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The PM40 closed Friday, 27 November 2020, at 3386.

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 27 November 2020 up 6.5% from the 29 November 2019 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Avery Dennison and Clearwater Paper.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

It appears a vaccine for Covid-19 is just around the corner. You have modified your workforce habits, procedures and protocols during Covid-19. What will you institutionalize and make permanent from this experience?

Mr. Jukka Tiitinen (M.Sc., Engineering) has been appointed Area President of Valmet's North America Area as of April 1, 2021.

Clyde Industries received an order from Sun Paper to supply boiler cleaning equipment for their new pulp mill in Beihai, China.

Kadant Inc. announced a new website experience highlighting its brands with the introduction of four new websites. The new portfolio of websites was designed with the user experience in mind to allow visitors to explore, learn, and find solutions to industrial processing challenges.

Kadant Fiberline (China) Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Kadant Inc., successfully started up two approach flow systems at Shanying International for its PM22 and PM23. Both systems have enabled excellent stock quality and are expected to reduce energy consumption compared to conventional systems.

Valmet has progressed well with its Sustainability360º agenda emphasizing continuous improvement of even more sustainable business practices.

The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause uncertainty in Valmet's operating environment. This has impacted especially the workload in the services business which is done close to customers.

Appvion Operations, Inc., announces the first of a comprehensive line of Sustainable Packaging Papers under the MISSION ZERO™ brand with the introduction of recyclable hot and cold beverage grades.

World-renowned paper manufacturer Arjowiggins has launched Sylvicta - a ground-breaking new sustainable alternative to plastics in packaging.

E-Commerce mailer bags made from BillerudKorsnäs' Xpression E-com paper have 50 percent lower fossil emissions than virgin plastic mailer bags and using this leads to the removal of biogenic carbon from the atmosphere. This is proven by a new independent study that compares the environmental impact of different types of e-commerce packaging.

DS Smith has engaged with the Romanian association "Viitor Plus - Asociația pentru dezvoltare durabilă" to donate 1,500 boxes made of recycled cardboard. The boxes are used for shipment of planting kits for the local 'Adopt a tree' initiative. As part of the this initiative tree-planting kits are distributed and delivered at the doorstep of each donor.

With the pandemic upending holiday trends, DS Smith released a new survey today that shows retailers and supply chains need to be prepared for a rush of online shopping and high consumer demand for effective packaging.

Essity continues its commitment to breaking barriers to well-being by being a convening partner to the United Nations Foundation's annual Global Dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In conjunction with the meeting, Essity will launch the seventh edition of the Hygiene and Health Report made in collaboration with United Nation's entity Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).

Last year, Mondi, a leading global packaging and paper manufacturer, announced that it would expand its existing plant in Ansbach, Southern Germany, to become the largest heavy-duty corrugated cardboard plant in Europe. The "Ansbach 2020" project, an investment worth €30 million, is in its final stages of completion and is meeting its customers' needs with innovative sustainable packaging solutions.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, is the first global paper manufacturer to introduce an innovative logistics solution for its large reels, which provides benefits throughout the supply chain.

Pixelle Specialty Solutions announced the introduction of FlexArmor ™, a new barrier technology engineered for oil and grease resistance in food service, quick service restaurant, fast food and casual dining papers, without the use of fluorocarbons.

Sonoco Protective Solutions, a division of global packaging leader Sonoco, announced the addition of two new paper-based packaging options for heavy and high-value products to its EnviroSense® line of more sustainable packaging: the EnviroSense FiberMax™ Bulk Box and the EnviroSense FiberMax™ Master Roll package.

Cascades, a leader in eco-friendly recycling, packaging and hygiene solutions, is the winner of two 2020 CTAQ Food Innovation Awards for its unique product in North America: a 100% recycled and recyclable thermoformed cardboard tray. This packaging solution took the honours in the Packaging and Technology and Productivity categories.

UPM Specialty Papers joins CELAB-Europe to promote the development of a sustainable and circular business model in the self-adhesive label industry; the target is to ensure that 75% of the used liner and matrix materials in Europe are recycled in a circular fashion by 2025.

WestRock, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, announced that it has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) and Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) for 2020, in recognition of its commitment to sustainable business practices.

The price will increase US$20/metric tonne effective with shipments on or after January 1, 2021 and a second US$20/metric tonne increase will be implemented with shipments on or after February 1, 2021.

Wooden buildings are on the rise in the US and Stora Enso is entering the market with its cross laminated timber (CLT) product complying with the International Building Code® (IBS) that is necessary for the US American market as of 2021.

The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to lower the 20.2 percent duties it has been applying to most Canadian softwood exports to 8.9 percent as part of its annual review of the rates.

Packaging leader Smurfit Kappa has joined forces with KHS, one of the world's leading manufacturers of filling and packaging systems for the beverage and liquid food industries, to roll out its sustainable TopClip multipack product for bundling canned beverages.

The 50-50 joint-venture includes an existing sawmill, shavings business, log chipper, and trucking operations in Jasper, Ala. The collaboration will be known as Jasper Forest Products LLC.

Officials say Graphic Packaging had begun to install equipment before the permit was approved, which is a violation of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended.

Georgia-Pacific, a world leader in the manufacturing of paper and wood products, has announced the completion of a $100 million expansion at its Dixie manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

With the launch of the first tambour of new PM2 at Hamburger Containerboard's location in Spremberg, Germany, a milestone in the project plan was completed this weekend.

