Paperclips Blog | Pricing Results

11.01.2012
Resolute Forest Products Issues Sustainability Report for 2011 Performance

Resolute Forest Products (NYSE: RFP) (TSX: RFP) released its Sustainability Report for 2011 Performance today, detailing Company efforts to balance environmental, social and economic considerations. The report also publicly introduces Resolute's first company-wide sustainability strategy which has three primary areas of focus:
• Reinforce Resolute's environmental credentials, taking appropriate steps to responsibly manage its environmental footprint;
• Position the Company as a competitive employer, attracting and retaining employees based on opportunities to quickly learn and grow within a dynamic organization; and
• Build solid community relations in Resolute's operating locations, recognizing that economically viable and civically involved companies support long-term regional prosperity.

Resolute's key sustainability accomplishments outlined in the report include:
• Becoming a member in the World Wildlife Fund's prestigious Climate Savers program, which helps companies set and achieve ambitious emission reduction targets. In 2011, the Company reduced its GHG emissions by 6% from 2010 levels, a 62% decrease versus 2000 levels.
• Increasing efforts to certify more Company-managed woodlands operations through the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Sustainable Forest Management standard, leading to the Company becoming the world's largest manager of FSC-certified forests in 2012.
• Creating a management-level sustainability committee which prepared and is responsible for implementing Resolute's new corporate sustainability strategy.
• Completing a major life-cycle assessment of the Company's eco-friendly family of papers in 2011. These papers were launched in 2012 under the Align™ brand name.

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10.31.2012
Torstar Corporation Reports Third Quarter Results

Torstar Corporation today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

Highlights for the quarter:
· Revenue was $355.3 million in the third quarter of 2012, down $23.4 million (6.2%) from $378.7 million in the third quarter of 2011. Excluding the impact of acquisitions and TMGTV product sales, revenue was down $16.0 million (4.5%).

· EBITDA (see “non-IFRS measures”) was $43.2 million in the third quarter of 2012, down $10.5 million from $53.7 million in the third quarter of 2011.

· Net income attributable to equity shareholders was $14.1 million ($0.18 per share) in the third quarter down $11.1 million ($0.14 per share) from $25.2 million ($0.32 per share) last year.

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10.31.2012
Global excellence in printing celebrated: 10 Sappi International Printers of the Year announced

The 10 winners for 2012, in the world's most prestigious printing competition, were announced today in Johannesburg, South Africa by Ralph Boettger, Chief Executive Officer Sappi Limited.

The Sappi International Printers of the Year awards recognise the best printers from around the world; those that continually raise the bar for print excellence as new technologies and techniques have allowed them to continue to produce printed communication that grabs the attention of their intended audience despite the media clutter of our fast-paced modern world.

The international winners were chosen from 33 regional gold finalists in the following categories: annual reports, books, brochures, calendars, catalogues, digital print, general print, magazines – sheetfed, magazines – web, packaging and labels and printer's own promotion. The independent panel of judges worked to a strict set of technical criteria, focusing on production qualities (overall appearance, quality of finishing and general difficulty of the print job, as well as factors such as dot sharpness, ink density, registration, sheet size, paper weight, screen ruling, stitching and die-cutting), whilst taking into account the overall balance and appeal of the printed work and whether the combination of design, finishing and the choice of materials was appropriate. With all the finalist entries being of such a high standard, the ultimate winners were those that stood out for the judges as having that extra appeal and attention to the finest detail.

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10.31.2012
NewPage Supports WRI's Launch of New Forest Mapping Tools

NewPage Corporation announced today its support of the World Resources Institute (WRI) in releasing new groundbreaking web applications created to help ensure that palm oil production is pursued in a way that avoids deforestation. These two publicly available web tools–the Forest Cover Analyzer and the Suitability Mapper—are the first of their kind, designed to enable companies and governments to implement commitments to sustainable palm oil.

Since 2008, NewPage has supported WRI's Project POTICO, a project designed to divert oil palm development in Indonesia onto low-carbon, already-cleared lands and thereby avoid deforestation. Though NewPage sources fiber for its operations exclusively in North America under rigorous environmental and social criteria, NewPage believes strongly in supporting initiatives like Project POTICO that are working to improve forest product procurement practices across the globe.

Project POTICO's Forest Cover Analyzer tool allows users to identify and assess forest conditions in Indonesian Borneo, including the extent of forests, forest cover change, where oil palm and other concessions are located, and the suitability of land for sustainable palm oil development. Given the increased focus many corporations are placing on responsible procurement of forest and agricultural products, the Forest Cover Analyzer is designed to be an extremely valuable tool for corporate buyers, suppliers, and investors looking to avoid risks associated with deforestation concern and to locate plantations not associated with forest clearing.

The second tool, the Suitability Mapper, is an online mapping system designed for use by palm oil producers and spatial planners, allowing them to locate low-carbon degraded lands on Indonesian Borneo that are potentially suitable for sustainable palm oil production.

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10.31.2012
Mondi Group: Interim Management Statement 31 October 2012

This interim management statement provides an update on the financial performance and financial position of the Group since the half-year ended 30 June 2012, based on management accounts up to 30 September 2012 and estimated results for October 2012.

Underlying operating profit for the third quarter ended 30 September 2012 was €135 million (year to date €405 million, 2011 €490 million) in line with that of the comparable prior year period (Q3 2011 €136 million) and below that of the prior quarter (Q2 2012 €150 million). This was in line with expectations and reflects a stable trading environment considering the impact of the traditionally weaker European summer months, annual maintenance shuts at a number of the Group’s larger operating sites during the quarter and ongoing strong cost containment.

Sales volumes were, on average, similar to those achieved in the previous quarter but above those of the comparable prior year period, although demand in the downstream converting operations was below that of the prior year. Third quarter average benchmark selling prices across all grades were below those of the comparable prior year period. Selling price increases were realised in kraft paper during the quarter and price increases for containerboard are effective from early in the fourth quarter of 2012.

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10.31.2012
Newspaper Circs Slip, But Paywalls Boost Some

The total average weekday circulation of American newspapers decreased 0.2% between the middle of 2011 and the middle of 2012, according to the latest report from the Audit Bureau of Circulations, covering the six-month period ending in September. There was some positive news, however, as digital paywalls boosted circs significantly for some publications.

One of the biggest increases resulting from the implementation of paywalls came at The New York Times, whose average weekday circulation jumped 40.3% from 1,150,589 in the six-month period ending September 2011 to 1,613,865 during the same period of 2012. But the NYT was just one of a number of papers registering increases (not all of which can be attributed to paywalls).

