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The PM40 closed Friday, 2 February 2024, at 5160.

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 3M and Sonoco.

The PM40 closed 2 February 2024 down 8.1% from the 3 February 2023 level.

Reported insider trading since the last issue of PaperMoney.

Would shaking up your thinking improve your career or the business you manage?

The delivery of the machine is scheduled for August 2024.

The partnership combines Powerhouse Controls' drive solutions with ANDRITZ's extensive paper machine engineering expertise to provide customers with a tailored and comprehensive solution to their coordinated drive system challenges.

Delivery will take place this year, which means that commissioning of the machine is planned for January 2024.

New business area established: Environment & Energy

Hengan has now 15 Andritz tissue machines in operation.

Kadant Inc. has completed the acquisition of KWS Manufacturing Company, Ltd. ("KWS") for approximately $84 million in cash, subject to certain customary adjustments.

The delivery includes a RunEco EP600 Turbo Blower with ABB motor and drive, transformer, new EcoSep pre-separators, EcoFlow dewatering measurements and detailed engineering.

RunEco vacuum system with EP500-D2 Turbo Blower, EcoDrop water separator and EcoFlow dewatering measurement with seven measurement points has started up at Smurfit Kappa Bento PM1 in Brazil.

Virginia successfully competed with Georgia and Texas for the project, which will create 34 new jobs.

The order also includes a biomass boiler.

Stora Enso's sawmill in Ala, Sweden is investing in one TC progressive kiln, two FB-continuous kilns and three cart-fed batch kilns from Swedish Valutec.

Voith and Schumacher Packaging have successfully started up PM 2 in Myszków, Poland. Except for a few existing components, the entire production line was modernized to achieve the highest sustainability and efficiency standards.

Officers Introduced at Winter Board of Directors Meeting

Ahlstrom, a leading provider of sustainable specialty materials, is proud to announce the launch of PureLid™, a fiber-based lid offering for single-serve coffee capsules to support the coffee industry in its sustainability journey.

Ahlstrom pursues its over 50-year commitment and drive of the future of the global filtration industry by investing in a new production line for molecular filtration media in Turin, Italy.

Ahlstrom recently received the FDA 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Reliance® Fusion, a next-generation sterilization wrap that helps increase efficiency in the sterilization of surgical equipment trays at hospitals. FDA 510(k) clearance is needed to market and sell medical devices in the U.S.

The analysis used to determine the ranking is based on a methodology that is reviewed annually and takes into account 25 performance indicators.

Marco Eikelenboom, CEO of Sappi Europe takes over as Chairperson of Cepi from his predecessor Ilkka Hämälä, CEO of Metsä Group. Marco Eikelenboom will carry out his two-year tenure as Cepi's chairperson.

Willamette Falls Paper Company is pleased to announce the appointment of David M. Diekelman to the role of Vice President of Sales. Mr. Diekelman has already assumed the position previously held by Mark Sterry, effective January 1, 2024.

Essity has once again been recognized as one of the world's most sustainable companies by Corporate Knights. The list was announced today during the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Key Executives names Haws number one among 25 Maine CEOs for Sappi North America's achievements.

Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures ('TNFD') provides organisations with a risk management and disclosure framework to act on evolving nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities.

Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper products, earned two Recycled Content Certifications from GreenCircle Certified. Sofidel's Poly Bundle and Poly Inner packaging both received the Recycled Content Certification. The Poly Bundle and Poly Inner packaging is available for professional, consumer and private label Sofidel paper products.

Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use, was awarded the Ann Hunter-Welborn Circle of Excellence Award for its Papernet powered by HyTech Seas dispensers. This award from Hunter Industries is given to companies that have made a significant impact in the areas of social responsibility and sustainability.

When introducing new reusable packaging or recyclable fiber-based solutions, conveying the right message about the package is vital to overcoming these obstacles getting your product chosen.

Smurfit Kappa has created a sustainable packaging solution to transport bees for Biobest, a world leader in biological crop protection and pollination.

The Quzhou-based paper mill, located in Zhejiang province, is a world leader in the production of translucent papers for applications ranging from industrial design and graphics to food, consumer electronics and luxury packaging.

Six U.S. Habitat affiliates to participate in a design and build challenge using sustainable wood products that increase access to affordable, high-quality homes.

