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The PM40 closed Friday, 11 October 2024, at 6035.

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 11 October 2024 up 24.1% from the 13 October 2023 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Louisiana Pacific and Stora Enso.

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 150 papermaking innovators and legends have been enshrined. This month, we profile the late Charles Egan, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

What part of healthcare do you think is properly priced?

This acquisition further expands Perseus' global footprint in the pulp and paper industry, having already established a strong presence with MAJIQ, Quality Engineered Systems, Ediwise, and MOPSsys.

The Argentinian tissue paper producer Papelera San Andres de Giles chooses A.Celli technology and orders a new E-WIND P80 for its Buenos Aires plant to produce their own cardboard cores.

ANDRITZ supplied the complete mill with state-of-the-art technologies for all major process islands.

The paper machine produces recycled paper used in residential and commercial building products. The overall machine rebuild will allow the customer to increase production while reducing natural gas consumption approximately 50% and electricity consumption 20%.

Kemira announces a 4-8% price increase for all product lines in Pulp & Paper, Americas effective November 1, 2024 or as contracts allow. Continued inflationary pressures in the value chain including raw materials and transportation make this price adjustment necessary.

SPM has received a strategically important order from Swedish sawmill Södra Wood Långasjö for online systems and wireless vibration sensors for monitoring production-critical equipment.

The start-up is scheduled for the end of 2025.

Amcor's overall score increased from 70 to 73, placing the company in the 95th percentile of all companies assessed by EcoVadis.

Appvion launches a new environmentally friendly direct thermal product designed to create a better tomorrow.

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) has unveiled the results from its most recent study on the power of print embellishments. The study was created to measure the impact of print embellishments on direct mail results and was conducted by a leading national car wash company with multiple locations throughout the midwestern United States.

The Boy Scouts of America has been a hallmark organization for instilling leadership, character and a sense of responsibility in young people for over a century. One of the most recognizable aspects of a scout's journey is the pursuit of merit badges. With over 130 merit badges available, scouts can explore a wide range of interests including the art and science of papermaking.

MM Group announces that it has successfully achieved recertification for the ISO27001 information security standard. This certification is a testament to the company's commitment to maintaining the highest level of information security and protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its clients' data.

Made by Bagcraft, the new Power Prep bags and rolls keep to-go foods tasting their best when wrapped, frozen, reheated and held under heat before sale.

Company representatives worked in collaboration with community officials to identify four charitable organizations that provide direct aid to hurricane victims in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

Demand for sustainable packaging continues to experience rapid growth. These co-creation projects are leading to recyclable, fibre-based breakthroughs that support packaging sustainability goals of brands and packaging converters.

The New York Stock Exchange will delist Enviva's stock by October 22, marking the final chapter in the company's dramatic fall from a market value of nearly $6 billion in 2022. The wood-pellet producer's financial troubles arose from a failed bet on pellet prices, pushing the firm into bankruptcy and wiping out shareholders.

Mativ, global manufacturer of Argotec brand engineered polymer films, and Miru, a leading smart window technology developer, have announced a joint development agreement to commercialize a novel lamination interlayer for dynamic electrochromic windows ("eWindows"). This partnership will bring together technologies to simplify the manufacturing process and lower the cost of producing eWindows for glass fabricators and automakers worldwide.

Austrian Lenzing Group invests in Swedish fiber company TreeToTextile to accelerate development of a new renewable and resource efficient cellulose fiber for textile and nonwoven applications.

Pactiv Evergreen is suing the potential purchaser of its Canton paper mill property, trying to force the sale to completion and saying the purchase agreement remains legally binding.

The agency alleged the international manufacturer of paper products fired a woman from its Inola, Oklahoma paper mill for obtaining a protective order against a male coworker.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of recently-laid off employees at Willamette Falls Paper Company -- which was once the largest employer in the city of West Linn -- alleges that the company failed to give the employees due notice that they were losing their jobs.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has cited and fined a mill operator in Camas following an investigation into the death of a worker who was crushed by a packing machine that had no guards in place to keep people out of harm's way.

In May, Stein filed the lawsuit against the mill's Illinois-based corporate owner, arguing Pactiv Evergreen violated the terms of the incentives grant and calling for the $12 million in state funds to be returned. The company shuttered the mill in May 2023 resulting in hundreds of layoffs.

The arbitration relates to Metsä Fibre's bioproduct mill in Kemi, Finland, which started operations in September 2023.

Canadian owned and operated Atlantic Packaging Products, Ltd., located in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, is pleased to announce the opening of its newest manufacturing plant in Hamilton, Ontario. This state of the art facility was developed in response to customer needs, allowing the company to enhance its ability to provide sustainable, high-quality packaging solutions while expanding capacity to support customer growth.

The first new Dixie® facility in more than 30 years, this state-of-the-art facility will meet growing consumer product demand.

As previously announced, upgrade increases Kraftliner production capacity by 55,000 tonnes per annum.

Ahlstrom, a leader in sustainable fiber-based specialty materials, has signed an agreement to divest its Aspa pulp mill in Sweden to Sweden Timber. The agreement includes the pulp mill and all its operations. This is a key step in Ahlstrom's growth transformation journey, reinforcing the company's strategic commitment to sustainable specialty materials.