At The Los Angeles Times, average weekday circ jumped 11.9% from 572,998 to 641,369, while The Wall Street Journal grew 9.4% from 2,096,169 to 2,293,798. Among regional newspapers, the Newark Star-Ledger saw weekday circ increase 48.1%; the St. Petersburg Times, 30.4%;; The Honolulu Star Advertiser, 26.3%; the Tampa Tribun,25.4%; the Atlanta Journal-Constitution 25.3%; the Las Vegas Review-Journal, 18.3%; theDenver Post, 16.9; The Boston Globe, 11.9%; and the Chicago Sun-Times, 11%. The New York Post edged up 2.1% .
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10.31.2012
EURO-GRAPH Publishes Monthly Statistics of the European Graphic Papers Industry

Total European shipments of graphic papers in September were down 9.5% vs. 2011 and are down 4.7% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of newsprint in September were down 7.2% vs. 2011 and are down 3.9% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of SC-Magazine grades in September were down 15.6% vs. 2011 and are down 5.5% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Coated Mechanical Reels in September were down 15.4% vs. 2011 and are down 7.4% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Uncoated Mechanical (Improved & Others) in September were down 3.5% vs. 2011 and are down 4.0% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Coated Woodfree in September were down 5.3% vs. 2011 and are down 3.5% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Uncoated Woodfree in September were down 7.8% vs. 2011 and are down 3.5% year-to-date.

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10.31.2012
Oil Trims Biggest Monthly Decline Since May After Storm

Oil rose, trimming the biggest monthly decline since May, as refineries started resuming operations after the Atlantic superstorm Sandy moved away from the U.S. East Coast.

West Texas Intermediate futures gained as much as 1.1 percent after advancing 0.2 percent yesterday. Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ 355,000 barrel-a-day Pennsylvania refinery is restoring operations and NuStar Energy LP (NS)’s 74,000 barrel-a-day plant in Paulsboro, New Jersey, will be at full production tomorrow, the companies said. Seven refineries with a total capacity of 1.29 million barrels a day had shut or reduced operations because of Sandy.

“If we think the refineries on the East Coast haven’t suffered material damage and are restarting,” that will support WTI prices, said Torbjoern Kjus, a senior oil analyst at DNB ASA in Oslo, who predicts Brent crude will average $109 a barrel this quarter. “You could argue Sandy should have more negative effects on oil demand than negative effects on supply.”

Crude for December delivery rose as much as 91 cents to $86.59 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $86.34 at 10:29 a.m. London time. Prices gained 14 cents yesterday to $85.68, the highest close since Oct. 26.

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10.31.2012
Bertelsmann’s Print Unit To Do Business As Be Printers

The printing division of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, founded a few months ago, will operate under the name Be Printers from now on. The international media company had merged most of its worldwide print operations in this unit to achieve improved control and focus. Now, the name of the business unit was unveiled in Hamburg along with its newly developed corporate design.

Bertelsmann is thus uniting 17 production sites in six countries on three continents under the Be Printers umbrella. The Be Printers group does business in the key markets of America (U.S. and Colombia) and Europe (Prinovis Germany and UK, Italy, Spain). The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Be Printers is Bertram Stausberg, who also heads Prinovis. The individual Be Printer companies will continue to do business under their original names. Axel Springer will remain a co-shareholder in Prinovis.

Be Printers generates annual revenues of €1.2 billion and employs approximately 6,800 people. The group covers the full technological range of modern printing (gravure, web and sheetfed offset, digital printing). Its plants produce magazines, catalogs, brochures, books and calendars for their clients.

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10.31.2012
Berry Plastics Group, Inc. to Reopen its Madisonville, Kentucky, Facility

At a news conference held at the Madisonville/Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation, Berry Plastics Group, Inc., together with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, announced that the Company will reopen its Madisonville, Kentucky, manufacturing facility to increase its production capacity.

"I am very pleased to announce that we will soon begin reconfiguring our Madisonville, Kentucky, facility which is slated to begin production in 2013," said Jon Rich, Chairman and CEO of Berry Plastics. "We are extremely appreciative of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Hopkins County officials, and the city of Madisonville for their joint support of this initiative, which will allow us to reopen the facility, creating the opportunity for new jobs within the region and specifically the Madisonville community."

"This is a tremendous day for the Commonwealth, Madisonville, and Berry Plastics, with more than 400 jobs being created and a significant capital investment being made," said Gov. Beshear. "Today's announcement is a demonstration that Berry Plastics continues to build on its growth as a leading global manufacturer in its field."

Berry acquired the Madisonville (Hopkins County) facility during its acquisition of Rexam's specialty and beverage closures business in August 2011. Earlier this year, the Company shuttered the facility, as a result of the redistribution of production to its other rigid closed top manufacturing facilities. The facility had employed approximately 140. Berry announced today that it will convert the facility to manufacture rigid open top products.

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10.31.2012
MOD-PAC CORP. Reports Record Quarterly Product Sales and 43% Increase in Net Income for the Third Quarter of 2012

MOD-PAC CORP., a high value-added, on-demand print services firm that designs and manufactures custom and stock folding cartons, reported total revenue of $15.4 million for the third quarter of 2012, which ended September 29, 2012, compared with $14.4 million for the third quarter of 2011. The 7.1% increase reflects higher custom folding carton sales, partially offset by lower waste paperboard sales. Net income for the third quarter of 2012 was up sharply to $0.9 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, from net income of $0.6 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2011.

Daniel G. Keane, President and CEO, commented, “We had a strong third quarter, achieving record quarterly product sales on continued growth in our custom folding carton business. The growth in this line demonstrates the success of our sales and marketing initiatives as we increased the amount of business from several established accounts and added a number of new smaller accounts. We continue to anticipate solid product demand for the remaining part of 2012.”

Record Third-Quarter Product Sales Highlighted by Custom Folding Carton Growth
• Sales of custom folding cartons reached a quarterly record of $12.3 million, up 9.5% from $11.2 million in the third quarter of 2011. The increase was primarily due to additional business from several existing customers, the ramp-up of sales from some large customers whose business was earned last year and, to a lesser extent, augmented by new smaller customers. Partially offsetting the growth was lower waste paperboard sales.
• Stock packaging sales remained relatively consistent at $2.3 million in the third quarter.
• Personalized print sales were $0.7 million in the third quarter of 2012, down slightly from the prior-year period.

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10.31.2012
Melitta USA Converts to Sonoco's Paperboard Composite Container

As the world's largest producer of composite cans, Sonoco, is helping Melitta USA move from traditional metal cans to high-performance composite cans that deliver better shelf appeal and a reduced environmental footprint.

Melitta, which has been roasting premium European-style coffee at its location in Cherry Hill, N.J., for over 40 years, has converted its 603- and 401-volume coffee cans to Sonoco's lighter weight paperboard composite container made from recycled and recyclable content. Sonoco's rigid paperboard containers weigh less than metal cans, making them less expensive to ship, and they perform as well as metal canisters in abuse resistance and shelf life.

"With the new cans, we're offering consumers the same premium product in a package that they can feel good about purchasing – a lighter weight option made from renewable and recyclable materials," said Jeff Bridges, vice president, Melitta USA.

