Paperclips Blog | M-real Results

  • 01.18.2012

    December 2011 Boxboard Report

    The American Forest & Paper Association released its December 2011 U.S. Paperboard Report today. Total boxboard production decreased by 5.9% compared to December 2010, and decreased 4.6% from last month.
     
    · Unbleached Kraft Folding production increased over the same month last year, and increased compared to last month.
     
    · Total Solid Bleached Boxboard & Liner production decreased compared to December 2010, and decreased compared to last month.
     
    · The production of Recycled Folding decreased compared to December 2010, and decreased when compared to last month.
     
    · Inventory of Solid Bleached Kraft Paperboard grew over a year ago.
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  • 01.18.2012

    December 2011 Kraft Paper Sector Report

    The American Forest & Paper Association released its December 2011 Kraft Paper Sector Report today.  Total Kraft paper shipments were 123.1 thousand tons, a decrease of 7.5% compared to December 2010. Total inventory was 80.2 thousand tons this month.

    Additional key findings from the report include:  Total Unbleached Kraft shipments decreased compared to 2010. Total Bleached Kraft shipments increased nine out of twelve months the same month in 2010.

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  • 01.18.2012

    U.S. Containerboard Production Remains Constant

    The American Forest & Paper Association released its December 2011 U. S. Containerboard Statistics Report today. Containerboard production was flat, gaining only 0.8% over same month last year. The production was also flat when compared to November 2011, increasing 0.2%, however, the month over month average daily production decreased 3.0%. The containerboard operating rate for December 2011 was up slightly from December 2010 to 93.6% from 93.1%.
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  • 01.18.2012

    Georgia-Pacific Completes Sale of Business in Italy

    Today, Georgia-Pacific has announced that it has completed the sale of the legal entity in Italy to Cartiera Lucchese (Lucart Group). A definitive agreement for the sale was announced last November and this closing concludes the sale process.

    The sale includes the mills located at Castelnuovo and Avigliano, the Italian brands Tutto and Tenderly, related assets and administrative support functions and offices. The agreement also includes a 12-month license for the distribution of differentiated Lotus Professional products owned by Georgia-Pacific EMEA Away-from-Home as well as an exclusive distribution agreement for Georgia-Pacific’s Demak’Up products in Italy for one year.

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  • 01.18.2012

    Webcom Doubles Its Inkjet Printing Capacity, Invests $20 Million in 18 Months

    Webcom announced its second major capital investment in the past 18 months, bringing its total to an impressive $20 million. The latest investment will involve installation of an HP T350 Color Inkjet Web Press to complement a T300 model installed just over a year ago. Uptake of inkjet print resulted in a 10-fold volume increase for Webcom in 2011.

    “Not only do these commitments demonstrate our responsiveness to the needs of publishers today, they also exhibit Webcom’s flexibility in taking on the challenges of tomorrow,” commented Webcom’s President and CEO, Mike Collinge.

    Set to more than double its inkjet capacity to 2 billion pages annually, Webcom’s Toronto plant now has the second largest book production capacity for inkjet printing in North America. The HPT350 inkjet press, which will be in full production by March, is a four color, wide width, 600 feet per minute inkjet press capable of producing more than 8 million customized books annually.

    Dramatic shifts in the printing landscape toward inkjet also require a paradigm shift for systems automation. Included in Webcom’s $8-million investment in 2012 is a significant upgrading of hardware and software, both of which will drive efficiencies and lower publishers’ costs for custom, short run books.

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  • 01.18.2012

    AEP Industries Inc. Reports Fiscal 2011 Results

    AEP Industries Inc. today reported financial results for its fiscal year ended October 31, 2011.

    As previously reported, on October 14, 2011, the Company completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets and specified liabilities of Webster Industries ("Webster"), a national manufacturer and distributor of retail and institutional private label food contact and trash bags, in a cash transaction for a purchase price of $25.9 million, subject to a post-closing working capital adjustment. 

    Net sales for fiscal 2011 increased $174.2 million, or 21.8%, to $974.8 million from $800.6 million for fiscal 2010. The increase was the result of an increase in average selling prices primarily attributable to the pass-through of higher resin costs to customers during the comparable periods combined with an increase in sales volume. The acquisition of Webster added $6.1 million in net sales during fiscal 2011.

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  • 01.18.2012

    MWV Announces Preliminary 2011 Fourth Quarter Results

    MeadWestvaco Corporation today announced certain preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2011.

    The company expects fourth quarter 2011 pre-tax income from its business segments (before Corporate and Other) to be in the range of $150 to $160 million, resulting in full-year performance of $835 to $845 million. Cash flow from operations for the full year is expected to be about $550 million.

    Weaker than expected demand in certain U.S. and European packaging markets resulted in lower volumes and production rates during the fourth quarter.

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  • 01.17.2012

    SCA divests its packaging operations

    SCA’s packaging operations – excluding the two kraftliner mills in Sweden – are divested to DS Smith. The purchase price amounts to EUR 1.7bn on a debt free basis.
     
    “The reason for the divestment is primarily to enable increased growth in the hygiene business”, says Jan Johansson, President and CEO of SCA.

    The packaging operations, excluding the two kraftliner mills, had net sales in 2010 of approximately SEK 24.2bn (EUR 2.5bn) and an operating profit, excluding restructuring costs, of approximately SEK 1.1bn (EUR 117million). The operations have approximately 12,000 employees.

    The purchase price is equivalent to an EBITDA multiple of 6.3 based on the 12 month period Q4 2010 – Q3 2011.