Antalis has signed a binding agreement to acquire Plaesa in Spain, a specialist of technical packaging and conversion of made-to-measure packaging solutions.

Antalis, a European leader in the distribution of Papers, Packaging and Visual Communication, has signed a binding agreement to acquire the assets of Xerox's EMEA paper business. Xerox distributes office paper and digital printing products in more than 40 countries in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East, India and Africa.

Softys S.A., a subsidiary of Empresas CMPC S.A. (CMPC), has signed an agreement with Ontex Hygienic Spain S.L., a unit of the Belgian Ontex Group, to purchase all shares of Falcon Distribuição Armazenamento e Transporte S.A. (Falcon), a Brazilian company specializing in baby diapers and adult incontinence products.

International Paper and DS Smith continue to expect the Combination to close late in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions.

Mondi said these operations complement its existing network of corrugated plants across Central and Eastern Europe. The acquisition comprises seven corrugated converting plants, two solid board mills and four solid board converting plants.

Nordic Paper's board recommends shareholders not to accept the offer. The share is currently trading at SEK 50.60, which is higher than the offer of SEK 50.

J-Pack provides various kinds of packaging services such as packing, warehousing, overseas moving, customs clearance, and logistics in Kanagawa and Chiba Prefectures.

A potential deal could value the business at about $4 billion.

Stora Enso is preparing to sell approximately 12% of its total forest assets of 1.4 million hectares in Sweden. Stora Enso has therefore initiated steps to implement a new legal structure for its Swedish forest assets to facilitate the potential sale.

Suzano, the world's largest pulp producer, has completed the acquisition of two industrial assets from Pactiv Evergreen in Arkansas and North Carolina, United States. All conditions for completing the agreement announced in July have been fulfilled.

This innovative product is the result of extensive research and development aimed at advancing electrical energy storage technologies.

Ingevity's president and chief executive, John Fortson, has left the maker of specialty chemicals and carbon materials.

PulPac licensee, Stora Enso, announces the opening of a groundbreaking Dry Molded Fiber Production Unit in Skene, Sweden. The facility is the largest and most advanced of its kind, marking a significant milestone in sustainable packaging technology. Production is set to begin in Q4 2024 after successful large-scale testing.

U.S. dock workers and port operators reached a tentative deal that will immediately end a crippling three-day strike that has shut down shipping on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast, the two sides said Thursday.

Pregis® expands its EasyPack® on-demand paper systems portfolio with three curbside-recyclable solutions that will be featured at Pack Expo 2024. These additions strengthen the comprehensive Pregis paper systems portfolio, which supports a wide range of in-the-box applications such as block and brace, cushioning, void fill, and wrapping.

Suzano, the world's leading market pulp producer, announced new applications of its sustainable bio-based materials in China at the Suzano Bioeconomy Forum in Shanghai.

UPM Raflatac is pleased to announce the launch of its new Packaging Recyclability Guide, designed to help fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) stakeholders across the packaging value chain navigate the complexities of packaging design and recyclability.

Clearwater Paper Corporation, a premier supplier of bleached paperboard and quality consumer tissue, announced that it temporarily suspended operations at its Augusta, Georgia paperboard facility and its Shelby, North Carolina tissue facility due to the impacts from Hurricane Helene. There was no serious damage to equipment and both facilities are resuming operations.

Sappi employees were able to help keep the fire under control before firefighters arrived on scene.

According to the Acme-Delco-Riegelwood Fire Department, a log truck turning to enter the papermill was hit in the rear by a box truck from Fayetteville. A log 3 inches in diameter then impaled the driver of the truck, going into their left stomach area.

Kalle Parviainen has been appointed SVP, Metsä Fibre's sawmill business and member of Metsä Fibre's Management Team. He will report to Ismo Nousiainen, CEO, Metsä Fibre in this new role. Parviainen has previously worked as CFO at Metsä Wood.

According to EMA Director Donnie Ray, the fire spread when a digester, the main equipment for making chemical paper pulp, caught fire. As of Friday evening, there are still active flames in the digester which processes wood chips.

Sappi paper mill workers rallied in Skowhegan Tuesday to draw attention to concerns about several proposed changes to their union contracts.

A union representing hundreds of workers at Sappi North America's Somerset Mill has authorized a strike amid concerns from members over forced overtime, proposed changes to a vacation time policy and other issues.

Hurricane Helene has made a significant impact in the Southeastern United States, including in the Carolinas where we have several operations.

UPM Fibres plans measures to increase efficiency and safeguard the profitability of its operations in Finland and starts change negotiations in its Fibres Finland Operations. The planned measures include the possible reduction of 110 positions.

Western Forest Products Inc., a major forest products company based in Vancouver, announced a significant reduction in lumber production for the final quarter of 2024. The company will curtail production at its British Columbia sawmills by 30 million board feet between October and December. For the full year, the total estimated reduction is 90 million board feet, representing 10% of the company's annual capacity.