"Additionally, we were very pleased with the conversion process," Bridges continued. "Over the past two years, Sonoco's team of dedicated quality and technical experts has provided us with the most seamless transition possible."

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10.31.2012
Ahlstrom announces price increases for its filtration materials worldwide

Ahlstrom, a global leader in high performance materials, announces price increases in the first quarter of 2013 for its filtration materials globally as a consequence of the continued high level of raw materials prices, such as specialty fibers, chemicals and energy.

The price increase will affect filtration materials produced by Ahlstrom globally. The level and timing of the increase will depend on the markets served, the raw material content of the product and the agreements in place. The increase will be between 5-10 %.

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10.31.2012
KapStone Reports Record Third Quarter Results

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation today reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

Consolidated net sales of $309.5 million in the third quarter of 2012 increased by $93.7 million, or 43.4 percent compared to $215.8 million for the 2011 third quarter. The increase is primarily due to the USC acquisition which contributed $99.1 million of additional revenue based on selling 1.56 billion square feet of corrugated products compared to none in 2011. In 2012's third quarter, 329,000 tons of paper were sold compared to 327,000 tons a year earlier. The Company's average selling price increased by $2 per ton compared to the second quarter of 2012, but was $14 per ton lower than the third quarter of 2011 due to lower export containerboard prices and product mix.

Operating income of $31.1 million for the 2012 third quarter increased by $1.0 million, or 3.2 percent, compared to the 2011 third quarter. The improved financial performance primarily reflects benefits from the acquisition and the timing of annual planned maintenance outages, partially offset by lower selling prices, unplanned downtime at our Roanoke Rapids, NC mill and unfavorable foreign exchange rates.

Unfavorable foreign exchange rates resulting from the strengthening of the U.S. dollar compared to the euro reduced operating income by $1.5 million.

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10.31.2012
Boston Globe's Paid Circulation Grows, ABC Audit Reports

The Boston Globe’s paid circulation grew over the last six months, including an 11.9 percent jump for average daily circulation over the same period a year earlier, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, an independent group.

Average Sunday circulation was 372,541 for the six-month period that ended in September, an increase of 3.4 percent over the same period a year earlier, according to the Chicago-based Audit Bureau. Average daily circulation rose 11.9 percent to 230,351 over those same six months.

“These numbers build on a trend we first saw this spring, when the Globe’s paid circulation grew for the first time since September 2004,” said Christopher Mayer, the Globe’s publisher. “This reflects our readers’ commitment to our award-winning journalism, no matter what the platform.”

The numbers include print circulation and digital subscriptions. While the Globe saw print declines of 6% for Sunday and 9% for daily over the same period a year earlier, these were offset by gains in digital subscriptions. The Globe has 26,000 digital-only subscribers to BostonGlobe.com, which launched in October 2011, as of the end of the third quarter of this year. Overall, 50,000 readers use the Globe’s portfolio of digital products, averaged over the six-month ABC reporting period.

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10.31.2012
Sonoco Plastics Opens New Albany, Ohio Plant to Commercial Production

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, has commenced commercial production of rigid plastic containers for personal care products at its new $15 million plant, located in the Beauty and Home Care campus in New Albany, Ohio.

According to Rodger Fuller, vice president of Rigid Plastics, Sonoco's new 142,230-square-foot plant is currently operating 11 injection stretch blow-molding production lines, producing PET bottles for personal care products. In addition, the plant is operating four injection molding machines that are producing plastic components for wall air fresheners.

"Sonoco Plastics is a leader in designing and producing innovative, customized rigid plastic packaging for some of the largest personal care brands in North America. As we continue to ramp up production from our new Beauty Park facility we will be adding six more injection stretch blow-molding lines," Fuller said. "By year-end 2012, we expect to be in full production and reach total employment of 70 people. That said, we have the capacity and capability to further grow this plant's production for other personal care and food-grade containers."

Sonoco Plastics is a leading manufacturer of mono-layer and multi-layer blow-molded bottles and jars, thermoformed cups and trays and engineered molded and extruded containers, spools and trays. The Company has 25 plastics operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany. In addition to the Beauty Park facility, Sonoco Plastics operates a state-of-the-art food-grade, blow-molding and injection molding plant in Columbus, Ohio. The Company is currently reviewing plans for additional expansion of this facility as well, Fuller added.

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10.31.2012
The New York Times Announces Solid Circulation Gains

For the six-month period ending September 30, 2012, The New York Times saw solid circulation growth according to the just released Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) report. Total average circulation, which includes total print and total digital, was 1,613,865 for Monday–Friday and 2,100,893 for Sunday.

The gains in total average circulation over the same period one year ago were 40% for Monday-Friday and 28% for Sunday. As with the last reporting period, these gains can largely be attributed to the continuing popularity of The Times’s digital subscription packages and to ABC rules on reporting digital circulation.

For this most recent ABC reporting period, total average digital circulation for Monday-Friday was 896,352 (up 136% over one year ago) and for Sunday, it was 850,816 (up 129%). This category of circulation includes all paid and verified digital subscription copies as well as paid subscriptions to replica editions and e-readers including Amazon’s Kindle and the Barnes & Noble NOOK.

For the six-month period ending September 30, 2012, total average print circulation for The New York Times for Monday-Friday was 717,513 and total average print circulation for Sunday was 1,250,077. These figures represent declines; -6.9% for Monday-Friday and -1.8% on Sunday, when compared to the same period last year.

However, we continue to see growth in our Sunday home delivery circulation, which for this reporting period was 998,080, a 0.6% increase over the same period one year ago. This marks the third consecutive reporting period with increases in Sunday home delivery and a proof point of the value of free all digital access, which is provided as a benefit of all print subscriptions to The Times in terms of acquisition and retention efforts.

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10.31.2012
Sonoco Expands Waynesville Thermoforming Facility

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, announced today that it has completed an 18,000-square-foot expansion at its Waynesville, N.C., thermoforming location, where it will start up a new multilayer, trim-in-place line. This new machine will enable the production of a wide variety of containers with the added capability of complex shapes for chilled foods, as well as thermally processed shelf stable food products. In addition to the new line, the Waynesville location has added capacity through plant consolidation efforts. As a result of the new line and added capacity, 33 new employees have been hired.

According to Rodger Fuller, vice president of Rigid Plastics, Sonoco's new line is being installed now and will be ready for full production in December. "This investment in large-scale multilayer polypropylene production complements our existing capabilities for processed food packaging, which include crystallized polyethylene terephthalate (CPET) and polypropylene frozen food trays; portion control cups; and blow molded bottles for retorted and aseptically processed beverages," said Fuller. "Sonoco Plastics is a leader in designing and producing innovative, customized rigid plastic packaging for some of the largest food and beverage producers in North America. We look forward to expanding our offering through this new state-of-the-art production line and hope to further grow within this category in the future.