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  • 01.17.2012

    Verso Paper Corp. Reports Preliminary Results for Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2011

    Verso Paper Corp. today announced preliminary results for the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 2011. Verso estimates the following results:

    For the three-month period ended December 31, 2011, we expect Adjusted EBITDA to be within the range of $45 million to $50 million, and for the year ended December 31, 2011, we expect Adjusted EBITDA to be within the range of $200 million to $205 million.
    Adjusted EBITDA for the three-month period ended December 31, 2011, excludes charges from special items of approximately $45 million primarily related to the shut-down of three paper machines, goodwill impairment, and hedging transactions. Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2011, excludes charges from special items of approximately $80 million primarily related to net losses on debt refinancing, the shut-down of three paper machines, goodwill impairment, and hedging transactions.
    For the three-month period ended December 31, 2011, we expect operating income before items to be within the range of $14 million to $19 million. Including approximately $52 million of charges primarily related to the paper machine shut-downs, goodwill impairment and hedging transactions we expect operating losses within the range of $38 million to $33 million for the quarter. For the year ended December 31, 2011, we expect operating income before items to be within the range of $74 million to $79 million. Including approximately $60 million of charges primarily related to the paper machine shut-downs, goodwill impairment and hedging transactions we expect operating income within the range of $14 million to $19 million for 2011.
    Cash and total debt at December 31, 2011 were approximately $95 million and $1.2 billion, respectively. At December 31, 2011, our existing $200 million revolving credit facility had no amounts outstanding, approximately $41 million in letters of credit issued, and approximately $159 million available for future borrowing.

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  • 01.17.2012

    Oil Rises to Three-Day High as Saudi Arabia Is Seen Targeting $100 Crude

    Oil rose to the highest level in three days on speculation that China will intensify monetary stimulus, supporting fuel demand, and as France pushed for a ban on Iranian imports.

    France wants a European Union embargo delayed by no more than three months as members seek alternative supplies, an official with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. China’s economy expanded at the slowest pace in 10 quarters, sustaining pressure on Premier Wen Jiabao to ease monetary policy. Saudi Arabia aims to stabilize the average of crude prices worldwide at $100 a barrel in 2012, Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said in an interview with CNN yesterday.

    “Everything is rising because of China,” said Carsten Fritsch, an analyst at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. “It’s general market sentiment.”

    Crude for February delivery rose as high as $100.97 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up $2.27 from the Jan. 13 closing price, and traded at $100.76 at 11:13 a.m. London time. Floor trading was shut yesterday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and electronic transactions will be booked with today’s for settlement purposes.

    Brent oil for March on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange gained as much 1.3 percent to $112.76 a barrel.

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  • 01.17.2012

    Hanley Wood recapitalizes, reduces debt by $330 million

    Hanley Wood, publisher of Builder, has recapitalized and slashed its long-term debt from $410 million to $80 million. As part of this deal, the construction industry information company has a new ownership group that has invested $35 million of new capital into the company.

    The ownership group is led by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, Strategic Value Partners and Tennenbaum Capital Partners. (A group led by JPMorgan Partners, a private equity affiliate of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., acquired Hanley Wood in 2005 for $618 million.)

    “This recapitalization is very positive news for the company, our customers, suppliers, business partners and employees,” said Frank Anton, CEO of Hanley Wood CEO, in a statement. “"With a strengthened balance sheet, we expect to be much better positioned to invest in and grow our businesses and take full advantage of the strength of our operations.”

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  • 01.17.2012

    Magazine Apps Still Hampered By Malfunctions and Bugs

    Although many magazine iPad apps and their underlying publishing platforms have had more than a year to work out the kinks, "about a third of all apps we have evaluated still have at least one shortcoming,” says Rebecca McPheters, CEO, McPheters & Company in an Adverting Age column this week. Her company’s iMonitor service has been tracking and testing over 5,000 magazine and newspaper apps. According to the findings, 22% of magazine apps have demonstrated problems with subscriber authentication and about half of those that allow print subscribers to access the app edition are suffering from authentication woes.

    As the chart here shows, a range of technical issues continues to plague apps, including bugs related to displaying graphics (10% of magazine apps), navigating the app (7%), downloading content (4%) and running different audio and video media types (3%).

    McPheters outlines many other large and small problems that apps from the print world still demonstrate. “Pages, video and audio can fail to load,” she writes. “Links may be broken. Audio sometimes won't turn off, leaving users the choice of closing the app or continuing to listen against their will. Spontaneous crashes are common. Downloads continue to be a problem with many apps, particularly when consumers want to download issues over a 3G network or without high-speed connections.”

    McPheters estimates that by the end of 2015 half of newspaper and magazine circulation will go through digital channels. But the print world is not on equal footing yet with the other sources of information via apps. “News apps that don’t come from magazine or newspaper brands malfunction with markedly lower frequency, according to our analysis at iMonitor.”

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  • 01.17.2012

    Classic Graphics, Harperprints Combine To Create Graphic Communications Powerhouse

    Two of the most respected names in the printing and graphic communications industry are joining forces: Classic Graphics, Inc., Charlotte, N.C., has acquired certain assets of Harperprints, Henderson, N.C., adding to Classic’s position as the largest privately owned graphic communications company in the Carolinas. The NAPL Business Advisory Team provided advisory services to Classic Graphics, including recommendations on valuation and transaction structure.

    In the context of an industry where many smaller companies are falling by the wayside, and where mid-sized competitors are consolidating to remain viable, David Pitts, co-owner of Classic, says this is a logical move: “Classic has enjoyed tremendous organic growth over our 28-year history. Combining operations with a prominent, industry-leading company like Harperprints will help us sustain, and hopefully extend, our growth ambitions.”

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  • 01.17.2012

    Nippon Paper Group to Shut Down Production Facilities at Nippon Paper Crecia's Iwakuni Mill

    Nippon Paper Group, Inc. (President: Yoshio Haga) has decided to shut down the production facilities at the Iwakuni Mill (Iwakuni-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture; Manager: Takashi Yamaguchi) of Nippon Paper Crecia Co., Ltd. (President: Kazuhiro Sakai), as a measure to cope with the severe conditions in the household paper products business. These facilities account for about 15% of Nippon Paper Crecia's entire production capacity. Transferring products produced at the Iwakuni Mill to Kyoto and other mills will raise the operation ratio of production facilities to 90% or above. Through this measure, Nippon Paper Crecia intends to reduce fixed costs and enhance production efficiency, thereby strengthening the competence of its household paper products business. After shutting down the production facilities, the Iwakuni Mill is slated for use as a logistics center, aimed at strengthening functions and covering the Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu regions.

