Neenah is expanding their popular ENDURA® Wide Format line to include ENDURA® POSTER in a new seven mil, 500-foot roll. It is also adding an innovative seventeen mil matte finish ENDURA® ART to the portfolio. These additions are in response to market demand created by wide format equipment enhancements while providing a trusted, durable and cost-efficient signage solution for various retail, hospitality, attractions, and commercial art businesses. “The new 500-foot roll is a game-changer for our printing partners. The new sizing means fewer interruptions of print runs for reloading, less stopping to purge and clean the printer, and more manageable time, effort, and labor per project. In our tests on 150 vs. 500-foot rolls we saw a decrease in production times by a minimum of 15%,” said Jason Leonard, Business Development Manager for Neenah.

Kromekote®, one of North America’s best-known premium cast-coated paper brands, is now available in four new thick, luxurious, ultra-bright white heavyweights for production-rated digital printing and color copiers. The papers are FSC-certified, recyclable and elemental chlorine free. Two new 14- and 18-point Kromekote items are certified for use on all HP Indigo presses. Two other new 14- and 18-point papers are certified for use on Konica-Minolta AccurioPress (bizhub). The second group of new products are also engineered for optimal performance on other production-rated dry toner presses and color copiers, including Xerox, Kodak, Kyocera, Canon, Oce and Ricoh. These papers feature a proven universal coating that makes them fully compatible with all offset presses, delivering extra advantage and efficiencies for merchants and print professionals.

UPM continues to take action to ensure the company’s competitiveness. UPM aims to increase efficiency of its global functions by reorganising and streamlining the operations in Finland, Germany, and Austria. If implemented, the plans would decrease the number of employments in the functions by up to 51. Employee consultations on efficiency improvements will be started according to national practices. Final decisions will be made after the employee consultation procedures have been concluded in each country. UPM aims for continuous improvement in cost efficiency. In 2020, the company decreased fixed and variable costs in different businesses and functions. Earlier this year, UPM completed the employee consultation process in UPM Timber to improve profitability and strengthen competitiveness.

Bruce Hogan has been named the new Vice President and General Manager of ND Paper’s Old Town Division. A pulp and paper industry veteran, Hogan brings 33 years of experience with internationally recognized companies including International Paper, Mohawk Fine Papers, Essity and Appvion. “Bruce brings a breadth of knowledge that will be instrumental in helping us usher in a new era of growth and excellence at our historic Old Town Mill,” said ND Paper CEO Ken Liu. “Because beyond operations, Bruce will also be critical in helping us execute the continued capital transformation program for the Division.”

Sappi Europe announces a price increase for all its woodfree coated and woodfree uncoated paper grades by 7 – 10 % effective 1. June 2021 for all markets in Europe. This is in addition to the previously announced and implemented increases. Sharply rising input costs in raw materials and freight rates due to global logistic constraints make the increase unavoidable and will likely be followed by subsequent increases as the trend continues.

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. and GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. announced that the parties have entered into a binding asset purchase agreement pursuant to which RYAM has agreed to sell all of its lumber and newsprint facilities and related assets located in Ontario and Québec to GreenFirst for an expected purchase price of approximately US$214 million including inventory on hand at the time of closing which is payable approximately 85% in cash, 15% common shares of the capital of GreenFirst. In addition, a chip offset credit note will be issued to RYAM by GreenFirst in the amount of CDN$7.9 million, which may be set off against amounts owing to GreenFirst for chip purchases, equally over the next 5 years. Notably, RYAM will retain all of the cash generated by the Purchased Assets plus all softwood lumber duties, including earned interest on the duties, paid to the U.S. Department of Commerce through the closing date. RYAM estimates the duties to be approximately $110 million at the time of closing. The Purchased Assets: *include six lumber mills which are located in Chapleau, Cochrane, Hearst and Kapuskasing in Ontario and in Béarn and La Sarre in Québec as well as one newsprint mill located in Kapuskasing, Ontario. *produced 604 million board feet in 2020 with a combined nameplate capacity of 755 million board feet and are capable of producing a wide range of forest products used in residential and commercial construction, including dimensional lumber, wood chips and by-products. *include the lumber and newsprint mills as well as certain real property, machinery, inventory, permits, licenses and other related assets. *exclude accounts receivable and accounts payable.

The Navigator Company announced today that it will increase paper prices in Europe from 6% to 9%. This increase will be effective for all dispatches from 10th of May, and the Company will inform shortly about the details of the new prices to be applied by product. This decision was taken following not only further worldwide cost increases in pulp, chemicals and logistics, with structural effects in the profitability of the industry in Europe and across the globe, but also a robust demand for Navigator’s products and brands during late 2020 and the first months of 2021.

UPM Raflatac has earned multi-site certification to the first edition of the ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System for its ten label stock production facilities. The certification complements UPM Raflatac’s existing certifications to the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System standards. DNV, a global assurance and risk management company, awarded the certification on March 9, 2021, after completing a combination of in-person and remote audits in UPM Raflatac facilities worldwide.

Due to the current economic environment and the continued significant increase in raw material, manufacturing and logistics costs, Lecta announces a second price increase of 8% on all its 2-side CWF and UWF grades in sheets and reels. The new prices will be effective on deliveries from June 1st, 2021.

Neenah, Inc. announced that it has joined CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. One of nearly 2,000 CEOs that have come together for CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, Julie Schertell, is committing herself and Neenah to advance diversity and inclusion efforts in the company and in the communities where Neenah employees live and work. The CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion™ commitment is driven by a realization that addressing diversity and inclusion is not a competitive issue, but a societal issue that CEOs can play a critical role in addressing. Companies from 85 industries have signed on, giving the signatory group additional unique perspectives on how to develop comfortable environments for employees to thrive. “A diverse and inclusive workforce facilitates community, increases awareness and builds empathy,” said Julie Schertell, CEO and President – Neenah, Inc. “It also drives innovation and creativity, as employees feel accepted and welcomed to bring their whole selves to work every day, along with their unique perspectives and experiences. All of this leads to greater value, growth and opportunities for our employees, our company, communities and shareholders.”

UPM sells its Jyväskylä plywood mill site and premises, located in Säynätsalo, Jyväskylä in Finland, to real estate developer Redeve Oy. The transaction was completed today, and the ownership of the real estate was transferred to Redeve immediately. At the same time, businesses currently renting premises on the site, will become tenants of Redeve. “We are delighted to find a buyer for the mill site so quickly. The site has been developed as a business district already while the plywood mill was operating. We have had successful co-operation with Redeve also earlier and we believe this good news for the further development of the site”, says Jaakko Kaijalainen, Property Manager at UPM. Redeve has earlier bought the Myllykoski mill site and the Voikkaa business district from UPM and operates business districts on both locations. Same is being planned also for Säynätsalo.

Lecta, with Adestor, its widely known brand of self-adhesive materials, is pleased to announce that it has joined CELAB (Circular Economy for Labels), a global industry initiative that is working to create a more sustainable pressure-sensitive labelling industry by increasing access to matrix and liner recycling. Lecta joins CELAB in Europe, which includes other leading companies in the European self-adhesive label value chain. CELAB's activities focus on sharing information, identifying and rolling out recycling solutions for label materials, and educating stakeholders, policymakers and the public through proactive communications.

Three Domtar facilities were among a group of nearly 150 South Carolina-based companies recognized for outstanding workplace safety at the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s annual safety awards ceremony. The Marlboro Mill, Tatum Converting Center and Rock Hill Converting Center received the award based on their lost workday case rate during the calendar year. “When you talk to businesses throughout the state, one of the biggest issues you hear about is the importance of keeping workplaces and employees safe,” says South Carolina Chamber Interim CEO Swati Patel. “We are proud to recognize the companies on this list for taking steps in 2020 to make safety a top priority.” While 2020 brought many challenges to our operations, we established new processes and guidelines to ensure we were doing everything we could to protect employees’ health and safety. Throughout the year, we adapted our work to keep employees and our communities safe.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will increase prices by 5 to 15 percent on all paper and process product lines across the EMEA region, effective immediately or as customer contracts allow. The price increase is necessary due to the tightening of raw material supplies globally and escalating energy, packaging and transportation costs.