Sonoco's packaging capabilities for processed food extend beyond plastics to include steam vent flexible bags, as well as retortable flexible pouches, closures and membranes. Our ability to produce barrier plastic trays rounds out our offering across the processed foods category."

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10.31.2012
Gov. Gregoire celebrates the reopening of Harbor Paper in Hoquiam

Gov. Chris Gregoire today celebrated the reopening of Harbor Paper, formerly Grays Harbor Paper Co., which reopened in September and immediately began producing paper. Today, Harbor Paper is in full production and brings an estimated 175 family wage jobs to the region.

“Today is a celebration of renewal,” said Gregoire. “The reopening of Harbor Paper is a positive example of what can happen when the state, private investment and local business comes together – and that is they can help rebuild and revive a local economy and community. Paper production has been a constant in Grays Harbor for more than 84 years and has employed many generations of workers. Today that commitment continues and I’m very proud to have played a role in this success story.”

The Harbor Paper mill received state funding through Washington’s Small Business Credit Initiative, a program announced in December of 2011 and administered by the state’s Department of Commerce to provide small business owners with as much as $5 million in loans to help create and preserve jobs in underserved communities. That funding, combined with private investments, helped re-open the mill’s doors.

Harbor Paper is leading the way in producing uncoated, free-sheet recycled paper using sustainable and renewable energy sources. The mill is a net producer of energy and the production process is carbon neutral.

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10.30.2012
West Fraser Announces Third Quarter Results

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. today reported earnings for the third quarter of 2012 of $55 million and earnings per share of $1.27 on sales of $772 million. For the first nine months of 2012, earnings were $65 million and earnings per share were $1.51, on sales of $2.2 billion.

In the quarter the lumber segment generated operating earnings of $37 million and EBITDA of $58 million. Lumber prices continued to reflect gradually improving U.S. demand combined with continuing steady demand for Canadian lumber from both Canada and Asia. Higher benchmark lumber prices triggered a reduction in duties charged on softwood lumber exported to the U.S. from B.C. and Alberta during the quarter.

The panels segment, which includes plywood, LVL and MDF, generated improved operating earnings in the quarter of $22 million and EBITDA of $25 million reflecting strong Canadian plywood prices.

Pulp and paper operations generated operating earnings of $17 million and EBITDA of $28 million, in line with the previous quarter. The average NBSK benchmark price for the quarter fell to US$853 per tonne from US$900 in the previous quarter but reduced costs resulted in a marginal improvement in operating earnings compared with the previous quarter.

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10.30.2012
Wausau Paper Announces Third-Quarter Results

Wausau Paper today reported that:
• Excluding special items, third-quarter adjusted net earnings from continuing operations were $0.06 per diluted share, compared to adjusted net earnings of $0.12 per diluted share during the same period last year.
• Net earnings from continuing operations, excluding special items, for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, were $0.25 per diluted share and $0.27 per diluted share, respectively.

During 2012, the Company completed the sale of its premium Print & Color brands, inventory and select equipment, and the permanent closure and sale of its Brokaw, Wisconsin, manufacturing site. The Company began reporting the operations of the Brokaw manufacturing facility and related closure activities as a discontinued operation as of March 31, 2012, in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. Additionally, the discontinued operation is separately presented from continuing operations for all periods presented in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. All results discussed below exclude the discontinued operation unless otherwise indicated.

Third-quarter net loss from continuing operations was $5.2 million, or $0.10 per share compared to net earnings of $5.4 million, or $0.11 per diluted share a year ago. On a year-over-year basis, consolidated net sales decreased five percent to $202 million with shipments measured in tons decreasing three percent. Year-to-date, the Company reported a net loss from continuing operations of $1.5 million, or $0.03 per share, compared with net earnings of $10.0 million, or $0.20 per diluted share in the comparable 2011 period. For the nine months ended September 30, consolidated net sales increased two percent to $631 million as shipments increased four percent.

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10.30.2012
FTC revised Green Guides finally appear

It’s been a long five years, but at the beginning of October, the revised Green Guides were finally published by the Federal Trade Commission. The Green Guides offer a set of guidelines for marketers to follow to ensure that they are being honest, forthcoming, and not deceptive about their claims of sustainability. Surprising as it may seem, the Green Guides were originally published in 1992, and no substantial revision has been made since 1998, says GreenBiz. Naturally, there have been a few developments in the area of sustainability since then.

Among other modifications, the guides caution marketers not to make broad, unqualified claims that a product is “environmentally friendly” or “eco-friendly” — or “green” — because the FTC’s consumer perception study confirms that such claims are likely to suggest that the product has specific and far-reaching environmental benefits. The commission notes, “Very few products, if any, have all the attributes consumers seem to perceive from such claims, making these claims nearly impossible to substantiate.”

The new guides offer new guidance on certifications and “seals of approval” (which are considered endorsements and thus fall under the purview of FTC’s Endorsements Guides), carbon offsets, the use of the phrase “free-of,” claims about non-toxicity, claims about using renewable energy/materials, and more.

Finally, either because the FTC lacks a sufficient basis to provide meaningful guidance or wants to avoid proposing guidance that duplicates or contradicts rules or guidance of other agencies, the Green Guides do not address use of the terms “sustainable,” “natural,” and “organic.” Or “green.”

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10.30.2012
Thirty Sonoco Facilities Receive Sustainability Star Awards for 2011 Sustainability Efforts

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today announced that 19 of its Industrial Carriers (North America) facilities successfully diverted over 95 percent of landfill waste in 2011. These 19 facilities bring the total number of Sonoco plants to 30. Four of the 19 plants have achieved landfill-free status by sending less than one percent to landfill, while the other 15 have reached five percent or less.

"One of our Company-wide sustainability initiatives is to take 10 percent of our global manufacturing facilities landfill free by 2015," said Harris DeLoach Jr., chairman and chief executive officer. "To see this level of buy-in by one of our divisions is very encouraging, and raises the bar for all Company divisions."

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10.30.2012
Sealed Air Announces Definitive Agreement for the Sale of Diversey Japan

Sealed Air Corporation announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with an investment vehicle of The Carlyle Group (“Carlyle”), a global alternative asset manager, for Carlyle to acquire Diversey G.K. (“Diversey Japan”) (an indirect subsidiary of Diversey, Inc.) for gross proceeds of approximately ¥30 billion (USD equivalent of approximately 377 million).

Diversey Japan is a leading provider of cleaning, sanitation and hygiene products and solutions, mainly to institutional customers in the Japanese market, with trailing twelve month sales as of September 30, 2012, of approximately $321 million.

“The determination to sell Diversey Japan follows a strategic portfolio review aimed at focusing on higher growth countries in which our portfolio offers the greatest potential,” said William V. Hickey, Sealed Air’s Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. “We are very committed to our strategy of growing our presence in food safety and security, facility hygiene and product protection globally. We intend to continue our close relationship with Diversey Japan as we collaborate in areas such as product development, procurement and providing quality service to customers. The sale of Diversey Japan allows us to continue to offer leading solutions and service levels, while accelerating debt reduction and generating value for our stockholders.”