    Nippon Paper Crecia will continue strengthening its production and sales bases, while developing differentiated products to expand profits.

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  • 01.17.2012

    Sheridan Group Joins Global Distribute and Print Alliance

    The Sheridan Group (TSG), a print and publishing technology solutions provider, has announced the formation of an international strategic alliance with three leading print service providers to distribute and print published content globally.

    The alliance, named the Content Delivery Alliance (CDA), provides a true solution for regional and international customers who require their content be produced and delivered close to their customer base. With the combination of Sheridan Group handling North and South America, Hobbs the Printer and MPG Books Group handling Europe and the OPUS Group operation delivering the Asia-Pacific region, this alliance provides content delivery options across the globe.

    The Sheridan Group is well known for its exceptional print on demand, digital, offset and web printing capabilities. Within the journal and book markets—the primary audience for this service—partnership in the Content Delivery Alliance now adds another dimension to Sheridan’s value to its customers. Using highly automated systems, the alliance is well prepared to accommodate all of a publisher’s digital print needs, down to a single copy, as well as regional offset printing requirements for larger publications or books.

    This global print alliance offers many benefits. In addition to enabling The Sheridan Group and its partners to serve their customers’ worldwide content distribution needs, this partnership can help support publishers’ sustainable practice initiatives or inventory management objectives while reducing distribution costs and delivery time.

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  • 01.17.2012

    Stora Enso increases flexibility and competitiveness through rethinking Business Area structure

    Stora Enso has decided to renew its Business Area and Reporting Segment structure. The Group will combine the paper reporting segments Newsprint and Book Paper, Magazine Paper and Fine Paper into one Business Area and reporting segment called Printing and Reading. The reporting segments Consumer Board and Industrial Packaging will form the Renewable Packaging Business Area and Reporting Segment. A new Business Area and Reporting Segment called Biomaterials is established comprising mainly the Company’s joint-venture pulp mills, stand-alone pulp mills and wood plantations. The Wood Products Business Area will be renamed as Building and Living.

    The Company will have four Business Areas and Reporting Segments:

    Biomaterials, headed by EVP Juan Bueno
    Printing and Reading, headed by EVP Juha Vanhainen
    Renewable Packaging, headed by EVP Mats Nordlander
    Building and Living, headed by EVP Hannu Kasurinen

    The changes in the Business Areas and management will take place as of 17 January 2012.

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  • 01.17.2012

    Stora Enso’s non-recurring items in fourth quarter 2011

    Stora Enso will record non-recurring items (NRI) with a negative impact of approximately EUR 21 million on operating profit and a negative impact of approximately EUR 10 million on financial items in its fourth quarter 2011 results. The NRI will have a negative cash impact of EUR 20 million.

    A NRI of approximately EUR -20 million relates to water purification and a water level adjustment provision at the former mine at Falun in Sweden and a NRI of approximately EUR -11 million relates to write-downs of Arktos Group shares and loan receivables. They are both reported in the segment Other and their impact on operating profit is specified in the table below.

    The NRI detailed above and valuation of deferred tax assets have a beneficial tax impact of EUR 51 million.

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  • 01.17.2012

    Fortress Paper Updates Status of Dissolving Pulp Production

    Fortress Paper Ltd. is pleased to announce that it has ramped up production of dissolving pulp at its Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill to approximately 60% of final targeted capacity since it announced production of dissolving pulp had commenced on December 5, 2011. The ramp up of production continues substantially as planned and we expect meaningful improvements in the short term followed by smaller productivity gains as we approach our targeted production capacity. Our dissolving pulp is meeting customer specifications and after aggregating inventory, customer shipments commenced in the final week of December.

    Chad Wasilenkoff, Chief Executive Officer of Fortress Paper, commented: "We are extremely pleased with the speed at which the ramp up of dissolving production is proceeding at our Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill and are focused on achieving our planned production capacity as soon as possible. With the shipment of our first orders, we have demonstrated our ability to successfully produce dissolving pulp that meets the stringent specifications of our customers."

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  • 01.16.2012

    White Birch closes Stadacona permanently after union rejects offer

    The Stadacona newsprint mill in Quebec City which has been idle since December is now permanently closed, says owner White Birch Paper. The closure follows the rejection by members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of what was termed a "final offer" presented by the owner on Jan. 6.

    The decision leaves about 600 workers without a job.

    White Birch president Christopher Brant said the company was forced to close the mill. "The decision was not made lightly and we did everything we could to avoid this scenario."

    Brant continued, "The mill's financial situation and the economic deterioration in the newsprint industry mean the end of the road for Stadacona. The union's rejection of our final offer left us with no other choice but to close the mill for good."

    The CEP union told Canadian Press that the rejected Jan. 6 offer called for a 21% pay cut, and significant reductions to pensions. It was said that workers over age 55 would lose 45% of the value of their pension, while younger workers would lose 65% of the value.

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  • 01.16.2012

    Oil Climbs From Four-Week Low as Iran Warns of Hormuz Supply Disruption

    Oil climbed from the lowest price in almost four weeks as Iran said that a disruption to crude supplies through the Strait of Hormuz would cause a shock to markets that “no country” could manage.

    Futures rose as much as 0.9 percent after sliding 2.8 percent last week. Iran has threatened to shut the strait, a transit route for about a fifth of global oil trade, in response to international sanctions on its exports. Any disruption will harm the world’s crude markets, Iran’s governor to OPEC said, according to the state-run Mehr news agency. Nigerian labor unions suspended protests after saying they would consider shutting down oil output in opposition to higher fuel prices.