Neenah, Inc. announced that it had completed the previously announced agreement to acquire Global Release Liners, S.L., the parent company of Industrias de Transformacion de Andoain, S.A. (“ITASA”), from Magnum Capital and other minority shareholders. The Company funded the purchase price of approximately €205 million, inclusive of debt extinguishment and subject to customary closing adjustments, through available cash-on-hand and an upsizing of Neenah’s existing Term Loan B from $200 million to $450 million. Interest rates on the Term Loan B are variable and are currently at 3.5 percent. Neenah will continue to maintain a strong liquidity position, with ample availability under its revolving credit line and a projected debt to EBITDA of approximately three times after closing the transaction.

Paper Excellence is proud to announce the acquisition of an interest in the Atli Chip Limited Partnership. The Partnership has acquired the assets of the North Island Chipping facility situated in Beaver Cove, BC, located on the traditional territory of the ‘Namgis First Nation. The facility is capable of processing 300,000 to 400,000 m3 of chips per year for use in the pulp and paper industry from local supplies of pulpwood and salvage wood. Atli Chip Limited Partnership is majority owned by Atli Resources LP with minority stakes owned by Paper Excellence and Wahkash Contracting Ltd.

We are pleased to announce that Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. has joined as a patron of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, highlighting its environmental leadership and commitment to the industry’s growing sustainable supply chain. The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) is a non-profit organization that certifies printing facilities’ sustainability best practices, including and beyond regulatory compliance. SGP advocates best practices and innovation among print community stakeholders, aligning the printing industry and its customers in the pursuit of a more accountable sustainable supply chain. Monadnock is a long-time leader in crafting sustainable and premium printing, packaging, and specialty technical papers for leading brands worldwide.

HEINZEL GROUP recorded a respectable result in the challenging environ-ment of 2020 and created a good basis for further growth after completely freeing itself from debt. Sebastian Heinzel joins the management as Chief Strategy Officer with immediate effect. HEINZEL GROUP increased production in both the paper and pulp segments in the 2020 financial year, with total production rising to 1,607,030 metric tons in 2020. The growth in paper volume is at-tributable to the first full year of operation of the PM3 in Pöls, which specializes in low-grammage kraft paper, and the very good performance of the PM10 in Laakirchen, which produced more con-tainerboard than in the previous year. Total sales volume amounted to 3.7 million metric tons and was slightly lower than in 2019 due to the corona pandemic. Coupled with lower market prices, HEINZEL GROUP’s net sales consequently declined to EUR 1,611.7 million. Although lower wood prices and large-scale savings measures had a positive effect, HEINZEL GROUP’s EBITDA, at EUR 126.0 million, fell to the level of 2017. The group’s EBIT decreased to EUR 57.7 million and net profit for the year to EUR 39.9 million. Against this backdrop it is all the more remarkable that HEINZEL GROUP was able to completely free itself from debt and increase the equity ratio to 59.2%.

Our goal is for you to recognize Verso as a customer-centric organization that delivers best-in-class paper and pulp products with the highest level of service. We know that we have opportunities to improve in this area, and are working diligently to develop new initiatives to do just that. One way we believe we can become more customer-focused is by realigning the current structure and leadership of our Sales, Marketing and Supply Chain organization. We’ve determined that the SVP of Sales, Marketing and Supply Chain role can be more effective with three separate leadership positions. The good news is that you are already familiar with the leaders of these positions as outlined below. Aaron Haas will continue to lead the Marketing, Business Development, Product Development and Customer Technical Service organizations as SVP of Marketing and will continue to report to me. John Schultz will continue to lead the Sales organization as SVP of Sales for all product categories and will now report directly to me. Brian Seitz will continue to serve as Director of Supply Chain, which includes Customer Service, Logistics, and Planning, Scheduling and Delivery, under the leadership of David West.

Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC announced it has completed two strategic investments that will further strengthen its portfolio and enhance service to new and existing customers. On March 31st , Pixelle acquired the specialty paper business Rollsource from Veritiv Corporation. On April 5th , Pixelle acquired the carbonless rolls and security papers business from Appvion Operations Inc. The acquisition of Rollsource includes the book of business primarily serving the forms printer market, and includes a converting facility in Pittsburg, KS. Pixelle will retain key Rollsource employees in order to ensure continuity in operations, sales and customer service. The acquisition of Appvion’s carbonless rolls and security papers business will enable Pixelle to serve new customers with Pixelle’s portfolio of ExcelOne® and Trans/Rite® carbonless papers and broad line of Defensa® security products. No production assets are included in the transaction. Pixelle will manufacture carbonless roll products for former Appvion customers at its Chillicothe, Ohio specialty paper mill, building on decades of experience producing carbonless products.

Mactac® announced that it has acquired Duramark Products Inc., previously known as Ritrama USA. The acquisition consists of the company’s Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Moore, South Carolina, facilities, including its new world-class coaters and advanced automation technologies. Both locations will be rebranded under the Mactac name, creating one of the largest, most diversified pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) suppliers in North America. “We are thrilled to make this announcement and to maximize Duramark Products’ recent investments in state-of-the-art equipment and processes,” said Ed LaForge, president, and CEO of Mactac. “We will leverage our experience and established network to help both locations reach their full potential, bringing much-needed product diversification and capacity to the industry.” Mactac’s continued focus on market growth and its diverse account base led to a need to strategically expand operations. With this significant investment, Mactac is affirming its continued commitment to expanding its technology, capacity, and adhesive formulation capabilities to be a full-service resource for customers.

“AF&PA looks forward to working with the Administration and Congress on important infrastructure investment proposals, many of which are included in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan. Modernizing our nation’s infrastructure and investing in manufacturing jobs will be welcome improvements for the U.S. forest products industry, which employs approximately 950,000 individuals and manufactures nearly $300 billion in products annually. “However, AF&PA cannot support the tax increases put forth in the Made in America Tax Plan. These increases would adversely impact U.S. manufacturing and put jobs at risk during a fragile economic recovery. This aspect of the proposal would significantly upset global competitiveness while undermining the promises of the American Jobs Plan."

During last year, we reviewed Stora Enso’s strategic agenda and identified our focus areas going forward. We want to focus on and take leading market positions in the segments where we see potential for future growth, namely packaging, wooden construction and biomaterials innovation from lignin. As a consequence of our strategic direction, we are in the process of exiting the segment of dissolving pulp for viscose production globally. This segment is not core for us and stands for only a small part of our overall business. Dissolving pulp is produced at Stora Enso’s Enocell mill, which currently produces both standard and dissolving pulp grades. Production at the Enocell mill will continue with other types of pulp grades than dissolving pulp and for other end uses than viscose.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced that it is notifying customers in the U.S. and Canada of plans to increase net selling prices across a majority of its North America consumer products business. The increases will be implemented almost entirely through changes in list prices and are necessary to help offset significant commodity cost inflation. The percentage increases are in the mid-to-high single digits. Nearly all of the increases will be effective in late June and impact the company's baby and child care, adult care and Scott bathroom tissue businesses.

Commenting on Marco beginning his journey as Sappi Europe’s CEO, Steve Binnie, Chief Executive Officer of Sappi Limited said: “I look forward to seeing Sappi Europe taken forward by Marco’s drive and vision. Marco is an experienced leader who has been integral to the development and execution of Sappi’s strategy and the investments and decisions we have made in Europe to ensure we maintain our graphic papers leadership while growing our packaging and specialities businesses. I am confident that under Marco’s leadership the business will take full advantage of the exciting opportunities for the pulp and paper industry in Europe and across their export markets.” “The appointment is testimony to the success of Sappi’s strong succession planning processes and the importance we place on stability and continuity during any such leadership transition.”

