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The PM40 closed Friday, 13 March 2020, at 2322.

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 13 March 2020 down 33.1% from the 15 March 2019 level.

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

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

Paperitalo Publications is here to help. We will continue reporting the news. Later this week, we will be conducting a more in-depth survey.

ABB has launched its KPM KC9 Optical Consistency Transmitter family, a new range of sensors that provide accurate measurement of total and/or ash consistency for better wet end measurement and control in pulp and paper processes.

E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company has asked an Ohio federal court to declare a mistrial after a jury awarded $50 million to a testicular cancer survivor and his wife who claimed that the illness was linked to the company's contamination of their drinking water with a chemical the company used at one of its manufacturing plants despite knowing it was hazardous.

Effective February 28, 2020, Solenis signed an agreement to acquire the paper business of ChemSystems, a division of AECI Ltd. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020.

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. The system will feature Voith's BlueLine products and a water, sludge and reject handling system.

Two Sides North America is pleased to announce that Kathi Rowzie has joined the organization as vice president of operations.

Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, has designed the Arctic Blue Gin package with an impressive holographic design inspired by the Northern Lights.

Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc., North America's largest privately-owned manufacturer of fine papers, envelopes and specialty materials for printing, has released an expanded and refreshed line of Crane Pure Cotton Papers.

Recent research undertaken by leading paper and packaging group, Mondi, sounds a warning bell for excessive packaging.

Grocery shoppers can expect to fork over a few more pennies at the checkout counter if the governor signs a bipartisan bill that bans plastic grocery bags and adds an 8-cent fee on paper bags.

Smurfit Kappa's sustainable TopClip solution will be launched on the market by leading beer brewer Royal Grolsch as a paper-based replacement for the plastic shrink wrap currently used on their can multi-packs.

Smurfit Kappa has been recognised as a valued sustainable solutions partner at this year's Nestlé Supplier awards.

Graphic Packaging International announced the launch of a new line of PaperSeal™ trays, offering brands and retailers the opportunity to replace Modified Atmosphere (MAP) and Vacuum Skin Packaging (VSP) plastic trays with a new barrier-lined paperboard alternative.

Panicked Japanese consumers are stripping shelves bare of toilet paper, as unsubstantiated rumors of shortages stemming from the new coronavirus epidemic circulate on social media, sending prices soaring.

As consumers have been panic buying toilet paper, shelves at some local supermarkets and drugstores are bare. But how does a manufacturer respond to coronavirus-sparked shortages of this inexpensive commodity?

It has been one of the enduring images of the COVID-19 pandemic: empty toilet paper shelves in stores around the world as fearful citizens stockpile staples for long home stays. But the head of Canada's largest producer of toilet tissue says that despite a jump in demand, there's no shortage of product in Canada.

Under the collaboration agreement signed between Football club HJK and Kotkamills, a manufacturer of fully recyclable food service board, HJK is aiming to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of its matches in the upcoming season.

Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, is one of the founding members of the recently established European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA).

A banknote printing firm has been fined £300,000 after an employee had to have his face reconstructed after his head became trapped in a machine.

Barnes & Noble Education Inc., McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings LLC, and other leading textbook publishers and retailers were sued for a second time, now in New Jersey federal court, over their alleged scheme to drive independent college bookstores out of the market for online course materials.

Jason Charles Hawkins, 36, of Muskogee is charged with a felony count of terrorism hoax in Muskogee County District Court after he allegedly threatened an act of terror, according to papers filed with the case.

The $150 million, 320,000 square-foot Georgia Pacific lumber plant in Dougherty County is almost fully operational now.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has completed the sale of its fine art paper business ARCHES® to Italian based F.I.L.A. Group, Fabbrica Italiana Lapis ed Affini S.p.A., at a debt and cash free price of EUR 43.6 million.

Avery Dennison Corporation announced it completed the acquisition of Smartrac's Transponder business, for the purchase price of €225 million, subject to customary adjustments.

Canfor Corporation announced that the transfer of the Vavenby tenure to Interfor is now complete. The sale of the Vavenby tenure provides the best opportunity for future economic activities and employment in the local communities.

In a bid to remove fiber products from portfolio and focus on LP SmartSide strand siding technology, Louisiana-Pacific Corporation LPX has inked a deal with Maibec to divest LP's East River facility, located in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Neenah, Inc. announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Vectorply Corporation, a portfolio company of MSouth Equity Partners, for $155 million in cash. Closing is expected to occur on April 1, and is subject to customary conditions.