    “Supply worries in Iran and Nigeria combined with the recovering U.S. economy and demand from developing markets are driving oil prices higher,” Christopher Bellew, a senior broker at Jefferies Bache Ltd. in London, who predicts crude prices will rise further. “It’s only the weakness of the euro that’s stopping oil from making bigger advances.”

    Crude for February delivery rose as much as 89 cents to $99.59 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $99.54 at 11:25 a.m. London time. The contract fell 0.4 percent to $98.70 on Jan. 13, the lowest close since Dec. 21. There will be no floor trading in New York today because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

    Brent oil for February settlement was at $111.12 a barrel, up 68 cents on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

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  • 01.16.2012

    Catalyst board of directors recommends support for recapitalization transaction

    Catalyst Paper Corporation announced today that the company has entered into an agreement (the Agreement) for a recapitalization transaction that will result in a significantly reduced debt burden.

    Catalyst Paper’s management team and Board of Directors believe that the proposed recapitalization offers substantial benefits to Catalyst Paper, including:

    • enhanced flexibility to respond to the downturn in the market for paper, newsprint and pulp;
    • improved capital structure: $315.4 million reduction in debt; and
    • reduced cash interest expense: up to $25.5 million reduction in annual cash interest expense ($37.0 million if paid in kind to the maximum extent possible).

    Catalyst Paper’s management team and Board of Directors believe that, in view of the challenges and risks to the company’s ongoing viability created by the current paper, newsprint and pulp markets and the company’s existing capital structure, the recapitalization is the best alternative available to the company and its noteholders, shareholders and other stakeholders.  The new capital structure will provide a stronger financial base for the execution of the company’s operating strategy and enhance the long-term value of the company.

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  • 01.16.2012

    Twin Rivers Paper Company Announces Additional Financing

    Twin Rivers Paper Company, a leading manufacturer of lightweight specialty packaging, publishing and label papers, announced today it has secured additional financial support from the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and Business New Brunswick (BNB).

    Business New Brunswick has agreed to provide a loan guarantee while FAME has agreed to provide loan insurance. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), the company’s current lender, has also approved an extension and amendments to Twin Rivers Paper's existing revolving credit facility.

    "This support from FAME and BNB and the continued support of CIBC are expected to provide the momentum to allow us to continue towards our strategic objectives while affording greater financial flexibility to manage our business,” said Wayne Johnson, Vice President of Finance.

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  • 01.16.2012

    UPM To Close Down The Albbruck Paper Mill and Transfer The Sheeting Lines To Plattling

    UPM will permanently close down the unprofitable Albbruck paper mill in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The discussions between UPM, the employee representatives and local authorities did not lead to a solution for continuing the operations at the mill. Neither was the search for an investor successful. The closure of the mill is affecting the 508 employees of the mill. The personnel reductions will take place on 31 January 2012.

    “UPM Albbruck mill has been making a loss for several years due to the age and relatively small size of the machines and the mill is not cost competitive within UPM asset and global customer portfolio. Under the difficult circumstances the highly qualified employees have done an excellent job. Unfortunately, it would not have been possible to improve the mill’s profitability to an extent that would have allowed sustainable operations,” says Jyrki Ovaska, President, UPM’s Paper Business Group.

    During the negotiations concerning reconciliation of interest and social plan, issues such as pension schemes, support for re-employment, relocations within the company, re-training and compensation payments were discussed and agreed.

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  • 01.13.2012

    M-real divests the Reflex mill’s Premium Paper business to Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH and private shareholders of Hahnemühle

    M-real Corporation, part of Metsäliitto Group, has agreed to divest the Reflex mill’s Premium Paper business to Walzmühle AG that is owned by Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH, the Hahnemühle management and private shareholders of Hahnemühle. The divestment includes the complete Premium Paper business and related assets as well as approximately 100 of M-real’s employees.

    Premium Paper products are used in high-quality graphical end-uses, such as letterhead, brochures, books, calendars and envelopes.

    The divestment is expected to be closed during 1Q 2012. The divestment would decrease M-real’s annual sales by approximately EUR 20 million and it would not have a material impact on M-real’s operative result.

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  • 01.13.2012

    Non-recurring items in M-real's 4Q 2011 results

    M-real Corporation, a part of Metsäliitto Group, is expected to book approximately EUR 205 million negative non-recurring items in the operating result of the last quarter of 2011. The main items are the following:

    EUR 105 million cost provisions and write-downs in Office Papers business area related to the planned closure of the Alizay mill announced on 18 October 2011.  
    EUR 70 million cost provisions and write-downs in Speciality Papers business area related to the planned discontinuation of the unprofitable production at Gohrsmühle and Reflex mills announced on 18 October 2011.
    EUR 25 million impairment of assets, write-downs and cost provisions in Consumer Packaging business area related to the restructuring at Äänekoski mill including the closure of the paper machine 2 announced on 2 November 2011.
    EUR 5 million additional cost provisions and adjustments to the sales price in Market Pulp and Energy related to the divestment of Hallein pulp mill materialised in September 2011.
     
    Of the total non-recurring items approximately EUR 190 million will have an impact at the EBITDA level. The write offs will reduce M-real's annual depreciations by approximately EUR 2 million from 2012 onwards.

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  • 01.13.2012

    Oil Futures Head for Weekly Decline on Plans to Delay Iranian Embargo

    Oil headed for its biggest weekly decline in a month on signs that the European Union may delay the enforcement of a ban on Iranian oil imports.

    Futures have lost 2.3 percent this week after a European Union official said sanctions on Iran may be postponed by six months to allow some countries to find alternative petroleum supplies. The measures are also likely to include an exemption for Italy so crude can be sold to pay off debts to Eni SpA, the nation’s largest oil company, the official said.

