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The PM40 closed Friday, 14 February 2020, at 3092.

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

The PM40 closed 14 February 2020 down 13.2% from the 15 February 2019 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Hadera Paper and Mercer International.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

Ladies and gentlemen, the first class of inductees to the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in Appleton, Wisconsin was inducted more than two decades ago in 1995, and today, more than 140 papermaking innovators and legends have been enshrined. This month, we profile Roberto Berardi, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Double A, one of Asia's leading pulp and paper producers, has selected ABB Ability™ Advanced Process Control (APC) for its pulp mill in Prachinburi, Thailand.

Graphic Packaging International has selected Voith to provide a complete recycled stock preparation system for its new Coated Recycled Board (CRB) machine being built in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Solenis, a producer of specialty chemicals for water intensive industries, dedicated its new world headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.

Valmet will supply a Defibrator™ system and a Steam Separator PV system to Qinzhou Lvyuan Wood Co., Ltd. in China. The start-up of the system is planned for autumn 2020.

Valmet will deliver cooking and fiberline to Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd. (TNPL) for their unit 2, located in Mondipatti in the Trichy District, India.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö, a global leader in fiber-based materials, has announced the development of a new range of LamiBak™ release base papers certified according to the food contact and baking standards of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).

International Paper announced its Vision 2030 goals, which demonstrate its commitment to building a better future for people, the planet and the company.

The new guide focuses on the fashion industry and highlights successful marketing and promotional approaches used by leading brands.

The new EnviroSense PaperBlister™ provides an alternative to the more traditional thermoformed plastic blister package that is found prominently in retail outlets around the world.

Stora Enso, one of Finland's biggest paper producers, has said the strike cost it 11 million euros ($12 million) for each week of industrial action.

The increase will be around 8 to 10% in thermal papers depending on country.

Metsä Fibre has completed preparatory work of the Kemi bioproduct mill at the mill site as planned by the end of January 2020.

Performance BioFilaments Inc. is pleased to announce the availability of high performance nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) starting in 2021.

DS Smith and Keep Scotland Beautiful have teamed up on the Cup Movement® - an initiative designed to offer coffee cup recycling in the Greater Glasgow area.

The dispute stems from a 15 billion-real ($3.5 billion) deal in 2017 for Jackson Widjaja, a member of the second-richest family in Indonesia, which is reportedly worth $9.6 billion, to take over Brazilian pulp maker Eldorado Brasil Celulose SA.

Fueling the growth for the future are two ambitious projects in the United States. Pratt Industries will construct two large paper mills in the United States, helping to foster the $1bn revenue target.

Marcal's resumption of operations was made possible through a merger with Lewistown, Pennsylvania-based Nittany Paper Mills.

Central National Gottesman Inc. (CNG), a leading sales and marketing organization in the global pulp, paper, packaging, tissue, wood products and metal industries, announced today that its Spicers Canada division has acquired the assets and business of All Graphic Supplies, expanding its position in the distribution of wide format and digital equipment, supplies and ink.

The agreement includes the coater and related equipment located only at the West Carrollton, Ohio, facility as well as a license for all corresponding intellectual property.

Norske Skog has entered into an agreement to sell its Tasmanian forest assets to a fund controlled by the Australian based investment manager New Forests Pty Ltd.

Major Japanese paper packaging material producer Rengo Co. will acquire a 25 percent stake in a leading containerboard material maker in the Philippines to tap growing local demand.

With the addition of the newly acquired mills, Pixelle is now the largest specialty papers producer in North America with production currently exceeding one million tons annually.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. has acquired Apple Tree Group ("Apple Tree"), a strategic and creative agency specializing in point-of-sale advertising innovation for some of the world's best-known brands.

Glatfelter said it plans to relocate the company's corporate headquarters from York, Pennsylvania, to Charlotte, North Carolina, in mid-2020.

In order to gain an overview of the spread of the spruce bark beetle, Holmen has developed an analytical tool showing actual areas of damage on a map.

Neenah, Inc. announced that John P. O'Donnell will retire as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors effective on May 21, 2020, and that the Board of Directors has unanimously elected Julie A. Schertell, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, to succeed him in both roles.

Södra's CFO, Peter Karlsson, will take over as Interim President after Lars Idermark from 20 February.

Sonoco Products Co. said that Chief Executive Robert Tiede has retired, after about 21 months in the role, and about 16 years with the company.

Arauco announced that it will be closing its particleboard line in Moncure, N.C., as of April 2020.

Arauco North America said the closure results from an "economic imbalance" in the U.S. market for medium density fiberboard. The company said it will shift Eugene production work to its other U.S. facilities.

Following the announcement released on 29 January 2020, the Lecta Group (as defined below) is pleased to announce the completion of a comprehensive recapitalisation transaction (the "Recapitalisation"), as initially announced on 24 September 2019.

Cascades Inc. says it applauds the government's commitment to work to improve Québec's recovery chain, notably by establishing quality criteria for materials coming out of the province's sorting centres.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality and Georgia-Pacific entered into a settlement in late 2018 that required the company to pay a $600,000 fine and spend at least another $1.8 million to supplemental environmental projects designed to curb hydrogen sulfide emissions in Crossett.

The Forest Practices Board reported that an audit of Tolko Industries Ltd.'s forest practices on forest licenses A18696, A18697 and A74911 in the Cascades Natural Resource District has found general compliance with British Columbia's forestry legislation.

This rating earns Greif a position on the Supplier Engagement Leaderboard, which consists of the top three percent of 4,800 companies assessed by CDP for their actions and strategies to reduce emissions and manage climate risks in their supply chain.

INEOS and UPM Biofuels have announced a long-term agreement to supply a renewable raw material for new and innovative bio-attributed polymers to be produced at INEOS Köln, Germany.

Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, has had its emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative as being consistent with the levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Mondi announced that it has improved its scores in sustainable forestry and water security disclosure by CDP, placing it among the leaders for both.

McNeil also said there are currently no talks around the province's potential liability related to the closure of the mill's Boat Harbour effluent treatment facility, which comes a little more than 10 years ahead of the scheduled end for the lease on the property.

Pregis has made several recent investments in its European operations to support the growing protective packaging needs of its broad global customer base.

Huhtamaki is increasing the use of renewable and versatile materials, such as paper and cardboard, and nearly 70% of Huhtamaki's product portfolio is already made of fiber-based products.

Tetra Pak has been commended for its climate action and driving sustainable sourcing in its supply chain for the fourth time, achieving a place on the global environmental impact non-profit CDP's prestigious 'A List' based on the company's reporting in 2019.

A serious workplace accident occurred at Valmet's site in Ovar, Portugal, on Friday, January 31, 2020. The accident caused fatal injuries to a Valmet employee.

A firefighter who was taken to the hospital while battling an explosion at the Arauco plant in Crawford County is expected to be released from the hospital.

Austrian fibres producer Lenzing said on Tuesday its plant in China was currently working at 80% of capacity due to the spread of the coronavirus but added that uncertainty could lead to a forced shutdown at any time.

McCurdy has served as CEO and as a member of Pinnacle's Board of Directors since 2012.

The Annual Report 2019 consists of four sections: Strategy, Sustainability, Financials and Governance.

Shandong Sun Paper Industry, the Chinese parent company, had originally planned a $1.3 billion pulp plant, but in 2018 changed the scope of the project to a paper mill that was expected to cost about $1.8 billion.