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The PM40 closed Friday, 2 July 2021, at 4205.

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 2 July 2021 up 75.7% from the 3 July 2020 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Kimberly-Clark and Graphic Packaging.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

Nothing was normal about last year. We all know this. Nothing is normal so far about this year. All indications are that all businesses, including the pulp and paper industry, are not returning to "business as normal."

ABB has been contracted by Arctic Paper Grycksbo to install a new drive and automation system for its Winder 10 at its mill in Grycksbo, Sweden.

The aim of the rebuild is to increase production as well as improve quality and the ecological footprint. Start-up is scheduled for 2023.

Andritz has received an order from United Paper Public Company Limited to supply a complete OCC line for its mill in Prachinburi, Thailand. Start-up is scheduled for the 2Q 2022.

ANDRITZ has received an order from Jiangxi Five Star Paper Co., Ltd., China to deliver four PrimeCoat Jet coaters for online coating for their mill in Hukou county (Jiujiang city), Jiangxi province.

DuPont announced the release of its 2021 Sustainability Report - Thriving Together, providing a comprehensive overview of the company's progress made in its environmental, social and governance (ESG) journey, as well as efforts to achieve its 2030 Sustainability Goals.

Metsä Fibre has chosen LSAB Suomi Oy to deliver blades to its new Rauma sawmill in Finland. The agreement includes the blades delivered to the Rauma sawmill and their maintenance.

The PulpEyes in the TMP department are used to control the refiners such as quality control of the pulp as well as of the reject handling.

Valmet Corp. and Neles Oyj said Friday that they have agreed to merge, forming a combined company that will provide enhanced growth opportunities and benefit from broader revenue and cost synergies.

Red Leaf Pulp Ltd., developer of a proprietary low-carbon pulping process, and Valmet, Ltd. have signed a long-term Teaming Agreement to exclusively collaborate and pursue commercialization of Red Leaf's innovative ag-based pulping process in North America, employing Valmet's fiberline and other value-added equipment.

EWK Umwelttechnik is a German company manufacturing and supplying air emission control systems and after-installation services. ECP Group is a manufacturer and maintainer of electrostatic precipitators (ESP), focusing on power plants and pulp and paper industry, in Finland.

Valmet will supply recycled fiber lines for Umka Cardboard Mill rebuild in Serbia. The order is a continuation of Valmet's board machine rebuild delivery, which will be started up during the second half of 2021.

Valmet and CMPC have signed a long-term agreement for maintenance development services at CMPC's Santa Fe Pulp Mill, in Chile.

Valmet and Stora Enso have signed a three-year service agreement for the company's Beihai mill in China. The service agreement contains the following services: support with service visit, emergency service visit response time, on-site expert and remote support via Valmet Performance Center to improve availability and optimize process performance.

The new board making lines PM 16 and PM 17 continue the expanding of Zhejiang Shanying Paper's business in Zhejiang area. The start-ups are scheduled from the end of 2022 to early 2023.

Voith recently joined the 4evergreen alliance, an association of more than 60 companies along the entire value chain of fiber-based packaging with the common goal of increasing the recycling rate of fiber-based packaging to over 90% by 2030. Various future projects are planned as part of the alliance.

The pulp and paper manufacturer Asia Symbol commissioned Voith to supply the BM 13 board machine for the Rugao site in China.

Paraibuna Embalagens has commissioned Voith to supply its Quality Control System (QCS) OnQuality of scanners and sensors to the company's new paper production line in Juiz de Fora, Brazil. Paraibuna is starting up its new PM 8 in Juiz de Fora in September 2021.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö expands its platform of durable building applications by launching FibRoc® Ceiling, a new offering of high performance solutions for ceiling applications.

Taking inspiration from nature, Lecta presents EraCup Natural, a totally recyclable, biodegradable and polyethylene-free paper-based solution for single-use cups. EraCup Natural is the first product in Lecta's new range of functional papers for nature-friendly packaging aligned with responsible consumption habits in which each decision matters.

In response to consumer trends around convenient, homecooked-style foods, customers of the fiber-based packaging leader can now benefit from award-winning PaperSeal tray technology for oven- and microwave-ready chilled and frozen food applications.

Huhtamaki, a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions, introduces Smilepack, a 100% plastic free molded fiber egg carton, in the United States and Brazil.