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10.30.2012
Fibria Third Quarter Loss Narrows on Lower Inventories, Uptick in Demand

The seasonality seen in the months of July and August weakened demand in the Northern Hemisphere and increased world producers' inventories as compared to 2Q12. However, inventories were lower as compared to 3Q11 and by the end of 3Q12, we had seen demand pick up, especially in Asia. This confirmed the positive market fundamentals, also demonstrated by the marginal rise in sales volume as compared to 2Q12 despite world economic uncertainty. The average dollar appreciated 3% against the real, contributing to the increases in net operating revenue of 4% and 7% quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year, respectively.

The Company accepted a binding offer from CMPC Celulose Riograndense S.A. for the purchase of forestry assets and lands located in State of Rio Grande do Sul (Losango), consisting approximately 100 thousand hectares of owned areas and nearly 39 thousand hectares of forestland of eucalyptus in these owned areas and in third parties leased areas, for the total amount of R$615 million to be paid, in currency, in three installments: (i) R$488 million by the approval of the transaction by the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE); (ii) R$122 million to be deposited by the time of CADE’s approval, on an escrow account to be opened before a leading financial institution, which will be released upon other applicable governmental approvals and other condition precedent and (iii) R$5 million by the effective assignment of the existing agreements related to the assets and applicable government approvals. The agreement between the parties sets the term for National Defense Council’s approval. Refer to Note 1, item (d) (iii) for further details. The transaction does not include forest partnership contracts developed in the Losango areas, which will be maintained and honored by Fibria. The Company will analyze opportunities for the use of wood volumes derived from these contracts. The proceeds of this operation will be used to reduce leverage ratios.

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10.30.2012
Consumer confidence rose to highest level in five years

According to Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan on Monday, the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 82.6 in October, the highest level since September 2007.

Economists polled by Bloomberg projected 83 for the measure after a preliminary October reading of 83.1.

The Michigan index of consumer expectations six months from now, which more closely projects the direction of consumer spending, rose to 79 from 73.5 in September. The gauge of current conditions climbed to 88.1 from 85.7 a month ago.
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10.30.2012
Hurricane Sandy Disrupts Delivery Service on East Coast

As Hurricane Sandy slammed the East Coast today, affecting about 50 million people from the Mid-Atlantic states to Canada, the country's major shipping companies incurred interruptions to some of its delivery areas.

On its Service Alerts page, FedEx posted an announcement that said: "FedEx is closely monitoring Hurricane Sandy. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our team members, as well as providing the highest level of service to our customers. Although contingency plans are in place, some service delays and disruptions may be anticipated in the following states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island and North Carolina. FedEx is committed to providing service to the best of our ability in areas that can be safely accessed."

The U.S. Postal Service said FedEx, which transports priority, express and some first class mail, canceled service to a number of locations today including Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Bradley International Airport (Windsor Locks, CT); Dulles, VA; Harrisburg, PA; Lehigh Valley, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Providence, RI; Newark, NJ; New York, NY; Stewart Airport, NY; and Washington, DC.

The USPS has its latest news regarding delivery areas affected by Hurricane Sandy on its mail service updates page. USPS spokesperson David Partenheimer said in an email today that "conditions will continue to change rapidly in areas affected by Sandy, and managers in all impacted areas will evaluate local conditions and make decisions based on whether our carriers can safely deliver the mail."

UPS is reporting unavoidable service delays in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.

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10.30.2012
Ilim Group's Output of P&P Products in the First Three Quarters of 2012 Exceeds over 1.9 mln Tons

Over the first nine months of 2012, Ilim Group’s mills in the Northwest Russia and in Siberia manufactured 1,928,000 tons of pulp and paper products, which is slightly more than for the same period last year.

The output of market pulp reached 1,224,000 tons, which is a 2% growth against last year.

Market containerboard production totaled 525,000 tons, 2% less than in the first nine months of 2011.

Paper production has gained 5%, reaching 179,000 tons.

OAO Ilim Gofra, corrugated box business of Ilim Group in the Leningrad Oblast, increased its production volumes by 4.5% to reach 94,248,000 square meters of corrugated products.

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10.30.2012
Heidelberg Further Expands its Consumables Business

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is further expanding its consumables business in Switzerland by taking over the Pfaffnau-based OFS Group (OFS). With a workforce of around 25, OFS is one of the leading suppliers of prepress systems and consumables in Switzerland, and has been active in the market for over 40 years. The main focus of the company has been on the sale of platesetters in conjunction with the corresponding printing plates from Kodak for the sheetfed offset and newspaper market. As a result of this takeover, Heidelberg Schweiz AG is now the largest dealer in consumables in the graphics industry.

"The OFS Group and Heidelberg have a comprehensive sales and service network in Switzerland. By combining the activities of the two companies in the area of consumables, customers now have access to a wide range of products from a single source. At the same time, they will benefit from the renowned high quality and service standards of Heidelberg," says Peter Tix, Head of Consumables and CtP at Heidelberg. Heidelberg plans to pool all of its Swiss consumables activities at the OFS's former headquarters in Pfaffnau. In the future, customers will not only be able to purchase the OFS Group's existing range of CtP systems and printing plates for the offset and newspaper market from Kodak, they will also have access to the full Heidelberg range of SAPHIRA consumables including inks, varnishes, washup cloths, blankets, chemicals, rollers, and the SAPHIRA Eco Line of environmentally friendly consumables - all from a single source. Heidelberg will also be underlining its high standard of service with a new color mixing station - a fully-automated, high-precision system that is among the most state-of-the-art in Switzerland. Customers in Switzerland can order most products online at www.shop.heidelberg.com.

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10.30.2012
FT Continues Strong Digital Growth in Q3 Earnings

The Financial Times has more digital subscribers than print and that gap is only growing.

Digital subscriptions increased again in Q3--up 17 percent since January and 26 percent year-over-year--and now account for 313,000 of the 600,000-plus combined subscribers, according to FT ownership group Pearson who released its nine-month interim management statement on Monday. FT reaches an audience of close to 2.1 million daily.

The publisher first announced digital subscriptions had surpassed print at the halfway mark of this year. At that point, "over 300,000" readers were paying for digital content.

Despite the good news on the subscriber front, Pearson issued harsh commentary on the state of its advertising business for the second-consecutive quarter, saying prospects "remain[] weak and short-term." The statement did note that its advertising market share had increased however.

Today's news comes weeks after The Economist--in which the FT Group holds a controlling stake--became one of the first magazine publishers to guarantee a rate base of digital-only subscribers. Set at 50,000, the move was heralded as a way to attract advertisers through transparency in a notoriously hazy digital arena.
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10.30.2012
IBM predicts mobile consumer spending spree

Everyone knows that online consumer purchasing increases as the holiday season nears. However, IBM's latest Online Retail Index, comprised of roughly 500 online retailers in the U.S., projects tremendous growth in mobile sales during the holiday season over the same period last year.