Servera® papers offer the highest kit level for a paper free of fluorochemicals, while being cost-effective. These eco-friendly papers are available in bleached and natural options. Manufacturing with natural pulp integration, Ahlstrom-Munksjö offers customers the product solutions they desire to address end-user sustainability needs in the QSR market. “Our Servera® papers offer great printability and are flexible for multiple converting processes, in addition to the strength and grease-resistance they provide,” stated Jeff Murphy, Vice President of Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Food Packaging Solutions business. “Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s extensive history of providing food packaging papers to the Quick Service Restaurant market combined with our vast portfolio of sustainable packaging options makes Servera® papers the best QSR solution in the marketplace.”

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will increase prices by 7 to 15 percent on all process and water treatment product lines across the EMEA region, effective immediately or as customer contracts allow. The price increase is necessary due to the tightening of raw material supplies globally and escalating energy, packaging and transportation costs.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in January 2021 were down 22.3% vs. January 2020. Total European shipments of newsprint in January 2021 were down 23.2% vs. January 2020. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in January 2021 were down 26.9% vs. January 2020. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in January 2021 were down 25.2% vs. January 2020. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in January 2021 were down 20.2% vs. January 2020. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in January 2021 were down 14.9% vs. January 2020.

Domtar is working to build circular economies at each of our mills. In the past several years, the Windsor Mill has gone to great lengths to close its sustainability loop and nurture the forests that support its operations and the people that live and work in the surrounding area. That includes a partnership with local maple syrup producers. The Windsor Mill is one of Canada’s last fully integrated pulp and paper mills, which means it owns forestland — 400,000 acres of it — to support its operations. The mill manages its forests for multiple uses, selectively harvesting trees about once every 20 years. The mill has developed partnerships for the forests to benefit the larger community during the two decades of growing time. One of these partnerships was formed in 2016 to allow local maple syrup producers to harvest sap from the large stands of sugar maples that dominate the land. Since starting its partnership with local syrup makers like Simon Bellegarde five years ago, the Domtar forest’s more than 140,000 taps have yielded enough tree sap to make about 33,000 U.S. gallons of maple syrup each year.

UPM Timber has completed the employee consultation process started in early February on its plans to improve profitability and strengthen competitiveness. Based on the negotiations, the number of positions at UPM Timber will decrease by 43. As a result of the negotiations, UPM Timber is renewing the management model of its sawmills and streamlining its supply chain. In addition, the small log line at Kaukas sawmill will be closed by the end of June 2021 and the operating model of Korkeakoski sawmill will be optimized.

Fulfill the expectations of today’s sustainability-minded consumers with premium packaging and collateral that’s authentic, environmentally responsible… and highly cost-competitive over “natural-looking” text and cover alternatives. Proven innovation, outsized impact for premium retail brands. Food, beverage, apparel, accessories, beauty/cosmetics, cannabis—and so much more. • Glama KRAFT is a printing, converting and packaging substrate that brings the distinctive look and feel of real kraft paper to premium recyclable text and cover. Truly a league of its own. • 90% post-consumer fiber, 100% recycled and Forest Stewardship Council certified • Optimized for 6+ color printability, foil stamping and embossing—offset and heat-set web to dry toner equipment and HP Indigo. • High affordability and cost-effectiveness for brand owners.

Expanding its LINTEC® labelstock portfolio, Mactac® announces the addition of retro-reflective films to its product line-up. Designed for label applications such as warehouse racking, pallet labels, safety, and warning labels, construction signage, and industrial labeling, the retro-reflective films are ideal for barcode scanning. The films are constructed from a polyester material uniquely embedded with glass beads that enable long-range barcode scanning – up to 50-feet. Retro-reflective films feature long-term indoor durability and 1 to 2 years outdoor durability. “The glass beads give the retro-reflective polyester films a light silver appearance and allow barcode scanning from a distance, making them great for warehouses and other applications where pallets or products are often stacked and harder to reach,” said Cassandra Semonin, Marketing Manager, Mactac Performance Adhesives.

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. was recognized with three 2020 American Graphic Design Awards, presented annually by Graphic Design USA (GDUSA). Monadnock Astrolite PC 100 Swatchbook – Brochures + Collateral category (self); Luxury Performance Board Toolkit – Sales Promotion/Self Promotion category (client); “Sustainability is Kindness” Hemp Sample Box – Direct Mail + Direct Response category (client). “We love the opportunity to showcase our sustainable paper and packaging innovations,” says Lisa Berghaus, director of marketing communications at Monadnock. “It is a true testament to the hard work of our team, partners, and clients.”

Following on the heels of Tony Mollica’s appointment to CEO of Twin Rivers, the company continues to build on its play to win strategy with the announcement of six new, highly experienced cross-functional team members. The team is well-positioned to realize company-wide strategic objectives as it drives advancements in innovation and productivity, as well as operational, commercial, and customer service excellence. Mark Lukacs has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer. Stepping into the newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer is Jeffrey Hederick who will work closely with Mollica and other senior leaders to enhance commercial excellence capabilities that drive growth and customer satisfaction. Hederick will lean on the business and customer insight of seasoned team members Tony Rigelman, Vice President of Sales, and Brian McAlary, Vice President of Business Development, Technical and Export Sales. John Graves has been appointed to Vice President of Innovation and Productivity, another newly created position. Mike Soucy, a Twin Rivers veteran of over 28 years, has been named General Manager of the Plaster Rock operation. John Bates, who has spent the past four years working with the New York mills in various capacities, has been named the Director of NY Operations. Rounding out the new team members is Jason Querze, Customer Service Manager.

Lecta announces a price increase on its self-adhesive products effective for deliveries from 19th April 2021. The increase will be from 8% to 10% depending on format and product. The increase is necessary to offset the increase in manufacturing costs due to the continuously rising prices in raw materials.

Mondi Group has joined forces with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) to support good water stewardship performance across its operations. AWS is a global membership collaboration comprising businesses, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the public sector. Members contribute to the sustainability of local water resources through their adoption and promotion of a universal framework for the responsible use of water – the International Water Stewardship Standard (or AWS Standard) – which drives, recognises and rewards good water stewardship performance. With AWS and WWF, Mondi developed a Group water stewardship standard that is designed to set out how its mills will use operational and catchment-based context to determine contextually appropriate levels of water stewardship responses. This work was guided by the AWS Standard and considers each of Mondi's mills' exposure to water-related risks using WWF’s Water Risk Filter.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will increase prices by up to 20 percent on all wet strength resins in EMEA, effective immediately or as contracts allow. The price increase is necessary due to lack of raw material availability, escalating key raw material costs and a surge in freight costs that has led to additional pressure on our global supply chain. “We are unable to absorb the impact of the increased costs that we are currently experiencing but we will continue to work in partnership with our customers to help mitigate the increases,” said Jose Santolaya, director, EMEA marketing and product management.

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 29 percent in February compared to February 2020. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers decreased 24 percent in February compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels decreased one percent when compared to January 2021. U.S. purchases of uncoated free sheet (UFS) papers in February decreased 19 percent compared to last February while the inventory level remained essentially flat (-0.1 percent) compared to January 2021. UFS imports increased 39 percent while exports decreased 32 percent in January 2021. Coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments decreased 32 percent compared to February 2020 while the inventory level decreased two percent compared to January 2021. CFS imports and exports both decreased compared to January 2020, down 26 percent and three percent respectively. U.S. purchases of coated mechanical (CM) papers in February decreased 38 percent compared to last February while the inventory level decreased three percent compared to January 2021. CM imports decreased 22 percent while exports increased 24 percent in January 2021. Uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments decreased 31 percent compared to February 2020 while the inventory level decreased six percent compared to January 2021. UM imports and exports both decreased compared to January 2020, down 14 percent and 47 percent respectively.

Mondi has started up new production lines for melt-blown nonwoven fabric and medical face masks at its site in Gronau, Germany to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Mondi Gronau has over 50 years of experience in the production and processing of films, nonwovens and elastic components for hygiene products. Last year Mondi announced it would start up production lines to produce both the important base material, melt-blown nonwoven fabric, as well as the medical face mask themselves. With the new lines, Mondi is building up a local value chain in Germany to address the needs of the pandemic. The fully integrated production with two highly automated high-speed machines allows the output of 700 high-quality medical face masks per minute. This is approximately seven times higher than the standard face mask production line and will produce at least one million medical grade masks a day. The masks are certified as a medical product by the German Johner Institute as well as meeting the German standards OEKO-TEX and Dermatest.