The base of SCA's new grading mill is being built. At the same time, preparations are being made for piling and other tasks to be able to complete the rest of the building.

Canfor announced it has reached multi-year $30-million agreements with Peak Renewables involving the sale of the Company's forest tenure in the Fort Nelson region of British Columbia.

Following closing, the combined company will operate as West Fraser.

An affiliate of Phoenix Investors ("Phoenix"), a national private commercial real estate firm headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, announced its acquisition from LSC Communications Printing Company, Inc. ("LSC") of its former plant in Lynchburg, Virginia.

PotlatchDeltic Corporation has completed the previously announced sale of 72,440 acres of forestland in northern and central Minnesota to The Conservation Fund for nearly $48 million.

UFP Industries announced that affiliates of UFP Construction LLC acquired the assets of three companies: Atlantic Prefab, Inc.; Exterior Designs, LLC; and Patriot Building Systems, LLC.

The company purchased 85,000 acres of timberlands in mid-coastal Oregon in one transaction and sold 149,000 acres in southern Oregon in a separate transaction, for a net cost of approximately $40 million in cash. The company expects no tax liability in conjunction with the sale.

Paper Excellence Canada has announced it plans to restart the No. 3 paper machine at its Catalyst paper mill in Crofton, effective in early January 2021, which is good news for some 58 employees who will head back to work after a prolonged layoff.

Continued talks with representatives of a company interested in perhaps acquiring the shuttered Verso paper mill in Duluth have intensified in recent weeks, drawing increased attention to the fate of the facility and the 220-plus people it employed before a shutdown was announced in late June.

Arjowiggins is to cut just over 70 jobs at its Stoneywood Mill in Scotland as the business, which was rescued from administration last year, battles the fallout from Covid-19.

Cascades Inc. announced that its Laval plant in Québec, specializing in the manufacture of napkins for the away-from-home market, will be closing on June 30, 2021.

Earlier this month, Energystar.gov announced that Georgia-Pacific's Leaf River Cellulose mill in New Augusta, MS received the EPA's Energy Star certification, becoming the first pulp mill in the United States to do so.

Leading producer of pulp and paper, Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) Group, has reinforced its commitments to achieve sustainable business growth as well as to bolster the government's endeavors to achieve the SDGs' targets.

Canada's federal government tabled a bill that will put Canada on the path to meet net-zero emission targets by 2050. Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) supports this move to chart a course for clean growth and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

DS Smith has announced that Belišće Paper Mill, situated in Eastern Croatia has made significant steps forward in Co2 reductions by switching to green energy to help power its paper making operations.

Evergreen Packaging has announced that it is the recipient of the American Forest & Paper Association's (AF&PA) 2020 Leadership in Sustainability Award for Sustainable Forest Management for its submission, Family Forests - The Key to Certified Success. Awards were presented at the AF&PA's Presidents Forum online event.

At Georgia-Pacific's Palatka, Florida, consumer products mill, water is crucial to everything from energy production to the precise paper stock recipes that eventually become the paper products people use every day. But the idea is to borrow - rather than consume - that water, returning the majority back to the natural environment in a safe manner.

From FSC certification of our Quilted Northern Ultra Soft and Strong bath tissue to the management of 75,000 acres of certified forestland and our cutting edge forest mapping, we are excited to be recognized by both SCS Global Services and FSC-US this year for our long-term efforts to manage natural resources.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company announced that it has published its 2019 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report.

In accordance with its firm environmental commitment in carrying out its manufacturing operations, Lecta has updated the lighting installations at its Zaragoza, Sant Joan les Fonts and Motril mills in Spain.

To support the clean water mission, NOVA Chemicals is donating film resins to Pregis for the production of its Inspyrebrand line of colorful hybrid-cushioning protective packaging. A portion of the proceeds from Inspyre packaging sales are donated to the Uzima Clean Water Mission.

Suzano, a global reference in the manufacture of bioproducts developed from the cultivation of eucalyptus, has been selected to join the notable 2020-2021 portfolio of the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index (DJSI Emerging Markets). The index is composed of only 10% of the best companies in each sector, from among the 780 biggest companies assessed from the 20 countries characterized as emerging markets.

Fire crews battled a structure fire Wednesday morning, Nov. 25, at US Paper Mill.

IT Tech Packaging, Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor of diversified paper products in North China, announced that it has completed invitation for the 75 t/h biomass boiler procurement bids for its biomass cogeneration project and multiple well-known enterprises in the industry have been invited and participated the open bidding.

A spokesperson for the City of Niagara Falls says the large industrial fire at Cascades Containerboard Packaging Company is now contained.

Overheating machinery is believed to be the cause of a Thursday evening (Nov. 19) fire at the Resolute Forest Products facility on Neebing Avenue, Thunder Bay firefighters said.

Nearly 100 workers will be losing their jobs at the end of the year when Schweitzer-Mauduit International closes its Main Street plant.

Production at Stora Enso's Oulu paperboard mill has been partially suspended due to numerous coronavirus infections confirmed among employees at the site.

Global label stock manufacturer UPM Raflatac has worked hard to quantify and build upon its sustainable manufacturing processes through its innovative Biofore Site™ program, which is now celebrating its third year.