While the projected 3.1% overall increase in online sales is consistent with past growth associated with holiday shopping, IBM anticipates mobile purchasing will constitute 20% of online holiday sales this year.

This percentage has consistently doubled over the past two years—hitting 5.5% in 2010 and 11% in 2011. Jay Henderson, global strategy program director for IBM's Enterprise Marketing Management division, doesn't anticipate a slowdown of mobile purchasing activity in the coming years. “I do think at some point we'll likely see mobile plateau, but it's got a long run until we get to that point,” Henderson says, attributing the increase to the proliferation of smartphones and tablets.

During the holiday season, IBM will further break down spending figures on mobile phones versus tablet devices; at this point, it doesn't differentiate between spending on mobile apps versus mobile web pages.

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10.30.2012
Courier to Bring Digital Print to Kendallville Plant

Courier Corporation, one of America’s leading innovators in book manufacturing, content management and publishing, today announced its plans to provide complete end-to-end digital production capability at its flagship four-color plant in Kendallville, Indiana.

The heart of the new production line will be a high-volume HP T410 Color Inkjet Web Press, Courier’s fourth HP digital press and its largest to date. With three HP T350 presses already running at its plant in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Courier opted for the greater capacity and flexibility of the T410, with its 42-inch web width, to serve an even larger customer base across a full range of run lengths at the Indiana plant.

Other key components include HP’s new Indigo 10000 digital press for book covers, a Muller Martini binding line and extensive warehousing and distribution facilities. The new equipment is scheduled to be installed over the winter for ramp-up next spring at a cost of approximately $13 million, which will bring Courier’s total investment in digital production to $40 million.

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10.30.2012
Oil Trades Near Four-Month Low as Sandy Shuts Refineries

Oil traded near the lowest level in almost four months in New York and headed for the biggest monthly decline since May after refiners reduced operations on the U.S. East Coast because of Atlantic storm Sandy.

Futures were little changed after sliding as much as 0.5 percent. Phillips 66, Hess Corp., NuStar Energy LP (NS) and PBF Energy Inc. shut or lowered output prior to Sandy making landfall. Sandy, the largest storm in the Atlantic on record, has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Gasoline declined from the highest level in almost two weeks.

“You will lose some crude demand with the shutdown of the refineries, and that is mildly bearish,” said Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity markets strategy at BNP Paribas SA in London. “But unlike in the Gulf Coast, there are no crude production areas to be impacted and thus little supply- side effects on crude prices.”

West Texas Intermediate crude for December delivery was at $85.62 a barrel, up 8 cents, at 9:19 a.m. London time. The contract closed at $85.54 yesterday, the lowest since July 10.

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10.30.2012
Sonoco Awarded Two Golden Cylinders for Flexible Packaging Innovations

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, received two Golden Cylinder Awards for flexible packaging innovations from the Gravure Association of America (GAA) at its recent Packaging and Products Conference held in Chicago, Ill.

Flexible stand-up pouches produced by Sonoco for LEGO Group's Hero Factory toy lines received GAA's "Best of the Best" recognition in the Packaging Category for delivering a new, reclosable flexible packaging option with high-impact graphics. The graphics provide unique differentiation on retail store shelves, said Bob Puechl, vice president, Sonoco Flexibles.

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10.29.2012
What Authors Want From Open Access Publishing

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., today announced the results of an author survey on open access, with over ten thousand respondents from across Wiley’s journal portfolio. The research explored the factors that authors assess when deciding where to publish, and whether to publish open access. Among the top factors considered by authors were the relevance and scope of the journal, the journal’s impact factor and the international reach of the journal.

Over 30% of respondents had published at least one open access paper, and 79% stated that open access was more prevalent in their discipline than three years ago. In the survey, an open access article was defined as “free for all to read, download and share online and the author, their institution or funding body pays a fee to ensure that the article is made open access.”

Among authors yet to publish open access, the list of reasons given included a lack of high profile open access journals (48%), lack of funding (44%) and concerns about quality (34%). Authors said they would publish in an open access journal if it had a high impact factor, if it were well regarded and if it had a rigorous peer review process.
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10.29.2012
Pactiv Launches EarthChoice® 25 Percent Post Consumer Recycled Content Foam Food Service Packaging Products*

Pactiv LLC a leader in the food service packaging industry, has introduced EarthChoice® 25 percent Post Consumer Recycled Content Foam Foodservice packaging, for disposable food service needs. The comprehensive line of EarthChoice® contains six foam hinged lids and a five compartment school lunch tray.

The definition for post consumer recycled content is:
Materials that have been used by consumers and diverted from landfills to be integrated into new products.

U.S. FDA compliant for food packaging applications, these new carry-out containers are ideal for a wide variety of foodservice applications while delivering greater performance than ever before. From a smart optional venting system on our medium and large hinged lids with dependable closures to increased structural strength and optimized cube utilization, our foam hinged lids now give you reliability, customer convenience and unmatched value.

Pactiv’s EarthChoice® 25 Percent Post Consumer Foam products are manufactured in the U.S., which lessens the environmental impact from transportation and distribution. And, Pactiv customers can combine their EarthChoice® selections with other Pactiv products for optimal truck loading.

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10.29.2012
OJI Announcement Concerning a New Joint Venture in India

As already announced, we (“Oji”) had incorporated an Indian subsidiary Oji India Packaging Pvt Ltd (“Oji India Packaging”), effective June 20, 2012, for the purpose of starting Corrugated Container Business in India. We are pleased to announce that the Business Plan for Oji India Packaging has recently been approved.

It has now been decided to conduct the business under a Joint Venture to be formed by Oji, JK Paper Ltd. (“JK”), who is a leading manufacturer of pulp and paper in India, and Marubeni Corporation in Japan. Three parties have executed a Joint Venture Agreement effective today.

Oji will continuously seek opportunities to meet the increasing demand of corrugated packaging materials in India, which is growing at a healthy rate in line with economic growth.
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10.29.2012
MOD-PAC CORP. Receives Proposal From Its Chairman of the Board and Its President and CEO to Acquire the Company

MOD-PAC CORP., a high value-added, on-demand print services firm that designs and manufactures custom and stock folding cartons, today announced that it has received a formal proposal from Daniel G. Keane, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer and Kevin T. Keane, Chairman of the Board, (the “Buying Group”) to acquire the Company. Under this proposal, all stockholders of the Company would receive $7.20 in cash for each of their shares in a merger transaction. The Buying Group currently controls approximately 43% of the aggregate voting power of the outstanding shares of Common Stock and Class B Common Stock.

