Sunday, 24 May 2026, I watched the sporting event of the year that I thoroughly enjoy--the Indianapolis 500. The greatest auto race in the world has succeeded in seriously improving its performance and dramatically improving its safety record. Why can't we do the same? In Paperitalo's publication, PaperMoney, we have a department, "Risks: Fires, Fatalities and Catastrophes." We started this chronicle of such events in 2017. There has been no discernible improvement in the nine years since then.

The PM40 closed Friday, 29 May 2026, at 5093.

Get the latest PM40 updates by listening to the weekly Nips show and the PM40 Daily Show on Pulp & Paper Radio International.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Smurfit Westrock and Sonoco.

The PM40 closed 29 May 2026 down 0.9% from the 30 May 2025 level.

The Trump Administration's executive orders cut across dozens of industries. This searchable tool breaks down the orders and their impact.

The change affects the company's projected net debt-to-equity ratio for fiscal 2025, an important indicator for investors and lenders assessing leverage and capital structure.

The measures include closing the manufacturing site in Sundsvall, Sweden, and adjusting operations in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Jelenia Góra, Poland, and they will affect approximately 350 roles across Sweden and Poland.

Huhtamaki and Hesburger are strengthening their long-standing partnership through the development of new fiber lids, designed in close collaboration to support performance and sustainability in everyday foodservice applications.

Do you think data centers will cause a disruption in the US electrical grid?

Katariina Kemppainen, Senior Vice President, Group R&D at Metsä Group, has been appointed Chair of the Board of the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) on 28 May 2026.

Stora Enso plans to reorganise its Skutskär production unit in Sweden in order to focus more strongly on fluff pulp and improve the site's long-term competitiveness. The company will begin change negotiations with union representatives concerning a proposal to permanently close softwood pulp production on fiberline 3, or L3, which is currently operating with negative margins.

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Incidents in 2026: We are updating this list as these happen in the pulp, paper and forest products industry

We are updating this list as these happen in the pulp, paper and forest products industry

We are updating this list as these happen in the pulp, paper and forest products industry

Check out the monthly newsletters here or subscribe and have them emailed to you hot off the press!

Pulp and Paper Manufacturers report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission

What they want us to know...

UFP Industries announced the acquisition of the operating assets of John Rock, Inc., a new pallet manufacturer headquartered in Coatesville, Pa., for approximately $48 million. The transaction fills a key gap in PalletOne, Inc.'s geographic reach and strengthens UFP Packaging's ability to serve national customers with a presence in the northeast region.

The charges stemmed from a fatal incident on Nov. 18, 2023, when a worker attempted to clear a blockage from a machine using a pike pole. The pole was ejected from the machinery and struck the worker, resulting in death.

The $225 million greenfield facility, located less than 10 miles from International Paper's existing Richland box plant, will strengthen manufacturing and service capabilities across the Mid-South region. Designed to improve reliability, product quality, and cost position, the new facility supports growth in key market segments while reinforcing the company's commitment to operational excellence, sustainability, and customer-focused innovation.

The investigation into last week's chemical tank implosion at the Nippon Dynawave plant in Longview is ongoing. The deceased were identified as Gilberto Bernal, 52; Tyler Covington, 29; Brad Covington, 27; Robert Wilson, 48; Dale Miller, 54; Jared Ammons, 35; Braydon Finkas, 38; Clinton Duran, 26; John Forsberg, 51; Norman Barlow, 58; and Dillon Miller.

Britain's competition ​watchdog said ‌on Thursday ​it ​would not refer ⁠the ​proposed $3.4 billion ​joint venture between Brazilian ​pulp ​producer Suzano and ‌consumer ⁠goods giant Kimberly-Clark ​for ​a ⁠Phase 2 ​investigation.

Safety: Digging Beneath the Numbers