Enviva Inc. announced that on January 23, 2024 it received notification (the "Notice") from the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") that the Company is no longer in compliance with NYSE continued listing criteria that requires listed companies to maintain an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over a consecutive 30-trading-day period.

As the company notes, good demand for logs remains. So they are hiking prices...

Key to responsible forest management lies in local dialogue and close collaboration with the whole value chain.

Carbon removals and renewable energy company Drax Group has announced a new partnership with Molpus Woodlands Group (Molpus). The agreement will provide Drax with an option to purchase sustainably sourced woody biomass to fuel its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) operations in the US Southeast.

Glatfelter Corporation, a leading global supplier of engineered materials, is pleased to announce its growing partnership with Tzuriel, a distinguished importer and exporter of specialty products based in Pinhais, Brazil. This collaboration marks a significant step in advancing the Sontara® brand in Latin America.

To grow the Packaging Automation business in the packaging sector, Stora Enso has partnered with Radpak, a Polish packaging machinery manufacturer focusing on packaging automation for primary and secondary packaging.

Senators: "Bestwall has created a legal stratagem that radically expands the authority of bankruptcy courts and makes a mockery of congressional intent".

Residents claim the plant has continued to release an excessive amount of gas, which they believe is toxic, going against the Clean Air Act.

"Canada is extremely disappointed that the U.S. Department of Commerce has signaled its intention to significantly increase its duties on softwood lumber from Canada," International Trade Minister Mary Ng said in a statement.

Years of prison await a woman from the region who confessed to stealing more than a half million dollars from her employer.

PT Riau Andalan Paperboard International, part of APRIL Group, has initiated the commissioning of its new IDR 33.4 trillion (US$ 2.3 billion) paperboard manufacturing plant, bringing it a step closer to full-scale commercial production, which is expected later this year.

Boise Cascade Wood Products announced it plans to invest $75 million to expand and modernize key machine centers at its Oakdale facility in Allen Parish. These projects will increase veneer production capacity by 30 percent and allow the facility to produce up to 400 million square feet of dry veneer annually.

Government of British Columbia is injecting up to $8.6 million through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF) into eight capital projects. These projects aim to create and safeguard hundreds of jobs in the wood-product and fabricated-metal manufacturing sectors, fostering economic growth in local communities.

Smurfit Kappa is set to invest €54m to double the capacity of its bag-in-box plant in Alicante, Spain.

New state-of-the-art facility will enhance ability to meet growing demand and better serve customers in Great Lakes region.

The Quzhou-based paper mill, located in Zhejiang province, is a world leader in the production of translucent papers for applications ranging from industrial design and graphics to food, consumer electronics and luxury packaging.

The mill has the capacity to produce around 250,000 tonnes of pulp per annum and will provide the Group with access to local, high-quality fibre from a well-established wood basket as part of a long-term partnership with West Fraser.

The new owners plan to sell certain mill assets that are no longer usable on the property. An auction is scheduled for May 7-10, 2024.

Sonoco Products Company announced that certain of its subsidiaries entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Protective Solutions business to Black Diamond Capital Management, LLC ("Black Diamond") for an estimated $80 million in cash.

The closure is expected to impact 55 employees.

The addition of automated, state-of-the art thermoforming equipment at Amcor's world-class healthcare manufacturing plant in Oshkosh, Wisconsin will support increasing demand from customers in the medical, pharmaceutical, and consumer health sectors.

Months after a nearly century-old paper mill closed in Tacoma, the same company, WestRock, is closing a packaging plant in Seattle. About 87 employees at the Seattle plant will lose their jobs come March, when the plant closes. The company notified the Washington State Employment Security Department of the layoffs on Jan. 19.

Graphic Packaging International plans to close its facility at 800 Westinghouse Blvd. on March 31, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) recently filed with the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The closing will result in 112 layoffs starting March 11.

A company spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the decision to close the plant came after an evaluation of the company's portfolio.

The state-of-the-art facility, which came online in Q4 2023, adds new capacity to the company's water-based adhesive manufacturing. This becomes the third location in the Greif Adhesives Group network, along with Kernersville, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Texas.

This decision affects approximately 75 employees.

Federal, provincial NDP leaders call for accountability, answers from mill's owner.

Quad Graphics has notified their employees the Saratoga Springs, NY plant will be closing on or before May 4th, leaving 450 employees out of work. Quad was once the largest employer in Saratoga County.