MOD-PAC plans to form a Special Committee of its Board of Directors which will review and consider the Buying Group’s proposal on behalf of the Company. The Special Committee will retain a legal advisor and an independent financial advisor to assist it in its consideration of the proposal.

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10.29.2012
KP Tissue Inc. Files Preliminary Prospectus for Initial Public Offering

KP Tissue Inc. announced today that it has filed a preliminary prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada in connection with a proposed initial public offering of its common shares. A copy of this preliminary prospectus will be available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

The offering is being made through a syndicate of underwriters led by Scotia Capital Inc. as Sole Bookrunner, National Bank Financial Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc. and TD Securities Inc., and also includes CIBC World Markets Inc., Desjardins Securities Inc., HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc. and Canaccord Genuity Corp.

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10.29.2012
Ilim Group's Mills in Siberia Produce 1.1 Mln Tons of Products in the First Nine Months of 2012

Over the first three quarters of 2012, Ilim Group’s Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk Mills (Irkutsk Oblast) manufactured 1,099,000 tons of pulp and paper products. As compared to the January-September 2011, production output remained flat.

This includes 933,000 tons of market pulp, which is slightly better than the similar period performance in the previous year.

Market containerboard production totaled 166,000 tons, which is 5% below the first nine months of 2011. Decrease in production output is due to market demand for reduced basis weight board, which leads to output decrease in terms of tons produced.

Pulp cooking volumes have not changed significantly and amounted to 1,194,000 tons.

Ilim Group's harvesting operations in Siberia have increased by 6% as compared to the similar period in 2011 to reach 5,005 thousand cubic meters.

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10.29.2012
Oil Slides, Gasoline Gains as Hurricane Sandy Nears U.S.

Crude fell for the first time in three days in New York while gasoline rose as refineries curbed operations before Hurricane Sandy strikes the U.S. East Coast.

West Texas Intermediate futures slid as much as 1 percent, while prices of the motor fuel advanced as much as 1.9 percent. Sandy will probably make landfall tomorrow, according to a National Hurricane Center advisory. Phillips 66, NuStar (NS) Energy LP and Hess Corp. (HES) said they are shutting or reducing output at New Jersey refineries as a precaution against the storm that may become the worst to hit the region in 100 years.

“The crude supply situation has improved, and high inventories are capping prices,” said Michael Poulsen, an analyst at Global Risk Management in Middelfart, Denmark, who predicts that Brent will trade from $105 to $110 a barrel next month. “But we should watch out for Super-Storm Sandy, as refineries are being shut while the storm rages.”

WTI for December delivery dropped as much as 94 cents to $85.34 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $85.58 at 8:49 a.m. London time.

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10.29.2012
Bertelsmann and Pearson to Combine Book Businesses

The international media groups Bertelsmann and Pearson announced today that they will combine the activities of their respective trade-book publishing companies, Random House and Penguin Group. Bertelsmann will own 53 percent, Pearson 47 percent. The closing of the transaction is scheduled to take place in the second half of 2013, following regulatory approval.

The announcement of the combination was made today in Gütersloh, Germany by Thomas Rabe, Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, and in London by Marjorie Scardino, Chief Executive of Pearson.

Upon closing, Markus Dohle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Random House worldwide, will be CEO of the new group. John Makinson, Chairman and CEO of Penguin, will become Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additional senior executive appointments will be announced in due course. Bertelsmann will appoint five representatives to the group's Board of Directors, Pearson four. The new name will be Penguin Random House. Until the closing, the companies will maintain their current separate operations and continue conducting business independently.

The new publishing group will include all the publishing divisions and imprints of Random House and Penguin in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, as well as Penguin's publishing company in China, and Random House's Spanish-language publishing operations in Spain and Latin America. Random House's Munich-based German-language publishing company, Verlagsgruppe Random House, will not be part of the Group and will remain at Bertelsmann. In the new company, the publishing imprints of Random House and Penguin will continue to publish their books with the autonomy they presently enjoy, and retain their distinct editorial identities.

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10.29.2012
Domtar Corporation Invests $30 Million To Re-purpose Bennettsville, South Carolina Mill

Domtar Corporation will invest $30 million to re-purpose its mill facility in Bennettsville, Marlboro County, South Carolina to align with shifting market demands in the paper industry.

The company plans to invest in the plant over the next year as part of a previously announced long-term supply agreement with Appleton Papers Inc. of Appleton, Wisconsin. The capital project will re-purpose the facility to allow the mill to shift its production capacity towards the manufacture of specialty and packaging base papers, effectively replacing a significant volume of communication paper-making capacity currently manufactured at Marlboro.

“We are excited to expand our Marlboro County operations. This is good news for our 325-plus employees, and it’s good news for the community,” said Bill Edwards, vice-president and mill manager at Domtar’s Marlboro mill. “The conversion of our production capacity is an example of Domtar adapting to meet market demands for the long-term. The Marlboro mill’s cost competitiveness and agility in serving the needs of our customers will allow us to continue being an important part of the economic fabric of Bennettsville, and keep jobs in Marlboro County for many years to come. ”

The Bennettsville facility was previously expanded in 2009 when the company added a steam turbine generator to produce electricity for the plant. The Marlboro County mill has been in operation since 1990 and became a part of Domtar in 2007. The mill has an annual paper production capacity of about 320,000 tons.

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10.29.2012
Marubeni to Take Stake in Oji Paper’s Indian Unit – Report

Marubeni Corp. said Thursday that it and Indian papermaker JK Paper Ltd. have agreed with Oji Holdings Corp. to acquire a 20% equity stake each in Oji’s Indian subsidiary, Oji India Packaging Private Ltd., through a third-party allotment of new shares, to satisfy growing demand for cardboard products in India, Kyodo News reported.

Under the accord, Oji Holdings’ equity stake will come to 60% in the cardboard company in Gurgaon, Haryana, with the name of the company to be changed to Oji JK Packaging Private Ltd.

Investments in the company will amount to 1.46 billion rupees or Y2.2 billion with the company’s capital coming to 730 million rupees or Y1.1 billion.

The highly value-added cardboard products market in India has been growing 10% annually with demand for the products expanding in tandem with increases in the number of Japanese and other foreign companies setting up their business bases in India, it said.

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10.29.2012
Sonoco Announces New Brand for its Protective Packaging Division

With the integration of Tegrant Corporation into Sonoco approaching its one-year anniversary, Sonoco is rolling out a new brand for its growing protective packaging segment, Sonoco Protective Solutions.

The new protective packaging segment is comprised of Sonoco's legacy protective packaging businesses, as well as Tegrant's three brands: Alloyd, Protexic and ThermoSafe. Sonoco Protective Solutions provides highly engineered, custom-designed fiber-based and expanded-foam protective packaging, temperature-assurance packaging and retail security packaging solutions.

"This branding strategy allows us to successfully leverage our diverse technologies and the combined talents of our protective packaging employees. It also allows us to take advantage of the Sonoco name while continuing to build on the Company's strong reputation for total solutions capabilities," said Ron Leach, vice president, Sonoco Protective Solutions.