The Kuura textile fibre is produced in Äänekoski, Finland, at Metsä Spring and Itochu’s jointly-owned demo plant. The joint demo phase project, which is built around the Äänekoski demo plant, aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a novel production process and textile fibre product, from both a technical and economic standpoint. This advanced direct dissolution method saw its beginnings in a collaboration with universities and research institutions over a decade ago. The demo phase began in late 2020 and it is estimated to last approximately two years. “We are testing a novel way of producing textile fibres from undried pulp, based on safer and more environmentally friendly chemicals. Our project has now reached a point where we can shift our focus more on investigating the fibre’s market potential and its suitability in different applications. Our partner ITOCHU, which has operated in the textile industry for over 100 years already, plays a key role in this. The launch of the Kuura brand supports ITOCHU work at the customer front,” says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring.

Lecta announces a price increase on all its Specialty paper grades of 10% effective for deliveries from 1 April 2021 for all European and Overseas markets. The increase is necessary due to the sustained increase in prices of pulp and chemicals along with the sharp increase of freight costs. This follows Lecta’s previous announcement made on Thermal paper grades.

Due to current, strong price increases for raw materials as well as massive transport surcharges, Zanders Paper will implement a price adjustment for all products. The adjustment will range from five to ten percent, depending on product and region, and will take effect for all delivery dates from 19 April 2021.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has established a viable partnership with Italian filter producer Virgis S.P.A for the distribution of an innovative HEPA filtration solution produced by Webasto. The innovative solution makes indoor environments safer against COVID-19 as well as other viral and bacterial organisms. The launch of the high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) devices HFT300 and HFT600 in Europe in 2020 has rapidly met the demand for increased protection in vehicles and buildings. The main purpose of these filter devices is to protect the passengers and the operators in emergency vehicles, school buses and public transportation vehicles. The first units were primarily installed in ambulances in Germany and the U.S., as well as in public buses in the Netherlands and school buses in the U.S. The promotion of this innovative solution for private sectors such as offices, restaurants and museums has also started.

KPLP Q4 2020 Business and Financial Highlights • Revenue was $385.0 million in Q4 2020 compared to $348.1 million in Q4 2019, an increase of $36.9 million or 10.6%. • Adjusted EBITDA was $36.2 million in Q4 2020, including $4.5 million of TAD Sherbrooke start-up costs, compared to $46.0 million in Q4 2019, a decrease of 21.3%. • Successful start-up of new TAD Sherbrooke paper machine, project completed on time and on budget. • Announced the $240 million Sherbrooke Expansion Project. • Declared a quarterly dividend of $0.18 per share to be paid on April 15, 2021. KPLP Full Year 2020 Business and Financial Highlights • Revenue was $1,516.0 million in 2020 compared to $1,357.2 million excluding the divested Mexico business in 2019, an increase of $158.8 million or 11.7%. • Adjusted EBITDA was $197.8 million in 2020, up from $145.0 million in 2019, an increase of 36.4%.

Toshiba and UPM Raflatac are pleased to announce they have entered into a European-wide collaboration. By joining forces, the companies are creating a compelling linerless print solution with Toshiba’s latest linerless printer technology and UPM Raflatac’s high performance linerless OptiCut™ label portfolio. Through this collaboration, Toshiba and UPM Raflatac will provide a ready-to-use solution for linerless printing. Their customers can now take advantage of the tested and approved combination of Toshiba’s BV420D-GL linerless printer and UPM Raflatac’s OptiCut linerless label material to have a perfectly matched printing experience. With e-commerce being one of the fastest-growing sectors, the need for efficient and reliable processes to ensure all shipments are labeled correctly is increasing. The Toshiba-UPM Raflatac collaboration brings together deep technological know-how and expertise that support clients by creating sophisticated print applications for them.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced its commitment to reduce absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 30% against 2015 levels by 2025. This new target builds on the company's 83% reduction in absolute GHG emissions from year-2000 levels, two-thirds of which reflect reductions in emission intensity. By achieving its target, the company will have reduced its emissions by nearly 700,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents per year compared to its 2015 level. Some of the more recent projects on which the company is relying to achieve its commitment include: *an efficiency enhancement at the Saint-Félicien (Quebec) pulp mill to improve production capacity and reduce fossil-fuel use by up to 20%; *a modernization of the cogeneration turbine at the Coosa Pines (Alabama) pulp mill to reduce purchased electricity use by 6%; and *the installation of a sophisticated heat recovery unit at the Thunder Bay (Ontario) pulp and paper mill to recover waste heat and, as a result, decrease the use of fossil fuels by over 20%.

UPM Biomedicals is excited to announce its collaboration with bioconvergence company CELLINK. The partnership brings together UPM’s expertise for producing non-animal derived, nanocellulose biomaterials with CELLINK’s years of experience in method development for 3D bioprinting, offering new groundbreaking solutions to this growing life sciences market. Advances in 3D printing in the past decade have been outstanding, and the technology is becoming more widely used for various cutting-edge applications. 3D bioprinting is already important in areas such as cancer research, where tumour models can be printed to test their response to different treatments. More recently scientists have been exploring the use of this technology in a clinical setting, with the possibility of printing tissues or organs that can then be transplanted into patients. Using non-animal derived raw materials, such as UPM’s nanofibrillar cellulose, for bio-ink formulations makes transplants into humans much more effective, reducing the possibility of an immune response or rejection.

Solenis will increase prices by 10 to 15 percent on all polyacrylamide polymers, coagulants and retention aids across the EMEA region, effective immediately, or as customer contracts allow. Originally announced last month, Solenis readjusted the price increase and also included coagulants to the list of products affected. The increase is necessary due to the major impact on key feedstock costs, and also from raw material shortages that are tighter than anticipated.

The company confirmed that it plans to restart Number 11 Paper Machine at Catalyst Powell River, on or around May 1st. Paper Excellence says this restart reflects the recent recovery in global paper markets and its “long-term commitment to the Powell River facility.” A total of 200 jobs will return with the startup of the paper machine. The machine was curtailed last spring after an external malware attack, and the COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously impacted the mill’s paper production as well as global paper demand.

Powell River’s paper mill is scheduled to resume production in May, according to mayor Dave Formosa. Speaking at the city council meeting on March 4, Formosa said he wanted to announce that the Catalyst Paper Corporation mill in Powell River will be starting up one paper machine. “We’re looking for that to happen in May,” said Formosa. “They are anticipating four- to six-week lead time so certain workers will be called back to the operation to start getting the facility ready to fire up one machine. “They will be making a new product that has not been made here before. It’s a brown, heavy paper that will line boxes, so it’s a box liner, which happens to have a good market. That’s good news.” Formosa said the mill is hoping to start up a second machine once it gets enough orders for the thermo-mechanical pulp (TMP) operation. He said that is where the mill would take pulp from the TMP operation, dry it on the paper machines onto rolls, and then sell it into Asia as a raw material.

Designed for year-round use, including cold weather applications, REBEL® Removable multi-print media from Mactac® increases business opportunities for print service providers (PSPs). Rated for 32-degrees Fahrenheit and higher, Mactac’s REBEL Removable 500 series is known for its printability on multiple print platforms, including UV and solvent screen printing, solvent, eco-solvent and latex printing, UV inkjet and offset printing. It is available in bright white, matte, and clear finishes and comes with a 90# Superflat™ liner. It is ideal for point-of-purchase and promotional signage, decals, windows, indoor floor applications and more, and has a 2-year removability after application on most surfaces. The series’ high-performance films, including the popular matte white RB528R, offer 99-percent opacity built into the facestock, eliminating pigment interference to ensure pure adhesion to the application substrate.

