corp., Miamisburg, Ohio, USA, a supplier of specialty papers, has introduced FlexPack Essential™, the newest member of its family of flexible packaging papers designed for lamination and extrusion applications in food and medical packaging
 
Stora Enso Re-launches MediaCard
Stora Enso, Finland, reports that after the launch of MediaCard in 2012, it has improved the bulk and stiffness according to customer and market needs
 
Published Pricing
Caraustar to Hike Price of Uncoated Recycled Paperboard, Converted Paper Products
Caraustar Industries, Atlanta, Ga., USA, is increasing the prices of all mill uncoated recycled paperboard by $30 per ton and by 5% on all converted paper products, including tube, core, and protective packaging product lines
 
Newark Raises Price on All Uncoated Grades of Recycled Paperboard
Newark Recycled Paperboard Solutions, Cranford, N.J., USA, this week announced a $30 per ton price increase on all uncoated grades of recycled paperboard, effective with shipments on or after March 10
 
Newark Bumps up Prices on ALL Converted Products
Newark Recycled Paperboard Solutions, Cranford, N.J., USA, has announced a 5% to 8% price increase for all converted products
 
Sonoco Increases Price for All Paperboard Tubes, Cores
Sonoco, Hartsville, S.C., USA, will raise the price for all paperboard tubes and cores by 5% - 8%, effective with shipments in the U.S. and Canada, beginning March 24
 
Energy
Valmet, Zilkha Biomass Energy Announce Collaborative Agreement
Valmet, Finland, and Zilkha Biomass Energy LLC, Houston, Texas, USA, have signed a five-year collaboration agreement in the field of steam exploded black pellets
 
People
Gould Paper Appoints Berkowitz EVP, COO
Gould Paper Corp., New York, N.Y., USA, this week announced the appointment of David H. Berkowitz as EVP and COO
 
TAPPI News
Tissue Properties and Test Methods Workshop
PaperCon announces three-part workshop as part of Tissue360° Forum in April
 
Shipping, Receiving and Warehousing Workshop in April
Time Inc. SVP to Keynote; Event relocated to New Orleans; Program Announced.
 
TAPPI Press: Pulp & Paper "Mills of the World"
Locate pulp and paper mills all over the world using this map containing all the information you need to plan your next trip.
 
Registration Opens for Paper Machine Operations Course
TAPPI "gears-up" for this May 13-15 course, back by popular demand.
 
TAPPI Standards, TIPS, and Useful Methods Online
You’ll save $186 alone by purchasing a subscription to Standards, TIPS, and Useful Methods Online along with a TAPPI membership. This offer applies each year you renew your membership.
 
PPSA Opens Registration for Upcoming Safety Conference
This two and half day conference on June 22-25 will feature topics on individual commitment and the importance of developing a caring culture, new control methods celebrating safety innovations, and the consequence of life changing injuries and the importance of a focus on a critical few risk areas.
 
Pacific TAPPI/Washington Pulp and Paper Foundation Joint Meeting Announced
Pacific TAPPI and University of Washington Pulp and Paper Foundation will have a joint meeting at the university campus on March 13.
 
First P&P Workshop Opens for Registration
Don't miss your chance to attend the first of three introductory courses, March 10-14, being offered in partnership between TAPPI and NCSU.
 
New Speakers, Sessions Added to PaperCon Program
No other event offers more learning, more networking and more technical programming than PaperCon, April 27-30, in Nashville, Tenn., USA.
 
Pine Chemicals Association (PCA) Offers New Short Course on Byproduct Recovery
This March 10-12 course is designed for operators, engineers, supervisors, and pulp mill managers engaged in pulp mill recovery operations.
 
International Pulp Bleaching Conference Issues Call for Papers
A call for papers has been issued for IPBC, with a deadline of March 31.