Kotkamills' family of ISLA® Consumer Boards are complemented by the freshest members of the family. ISLA® Ice and ISLA® Cream broaden the use of non-plastic solutions in the food industry with the expansion to ice cream packaging.

EcoVadis assesses companies covering four themes: Metsä Board was in the top 1% of companies for Environment, Labour & Human Rights and Sustainable Procurement and in the top 4% for Ethics.

The innovative MailerBAG is now available in three designs, with the flat bottom version complementing the existing range of pinch and folded bottom bags, as each one offers consumers user-friendly packaging with multiple advantages.

Novolex announced that it has launched a new Chattanooga, Tenn. production line to manufacture compostable cold beverage cups made from a plant-based plastic.

Smurfit Kappa has announced the opening of a new International Safe Transfer Association (ISTA) certified lab at its new eCommerce packaging facility in Northampton, UK. This brings with it an expansion of Smurfit Kappa's network of packaging testing labs and centres that support retailers and producers to develop, test and launch disruptive packaging solutions for eCommerce at minimal risk and with reliable implementation. ISTA certification is often required by online selling platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba or eBay.

Sonoco Protective Solutions, a division of global packaging and sustainability leader Sonoco, announced the expansion of its proprietary Sonopost® packaging technology into Europe. Utilizing current manufacturing infrastructure, strategically located to support this growing opportunity, Sonoco Protective Solutions will expand with a new Sonopost manufacturing operation in Sochaczew, Poland this summer.

Trayforma by Stora Enso is a new wood fibre-based material composition designed for microwavable food tray packaging. The renewable material is free of PET, has a very low share of PP and a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional meal tray products. The material contains up to 95% wood fibres, making it widely recyclable in most existing carton packaging recycling schemes.

Sustana Fiber, a leading manufacturer of premium, sustainable recycled fiber, announces its new membership with the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, collaborated with the Italian machine producer ACMI to create a new wrapping system for pallets that uses paper instead of plastic. By transforming the way pallets are wrapped, Advantage StretchWrap reduces the supply chain's reliance on plastic, moving to a renewable and fully recyclable material.

WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, has announced an expansion of its produce packaging offerings with the launch of its EverGrow™ Collection.

International Paper Company announced the early tender results as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 18, 2021 (the "Early Tender Deadline") for its previously announced cash tender offer (the "Offer") for up to $700 million aggregate purchase price (excluding Accrued Interest (as defined below) and excluding fees and expenses related to the Offer) (the "Aggregate Maximum Amount") of its outstanding 4.400% Notes due 2047 (the "4.400% Notes"), 4.350% Notes due 2048 (the "4.350% Notes"), 4.80% Notes due 2044 (the "4.80% Notes") and 5.000% Notes due 2035 (the "5.000% Notes" and, together with the 4.400% Notes, the 4.350% Notes and the 4.80% Notes, the "Notes").

Lecta announces, with immediate effect, a price increase of up to 15% for new orders of thermal and carbonless papers.

Sappi Europe announces a price increase for Transjet, Basejet and Inkjet grades by 8-15 % valid for deliveries from 1 July 2021.

SCA increases prices on brown and white kraftliner by € 50 per tonne in Europe. The new prices are valid from August, 1, 2021.

Sonoco announced it will raise the price for all paperboard tubes and cores by a minimum of 6 percent, effective with shipments in the United States and Canada, on or after July 26, 2021.

Sonoco announced it has entered into a new five-year $750 million revolving credit facility (the "Credit Agreement") with a syndicate of banks. The Credit Agreement replaces an existing credit facility entered into on July 20, 2017, and reflects substantially the same terms and conditions.

Sonoco announced it is implementing a $50 per ton price increase for all grades of uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) in the United States and Canada, effective with shipments beginning July 15, 2021.

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today announced the purchase of group annuity contracts from Athene Holding Ltd., a leading financial services company specializing in retirement services, which transfers approximately $900 million of the Company's U.S. pension plan obligations to Athene's wholly owned subsidiaries, Athene Annuity and Life Company and Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company of New York. Athene is a leader within the pension risk transfer industry, partnering with plan sponsors and intermediaries on more than $18.5 billion of transactions to support over 300,000 annuitants as of March 31, 2021.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announced that due to inflationary pressures it will raise prices on all recycled paperboard grades sold in the Company's EMEA regions. The increases will be proportionate and in direct response to the rapidly escalating cost base and will be effective for all shipments made on or after the 1st July 2021.

