Over the Wire

Atlas Paper manufactures branded and private label tissue products for the at-home and away-from-home markets. The purchase price in the transaction, which closed today, was $156 million, including working capital.

 

The foundation awarded Dr. Margaret Joyce, a WMU professor of chemical and paper engineering, with a PTF Honor Award for her outstanding contribution to the paper engineering program. The award was presented at the foundation's recent annual banquet in October.

 

If you know of someone who has made outstanding contributions, consider nominating them for a PIMA award, or encourage a colleague to do so.

 

AF&PA’s annual awards are given based on the merit of entries received across multiple categories. This year, seven companies received eight awards from 26 outstanding submissions across the industry.

 

The company notes that a lack of basic sanitation affects people's dignity and escalates the spread of life-threatening diseases that can be fatal to children and their families. Additionally, countless children miss school because of the spread of disease and infection from a lack of basic sanitation.

 

The Tissue 201 – Operations and Runnability Course is set for April 19-20 2016, in Neenah, Wis., USA. In the fall of 2016, Tissue Tissue 202 – Converting Rolled Products, will be held in Green Bay, Wis. These courses will explain the most important industry-accepted best practices.

 

Participants will have the opportunity to present to a coveted audience at OpEx on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 in the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati.

 

Five tissue webinars are accessible to TAPPI members online.

 

In as little time as it takes to drink a cup of coffee, you can add your data to help make this the most comprehensive salary analysis in the industry.

 

Shipments decreased 4% this September compared with September 2014, according to the AF&PA "September 2015 Printing-Writing Paper Report" issued this past week. Total P&W paper inventory levels decreased 4% from August.

 

Converted product shipments, parent roll production, operating rates, and parent roll prices all improve in September.

 

U.S. boxboard production decreased 1.1% compared with September 2014 and decreased 4.9% from last month, according to the AF&PA "September 2015 U.S. Paperboard Report" published this past week.

 

Sanitary paper price index rose slightly in October from September’s 55-month low.

 

U.S. output was 0.4% lower than in September 2014, as reported by the AF&PA in its "September 2015 U.S. Containerboard Statistics Report" issued this past week.

 

The Indian paper industry could witness consolidation and cooperation among various players to collectively leverage fast changing manufacturing technologies and smoothen backward integration for raw materials. The country's 28 major paper companies could be reduced to around ten in the next few years.

 

Total U.S. kraft paper shipments were 136,600 tons, 1.5% lower than in September 2014. Bleached kraft paper shipments decreased slightly from 8,700 tons in August 2015 to 8,600 tons, while unbleached kraft paper decreased from 134,900 tons to 128,000 ton

 

"As an elite military force, the Navy SEALs exemplify the finest traditions of the American spirit and way of life," said Appvion's VP and GM of carbonless and specialty papers. "In light of the courageous services the SEALs and the Naval Special Warfare Community provide our country, they, their families, and the other military units that sustain them, deserve our full support."

 

SCA has announced early termination of the waiting period required under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, in connection with its agreement to acquire Wausau Paper for $10.25 per share, or a total consideration of $513 million.

 

Voith replaced the former EcoSoft calenders with a Janus MK 2 calender. The special design of this calender, featuring a 45° incline of the roll stack, meant that the existing Nipco rolls could be reused while achieving a 40% higher line load. PM 53 can now produce various new paper grades.

 

The on-site production plants are for CP Kelco and Metsä Fibre in Äänekoski, Finland. The long-term on-site gas supply agreements include plant installation, operation, and maintenance. Both plants will be constructed by Linde’s Engineering Division.

 

In two years, five paper mills have announced they're shutting down or laying off workers although Sappi's mills have remained profitable. It’s said to be a critical time for the state's pulp and paper industry. Topics spanned from fiber cost and availability, transportation infrastructure, to energy costs and workforce development.

 

Reportedly, following the acquisition, the Walsum mill would continue producing lightweight coated (LWC) papers on its PM 10, and Niederauer Muehle would convert currently idle PM 4 to white-top testliner production.

 

In an earnings report released Monday, the company said it's considering selling four mills, including the Androscoggin Mill in Jay, Me., USA, and its related hydro-electric facilities, to meet its financial obligations.

