Helsinki, Finland 10 July 2014 -- UPM and Domtar have entered into an agreement for UPM to become the exclusive distributor of Domtar’s BioChoice™  lignin in Europe. BioChoice™  is produced at Domtar’s biorefinery in Plymouth, North Carolina, US. The agreement takes effect on 1 August 2014. 

BioChoice™ lignin is a by-product of the kraft pulping process. It is a 100 % biobased sustainable alternative to replace fossil based products. BioChoice™ lignin holds the USDA Certified Biobased product label.

“Our lignin-separating process is groundbreaking, allowing us to offer high-quality kraft lignin in commercial quantities. UPM is an ideal partner for Domtar in many ways.  They have a strong presence in the European market and also years of experience with biomaterials”, said Richard Mullen, Domtar, Vice President Market Development and Analysis.

“We at UPM are truly excited about this agreement, not only because we get a great product in our offering, but also because together with Domtar we can develop the market and offer our customers sustainable, value added products for a growing variety of end uses”, said Juuso Konttinen, Vice President Biochemicals  from UPM.

“Versatile use of renewable wood biomass combined with innovation and sustainability is the cornerstone of UPM’s Biofore strategy. We have developed profound know-how and for intellectual property in the area of lignin based products, e.g. resins which are typically used as binders in wood based products”, Konttinen continued.

About UPM

Through the renewing of the bio and forest industries, UPM is building a sustainable future across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Paper Asia, UPM Paper Europe and North America and UPM Plywood. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. We serve our customers worldwide. The group employs around 21,000 people and its annual sales are approximately € 10 billion. UPM shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM – The Biofore Company – www.upm.com  

About Domtar

Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) designs, manufactures, markets and distributes a wide variety of fiber-based products including communication papers, specialty and packaging papers and absorbent hygiene products. The foundation of its business is a network of world class wood fiber converting assets that produce papergrade, fluff and specialty pulps. The majority of its pulp production is consumed internally to manufacture paper and consumer products. Domtar is the largest integrated marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America with recognized brands such as Cougar®, Lynx® Opaque Ultra, Husky® Opaque Offset, First Choice® and Domtar EarthChoice®. Domtar is also a leading marketer and producer of a broad line of incontinence care products marketed primarily under the Attends®, IncoPack and Indasec® brand names as well as baby diapers. In 2013, Domtar had sales of US$5.4 billion from some 50 countries. The Company employs approximately 10,000 people. To learn more, visit www.domtar.com.