    “I think it’s in no one’s interests for this to escalate beyond words, which will probably keep tension high,” said Michael Hewson, an analyst at CMC Markets in London, which handles about $240 million a day in U.S. crude contracts. “Any flare-up in the Straits of Hormuz would obviously send oil spiking sharply but that would be something that both parties would want to avoid.”

    Crude for February delivery was at $99.25 at 11:13 a.m. London time on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract yesterday fell $1.77 to $99.10, the lowest close since Dec. 30.

    Brent oil for February settlement fell 48 cents to $110.78 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

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  • 01.13.2012

    Grand View Media Takes Over Operations of Shooting Sports Retailer

    Grand View Media Group, a consumer, b-to-b and custom publisher in the outdoor market, has taken over management of Shooting Sports Retailer magazine, including all editorial, management, accounting, sales, production and circulation operations for the bi-monthly title and its digital products.

    “Because we already have numerous outdoor titles, including Archery Business, a b-to-b magazine for archery retailers, it was a natural progression for us to go after firearms retailers,” says Grand View general manager Barry Lovette.

    Grand View Media, a Birmingham, Alabama-based subsidiary of international information services and publishing company EBSCO Industries, publishes fifteen titles including the custom Cabela’s Outfitter Journal and consumer magazines Whitetail Journal, Predator Xtreme and Waterfowl & Retriever.

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  • 01.13.2012

    Metso-supplied fine paper production line started up at Zhanjiang Chenming Pulp & Paper in China

    The Metso-supplied fine paper production line, PM 1, of Zhanjiang Chenming Pulp & Paper Co., Ltd. came successfully on stream on September 1, 2011 at the company’s greenfield pulp and paper mill in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China.

    The 11.15-m-wide PM 1 has an annual dimensional production capacity of close to 600,000 tonnes of wood free uncoated printing paper within the basis weight range of 45 to 120 g/m2. The design speed is 2,000 m/min.

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  • 01.13.2012

    MWV Responds to Market Need for Matching Heavyweight Coated One-Side Cover

    In the current array of competitive offerings, designers and brand owners have had to accept low brightness, off-white alternatives for their printed applications that require a heavyweight (14 pt and above) coated one-side cover. But that is no longer the case. MeadWestvaco Corporation announced today that its Commercial Print business has extended its Tango® C1S coated cover to include 14 through 24 pt. heavyweight calipers with the same 92 brightness, clean-white shade and consistent print performance that has made the Tango coated cover line the preferred choice of printers, designers and brand owners.

    “Designers and brand owners have been asking for this, and we have responded,” said Steve Anderson, director, Marketing for MWV’s Commercial Print business. He continued, “In this competitive environment, our customers want to present a consistent, high quality brand image across any print campaign. In doing so, they need their direct mail pieces to match up with their brochures, and their pocket folders to match up with their in-store displays. By extending our C1S offering up to 24 pt. caliper, they can now do that.”

    MWV’s Tango line is available as a coated one-side or coated two-side cover from 8 pt. through 24 pt. (or the equivalent of 70# to 170# cover). MWV will continue to offer its 86 brightness Tango Blanks product in heavyweight C1S calipers for less critical print applications.

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  • 01.12.2012

    Buckeye Announces Closure of Americana Cotton Linter Pulp Production Line

    Buckeye Technologies Inc. today announced the closure of its Americana, Brazil cotton linter pulp production line. The company will work closely with its customers to continue to meet their needs from its Memphis, Tennessee facility.

    Buckeye's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Crowe said, “This closure has become necessary due to the facility’s uncompetitive cost position for the products it makes. This is primarily driven by the high cost of its cotton linter raw material supply. It is unfortunate that this closure will result in the termination of employment for approximately 60 dedicated employees. We have owned and operated the facility since 2000, and we value and appreciate the many contributions of the organization over the past 12 years. Buckeye will continue to operate the waste water treatment facility for the shared industrial site while we continue discussions with interested parties for the sale of the facility.

    We expect to incur about $2.4 million in restructuring expenses in calendar 2012 and a non-cash asset impairment charge of about $49 million in the October-December 2011 quarter. The closure is expected to generate an approximate $20 million cash benefit, primarily due to tax benefits related to the investment loss, assuming we are able to utilize all of our potential cellulosic biofuel credits by June 2016. Any additional cash benefit will be dependent on the final outcome of the facility sale process.”

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  • 01.12.2012

    Oil Advances From Lowest This Year on Nigeria Disruptions, Iranian Tension

    Oil rose from the lowest settlement in almost two weeks in New York on concern that a strike in Nigeria and the threat of sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program will curb crude supplies.

    Futures gained as much as 1.3 percent after sliding 1.3 percent yesterday. A Nigerian union said it started shutting platforms in Africa’s largest crude producer to support protests against the end of fuel subsidies. Japan said it may reduce petroleum imports from Iran, which has threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz in response to sanctions on its oil exports.

    “Tensions in Nigeria are helping to keep a solid floor under prices,” Andrey Kryuchenkov, an analyst at VTB Capital in London who correctly predicted crude would end 2011 near $100 a barrel. “Growing concerns over global crude shipments escalated as Tehran threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz while the Pentagon made it clear that closing this vital checkpoint remains out of the question.”

    Crude for February delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange gained as much as $1.34 to $102.21 a barrel in electronic trading. It was at $102.13 at 11:32 a.m. London time. The contract yesterday slipped $1.37 to $100.87, the lowest close since Dec. 30. Prices are up 3.3 percent this year.

    Brent oil was trading $1.37 higher at $113.61 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

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  • 01.12.2012

    Chesapeake installs new folder at Hicksville, Long Island, NY

    Chesapeake Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Packaging, a leading global supplier of paperboard packaging, has installed its second Vijuk MV-2011 Large Format Folder at its Hicksville, Long Island, NY facility. The folder, which is part of a major global investment program, will produce patient-information leaflets for the healthcare market.