 

Two lines came on stream according to schedule at Vinda’s tissue mills in Deyang, Sichuan, and Laiwu, Shandong, and are already running at the maximum operating speed of 1,500 m/min.

 

LEIPA plans to rebuild the mill’s newsprint paper machine into a white top testliner machine immediately after closing of the transaction.

 

Compared with other curtain coating solutions, Valmet's OptiCoat Layer is compact in size and straightforward to install. This enables lower investment cost and shorter shutdown time. OptiCoat Layer uses slide dye curtain coating, which enables versatile use of coating color substances and layer thicknesses.

 

Food company Kavli had a problem when transporting ketchup - the plastic bag holding the product was being punctured by the sharp edges of the tap inside the same box during transport, leading to leakage. Smurfit Kappa solved the problem with an ingeniously simple solution.

 

The award winning filling machine series uses electron beams instead of hydrogen peroxide to sterilize packaging material. The benefits to customers include lower operational costs, improved environmental performance, and increased production flexibility.

 

Montville, Conn., USA, Mayor Ronald McDaniel said he received word the plant could resume activities, including workers receiving back-to-work notices, though he hadn't heard directly from the company. WestRock said in late October that the company couldn't confirm the indefinite idling was over, or that the plant would resume operations.

 

The M-Series range of print and apply units offer a fully modular solution to meet the various case and pallet labelling needs of manufacturers. High resolution online coding allows for the application of barcodes, text, and graphics on packaging labels, ensuring full GS1 supply chain compliance.

 

FITNIR Kappa uniquely measures kraft pulp properties without requiring extensive sample preparation or the use of chemicals.

 

Envi Card, of which there are already two billion in the marketplace, is now available in a broader range of thickness. It will now be available in 28, 24, 21, 18, 14, and 12 point calipers that are optimized for many print engines and card configurations, including CR80 and M6.

 

Company increased the brightness of its Flo Sheet and Flo Digital coated paper to 90. A favorite for its accurate color reproduction, superior print surface, and affordability, Flo is now available in a more contemporary shade and optimal brightness—ideal for reflecting natural skin tones, bright hues, and sharp details.

 

The price increase will vary according to product format and country. The increase becomes effective January 1. Company sales teams are to provide specific information on how the price increase will be applied on a country-by-country basis.

 

Evergreen developed and implemented a recycle logo tracking system for the cartons they produce. This information is used to encourage customers to include the logo on their cartons and communicate to consumers that those cartons are recyclable, thereby increasing recovery.

 

Companies are working to help make sustainable wood-fiber packaging a standard across the world, and a convenient preferred choice of forward-thinking customers across the U.S. The Sustainable Brands research community recently profiled the paper based sustainability efforts of these three companies' new projects.

 

Recycling of paperboard has nearly doubled since 1990 as a result of 96% of the U.S. population now being able to recycle paper and paperboard through curbside or drop-off recycling programs, according to a recent report by "Packaging Digest" celebrating America Recycles Day on November 15.

 

Long before scientists determined that a stand of carbon-sponging trees is the best known bulwark against global warming, Wisconsin invented an economic ecosystem that reforested the state after it had been clear-cut from south to north by timber barons a century earlier. Today, multiple factors threaten the system's vitality.

 

Incoming Plant Manager Eric Wiley was introduced to local officials and business leaders at a reception Monday honoring Bob Eads, the International Paper Shelbyville, Ill., USA, plant's outgoing manager. Eads is transferring to the company's plant in Memphis, Tenn.

 

"Sappi has been committed to constant evolution since its inception," said Mark Gardner, president and CEO of Sappi N.A. "We also believe strongly in promoting talent from within, and we're tremendously excited to see where our experienced and dedicated corporate leaders will take the organization over the next few years..."

 

Kevin Vrba has led many efficient and effective financial teams and plans to leverage these past experiences in his new role assisting Shorr Packaging expand to a national footprint.

 

Gain valuable insight on how to improve your plant’s water efficiency and supply chains December 3 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

 

Showcase your latest discovery at this global event.

 

In as little time as it takes to drink a cup of coffee, you can add your data to help make this the most comprehensive salary analysis in the industry.

 

Rayonier Advanced Materials is currently seeking a Shift Supervisor, Machines and Finishing, at its Jesup, Ga., USA, location.