UPM, Arla Finland and K Group have teamed up with Oppi&ilo to create Finland’s first educational activity book designed to teach Finland’s 60,000 preschoolers about recycling. The Kierrätyskaverit (“Recycling friends”) activity book aims to make recycling a fun, easy and inspiring part of their daily lives. The 32-page book is distributed free of charge, containing a variety of creative tasks to inspire preschoolers to discover the secrets of recycling and the circular economy. Four tips for teaching children about recycling 1. Explore together: What kind of different packages can you find at home? What kind of recycling instructions are there on the labels? 2. How should you sort your afternoon snack waste? Check the wastebin after you snack and sort the trash correctly. 3. Could you reduce your water consumption? Think together: How much water do you consume – and why? 4. Head out for a trip into nature. What do you see there? Can you find something that does not belong there?

After a successful year of transformation in 2019, Zanders Paper posted a strong first quarter of 2020; then the coronavirus pandemic hit the global economy and led to a significant decline in sales of specialty papers for consumables. The various effects of this challenging situation could not be compensated completely by the German company despite the increased operating profitability and the fundamentally good set-up and positioning. Taking these circumstances into account, the Zanders Paper management has decided to carry out the continuation of the long-term restructuring of the company within the framework of insolvency proceedings and today filed an application to this effect with the competent district court in Cologne. This is done to protect the interests of all stakeholders including but not limited to the employees, creditors, customers and the City of Bergisch Gladbach. This gives Zanders Paper a breathing room to further rebuild and shape the company for the future. During the opening insolvency proceedings, which are expected to last two to three months, business operations will be continued by the insolvency administrator.

Sappi Europe announces a price increase for all its Packaging and Speciality paper grades by 7 – 11 % valid for deliveries from 1 April 2021. Sharply rising input costs, particularly relevant to pulp and energy in combination with very high freight rates due to global logistic constraints make price increases unavoidable.

Neenah, Inc. announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Global Release Liners, S.L., the parent company of Industrias de Transformacion de Andoain, S.A., from Magnum Capital and other minority shareholders for €205 million in cash. Closing is expected to occur in early April and is subject to customary conditions. ITASA is a leading global coater and converter of release liners used in fast-growing hygiene, tapes, industrial, labels, composites and various other end markets. With COVID-impacted sales of $120 million in 2020, Neenah expects sales of approximately $140 million in 2021 and consistent, pre-synergy mid-teen EBITDA margins. ITASA has historically grown sales by more than 8 percent annually and serves global markets from its operations in Spain, Mexico and Malaysia.

Domtar Corporation announced that it completed the previously disclosed sale of its Personal Care business to affiliates of American Industrial Partners for $920 million. This divestiture is a significant milestone in the Company’s strategic transformation to become a leading paper, pulp and packaging company. "The sale of The Personal Care business is part of our ongoing effort to strategically optimize our portfolio and allows us to strengthen our balance sheet, enhance liquidity and buy back shares," said John D. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer. "I want to thank the employees for their hard work and dedication throughout the process, and for their contributions over the years." The Company plans to use $600 million of the proceeds to reduce debt and $300 million to repurchase shares.

UPM's goal is to develop, encourage and reward every employee in their work. UPM paid a total of EUR 51 million as short-term incentives to employees in 2020. The incentives were paid for the good 2019 results and for personal success in one's own work. The figures are outlined in the Annual Report that was published today. Over the last five years, UPM has paid nearly EUR 300 million in incentives to its employees. The incentives are mainly determined by the financial indicators, of which EBITDA is the most important. In addition, every employee can earn one-third of the incentive by the achievement of personal and/or team performance targets. Last year, UPM employees earned on average of 5.6%, or approximately EUR 3,200, additional income from the company's incentive schemes.

KP Tissue Inc. and Kruger Products L.P. announced the completion of construction and successful start-up of their state-of-the-art Sherbrooke manufacturing facility featuring Canada’s largest and most modern through-air-dry (TAD) tissue machine. The new facility also comprises three converting lines which have been successfully commissioned. Kruger Products also announced a further investment of $240M to expand the Sherbrooke operation with new production lines as well as the construction of a new tissue manufacturing facility over the next three years. This investment is part of the Company’s broader focus on expanding its business and continuing to offer high quality tissue products to customers across North America. The investment announced today is supported by the Government of Québec through Investissement Québec (“IQ”) which is investing $165M in loans.

For the fourth quarter of 2020, Clearwater Paper reported net sales of $453 million, a 4.0% increase compared to net sales of $435 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2019. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2020 was $23 million, compared to net income in the fourth quarter of 2019 of $2 million. On a non-GAAP basis, Clearwater Paper reported adjusted net income in the fourth quarter of 2020 of $25 million, compared to fourth quarter 2019 adjusted net income of $6 million. For the full year 2020, Clearwater Paper reported net sales of $1.9 billion, a 6.1% increase compared to net sales of $1.8 billion for 2019. Net income for the full year was $77 million in 2020, compared to a net loss for 2019 of $6 million. On a non-GAAP basis, Clearwater Paper reported adjusted net income for 2020 of $89 million, compared to 2019 adjusted net income of $4 million.

For durable, high strength labelling to withstand extreme conditions. Lecta expands its portfolio of Adestor pressure-sensitive products for the industrial, logistics and healthcare industries with the launch of Adestor PET Laser MW. The new Adestor PET Laser Matt White facestock provides excellent performance for outdoor labelling and durable applications (high resistance to water, chemicals and fluctuating temperatures). This new product is HP Indigo certified and ideal for use with variable data printing technologies.

Net sales for the three months ended December 31, 2020 declined by $273 million or 47% compared to the three months ended December 31, 2019 as a result of significant declines in sales volume and unfavorable price/mix. Operating loss was $118 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020, a decrease of $128 million when compared to operating income of $10 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019. Net sales for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 declined by $1,085 million or 44% compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 as a result of significant declines in sales volume and unfavorable price/mix. Operating loss was $128 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, a decrease of $91 million when compared to operating loss of $37 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019.

Thursday February 25, at 7.07 am, SCA closed permanently paper machine LWC4 at Ortviken paper mill. With this, SCA’s all production of publication paper has come to an end. Publication paper production started at Ortviken in the year 1958 with production of newsprint. Ortviken has grown as a producer of first newsprint and then coated publication paper for magazines and commercial print. Ortviken has produced up to 800 000 tonnes per annum and was one of the world’s largest mills for publication paper production.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in December 2020 were down 11.8% vs. December 2019 and were down 19.1% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in December 2020 were down 15.5% vs. December 2019 and were down 19.0% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in December 2020 were down 8.2% vs. December 2019 and were down 17.7% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in December 2020 were down 19.2% vs. December 2019 and were down 26.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in December 2020 were down 2.2% vs. December 2019 and were down 7.8% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in December 2020 were down 10.5% vs. December 2019 and were down 24.9% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in December 2020 were down 8.3% vs. December 2019 and were down 13.3% year-to-date.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Highlights: *Fourth quarter and full year income from continuing operations was $9 million, and $0 million, respectively, $66 million and $119 million higher than comparable periods in 2019, respectively *Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations of $53 million was up $44 million from the comparable quarter in 2019 primarily driven by higher lumber and High Purity Cellulose prices *Full year 2020 Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations of $153 million improved $78 million from the prior year primarily driven by strong demand for lumber and reduced costs across segments as a result of improved reliability *Generated $73 million of Free Cash Flow through the year ended December 31, 2020 driven by prudent management of capital expenditures and improved working capital; expect $55 million from cash tax refunds during 2021 *Completed refinancing in December to extend maturities, remove financial maintenance covenants and enhance liquidity

Precision Paper Converters (PPC), headquartered in Northeast Wisconsin, celebrates the fourth anniversary of the startup of their Bretting Varium facial line with new additions to increase capacity and capabilities. The Bretting accumulator, Valley Tissue Packaging case packer, Tri-Phase Automation quality vision system and centralized palletizing system will increase capacity and allow additional focus on quality which are both important factors to the continued growth of PPC. Installation was completed by The Boldt Company and Eland Electric Corporation. Startup began mid-December and is expected to be running at full speed in Q1 of 2021.