    Christopher Cassidy, Chesapeake VP Sales & Marketing – North America, stated, “This purchase is in response to the FDA requirement for larger font sizes and additional prescribing information for packaging inserts. This recommendation is expected to manage the risk of medical product use and reduce medication errors. The increased type size necessitates the need for larger inserts. It’s a challenge for many pharmaceutical companies to meet this requirement without having to make major changes to their existing packaging lines. Chesapeake can now offer an effective solution.”
     
    The MV-11 Outsert System folds outserts as small as 1-1/8” x 1-1/8”, flatter, 15% thinner, and with up to 40% more panels than previous models. The MV-11 Triple Knife Outsert System can fold outserts with up to 238 panels; it also features an upgraded glue system and a digital water score system.

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  • 01.12.2012

    Hearst’s Food Network Magazine Sees 7th Ratebase Increase in 3 Years

    Food Network Magazine seems to be cooking up excitement with readers—Hearst Magazines announced Wednesday that the publication will increase its ratebase by 50,000 up to 1.45 million.

    This is the 7th ratebase increase for the title since it launched in 2009, with this most recent increase taking effect for the January/February 2012 issue. Test issues of the magazine were first contemplated back in the fall of 2008 with an initial circulation pool of 300,000 issues. In August 2011 Hearst announced the January/February issue of the magazine would reach 1.4 million, up from 1.3 million at the time, and now surpassing that initial figure by 50,000.

    Shortly after the publication debuted it was named one of the most notable launches of 2009 and the publisher was able to triple its circulation by 2010. The magazine now expects circulation for the second half of 2011 to be about 21 percent above ratebase.

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  • 01.12.2012

    Norske Skog and NTE enter into long-term energy contract

    Norske Skog has signed a long-term energy contract with NTE (Nord-Trøndelag Elektrisitetsverk) for the supply of electricity for the paper mill at Skogn.

    The new agreement, together with an agreement that was signed with Statkraft last year, secures Norske Skog Skogn sufficient energy for full operation of the mill. The agreement has been entered into on commercial terms and has a duration of 7 years from 1 January 2012. The new agreement with NTE ensures supply of 0.4 TWh per year until 31.12.2018.

    We are very pleased with this agreement. Norske Skog Skogn is important both for the group and for the forest industry in central Norway. This is an important contribution to securing jobs in Skogn, says president and CEO in Norske Skog, Sven Ombudstvedt.

    Skogn is one of the most environmentally sound and effective paper mills in Europe. A strong Norwegian krone and the challenging market conditions in the industry, means that the mill must have access to stable and secure energy supplies at an acceptable price in order to maintain operations, says president and CEO in Norske Skog, Sven Ombudstvedt.

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  • 01.12.2012

    Thermoformed tray enables crop waste-based packaging

    Sustainable packaging upstart Ecovative Design LLC has received tremendous attention over the past year for its disruptive technology introduction of protective packaging materials grown from agricultural byproducts bound together by mycelium, or mushroom “roots.” As Sam Harrington, Ecovative sales and marketing, told Packaging World last summer after winning a 2011 Greener Package Award, “The materials we’ve developed … represent the first time humans have capitalized on the amazing structural properties of another kingdom of biology: fungi.”

    To bring this unprecedented material to market, not only did Ecovative have to learn how to harness a biological process for the purpose of creating a revolutionary packaging material, but it also had to develop custom machinery and tools to “manufacture” the material on a commercial scale. Primary to the manufacturing process are what Ecovative has labeled “thermoformed grow trays.” The grow trays are reusable plastic molds in which the biological material is placed while it grows.

    In spring 2010, Ecovative began developing a line of standard-size shipping coolers made from EcoCradle™ Mushroom® Packaging as an alternative to those made from petroleum-based expanded polystyrene. To design and create the molds for this project, the company worked closely with custom thermoformer Dordan Manufacturing. The result was a meticulously engineered a custom grow-tray solution capable of increasing the overall efficiency of Ecovative’s unique manufacturing process.

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  • 01.12.2012

    Colbert Packaging to close Louisville plant

    Colbert Packaging Corp., a manufacturer of folding cartons, rigid paper boxes and paperboard specialty products, announced Wednesday that it's closing its 33,500-square-foot manufacturing facility in Louisville.

    Colbert obtained the facility in its December 2009 acquisition of folding carton manufacturer Dayton Carton. Colbert said in a news release that it will cease operations in Louisville within 60 days.

    "With increased manufacturing capacity in our three other production facilities, and in an effort to streamline operations to meet the increasing demand from customers for cost containment, we have made the difficult, albeit necessary, decision to close our Louisville manufacturing plant," said Jim Hamilton, president of Colbert Packaging.

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  • 01.12.2012

    Sappi Fine Paper North America Opens 2012 Printers of the Year Call for Entries

    Today, Sappi Fine Paper North America opened its call for entries for the 2012 North American Printers of the Year awards, a competition that recognizes print excellence and innovation in 10 categories for work produced on Sappi papers. Since 1999, the Sappi Printers of the Year Awards program has been regarded as the world's most respected accolade of excellence in the printing industry.

    Entering this competition is easy — printers can submit any work printed between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 that uses Sappi paper as the dominant stock and is printed in the U.S. or Canada. For each entry, six copies of the printed piece must be submitted by mail along with one copy of the entry form. An online version of the entry form and downloadable PDF entry form are available online. All entries for Sappi's 2012 North American Printers of the Year must be received by the February 3, 2012 deadline. For more details and the entry form, visit: www.sappi.com/na/poy or contact Sappi at 1.800.882.4332. 

    As well as receiving industry-wide recognition, award-winning printers can win up to $20,000 to support their marketing and branding initiatives. In addition, selected printers will gain increased visibility with current and potential clients by being featured in Sappi's Printers of the Year Online Resource, a searchable database for designers, printer buyers and corporations.

