Over the Wire

Index declines to a 5.5-year low in February 2016, according to data maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

Production in February 2016 increased 3.3% compared with February 2015 and decreased 6.1% from last month (January 2016).

 

Country’s bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) pulp imports, however, were down 13% during the same period.

 

Shipments totaled 139,800 tons in February 2016, which was 7% higher than in February 2015. Bleached kraft paper shipments increased from 6,900 tons in January to 8,700 tons in February 2016, while unbleached kraft paper shipments increased from 120,900 tons to 131,100 tons.

 

Output was 4.5% higher than in February 2015, while the month-over-month average daily production compared with January 2016 was 2.2% lower.

 

Prices of containerboard are likely to be stable for most of 2016 due to an increase in demand, even with downward pressure factored in. With demand for boxes, prices may be assumed to increase and deliveries cost more. In reality, prices have remained the same and there are even talks of prices falling as more capacity goes live.

 

When the Daud Group established the Karnafuli Paper Mills in Chandragona in 1953, bamboo and hardwood supplied raw materials from a paltry forest coverage that has been declining in size ever since. And with more than a hundred-odd paper mills today, the industry faces a domestic demand that has spiraled out of control.

 

New line fulfills FPC's target of producing 100% textured tissue, differentiating the company's product offering, and to produce high-quality tissue with low energy consumption.

 

British papermaker received the accolade for its support of the Burneside Community Energy (BCE) project (England) – a social initiative to enable local residents to benefit from investment in renewable energy.

 

20,000 Tenge banknote, printed by the Banknote Factory of the National Bank of Kazakhstan,is the first full circulation banknote to be printed on Durasafe substrate, and the first banknote in the world to have two different colored layers of paper, and the first to have OVI ink printed directly across two materials (cotton banknote paper and transparent polymer).

 

Group invests 5% of sales turnover in R&D to develop products for papermaking and paper pulp producers, including sectors that produce specialty paper for "high-end" areas such as bank notes, a highly technical manufacturing "niche."

 

SCA will sponsor key initiatives of AHE, including the Environmental Service Department of the Year Award, the Environmental Sustainability Certificate Program, and Tool Kit, all designed to recognize outstanding sustainability efforts of healthcare facilities and provide guidance for conducting environmentally sustainable healthcare operations.

 

The New York based company secured about $623,000 in state grants and tax credits to lubricate the $6.6 million investment it has promised. Select, which makes paper towels, toilet paper, napkin, and tissue said the location will serve as the company’s "manufacturing hub."

 

With other mills in the U.S. state of Maine struggling to survive recently, the first of two new Andritz PrimeLine tissue paper machines that St. Croix Tissue announced it was installing in March 2014 is now running in the startup phase, Company Spokesman Scott Beal reported this past Friday (March 18).

 

"This service center supports Valmet's strategy of being close to customers and growth markets. We can provide significant customer benefits by utilizing our full offering of process technology, automation and services, and by continuously developing our local and remote services," said Jukka Tiitinen, president of Valmet Business Line Services.

 

The growing demand for corrugated packaging by big sellers like Amazon frees the Ohio company to focus on their much smaller markets — orders of 500 to 10,000 boxes in a tri-state area. The market niche means the company has been growing to the point it is now making significant investments and may soon have to leave for a bigger mill.

 

Company will install a new pulper and rebuild the waste treatment plant at its Aschaffenburg mil in Germany. The EUR 7.6 million project, scheduled to begin this May, will boost the mill’s output of recycled fiber used in the production of corrugated case material.

 

Huhtamaki's ownership in APPCO will increase to 50%. APPCO operative territory expands from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to include Middle Eastern and Northern African countries. APPCO's product range now includes all Huhtamaki Food Service Eur-Asia-Oceania business segment's food packaging products.

 

This will be the first plant in India manufacturing "Made in India BCTMP," resulting in savings of $50 million per year on foreign exchange. The project is expected to be completed by Q3 of 2017. This pulp is used in the middle portion of virgin packaging paperboards. This forms the main body providing bulk and strength to the paperboard.

 

Tetra Pak Homogenizer 500 can produce up to 63,600 liters per hour, offering outstanding product quality at the lowest operational cost available.

