Weekly Spotlight
Canada to Invest in First-of-Kind Forest Innovation at Domtar’s Dryden Mill

Over the Wire

TAPPI

July 2, 2015
GapCon
Domtar will launch this first-of-its-kind, commercial-scale manufacturing facility for these new grades of northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp. This pulp can be used to produce writing and specialty grade papers, tissues and paper towels, as well as in non-traditional, growing, and value-added markets such as fiber-reinforced materials, including cement and fiberglass.
 
Improve Maintenance, Profits at Unique, Simulation-Based Workshop
Learn how to help your mill realize its profit potential through sustainable change; improve maintenance functions.
 
Bellmer Acquires GapCon
GapCon is specifically known as a manufacture of calenders, shoe presses, as well as special rolls. From the beginning, both companies, Bellmer and GapCon, have been united in close partnership for the development and supply of shoe presses.
 
Domtar's Project Learning Curve Wins Cannes Silver Lion
Domtar's "Project Learning Curve" was recognized in the Mobile Services category. The honor came after Domtar spearheaded the creation of the world's first handwriting tracker—an app that connects a digital pen to paper.
 
TAPPI Establishing New Tissue Awards
"There have been some great contributions to the advancement of tissue and converting," says Scott Springmier of TAPPI, "and our TAPPI volunteers have decided we are long overdue to recognize them." The Tissue Division is establishing three new awards to recognize outstanding contributions in the industry.
 
2016 TAPPI Award Nominations Deadline: August 1
TAPPI and its divisions recognize member achievement through various awards and appreciations. The deadline to submit nominations for the TAPPI 2016 major awards is August 1, 2015. Nomination forms can be submitted by email, faxed to the attention of the Awards Department at +1-770-446-6947, or mailed to TAPPI.
 
Eastman Chemical Co.
Market Roundup
Significant Growth Projected for Global Specialty Paper Market, 2015-2020
This market is primarily driven by factors such as increasing disposable income, increasing specialty paper end-use application, and its easy availability. It has grown significantly in the past few years and this growth is projected to continue.
 
N.A. P&W Paper Demand Continues Decline in May
North American May printing and writing (P&W) paper demand was down 6.4% y/y in May, according to the Pulp and Paper Products Council. Demand for P&W papers was off 5.1% ytd.
 
Prices for Overseas Traded Softwood Wood Chips Fall 11% in Eight Months
The current price is back up to the same level as a year ago, but still has a ways to go to reach the record high levels of over $200/odmt that occurred almost four years ago.
 
Forestry Equipment Market Worth $9 Billion by 2019
In mature, developed world markets, acceleration in economic growth and a generally favorable fixed investment climate will help boost demand as forestry companies seek to reduce their operating costs and increase output through the use of technologically sophisticated, high-value machinery.
 
Pulp & Paper
Appleton Coated Announces Sales Partnership with New Leaf Paper
Appleton Coated, Combined Locks, Wis., USA, has entered into an agreement with New Leaf Paper, Oakland, Cali., USA, to market and sell Reincarnation®, a coated paper line made from 100% post-consumer recovered fiber.
 
APRIL to Install Valmet OptiConcept M Fine Paper Line in Indonesia
The new PM 3 for APRIL is Valmet's first OptiConcept M delivery in Indonesia. This is also the first time the latest OptiConcept M technology will be used for fine paper production.
 
Catalyst Crofton Mill Resolves Operating Issues, Resumes Production
No health or environmental issues occurred during this period, and the Vancouver Island mill has returned to production capacity, according to Catalyst. 8,600 metric tons of paper production was lost during the month of June.
 
Kotkamills Orders Two More Automation Technology Solutions for Finland Mill
The startup of the rebuilt paper machine with new wet end automation is scheduled for the second quarter of 2016. The pulp mill quality improvement project, with new automation solutions is ongoing.
 
Michelman Named Top Workplace by Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, company recently opened its new Advanced Materials Collaboration Center at its Blue Ash campus that includes six new laboratories with state-of-the art equipment, bright and accessible open space, and meeting rooms designed to allow application teams to collaborate on projects.
 
