Major Announcements

ND Paper, which is owned by Nine Dragons Paper Limited paper manufacturing company in China, is "taking extended downtime," at the mill, spokesperson Jay Capron said Tuesday afternoon. He cited the rising cost of fiber, along with energy costs and market conditions as reasons.

The terminal consolidates Klabin's logistics strategy in the State of Paraná.

Gov. Roy Cooper urged the operators of a large western North Carolina paper mill set to shutter to find a way to keep it running, saying a closure would have a "devastating effect" on the region and its people.

Clearwater Paper Corporation announced the planned departure of Michael Murphy as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Mr. Murphy will continue to serve as the chief financial officer and assist the company in the transition through the second quarter of this year.

Weitzel to succeed Andrew Wamser as company continues to pursue its strategic growth objectives.

Södra's new cross-laminated timber (CLT) facility was inaugurated on the west coast of Sweden.

The owner, Pixelle Specialty Solutions, announced last year that it planned to close the mill, which employs 230 people. It cited business and financial challenges compounded by the explosion of a pulp digester in 2020. Last month, the company announced the mill would close weeks earlier than initially anticipated.

It is well known that Jackson Wijaya, the ultimate and sole owner of Paper Excellence, is the son of the current head of APP. In the early days, Jackson benefited from some experience gained from the family business early in his life, as well as support getting his company started. This is hardly a unique or exceptional circumstance. The situation is entirely different today. Jackson operates his Paper Excellence independently. Many stakeholders and regulators - global funding institutions, regulatory bodies and certifiers, among others - have acknowledged this reality. Paper Excellence's acquisition of Resolute was extensively reviewed under the Investment Canada Act.

"The public deserves much more transparency from Paper Excellence..."

The mill, which produced bleached chemi-thermo mechanical pulp, has been through a wave of curtailments since December 2021, first in response to shipping interruptions brought on by severe flooding in the Lower Mainland.

Mercer International Inc. reported that it has signed its first major mass timber project contract with a large consumer products retailer. The project, which is comprised of cross-laminated timber panels, glue-laminated beams and connector elements, is expected to utilize four months of capacity at Mercer's Spokane facility on a one-shift basis over the course of 2023.

Mercer has promoted its Vice President, Controller, Richard Short to succeed Mr. Ure as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary.

The mill employs about 230 people and is the town's biggest private employer. The owners, Pixelle Specialty Solutions of Pennsylvania, had announced in September 2022 that the mill would close, citing economic forces that made operations unsustainable. In November, the date of the closure was set at April 30.

Södra has decided to investigate the conditions for a new large-scale sawmill in Kinda in Östergötland. A preliminary project will be undertaken and serve as a basis for a future investment decision.

Menasha Corporation announced that James M. Kotek will retire from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer in March. The Menasha Corporation Board of Directors has appointed Christopher D. Drees to succeed Kotek effective March 13, 2023. Drees will also join the Menasha Corporation Board on that date.

Nippon Paper aims to start operating the new plant in December 2024. This investment is expected to increase sales revenue approx. Euro 50 million and provide approx. 60 jobs at full operation.

MM Board & Paper will rebuild the board machines in Frohnleiten, Austria; Neuss, Germany; and Kolicevo, Slovenia, during February-September 2023.

UFP Industries, Inc. announced that CEO Matthew J. Missad also has been named chairman of the board. The move, approved by the board of directors at their February 2, 2023, meeting and effective immediately, is part of a comprehensive succession plan that calls for both change and continuity: Board Chairman William G. Currie will remain as a director through the end of his term. He then will step down after 54 years with the company. Missad will remain with the Company at least through 2027, as other elements of the succession plan are put in place.

Magnus Örnberg has been recruited as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Södra. He has extensive experience in all areas of finance and most recently served as CFO of SAS.

Holmen plans to invest in increased production and processing of wood products for sustainable construction.

More than 100 workers in Port Alberni are the latest forest industry employees to face layoffs as Western Forest Products confirms it will not restart its sawmill in that Vancouver Island city.

3M, maker of Post-it notes, industrial coatings and ceramics, is cutting about 2,500 manufacturing jobs worldwide as it looks to align itself with adjusted production volumes.

Late last month, the company stated it would conduct a holiday shutdown through the month of January, but the work stoppage will now carry over through the entire month of February.

The pulp line is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2023 and is anticipated to impact approximately 300 positions across the organization by the end of the year.

The indefinite curtailment of Perry Sawmill will impact approximately 126 employees and will reduce West Fraser's US lumber production by 100 million board feet.