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  • 01.12.2012

    Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Announces 2011 Holiday Results

    Williams-Sonoma, Inc. today announced that net revenues for the 8-week holiday period ended December 25, 2011 increased 4.2% to $901 million versus the 8-week holiday period ended December 26, 2010, including a comparable brand revenue increase of 4.9%. The company projects Q4 11 diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $1.10 to $1.15 which is at or marginally below the low end of the previous guidance range of $1.15 to $1.20 due to the promotional environment during the holiday season. On a full-year basis, the company still expects to deliver record pre-tax operating profits and diluted earnings per share. The company also announced that it is increasing its quarterly dividend by 29% to $0.22 per share for shareholders of record on January 27, 2012 and is authorizing a new $225 million stock repurchase program.
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  • 01.12.2012

    Two Sides Launches U.S. Website

    Two Sides, the fast-growing non-profit organization established to promote the responsible production, use and sustainability of print and paper, today launched its U.S. website, www.twosides.us. The site, filled with facts from well-known, credible sources, provides an easily accessible resource for anyone who wants trustworthy information about the environmental impacts of paper-based communication.

    “Print and paper have a great environmental story to tell, but that story often gets lost among misleading claims, misconceptions and one-sided communications,” says Two Sides President Phil Riebel. “On the Two Sides website, we present information from a wide range of authoritative sources – organizations like the World Resources Institute, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the U.S. Forest Service and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development – to dispel the myths and help people better understand the true sustainability of print and paper.”

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  • 01.11.2012

    RR Donnelley Awarded New Multi-Year Print Management Agreement by Chrysler

    R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company today announced that it has been awarded a new multi-million dollar, multi-year Print Management agreement by Chrysler Group LLC. This new agreement significantly expands the companies' relationship.

    Under the terms of the award RR Donnelley will provide a comprehensive array of Print Management services, including on-site premedia resources and sourcing support, commercial printing, direct mail, logistics, labels and forms. Chrysler will also draw upon RR Donnelley's proprietary CustomPoint® intelligent print management system, which facilitates a range of services, including variable digital printing and individualized communications.

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  • 01.11.2012

    Oil Falls From Near a One-Week High as German Economy Approaches Recession

    Oil fell from near the highest settlement in almost a week, as concern that a shrinking German economy may drag Europe into a recession, reducing demand.

    Crude fell as much as 0.9 percent and the euro weakened 0.6 percent against the dollar after Germany’s Federal Statistics Office said the biggest economy in the euro region contracted in the fourth quarter. Spanish factory output declined the most since 2009, a separate report showed.

    “The macroeconomic uncertainty and fairly robust U.S. dollar will continue to limit the upside” of the price of oil, said Andrey Kryuchenkov, an analyst at VTB Capital in London who correctly predicted crude would end 2011 near $100 a barrel.

    Crude for February delivery fell as much as 89 cents to $101.35 a barrel and was at $101.43 at 11:44 a.m. London time. The contract yesterday climbed 0.9 percent to $102.24, the highest close since Jan. 4. Prices are up 2.6 percent this year.

    Brent oil for February settlement fell 30 cents to $112.98 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

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  • 01.11.2012

    2011 Overall Magazine Advertising Revenue Flat

    The consumer magazine industry generated $20,086,199,882 in full-year 2011 print advertising revenue, a slight $8 million increase compared to 2010’s advertising revenue of $20,078,0916,149, according to the Publishers Information Bureau (PIB).  Pages dipped 3.1% from 169,552 in 2010 to 164,225 in 2011. 

    “The magazine industry posted positive 2011 Q1 and Q2 advertising performances in pages and revenue, but a weakened economy in the second half of the year offset those gains as advertisers grew more skittish from diminished consumer spending, wild stock market swings and zero job growth,” said Nina Link, President and CEO, MPA – The Association of Magazine Media. "There were pockets of strength in some categories for full-year 2011.  Advertisers in the apparel, cosmetics and financial sectors increased their magazine marketing spend last year.  Magazines were negatively impacted by the food sector in 2011 as rising energy and production costs in the food industry resulted in a decreased overall advertising spend. Similarly, magazines were also affected by a decline in overall advertising spending in home furnishing and supplies, a result of the soft housing market.”

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  • 01.11.2012

    Consumer magazine ad pages decrease 3.1% in 2011, 8.0% in fourth quarter

    Consumer magazine ad pages fell 3.1% to 164,225 in 2011 compared with 2010, according to Publishers Information Bureau figures released by MPA. The drop off in ad pages accelerated in the fourth quarter of last year, with pages declining 8.0% to 47,874 for the period.

    “The magazine industry posted positive 2011 Q1 and Q2 advertising performances in pages and revenue, but a weakened economy in the second half of the year offset those gains as advertisers grew more skittish from diminished consumer spending, wild stock market swings and zero job growth,” said Nina Link, the MPA's president-CEO, in a statement.

    Nonetheless, some business publications enjoyed strong growth in ad pages in 2011 led by Bloomberg Businessweek, which posted 19.0% growth in ad pages for the year compared with 2010. Harvard Business Review (16.5%), Wired (8.9%), Barron's (6.8%) and Fast Company (5.8%) were also positive for the year.

    Inc. was the biggest decliner among consumer business publications for the full year, with pages falling 9.5%. Other business publications losing pages in 2011 were Forbes (-3.9%), Entrepreneur (-3.8%), The Economist (-2.9%) and Fortune (-0.9%).

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  • 01.11.2012

    BPA Issues New and Amended Rules for 2012

    Media auditor BPA Worldwide approved a number of new and amended rules during its December 2011 meeting in New York City, including several that address the increasing difficulty of measuring a magazine’s digital audience.

    Reporting app usage, specifically, has been a challenge, increasingly so as the format is moving toward “push,” rather than email, notification of a new issue’s delivery, for which there is no mechanism for tracking successful delivery.