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10.26.2012
Stein Mart, Inc. Opens Seven Stores This Fall

Stein Mart is expanding its presence with the opening of seven stores this fall. The new stores are located in Surprise, Ariz.; Katy, Texas; Tucson, Ariz.; and Charlottesville, Va. The McAllen, Texas; Biloxi, Miss.; and San Dimas, Calif. stores are a relocation of another area store to improve sites. The four new and three relocated stores bring Stein Mart's total store count to 263 at the end of this year.

"We are pleased to announce the expansion of our footprint in Charlottesville and these existing markets," stated Jay Stein, chairman of Stein Mart. "Our core customers have embraced the Stein Mart concept and through this expansion we further solidify our position as a leading retailer offering brand name fashion at everyday low prices."

Each store hosts a pre-grand opening event with proceeds benefitting a local charity in that store's area. The stores are located at:
• 13712 W. Bell Road, Surprise, Ariz. (opened Sept. 20 in Surprise Town Center)
• 800 E. Expressway 83, Suite 200, McAllen, Texas (opened Sept. 20 in Las Tiendas Plaza)
• 2650 Beach Blvd., Suite 36, Biloxi, Miss. (opened Sept. 27 in Edgewater Village)
• 826 W. Arrow Highway, San Dimas, Calif. (opened Oct. 18 in San Dimas Marketplace)
• 6565 S. Fry Road, Katy, Texas (opens Oct. 25 in Grand Lakes Market Place)
• 100 Shoppers World Court, Charlottesville, Va. (opens Oct. 25 in Shoppers World)
• 5555 E. Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, Ariz. (opens Nov. 8 in 5555 Broadway)

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10.26.2012
Random House, Penguin May Merge

Responding to persistent media reports, mostly from European outlets, that Pearson and Bertelsmann are discussing a possible merger of Penguin and Random House, Pearson issued the following statement Thursday confirming talks. “Pearson confirms that it is discussing with Bertelsmann a possible combination of Penguin and Random House. The two companies have not reached agreement and there is no certainty that the discussions will lead to a transaction. A further announcement will be made if and when appropriate.”

If a deal does go through, it will unite the two largest trade houses in the U.S., including the two dominant publishers of mass market paperbacks. In 2011, Random House had worldwide revenue of 1.75 billion euros ($2.2 billion at current exchange rates) while Penguin Group had total sales of 1.04 billion pounds ($1.70 billion at current rates). Their combined American operations would have sales of about $1.8 billion, giving Random House Penguin about a 16% share of the trade market based on BookStats industry estimates of trade sales of just under $12.5 billion (excluding religion). With that type of market share, it would be difficult for Amazon, or any other online retailer, to turn off buy buttons if they disagreed over some business decision, one analyst noted. The combination would also have enough financial heft to increase direct-to-consumer efforts beyond the struggling Bookish. Others see this as a move to plug some holes in both companies' worldwide operations, although both publishers have well-established businesses in the major English-language countries.

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10.26.2012
U.S. Postal Service to Offer Six Money-Saving Mailing Promotions in 2013

To help marketers prepare earlier for upcoming mail promotions, the U.S. Postal Service for the first time is publishing a yearly promotions calendar. The “2013 Mailing Services Promotions Calendar” will include six promotions designed to generate continued interest in the various uses and benefits of mobile barcodes in direct mail, as well as provide opportunities for marketers to be more successful with traditional integrated marketing campaigns.

“The promotions that are being planned for the coming year will help grow awareness of the ways in which technology can improve the effectiveness of direct mail,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “The ‘2013 Mailing Services Promotions Calendar’ also will give commercial mailers more time to plan their campaigns so that they can take full advantage of both postage savings and marketing opportunities to engage their customers with targeted, tangible and personal communications.”

March 1 – April 30, 2013:
• Mobile Coupon/Click-to-Call—This promotion provides an upfront postage discount on the integration of mail with mobile technology and will promote the value of direct mail in two ways.

April 1 – June 30, 2013:
• Earned Value Reply Mail Promotion—Customers who include First-Class Mail Business Reply and Courtesy Reply envelopes will receive postage credit for each returned piece that is scanned in the postal network.

Aug. 1 – Sept. 30, 2013:
• Emerging Technologies—Building on the successes of past mobile barcode promotions, this promotion provides an upfront postage discount for customers who integrate specific emerging technologies into their mail campaigns.

• Picture Permit—The Picture Permit promotion is designed to promote the use of Picture Permit imprint indicia, which can improve a mailpiece’s visibility and impact as a marketing tool.

• Product Samples—Designed to re-invigorate product sampling via the mail, the Product Samples promotion will provide mailers with an upfront postage discount on qualifying mail that contains product samples.

Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2013:
• Mobile Buy-it-Now—This promotion provides mailers with an upfront postage discount to encourage them to adopt and invest in technologies that enhance how consumers interact and engage with mail and demonstrate how direct mail combined with mobile technology can be a convenient method for consumers to do their holiday shopping.

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10.26.2012
Report: Facebook brand engagement up 896%

Facebook brand engagement has risen 896% on a year-over-year basis, according to a new study from Adobe Systems Inc., with mobile users accounting for nearly one-quarter of all engagement.

Engagement on Facebook is expected to surge in the fourth quarter, Adobe's Digital Index for third quarter 2012 points out, as brands continue to invest in social marketing and take advantage of the latest Facebook platform changes (e.g., Timeline) to target consumers.

“Mobile and social continue to play key roles in digital marketing growth,” said David Karnstedt, SVP, media and advertising solutions, digital marketing business, Adobe. “Smart marketers are activating this data; taking advantage of opportunities such as advertising on smartphones and tablets as well as capitalizing on Facebook's platform changes to reach customers in a more personalized way. By strategically adding these elements, marketers exponentially increase their overall ROI and can then accurately attribute value to each channel.”

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10.26.2012
Kimberly-Clark Introduces Innovative Smart-Fold Sterilization Wrap Designed with 64 Percent Greater Strength

Kimberly-Clark today announced the launch of Kimguard Smart-Fold Sterilization Wrap, an innovative sterilization packaging designed to provide the durability necessary for the most demanding applications. Smart-Fold features triple-layer reinforcement, making it 64 percent more durable than the leading sterilization wrap, to protect the heaviest procedure trays and loaner sets from tears and cuts that can occur during handling. The extra reinforcement also translates to fewer trays being returned for reprocessing.

Smart-Fold Wrap was developed in collaboration with sterilization professionals from around the world to meet customers' need for extra protection for sterilized surgical instruments. Its patented design is engineered to fit the most challenging procedure trays and reduce waste. The innovative positioning strips allow for 59 percent faster wrapping, resulting in less physical strain on staff and less training time. In fact, 96 percent of users indicated that Smart-Fold is easier to use.
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