Verso Corporation announced the preliminary results of its "modified Dutch auction" tender offer for the purchase for cash of shares of its Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Shares"), having an aggregate purchase price of not more than $55.0 million, which expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of Thursday, June 10, 2021.

The Swedish Energy Agency announced it will grant funds to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Södra, Växjö Energi, SkyNRG, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and 2030-sekretariatet to continue their research on the development of production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the Växjö region in Småland, Sweden.

SOSA, the global open innovation company, announces a partnership with Klabin, Brazil's largest producer and exporter of packaging paper, the only company in the country to offer one-stop shop solutions in hardwood, softwood and fluff pulp, and the leader in the corrugated board packaging and industrial bags markets. The partnership will involve Klabin partnering with SOSA and CNI, the National Confederation of Industry - Brazil, in order to accelerate and diversify their bio-based products towards a renewable future.

retailX, a multifaceted content platform anchored by an annual physical event, has partnered with WestRock, a leading provider of retail merchandising and packaging solutions to present SmartCommerce to the retail industry. Debuting August 24-25 at retailX 2021, SmartCommerce will cover 4,000 sq. ft. on the exhibit floor and showcase new and innovative technologies spanning shopper experience, ecommerce, and supply chain solutions.

Sappi Europe, the leading European producer of coated graphic paper and packaging and speciality papers, has partnered with Shippeo, the European leader in real-time transportation visibility solutions. This partnership will create a fully transparent supply chain helping to boost efficiency and customer satisfaction through innovative digital supply chain capabilities.

Mondi has partnered with German manufacturer VPF, an expert in self-adhesive materials and coatings, to create the world's first sustainable release liner range made from recycled paper.

South Carolina health officials are telling a paper mill to fix their plan addressing a lingering odor since it didn't meet the necessary requirements.

Groundbreaking on the mill could come as soon as this fall but is mostly likely slated for the spring.

Klabin SA is going to invest 342 million reais ($69 million) in 23 projects throughout 2022, according to a securities filing on Tuesday.

The project includes an upgrade of the wood yard, fiber line, evaporation plant and paper machine. Start-up is planned for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Norske Skog will invest approximately EUR 250 million in the conversion of Golbey PM1, and a syndication of financing facilities of approximately EUR 175 million is being finalised, subject to final documentation and final approval from the relevant export credit agency.

The new 298,000 square foot facility will be located in McDonough, Georgia and is the latest in a series of investments in protective packaging manufacturing facilities to support e-commerce demand. Pregis recently announced two manufacturing facilities in Texas, one in Bethel, Pennsylvania, in addition to an existing facility in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

SEK 6.4 million. That is the additional amount that the Södra Foundation for Research, Development and Education is contributing to research projects in forest management and the forest industry. The largest initiatives focus on mixed coniferous stands in southern Sweden and renewable fuels.

Smurfit Kappa will invest Euro 24 million to expand its corrugated plant in Rethel, North-East France. The new investment will facilitate the consolidation of two existing facilities at that plant and the installation of a new state-of-the-art corrugator and conversion equipment.

Tetra Pak has announced an ambitious investment program dedicated to its factory in Châteaubriant, specialised in the production of caps. Spanning across a three-year period (late 2021-2023), this €100 million project will support the plant's transition to the production of tethered caps by 2024. Tethered caps help to minimise litter, as the cap will stay attached to the package.

Essity has finalized its acquisition of the remaining 63.8% of the shares in the Australian hygiene company Asaleo Care. Essity AustralAsia, which is the name of the regional unit going forward, will be consolidated into Essity's accounts as of July 1st , 2021.

Cascades Inc. is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with an affiliate of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "Apollo") to sell its 57.6% equity interest in Reno De Medici S.p.A. ("Reno de Medici", or "RDM") for an all-cash price of €1.45 per share, corresponding to a total net cash consideration of approximately €315.3 million (approximately CAN$461 million).

CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. announced a definitive agreement to sell 18,063 acres of prime Oregon timberlands - known as the Bandon property - for $100 million in cash, or approximately $5,536 per acre, to Roseburg Resources Co.

The process following the acquisition of the remaining 25% of the shares of ABIGO Medical AB is completed and the company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Essity. As per the terms of the transaction, ABIGO Medicals pharma business has been divested and sold to the company's founder Jan G. Smith.