Parenco Contracts Voith to Rebuild Newsprint Machine to Packaging
Having been idle for several years, Renkum PM 2 in the Netherlands will be transformed from a newsprint machine to a modern packaging production line. This will enable Parenco to enter the market with Voith as technical partner.
 
Rayonier Completes Timberland Acquisitions in U.S. South, Pacific Northwest
Rayonier Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., USA, this week announced that it has acquired approximately 18,000 acres of high-quality timberlands in southwest Louisiana and northwest Oregon in two separate transactions from BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group.
 
Resolute Selects Valmet NTT Tissue Machine for Calhoun Mill
This machine is part of the $270 million project to build a facility to manufacture at-home, premium private label tissue paper, including bath and towel. Preparation work has begun in Calhoun, Tenn., USA, and the machine is expected to start making tissue in the first quarter of 2017.
 
Sofidel to Install Two More Energy Recovery Systems at Italy, Poland Tissue Mills
This will be Sofidel's second and third installation of their innovative energy saving solution and will be installed on the Delicarta mill's TM 2 in Italy and Delitissue mill in Poland.
 
Verso Addresses NYSE Continued Listing Standard
Verso Corp., Memphis, Tenn., USA, reports that the New York Stock Exchange has notified the company that it has fallen below the NYSE's continued listing standard requiring that the average share price of Verso's common stock be at least $1.00 over a consecutive 30-trading-day period.
 
Xerium to Close Warwick PMC Plant in Canada
Xerium Technologies Inc., Youngsville, N.C., USA, reports that it has initiated closure proceedings with representative union officials at its PMC facility in Warwick, Que., Canada. Production will be transferred to Xerium’s lower-cost plants outside of North America.
 
Jenny Reilly
Containerboard/Packaging
ABB Upgrade Helps Ahlstrom Filter Paper Plant Maintain Uptime, Save Money
ABB, Zurich, Switzerland, has ensured that an Ahlstrom filter paper production machine in the U.S. can avoid costly downtime by providing an innovative upgrade for its integrated control system and scanners.
 
DS Smith to Acquire Grupo Lantero Corrugated Activities
DS Smith Plc, U.K., a producer of recycled corrugated packaging in Europe, this week announced that it will acquire the corrugated activities of Grupo Lantero, Iberia, including several operations in which DS Smith currently has a minority holding.
 
Menasha Expanding Preprint Facility, Adding Press in Neenah
Menasha, Neenah, Wis., USA, is expanding its PrePrint facility in Neenah to accommodate the addition of a new flexographic printing press. The expansion and new equipment are in response to increasing customer demands, Menasha noted.
 
Rottneros Develops High Yield Pulp for Carton Board
Bulk Booster has been developed by Rottneros Bruk during the past year, and has been tested at full commercial scale at several carton board manufacturers. The product is a High Yield Pulp, which is produced in Rottneros production lines.
 
PaperWorks Completes CanAmPac Acquisition
Acquisition includes coated recycled board (CRB) producer Strathcona Paper, folding carton manufacturer Boehmer Box, and LYFT Visual graphic services.
 
New Products
Cascades Extends Tandem+ Towel Dispenser Line
Tandem+ Nano is the ideal substitute to folded towels, cutting down on paper usage by more than 40%. Like all Tandem+ products, it is ergonomic, easy to use, and provides reliable dispensing for Cascades natural and ultra-white paper towels made from 100% recycled fiber.
 
KRS’ New Safkote Food-Based Coatings Designed for Grease Resistant Paper
KRS Technologies LLC, Solon, Ohio, USA, has developed Safkote, a line of food-based coatings that are composed exclusively of GRAS ("generally regarded as safe") components. The water-based coatings can be applied to paper on existing roll coaters at high speeds and are heat cured in seconds.
 
Neenah Expands Design Collection with Four New Lines
Neenah Paper, Alpharetta, Ga., USA, this week announced that its selection of colored, pearlized, and textured papers, The Design Collection, has been expanded to include four new premium paper grades from Italian papermaker Gruppo Cordenons.
 