Overview • Record-high 2020 reported operating income of $727 million; adjusted operating income of $735 million; shareholder net income of $544 million, or $4.35 per share • Fourth quarter of 2020 reported operating income of $420 million; adjusted operating income of $321 million; shareholder net income of $336 million, or $2.68 per share • Net debt of $270 million at December 31, 2020, improvement of $256 million from prior quarter; available liquidity of $1.4 billion; net debt to capitalization of 9.3% at December 31, 2020 • Cumulative cash deposits of $594 million on countervailing and anti-dumping duties at December 31, 2020

Highlights • Robust financial performance with excellent cash generation ▪ Underlying EBITDA of €1,353 million, with margin of 20.3% ▪ Cash generated from operations of €1,485 million ▪ Strong balance sheet at 1.3x net debt to underlying EBITDA • Investing through-the-cycle with capital investment projects delivering growth, enhanced cost competitiveness and sustainability benefits • Delivered against our 2020 Growing Responsibly sustainability commitments and set new ones, the Mondi Action Plan 2030 (MAP2030) • Leveraging long-term trends of sustainability, e-commerce and enhancing our customers' brand value • Well-positioned with cost-advantaged asset base, strong balance sheet and unique portfolio of sustainable solutions

The Board of Directors appointed the following leaders to the Management Committee, effective February 23, 2021: Maria Brennan has been appointed to the role of senior vice president, procurement. James (Bill) Edwards has been appointed to the role of senior vice president, pulp and paper operations. Steven Henry has been appointed to the role of senior vice president, packaging. Stephen Makris has been appointed to the role of senior vice president, business transformation. Robert Melton has been appointed to the role of senior vice president, pulp and paper commercial. In addition, Domtar today announced that Zygmunt Jablonski, senior vice president and chief legal and administrative officer will be departing on April 2, 2021 after 13 years with the company. Nancy Klembus will assume the role of senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. Richard McAtee will assume the role of senior vice president, human resources.

⚫ Revenue increased by 7.1% year-on-year to a historical high of RMB 30.9 billion ⚫ Sales volume achieved record high of 8.6 million tonnes ⚫ Net profit1 was RMB 4.0 billion; a year-on-year increase of 75.6% ⚫ Gross profit margin of 20.9%; a year-on-year increase of 3.8 percentage points ⚫ Net profit margin of 13.0%; a year-on-year increase of 5.1 percentage points

Production at UPM sawmills is now running completely on renewable energy. Since the beginning of 2020, no fossil energy sources have been used in production at any of the company’s four sawmills. Fossil-free production enables UPM to produce even more sustainable timber products with the smallest possible carbon footprint, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation. The reduced carbon footprint of UPM’s timber products also helps our customers reach their respective emission reduction targets. UPM has systematically worked to achieve a transition to fossil-free production at its sawmills. Both thermal energy and electricity are used at all UPM sawmills.

The Navigator Company announced today that it will increase tissue prices by 6 to 8% in all markets. This increase will be effective for all dispatches from 1st of April. The Company will inform its clients shortly about the details of the new prices to be applied. This decision was taken following the generalised and significant price hikes in many input cost, notably in commodities like chemical products, packaging products (plastics and containerboard), logistics, and pulp, being the latter the main cost factor for tissue production. The tissue industry has seen abrupt price increases of 15-20% or more in some of these input costs over the last 3 months, which made it impossible not to reflect these in its finished goods prices.

After serving the pulp and paper industry for more than 100 years, Solenis is well known as a leading supplier of process and functional chemistries. The Wilmington, Delaware-based company already had a world-class portfolio of products, state-of-the-art monitoring and control systems and a global network of professionals respected for their consultative approach to working with customers. Meanwhile, the Germany-based BASF had built its reputation as an innovative chemical company, and its 2008 acquisition of CIBA expanded its colorants portfolio and expertise even more, establishing BASF as the go-to reference in the market. But every great team can be improved. For Solenis, which did not count colorants expertise as a core competency, the pickup of BASF’s basic dyes, direct dyes and pigment preparations was a key addition that strengthened an already robust portfolio. Now, Solenis has fully assimilated the acquired technologies and is well positioned to offer a colorants portfolio that gives papermakers great flexibility, along with support from a technical team.

Fourth Quarter Highlights *Consolidated revenues of $206.9 million were 8 percent higher than the third quarter, but down 3 percent compared to the prior year. The sequential quarterly increase was due to a continued recovery in both segments with a pronounced rebound in Technical Products. *Technical Products revenues of $137.1 million were up 11 percent from the prior year, with record fourth quarter adjusted operating income of $18.0 million driven by record sales in the filtration business. *Consolidated operating income of $14.9 million compared with $22.1 million in the prior year. *Available liquidity of $176 million remained strong, with cash generated from operations of $13.0 million. *Quarterly cash dividends of $0.47 per share increased 4 percent compared to $0.45 per share in the prior year. Full Year Highlights *Revenues of $792.6 million decreased 16 percent compared to 2019, as a result of lower volumes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. *A loss per diluted common share in 2020 of ($0.96) compared to earnings of $3.26 per share in 2019. *In April, the Company published its annual Corporate Sustainability Report, highlighting initiatives and progress in addressing Environmental, Social and Governance matters. *In July, the Company successfully refinanced its Senior Notes and entered into a $200 million Term B Loan due in 2027. *The Company maintained strong liquidity throughout 2020 with careful management of working capital and spending, and ended the year with cash and equivalents of $37 million and no borrowings against its $175 million revolving credit facility.

Clearwater Paper Corporation announced that it temporarily suspended its pulp and paperboard operation in Cypress Bend, Arkansas. The cold weather has resulted in the curtailment of natural gas deliveries to the mill as natural gas providers prioritize residential needs. “We are focused on the health and safety of our employees, maintaining our assets, and working to meet customer needs during this unexpected outage,” said Arsen Kitch, president and chief executive officer. “We intend to resume operations as soon as we are safely able to do so.” The company will provide an update on the anticipated impacts of the outage during its fourth quarter and full year 2020 earnings announcement, scheduled for Thursday, February 25.

Fourth Quarter 2020 Highlights: *Revenue of $783 million *Income from operations of $94 million; Net income from continuing operations of $57 million *TiO2 selling prices remained level, benefiting from margin stability initiatives, and sales volumes increased 8 percent versus fourth quarter 2019 driven by improved market demand globally *Zircon volumes increased 48 percent versus fourth quarter 2019 driven primarily by strong demand in China. Full Year 2020 Highlights: *Revenue of $2,758 million *Income from operations of $271 million; Net income from continuing operations of $995 million *Total acquisition synergies of $243 million achieved, exceeding run rate synergy target of $220 million set at Investor Day in 2019; $193 million reflected in EBITDA, exceeding $183 million target set on third quarter 2020 earnings call *Cash flow provided by operating activities of $355 million; *$200 million discretionary debt repayment made in December 2020

Headquartered in Cohoes, New York, Mohawk is North America’s largest privately-owned manufacturer of fine papers and envelopes which are used for commercial and digital printing, social stationery, high-end direct mail and packaging. With a culture of innovation reaching back to its beginning in 1931, Mohawk is committed to providing materials that help make every printed project more beautiful, effective and memorable. A family-owned business since its inception, Mohawk serves the creative needs of designers, brand-owners and printers in more than 60 countries around the globe. A leader in environmentally and socially responsible paper making since the 1980s, Mohawk sources pulp responsibly, conserves the water its craft relies on and harnesses wind power for its mills. Many of Mohawk's recycled and virgin papers are certified by Green Seal and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Mohawk was the first U.S. manufacturer of commercial printing papers to match 100% of its electricity with wind power renewable energy credits (RECs) and the first U.S. premium paper mill to shift toward carbon neutral production.