Going forward, Soprad's products will be marketed under the Pregis' PolyMask brand and will further reinforce its offerings to a growing global market. (PolyMask products include temporary surface protection films and specialty films)

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced the sale of its Courier Services business to TFI International Inc., a North American leader in the transportation and logistics industry, for an undisclosed amount. Courier Services, previously part of RRD's Logistics business, leverages a national network to provide streamlined courier services for clients.

Australia's richest man is in late stage talks to buy bottle maker Owens-Illinois' Australian and New Zealand business for about $1 billion.

Oregon-based Total Fiber Recovery LLC will invest $49 million to establish its first pulp recycling facility in Chesapeake, creating 68 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam says.

As a precautionary and risk-minimization measure for its shareholders, Essity has decided - in consultation with experts and in response to feedback from concerned shareholders - to implement special arrangements in conjunction with Essity's Annual General Meeting on April 2, 2020.

DS Smith announced the opening of its first recycling facility in the United States, the company's latest expansion of its business operations in North America.

Stora Enso is offering a possibility to follow its Annual General Meeting (AGM) via webcast as a precautionary measure to decrease any risk of infection of the new COVID-19 coronavirus.

Work is progressing on a new headquarters of Fischer Paper Products, an Antioch-based paper packaging company for which the Village Board approved incentives worth $3.5 million last year to keep it in town.

IT Tech Packaging, Inc. , a manufacturer and distributor of diversified paper products in North China, on March 10 announced that the Company have resumed 70% of its full capacity of production as of March 5, 2020, following the strict measures put in place for the control and prevention of the Covid-19 spread. The Company expects to resume the rest of the production in the next couple days.

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. announced that the Company's Board of Directors will nominate and appoint two new independent directors to the Board.

Verso Corporation on March 11 announced that Michael A. Weinhold has resigned as President of Verso, effective March 10, 2020.

The Rights Agreement is designed to ensure that all LSC stockholders receive fair and equal treatment in the event of any proposed takeover of the Company and to guard against tactics to gain control of LSC without paying all stockholders a premium for that control.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that RRD has sent a letter to Chatham Asset Management, LLC in response to Chatham's February 28, 2020 letter to RRD's Board Chair and President and Chief Executive Officer.

Sententia says it has nominated six directors and are committed to working for the benefit of shareholders and the Company, not simply management and the LSC Board.

As an extension of our sustainable forestry principles, Domtar has joined the American Forest Foundation (AFF) as a partner in its Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP). This new initiative, designed to enhance carbon sequestration in family-owned forestland across the United States, includes other business partners and charitable foundations, as well as the Nature Conservancy.

Hygiene and health company Essity has published its Annual and Sustainability Report for 2019 on www.essity.com.

ENOVA and the NOX-Fund have allocated a total of NOK 66 million ($6.6 million) for energy efficiency measures at Norske Skog Saugbrugs. Saugbrugs invests a total of NOK 165 million ($16.5 million) in energy-efficient measures at the plant. The measures will take the company another step towards an even lower energy consumption.

A new study by the Pöyry consulting firm estimates that Finnish forest industry mills could almost completely replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources by the year 2035.

Domtar Corporation has named Kurt Mehlberg mill manager of Domtar's Nekoosa paper mill.

The roof at International Paper in Coosa collapsed early Sunday morning (March 11) following a fire.

Fire crews responded to an early morning fire at a Resolute Forest Products mill March 11 just after 7:30 a.m.

LSC Communications reported fourth quarter 2019 earnings on March 2, with more poor results and news that they are on temporary life support with lenders for the next few months while management tries to restructure their debt and find a way to continue operations.

Christoph Zeiler has been appointed Metsä Group's SVP Corporate Affairs, Germany. He is responsible for corporate affairs in Germany and is Metsä Group's key contact to German decision makers in the European Union.

Tali Nelson has joined the Sales and Marketing team of Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. as a Senior Sales Representative. She is a proven business development professional with over 20 years of experience in paper, packaging and printing.

Production at the reopened Old Town pulp mill came to a halt last week so that the facility's new owner can make upgrades to the machinery that helps break down wood into a pulp.

A spokesman for OSHA says no further details will be released until an investigation into the death of a contractor at Verso is complete. Regional Director for Public Affairs and Media Relations Scott Allen said by law the investigation can take up to 6 months.

Following a malware invasion last month, the Catalyst Crofton mill has been able to resume paper for about a week now, but still can't return to full capacity.

In 2018, UPM announced the conversion of Paper Machine 2 in Nordland, Germany, from fine paper to specialty grades. The conversion is currently ramping-up.

Weyerhaeuser has temporarily closed its Seattle headquarters, the company said Tuesday, as the number of COVID-19 deaths in Washington state rose to nine.

Troopers from the Michigan State Police Iron Mountain post responded to a medical call at the Louisiana Pacific facility on Friday, March 6.