The Mayr-Melnhof Group ('MM') and a subsidiary of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. ('Oaktree') have reached a firm intention on the sale of MM's virgin fiber cartonboard mills located in Eerbeek, Netherlands, and Baiersbronn, Germany, to Oaktree for an equity value of EUR 104.6 million and net debt subject to final closing accounts.

Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. announced that it has acquired a portion of the issued ordinary share capital of Elopak ASA (President & CEO: Thomas Körmendi, "Elopak"), a Norway-based liquid paper packaging company operating in Europe and North America, as a Cornerstone investor in Elopak's initial public offering on the Oslo Børs.

Novolex, an industry leader in packaging choice, innovation, and sustainability, announced it has acquired the business of Flexo Converters USA, Inc. and certain of its affiliates. The intention to acquire was originally announced May 17.

Billionaire Tom Gores' private equity firm Platinum Equity would acquire textbook publishing and educational technology company McGraw Hill for $4.5 billion from Apollo Global Management Inc, the companies said.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced that it has sold its QuadExpress third-party logistics (3PL) business for $40 million to Mullen Group Ltd., one of Canada's largest logistics providers. QuadExpress joins Mullen Group's network of independently operated businesses that provide a broad range of service offerings including less-than-truckload, truckload, warehousing, logistics, transload, oversized and specialized hauling transportation.

Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, announced that it will sell its hydroelectric assets on the Presumpscot River in Maine to Dichotomy Power LLC, pending satisfactory completion of regulatory and other approvals. The move is designed to allow Sappi to focus on its core competencies and is consistent with Sappi's recent restructuring of the Westbrook site.

DIC Corporation has closed on the acquisition of BASF's global pigments business, known as BASF Colors & Effects (BCE).

Green Bay Packaging ceremonially cut the ribbon on its new $500 million mill Thursday, June 17.

Greif, Inc., a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced today that Pete Watson will retire as Greif's President and Chief Executive Officer effective February 1, 2022. This announcement concludes a thoughtful and comprehensive, multi-year succession planning process. The Board of Directors has elected Ole Rosgaard to succeed Mr. Watson as President and Chief Executive Officer effective February 1, 2022. Mr. Rosgaard will serve as Chief Operating Officer of the Company until that time.

In 2021, Mercer Celgar is embarking on a capital investment project to upgrade our existing woodroom. This project has a total cost of $31.4 million, of which $4.5 million is funded through Natural Resources Canada's Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program.

The bill passed 63-35 in the Assembly and 20-12 in the Senate. It would allow the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to provide a timber cooperative, which is made up of people throughout the timber industry in the state, a $50 million loan to purchase the Verso Mill in Wisconsin Rapids and a $15 million loan to purchase the Flambeau River Papers Mill in Park Falls.

As a result of the negotiations, 550 people will be permanently laid off. Some 28% of the redundancies can be managed through pension arrangements.

As a result, the number of positions at UPM Raflatac will decrease by 129.

Financial implications associated with the closure of the Appleton facility include an estimated annual EBITDA benefit of $7 million to $8 million, excluding estimated one-time cash closure costs of $5 million to $6 million and one-time non-cash charges of approximately $45 million.

Unilever revealed in a recent press release that it is using new technology to launch the first ever paper-based laundry detergent bottle.

Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 advances the industry's comprehensive sustainability record over the last decade and includes a transparent reporting process for achieving each goal.

Amcor announced its support for the launch of the U.S. Plastics Pact's Roadmap to 2025, an aggressive national strategy for how the U.S. Pact, Amcor and other signatory organizations - known as Activators - will achieve four 2025 targets.

Georgia-Pacific has opened a processing unit to recover fiber from particularly contaminated streams that would otherwise be landfilled.

International Paper, one of the world's leading producers of renewable, fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper, is among the first five companies in the United States to partner with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on the launch of a new global program called "Forests Forward."

As Kimberly-Clark works to provide the essential products its consumers need to care for themselves and their families, it is committed to doing so in a manner that cares for the world's forests and the diversity of life they support.

Kimberly-Clark has published its annual report on sustainability, providing the first update on the company's global progress toward its 2030 sustainability strategy and goals, aimed at addressing the social and environmental challenges of the next decade with commitments to improve the lives and well-being of 1 billion people in underserved communities around the world with the smallest environmental footprint.