SCA Introduces Tork Easy Cube
SCA, Philadelphia, Pa., producer of the Tork® brand of Away-from-Home professional hygiene products, this week launched EasyCubeTM, offering real-time restroom traffic and usage data with 24/7 visibility – ultimately helping reduce the number of restroom complaints and increase overall tenant and customer satisfaction.
 
Tetra Pak Launches Tetra Evero Aseptic Carton Bottle
Tetra Pak, Sweden, reports that its Tetra Evero® Aseptic, the world's first aseptic carton bottle, is now available to pack products with oxygen sensitive enrichments, thanks to a new barrier material made of high density polyethylene in the package top.
 
Published Pricing
Sonoco-Alcore to Increase Paperboard Prices in Europe
"This price increase is in response to rising material and manufacturing costs," said Phil Woolley, director, Paper Europe, noting that the price change excludes Italy, where the Brussles, Belgium company implemented a similar price change effective June 15.
 
People
Catalyst Appoints De Costanzo SVP, CFO
A seasoned treasury and finance executive with significant experience and banking relationships across the globe, De Costanzo joins Catalyst from Kinross Gold Corp., one of the world's largest gold mining companies, where he has served as VP and global treasurer since 2010.
 
K-C Elects White to Board of Directors
Prior to joining DIRECTV, White spent 19 years at PepsiCo Inc. in a variety of senior leadership roles, including SVP and CFO, and vice chairman, chairman, and CEO for PepsiCo International.
 
Kemira Appoints Huovinen SVP, Communications and Corporate Responsibility
Leena Lie, Kemira Oyj's current SVP, Communications and Corporate Responsibility will leave Kemira to take up the position of SVP, Communications at Cargotec Oyj.
 
TAPPI News
Improve Maintenance, Profits at Unique, Simulation-Based Workshop
Learn how to help your mill realize profit potential through sustainable change; improve maintenance functions.
 
In the Spotlight: Charles Bohanan - New Horizons
Long-time TAPPI staffer and member retiring.
 
Want to Produce Fuel, Energy, and Chemicals from Biomass?
Come to IBBC October 28-30 and learn directly from experts successfully leveraging the knowledge and assets in the pulp and paper industry.
 
The Latest Innovations and Applications Are at Specialty Papers 2015!
Specialty Papers 2015, taking place September 15-17, has been hailed as a "rare opportunity for manufactures and suppliers in the specialty papers business to gather, network, and exchange business ideas."
 
TAPPI Press: The Smook Book Third Edition
The third edition features additional material on secondary fiber recovery and utilization, mechanical pulping, kraft pulping and bleaching, and papermaking.
 
Learn Environmental LCA in Workshop at NCSU
This unique workshop held August 3-7 provides attendees an overall view of the fundamental principles of environmental life cycle analysis (LCA) for a product or service.
 
Hone Your Kraft with TAPPI
This is the only course offered that has this level of introductory content in a 2-day format covering the woodyard, pulping, processing and bleaching processes. Don't miss your chance to learn at the TAPPI Training Facility in Peachtree Corners, Ga., USA.
 
Resolve to Solve with TAPPI–IDCON Partnership
You will practice the concepts learned in class using common components, equipment, and processes. You’ll receive IDCON’s "Preventive Maintenance Essential Care and Condition Monitoring" book with your registration for this Sept. 14-15 course.
 
Intro to Kraft Pulping and Bleaching Course Perfect for Anyone New to the Kraft
The Introduction to Kraft Pulping and Bleaching course, taught by Dr. Michael Kocurek, will take place August 4-5 at TAPPI’s Headquarters. Seats will sell out at 25. Registration is now open.
 
Deadline Extended for William L. Cullison Scholarship Applications
Believing strongly that today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, the TAPPI Foundation endowed the William L. Cullison Scholarship fund in honor of TAPPI's fifth Executive Director. The application deadline has been extended to August 1.