 

In comments delivered to an audience with a vested interest in the paper industry, Governor Paul LePage acknowledged the declining demand for supercalendered paper, but he's also used closings to criticize burdensome regulations and energy cost. The governor said he met with two groups who wanted the mills if not for excessive related costs.

 

Sappi has agreed in principle to withdraw its tax abatement requests against the Maine town for 2014 and 2015 in exchange for an agreed-upon $64 million in reduced value for taxation beginning this coming year. It was a compromise between mill owners and town officials.

 

In its appeal scheduled for May 9, Verso Androscoggin claims that the Board of Assessors' assessments and decision on the property are manifestly wrong, result in unjust discrimination, and unequal apportionment of the tax burden in violation of the Maine Constitution.

 

The three different nano-filters that scientists tested have the ability to filter out the paint residues in the textile and printing industries, metal ions from the mining and steel industries, and the nitrates present in the water supply. Bringing the filters to market may take three to five years.

 

GrowDex, UPM’s first commercial product developed for biomedical purposes, is a cellulose nanofibril hydrogel for effective microscopic 3D cell culture applications, such as pharmaceutical R&D. GrowDex is highly biocompatible with human cells and tissues.The UPM team will work here closely with medical researchers.

 

New product is engineered to run smoothly and effectively on both dye-based and pigment-based high-speed inkjet presses.

 

With sales already more than double that of last year, Warren has greatly expanded its range including the qualities of Stellar Gloss, Stellar Silk, Trophee, and Inspira, to meet demand and provide a wider choice for its paper and board customers.

 

ClubStak’s construction features an internal liner made with paper-based material to address snack food needs. The liner material is applied in a strategic orientation to add strength to the structure. The result is a crush-resistant package that offers similar performance attributes to corrugated with high-quality graphics appeal of a folding carton.

 

Drysoft, which uses the through-air-drying process, has seams that do not use glues, coatings, or welds which can negatively influence performance and sheet quality. Drysoft is also engineered with an exceptionally strong seam design and enhanced edge reinforcements for dependability, stability, and long economic life.

 

The company will raise the price of its Uncoated Free Sheet Connect & Connect Envelope grades by $3.00 cwt effective with shipments on or after April 15.

 

Printing and publishing conglomerate aims to save at least 200 million trees a year by converting EFB into paper pulp.

 

In 2015, Canada had 166 million hectares of certified forests, about 40% of the world total or almost four times more than any other country. This survey shows international customers feel confident when they source forest products from Canada.

 

Moving just 1% of global business in packaging, plastics, and fossil based material flows would equate to roughly EUR 40 billion in annual revenue for the sustainable economy, while also helping the world tackle climate change, according to a new report by Pöyry.

 

Budget includes $1 billion fund over four years to support clean tech for forestry as well as other resource industries, and is heavily investing in climate change and clean tech initiatives, including C$2 billion over two years for a Low Carbon Economy Fund and C$40 million to integrate climate resilient changes to building codes.

 

Collins leads 400 men and women manufacturing about 136,000 tons of printing papers each year, amid all the challenges that papermakers face.

 

Eliodoro Matte, president of Chilean pulp company Empresas CMPC, will leave the company next month. Hw will be replaced by Luis Felipe Gazitúa.

 

In this role, Samuel L. Hillard will have responsibility to facilitate the development and execution of Glatfelter’s global corporate strategy as well as lead business development initiatives.

 

Lennart Eberleh comes to Rottneros from BillerudKorsnäs where he is head of the business area Corrugated Solutions, one of BillerudKorsnäs’three business areas.

 

Learn by doing with well known instructor Dr. Ring. Click for more information. Non-members can access full articles for all items listed in the TAPPI News section of OTW.

 

Attend PaperCon 2016 in May and learn how the digital revolution will change the way that mills operate.

 

Appita welcomes submissions covering a broad range of topics relating to pulp, paper, board, and wood, as well as bioenergy, biofuels, and bio-products. Call for Papers closes May 18.

 

TAPPI’s NET Division will host a free nanotechnology webinar on April 7, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

 

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