    To address this, the BPA board has approved reporting “downloaded apps” by month within a BPA Brand Report, as opposed to a standard BPA report, along with a footnote disclosing the limitations of the figures. Apps related to the brand but not serving editorial content—such as a game—must be reported as their own channel in the Brand Report and cannot be counted as a digital copy. App copies, as opposed to downloaded issues, cannot be reported as qualified circulation.

    Subscriber access to digital copies will now be used to substantiate a renewal in the following cases: when a weekly publication has been accessed nine times every six months, when a monthly publication has been accessed twice every six months, when a quarterly publication has been accessed once every six months and when a semiannual publication has been accessed once per audit period.

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  • 01.11.2012

    F+W Buys World Tea Media

    F+W Media, a Blue Ash, Ohio-based media company serving enthusiasts in about 20 verticals including antiques and collectibles, crafts, writing and horticulture, has acquired World Tea Media, organizer of the World Tea Expo.

    The deal gives F+W a foothold in the food and cooking market, a vertical the company plans on expanding through organic and further acquisition. Right now, F+W has a line of cookbooks serving a variety of dietary segments.

    "We're excited to welcome World Tea Media, as they're an ideal match for our community-focused philosophy and our broader strategy of expansion into the cooking and food communities," says F+W Media CEO David Nussbaum in a statement.

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  • 01.11.2012

    Standard Register Installs Four HP Indigo Digital Presses

    Standard Register, a leading U.S. provider of communications management solutions, has installed four HP Indigo digital presses to produce color-critical, personalized collateral for a broad base of clients in healthcare, financial services, commercial and industrial markets.

    Standard Register installed an HP Indigo press 5500 at each of its print-on-demand (POD) hubs in Boston and Atlanta and two HP Indigo 7500 digital presses at its Charlotte, NC, hub. The installations support an overall initiative at Standard Register to help enterprises develop a competitive marketing advantage through high-end, targeted communications.

    “HP Indigo presses are the only digital presses that allow for six- or seven-color process printing, and that extra level of color capability will allow us to deliver outstanding printing for even the most color-critical work.” said Steve McDonell, vice president of engineering and sustainability, Standard Register. “Our company believes in a customer-focused, ‘advancing your reputation’ strategy, and HP Indigo technology fits perfectly because it helps us enhance our customers’ brand value.”

    The HP Indigo 7500’s high productivity and broad substrate compatibility also help Standard Register provide improved quality and service to one of the world’s leading cruise lines. The company recently started using its new Indigo 7500s to print the cruise line’s boarding packs, including fully personalized pocket folders, boarding passes, luggage tags and excursion tickets.

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  • 01.11.2012

    Cereplast Introduces Next Generation Hybrid Resins

    Cereplast, Inc., a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, compostable and sustainable plastics, has introduced the next generation of Cereplast Hybrid Resins(R), an expansion of the Biopropylene(R) PP-based resin product offering through two new bioplastic resin grades, Hybrid 102D and 105D. Cereplast anticipates going to market with the new resin grades during the first half of 2012 in the United States and Europe.

    Cereplast Hybrid Resins replace up to 50% of the petroleum content in traditional plastic products with biobased materials such as starches from annually renewable plants. Cereplast Hybrid Resins are suitable for durable goods, including consumer products, interior automotive parts, and furniture, and have a lower carbon footprint than traditional plastics. The new grades Hybrid 102D and Hybrid 105D are both injection molding grades, a heating and cooling manufacturing process in which the material is molded in different shapes.

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  • 01.11.2012

    Visual Pak Expands Capability and Geography with Two Acquisitions

    The Visual Pak Companies today announced two acquisitions that will greatly expand its service offerings throughout the United States.  The first acquisition involves the purchase of Cosmetic Labs of America (CLA) from Unilever.  Located in Chatsworth, California, CLA is widely regarded as a premier West Coast contract packaging company producing unique and inventive formulas and packages within the personal care and cosmetic industries.

    The second acquisition is for the plant facility and equipment assets of Hexagon Packaging Corporation, which specializes in consumer and industrial cleaning products, chemical processing and filling services.

    "At a time when many of our competitors are struggling or looking to downsize, we are aggressively looking to grow both organically and through acquisitions to strengthen our company," said Clayton Bolke, CEO, The Visual Pak Companies.  "These acquisitions enhance both our product offering and our geographic footprint to better serve existing and new customers."

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  • 01.11.2012

    KapStone Records $63.6 Million Tax Benefit in Q4 2011 Upon Finalization of IRS Exam

    KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation announced that the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") has notified the company that the Joint Committee on Taxation approved KapStone's 2007-2009 examination reports as filed.   As a result of the finalization of the IRS examination, KapStone will reverse in the fourth quarter $63.6 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits and accrued interest expense related to the company's position on alternative fuel mixture tax credits. 

    Upon reversal of this liability, KapStone's net income and diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2011 will reflect an increase of $63.6 million and $1.34, respectively.

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  • 01.10.2012

    Sprint Raises the Bar on Sustainable Design Through New Product and Packaging Standards

    Recently earning the No. 3 spot on Newsweek’s 2011 Green Rankings, Sprint has updated its environmental scorecard evaluation criteria for phones and packaging for device manufacturers and vendors. The scorecard is revised each year to ensure continuous improvement of sustainable design considerations across Sprint’s portfolio.

    Starting Jan. 1, Sprint’s environmental scorecard now requires all phones go through the UL Environment certification process – an industry first; specifications to improve reparability; and criteria that will drive more sustainable packaging. The changes will ultimately reduce the company’s overall impact on the environment and save the company money.

    New criteria for packaging within the standard will also drive more sustainable solutions. These new standards are expected to encourage the reduction of packaging volume and size; improve the material composition and structure; and minimize the use of glues, inks, labels and plastics. There will also be an increase in recycled fiber, post-consumer waste, and chlorine-free bleach in paper packaging materials.

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