Lecta has published its new Responsible Purchasing of Wood and Forest-Based Products Policy, in keeping with the principles and criteria of its Integrated Management System that guides the company's activity. With this document, Lecta strengthens its commitment and responsibility to communities and habitats where the company operates.

A new investment in Södra's pulp mill at Mörrum will achieve a tenfold increase in Södra's production capacity, while also increasing the proportion of recycled textile in the pulp./span>

Sonoco announced it is expanding recovery and recycling of scrap materials from the production of its iconic EnviroCan™ paper containers in the U.S. to be used as raw material at three of its uncoated recycled paperboard mills to produce new paperboard.

Suzano, the world's leading eucalyptus pulp and paper producer and a global benchmark in the manufacture of bioproducts developed from eucalyptus, announced a new, long-term biodiversity conservation target on 25 June at its inaugural ESG Investor Presentation.

UPM Raflatac helped launch The U.S. Plastics Pact's ("U.S. Pact") "Roadmap to 2025," an aggressive national strategy illustrating how the U.S. Pact, UPM Raflatac and fellow signatories, known as Activators, will achieve each of the U.S. Pact's four 2025 targets through specific actions, responsibilities, and interim timeframes to realize a circular economy for plastics in the United States by 2025.

WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, announced its commitment to setting a new greenhouse gas emissions reduction target that is aligned with current climate science. WestRock has confirmed its commitment with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and will develop, validate and publish a science-based target within 24 months.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö is on track expanding production capacity at its Malmedy plant in Belgium, specialized in the production of nonwovens for wallcovering. The EUR 10 million investment, announced in January 2020, will double the capacity of the plant and diversify the production to also cover filtration materials. The investment will create some 40 new jobs locally.

Canfor Corporation and Canfor Pulp Products Inc. are pleased to announce the appointment of the companies' newest board member, Sandra Stuart.

The Georgia-Pacific Corporation plant caught fire Wednesday evening, June 16, at the site in Brookhaven.

A spokesperson for Georgia-Pacific said damage from the fire was relatively minor and that internal systems helped suppress the flames before they spread. However, fire crews were still on the scene to check for pop-up fire or extension. Heavy smoke was also an obstacle for crews that night.

A conveyor feeding wood chips both to the hardwood and softwood digesters at Metsä Board's Husum pulp mill in Sweden caught fire on Friday, 18 June at about 12.30 CET. The city fire brigade managed to get the fire under control by about 14.30 CET and could hand over the responsibilities for surveillance to the Husum mill local fire brigade at 21.30 CET.

No one is injured after a fire in a machine at the Georgia Pacific mill in Green Bay on Saturday night, June 26.

There were no injuries following a small fire at Dunn Paper on the morning of June 17.

Morrison spent 18 years at Cox Enterprises, a leading communications, media and automotive services company, where he retired as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer in January 2020.

Stora Enso has completed the co-determination negotiations concerning the closing down the pulp and paper production at its Kvarnsveden site in Sweden. The closure will take place by the end of the third quarter of 2021.

D.Sc. (Tech.), Maija Pohjakallio is appointed Metsä Group's VP, Climate and Circular Economy as of 1 August 2021. She reports to Jari Voutilainen, SVP Corporate Affairs.

Metsä Spring has appointed Mikko Himanen as Process Specialist. In this new position he is working for the project focused on developing new 3D fibre products and production technology. Mr. Himanen reports to Metsä Spring's Technology Manager Veli-Matti Hulkko.

A fire in a warehouse on June 25 on A dock at Powell River's Paper Excellence Catalyst paper mill is now under control.

The White Mountain Paper Co.'s stabilization plan includes demolishing 40 percent of its buildings' shells and removing 25 percent of what's inside them.

Quad/Graphics Inc. has announced the appointment of Josh Golden as Chief Marketing Officer effective July 5, 2021. Golden most recently served as president and publisher of the advertising and marketing trade magazine Ad Age.

It took firefighters about an hour Wednesday night, June 16, to put out a fire at the ND Paper Mill, according to Rumford Deputy Chief Chris Bryant.

Stora Enso has completed the installation of dispersion barrier technology at its Forshaga site in Sweden and production has now started. Completion of the installation follows the company's EUR 10 million investment announced in 2020. The installation was carried out on time and the production of new products will be ramped up during the coming months.