Mercer International Inc. reported fourth quarter 2020 Operating EBITDA increased to $49.5 million from negative $34.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and $45.6 million in the third quarter of 2020. In the fourth quarter of 2020, net loss was $13.0 million (or $0.20 per share) compared to a net loss of $72.7 million (or $1.11 per share) in the fourth quarter of 2019 and net income of $7.5 million (or $0.11 per share) in the third quarter of 2020. In 2020, Operating EBITDA decreased by 8% to $192.7 million from $210.4 million in 2019 and the net loss was $17.2 million (or $0.26 per share) compared to $9.6 million (or $0.15 per share) in 2019.

Domtar has been honored as one of the winners of the Beyond the Bag Challenge, led by the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag — a collaboration convened by Closed Loop Partners with leading retailers, environmental partners, global design firm IDEO and others. The challenge attracted more than 450 global participants, and nine winners were announced on Feb. 16. Though the single-use plastic bag remains ubiquitous in retail operations today, rising concerns about plastic waste have spurred efforts to identify viable alternatives. The consortium assembled leading retailers to find innovative solutions that serve the function of today’s single-use plastic retail bag, offering ease and convenience for consumers while reducing the product’s negative environmental impacts. Domtar’s winning submission is a 100 percent paper-based material that is sourced from a renewable natural resource, robust enough for limited reuse in a bag application and curbside recyclable.

As a consequence of the fast and significant increases in the market price of pulp, Crown Van Gelder will be increasing prices by 6 to 8% per ton on its High Speed Inkjet, Graphical, Label & Packaging grades, in reels & sheets, for deliveries from 1st April 2021.

Norske Skog ASA has successfully completed a EUR 150 million senior secured bond issue with maturity in March 2026. The new bonds will have a coupon of 3 months EURIBOR plus 550 bps. We are satisfied with the strong investor demand and to have secured new long-term financing for the group, allowing us to pursue our strategic growth initiatives, says Sven Ombudstvedt, CEO of Norske Skog. The net proceeds from the bond issue will inter alia be used to refinance Norske Skog’s outstanding bond maturing in June 2022 (“NSKOG01”). The refinancing is part of a group-wide capitalisation process to finance strategic investments into the growing and high-margin recycled containerboard market.

Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the carbonless rolls and security papers business of Appvion Operations, Inc. The transaction is expected to close in April 2021 and will not include any Appvion production assets. Carbonless rolls formerly manufactured by Appvion will be manufactured by the Pixelle specialty papers mill in Chillicothe, OH, and security papers formerly manufactured by Appvion will be manufactured by Pixelle or Pixelle supply partners. The acquisition expands the Pixelle product portfolio by building on Pixelle’s established brands of carbonless papers (ExcelOne® and Trans/Rite®) and adding DocuCheck® and DocuMark® security papers to Pixelle’s existing brand (Defensa®).

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 25 percent in January compared to January 2020. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers decreased 22 percent in January compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels increased three percent when compared to December 2020. Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments decreased 20 percent compared to January 2020 while the inventory level increased three percent compared to December 2020. UFS imports increased 41 percent while exports decreased 40 percent in December 2020.U.S. purchases of coated free sheet (CFS) papers in January decreased 32 percent compared to last January while the inventory level increased two percent compared to December 2020. CFS imports and exports both decreased compared to December 2019, down 21 percent and six percent respectively. Coated mechanical (CM) paper shipments decreased 33 percent compared to January 2020 while the inventory level remained essentially flat (+0.1 percent) compared to December 2020. CM imports decreased 34 percent while exports increased 12 percent in December 2020. U.S. purchases of uncoated mechanical (UM) papers in January decreased 24 percent compared to last January while the inventory level increased 14 percent compared to December 2020. UM imports and exports both decreased compared to December 2019, down 19 percent and eight percent respectively.

Avery Dennison said it has agreed to acquire JDC Solutions, Inc., a privately owned manufacturer of pressure-sensitive specialty tapes headquartered in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, for the purchase price of $24 million. JDC employs approximately 75 employees located at its headquarters and manufacturing site in Tennessee, with approximately $30 million in annual revenue. JDC manufactures specialty tapes for use in a variety of high-value industrial applications, and has longstanding relationships with U.S. converters serving the automotive, consumer appliance, and building and construction industries, among others. Upon completion of the acquisition, JDC’s manufacturing operations, workforce and product portfolio will become part of Avery Dennison’s Performance Tapes North America business. The acquisition is expected to close in Q1, subject to customary conditions and approvals.

Crown Native is available for sale starting from February 2021 after 2 years of development. Environmental friendly and food compliant. The commercialization of the sugar beet paper makes Crown Van Gelder the first in the world to produce 'sugar beet paper' at an industrial level. The new product line called 'Crown Native' reduces the environmental impact by 16% through the usage of less wood fibers compared to traditional paper. A second advantage of using sugar beet pulp is that it is FDA* compliant. Crown Native is also approved by the BfR36** and suitable for food packaging, unlike most types of recycled papers that contain print ink residue. This makes sugar beet paper the ideal choice for product packaging and also for shopping bags or promotional print. Crown Native is the perfect fit for brands with a sustainability ambition.

TenderGuard™ BioBased can be used as an inner or outer coverstock layer of a civil face mask. It is highly breathable, biocompatible, and non-irritating, so it's gentle on the skin and comfortable to wear for long durations. Mainly comprised of polylactic acid, which is a biopolymer made from sustainable and renewable sources, TenderGuard™ BioBased is an alternative to synthetic spunbond material.  TenderGuard™ BioFilter is a sustainable filter media that can be used as a single layer or combined as a double layer for higher filtration performance in a barrier face covering. This unique fabric is made up of a special blend of cellulosic and cellulose-based manmade fibers making the filter media 100% bio-based. The TenderGuard™ product portfolio consists of protective fabrics applicable for medical use as well. TenderGuard™ Natural is a wetlaid fabric that can be used as the inner or outer layer of a face mask. It is environmentally friendly, and the hypoallergic inner layer makes it super soft for the wearer. With both layers together, TenderGuard™ Natural achieves nearly 50% Bacterial Filtration Efficiency, which is remarkable without a filtration layer included. TenderGuard™ Smooth consists of bicomponent spunbond fabrics that are made with a proprietary technology that minimizes raised fibers. This creates a smooth surface to help eliminate any skin irritation, which is essential when it comes to a face mask. TenderGuard™ Smooth is hypoallergenic, so it is gentler on the skin, making it ideal to wear for long durations.  

At Lecta we remain firm in our commitment to the environment and sustainability, offering natural paper solutions in which quality assurance is always guaranteed. We are now proud to present Recytal Matt, a new 2-side coated recycled paper in a natural white shade, with excellent results with all types of printing methods. Obtained from 100% recycled fiber, this new paper generates less waste, promoting a circular economy. The Recytal Matt range has FSC® Chain of Custody certification and is available in substances from 90 to 240 g/m2 in sheets and reels. It is suitable for an extensive range of applications such as books, brochures, catalogs, direct marketing, folders, inserts, magazines, environmental reports, etc. Recytal Matt is the natural choice for all types of high-quality prints and finishes, contributing to a more sustainable world.

Domtar Corporation reported a net loss of $59 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to a net loss of $92 million for the third quarter of 2020, and a net loss of $34 million for the fourth quarter of 2019. Sales for the fourth quarter of 2020 were $0.9 billion. The fourth quarter 2020 results include an after-tax loss of $43 million from discontinued operations related to the announced sale of the Personal Care Business, compared to earnings of $19 million for the third quarter of 2020 and earnings of $10 million for the fourth quarter of 2019. Excluding discontinued operations and the items listed below, the Company had earnings from continuing operations before items1 of $19 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to loss from continuing operations before items1 of $1 million for the third quarter of 2020 and loss from continuing operations before items1 of $9 million for the fourth quarter of 2019.

JANUARY–DECEMBER 2020 (1–12/2019) *Sales were EUR 5,055 million (5,473). *Operating result was EUR 376 million (374). The comparable operating result was EUR 368 million (495). *The result before taxes was EUR 330 million (316). The comparable result before taxes was EUR 322 million (436). *Comparable return on capital employed was 7.1% (9.6). *Net cash flow from operations was EUR 667 million (485). OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2020 (10–12/2019) *Sales were EUR 1,357 million (1,290). *Operating result was EUR 97 million (32). The comparable operating result was EUR 94 million (76). *The result before taxes was EUR 88 million (18). The comparable result before taxes was EUR 86 million (62). *Comparable return on capital employed was 7.4% (6.1). *Net cash flow from operations was EUR 306 million (232).