Production of paper ended in December 2023. The closure of the site should be completed during the second calendar quarter of 2024.

Stora Enso said it could lay off about 1,000 employees this year as part of a profit improvement plan, as the Finnish forestry firm and rival UPM-Kymmene both forecast a slow start to 2024 on Thursday.

UPM Raflatac plans to open a new state-of-the-art slitting and distribution terminal in the Toronto, Canada metropolitan area. The new facility will improve service and quality to UPM Raflatac's customers in Eastern Canada and Northeastern U.S., while strengthening relationships in the region.

The closure of Fraser Lake Sawmill will impact approximately 175 employees.

WestRock plans to close its Lexington facility and lay off 153 workers later this year, according to a filing with the N.C. Department of Commerce. The cuts will begin on March 18, according to the filing.

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the previously announced decentralization of its lumber mill and paper mill operations.

Mativ is putting in place a restructuring plan to reduce costs by $40 million by the end of 2026 as it reorganizes its business structure and lays off senior employees.

To maintain its strong position and develop an even more competitive industrial structure over time, Södra Wood is consolidating its sawn timber operations. The aim is to achieve economies of scale by relocating production volumes to Södra Wood's larger production units.

The Government of Ontario announced that it's investing more than $9.4 million in 14 research, innovation and modernization projects in forest biomass.

Cascades is pleased to announce the launch of new produce basket designs for the produce sector. Made from up to 100% recycled fibres, these new produce baskets with flaps offer produce growers a sustainable alternative to replace more hard-to-recycle packaging.

Since SCA's unique electric timber truck was put into operation in June 2022, it has covered a distance of 4,600 kilometers, equivalent to more than one lap around the globe.

Company partnering with Chilliwack's Teralta to use sodium chlorate byproducts to help run pulp mill.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, has achieved home compostability certification for all its white kraftliners and folding boxboards (excluding PE-coated grades). The certification was issued by DIN CERTCO based on the compliance with standard NF T 51-800.

The project aimed at finding solutions how to scale up the collection, sorting and recycling of used paper bags, and reduce waste.

Mill has been slapped with a $25,500 penalty for releasing more than one million litres of toxic waste into the Salish Sea.

In its continuing pursuit to develop packaging materials that meet the sustainability goals of its customers, global packaging solutions provider SEE has developed the first biobased, industrial compostable tray for protein packaging that has been successfully tested to meet the demands of existing food processing equipment.

The world's largest market pulp producer, Suzano, marks its 100th year by announcing the intention to invest US$100 million to advance global efforts to protect and restore nature. An initial US$30 million will be put into a series of global partnerships designed to accelerate research and education in conservation, climate change, and corporate sustainability, with a particular focus on Brazilian ecosystems.

A woman died and her passenger was seriously injured in a crash with a semi truck near the paper mill in western Kentucky.

Boise Cascade Company announced the retirement of Tom Hoffmann, Senior Vice President of Purchasing, Building Materials Distribution (BMD) division, effective March 1, 2024.

Clearwater Paper Corporation, a premier supplier of quality tissue and bleached paperboard products, announced that it has had to temporarily suspend its operations in Lewiston, Idaho due to uncertainty in natural gas supply and damage caused by extreme cold weather. The company is restarting equipment and production at the facility as weather conditions permit.

Seth Kursman, the Vice President of Corporate Communications, Sustainability and Government Affairs at Resolute Forest Products, says the fire started in part of the building's power distribution system.

McGee rejoins Kimberly-Clark from American Airlines, where he served as vice president, deputy general counsel and corporate secretary.

The explosion caused property damage. No one was injured.

Stephen Prentiss, labor and employment counsel for Marcal, which is based in New Jersey, confirmed Tuesday morning that the Vermont mill would be closing.

The Lakeview mill will go from two shifts down to one 50-hour shift per week.

An energy transformer issue knocked out main power to the company's Lavington operation about eight weeks ago, and Tolko reported a replacement has been sourced, installed and energized. As of Monday, the site was safely back on line.

According to a company statement, two contractor employees were injured while working on a chip conveyor tunnel.

The 58-year-old man, whose name was withheld, sustained critical injuries and was transported to DeGraff Medical Park, Fire Chief Joseph Sikora said. He was later pronounced dead.

Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development says it is investigating the death, where the worker was killed by a log loader vehicle.