Leading global packaging and paper group Mondi is launching a range of new paper-based release liners which are created using recycled and light-weight materials and provide a more sustainable solution for a range of applications. The new products have been created with FSC®1 or PEFC® certified paper to ensure responsible sourcing and, being lighter in weight, they offer a sustainable solution for labels, tapes, envelopes and industrial usage. EverLiner labelite is a lighter option to standard glassine for label applications, with the same thickness of 58 gsm glassine but engineered to a reduced weight of 47 gsm. This results in 20% less raw material used to produce the liner. EverLiner M R is the first release liner on the market using a recycled base paper. The machine glazed paper (MG) with 70% FSC® recycled certified content reduces the amount of fresh fibres used and is FSC® certified so ensures responsible sourcing.

Q4/2020 compared with Q4/2019*Net sales decreased by 1.7% to EUR 689.2 million (701.3). At constant currency rates, net sales increased by 3.5% on higher volumes *Comparable EBITDA improved to EUR 89.6 million (70.5), representing 13.0% (10.1) of net sales, supported by lower variable costs and higher volumes *Operating result improved to EUR 43.7 million (16.0), supported by higher comparable EBITDA and lower items affecting comparability (IAC). Q1–Q4/2020 compared with Q1–Q4/2019: *Net sales decreased by 8.0% to EUR 2,683.3 million (2,915.3). At constant currency rates, net sales decreased by 5.3% due to lower selling prices and a less favorable product mix. *Comparable EBITDA increased to EUR 334.2 million (312.9), representing 12.5% (10.7) of net sales, supported by lower costs *Operating result improved to EUR 176.2 million (103.2), supported by a capital gain of EUR 32.0 million from the sale of the fine art paper business and lower items affecting comparability (IAC)

Interfor Corporation announced that it has reached an agreement with WestRock Company to acquire its sawmill located in Summerville, South Carolina (the “Summerville Mill”) for cash consideration of US$59 million. For the 12 months ended December 31, 2020, the Summerville Mill produced approximately 125 million board feet of lumber. A new permit was received in 2020 that allows for the production of up to approximately 200 million board feet of lumber per year and Interfor has identified a number of operational and capital investment initiatives to optimize and increase production going forward. The Summerville Mill is located 65 miles southwest of Interfor’s Georgetown, South Carolina mill and 115 miles northeast of Interfor’s Meldrim, Georgia mill. This strategic positioning will allow for log sort optimization and procurement synergies across these three mills.

Solenis will increase prices by up to 8 percent on all polyacrylamide polymers and retention aids across the EMEA region, effective March 1, 2021, or as customer contracts allow. The price increase is necessary due to the major impact on key feedstock costs. Several Force Majeure situations at major acrylonitrile producers in EMEA and North America over the last few months have caused a shortage in product availability, significant cost increases and production and supply chain issues. Acrylonitrile is the key raw material for making acrylamide monomer and polyacrylamide polymers used in papermaking, municipal water treatment, mining and oil and gas applications. “Solenis is making every effort to overcome this shortage and secure a cost-competitive supply of polyacrylamides to our customers. We thank our customers for their continued business and partnership,” said Dr. Norbert Steiner, director, Global Product Management, Industrial Polymers.

Kruger Products’ mill in Gatineau, Que. is receiving $15,000 from the federal government to help implement an energy management information system (EMIS). The tissue manufacturer matched the contribution to the project, bringing the total investment to $30,000. The EMIS is expected to further reduce energy costs and improve energy efficiency. Kruger Products has reduced its energy consumption intensity by 15 per cent and its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 28 per cent since 2009.

Mactac®, a leading supplier of pressure-sensitive papers and films, and ARMOR, a leader in the design and production of thermal transfer ribbons, are working together to deliver more sustainable thermal transfer solutions to the labeling industry. “By focusing on sustainable product development, Mactac and ARMOR are helping ensure the labeling industry is making strides in reducing the impact on the environment – which is a priority of Mactac and our parent company, LINTEC,” says Sara Damante, Senior Marketing Manager, Mactac Performance Adhesives. Tim Maher, Director of Sales for ARMOR North America adds, “ARMOR adopts a long-term vision of its business, deeming sustainability essential to success. Our eco-design efforts focus on developing products that deliver measurable benefits. Our inkanto® AWR 8 ribbon is manufactured with our Solfree™ coating process making it the only true solvent-free ribbon in the world. Additionally, our reduced film content ribbons deliver exceptional performance while improving the carbon impact on the environment.”

Paper Excellence has recently invested more than $600,000 in engineering and consulting work focused on restarting the Prince Albert pulp mill. Paper Excellence originally purchased the Prince Albert pulp mill in 2011. It now plans to restart the facility as soon as possible once the current non-compete agreement with the former owner expires in March 2021. “We plan to replace the entire fibre line from the digester to the last bleaching stage. This will replace the heart of the mill and let us take full advantage of the existing recovery boiler which is one of the most modern in Canada,” explains Carlo Dal Monte, Vice President, Energy & Business Development. “While this is an expensive strategy, it will simplify construction and minimize commissioning risks. Once we are up and running, we will also realize a significant improvement in product quality, operating costs and environmental performance compared to the mill that was shut down in 2006.”

Twin Rivers Paper Company continues to invest in its PFAS-free oil and grease resistant (OGR) food packaging brand, EcoBarrier®. This expanded grade includes EcoBarrier Plus, a top-of-the-line paper engineered for heavy grease applications, and EcoBarrier Choice, a fit-for-use substrate designed with lighter grease resistant properties. The line extension meets the foodservice and food processing markets’ demand for fluorochemical-free (FC-free) paper options. “The launch of EcoBarrier Plus and EcoBarrier Choice reflects Twin Rivers’ commitment to accelerating the availability of PFAS-free papers and providing options for packaging converters and brand owners,” said Rachel Van Wychen, Director of Packaging. “Being one of the first to commercialize an FC-free paper eight years ago gives us a distinct advantage and market leadership position. We’ve worked side-by-side with some of the largest fast-food, quick-serve, and fast-casual restaurants over the years to perfect our formulation and converting performance.”

• Interfor generated $205.0 million of cash flow from operations before changes in working capital, or $3.07 per share, and an additional $24.9 million of cash from reduced working capital. • Capital spending was $36.0 million, including $21.7 million on high-return discretionary projects primarily in the U.S. South. US$96.1 million has been spent on the Company’s Phase II strategic capital plan through December 31, 2020. • Net debt ended the quarter at $(75.4) million, or (7.5)% of invested capital, resulting in available liquidity of $787.5 million.

Paper Excellence announced that the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) arbitration court has ruled in favor of Paper Excellence thereby enabling Paper Excellence to proceed with the full acquisition of the Brazilian-based pulp producer Eldorado Brasil Celulose. The acquisition will be completed under the terms of the agreement between Paper Excellence and J&F Investimentos that was entered into in 2017. Paper Excellence presently owns 49.41% of Eldorado. With the completion of this acquisition, Paper Excellence will strategically enhance its international presence in the pulp and paper markets in the Americas and its ability to serve customers across the globe. Eldorado, with headquarters in Três Lagoas, in Mato Grosso do Sul, is one of the world’s largest pulp producers.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding preliminary rulings of circumvention inquires, involving imports of uncoated paper sheeter rolls from Indonesia, Brazil and Australia on existing antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders. “AF&PA supports the enforcement of free and fair trade laws through an impartial and transparent process. The preliminary affirmative rulings – Indonesia and Brazil – ensure that paper imports are traded fairly in the U.S. market. AF&PA believes U.S. government enforcement of domestic and international trade rules safeguard the health of our industry, allowing markets to function properly.”

* Excluding items affecting comparability 2019.-Operating profit for 2020 was SEK 2 479 million (2019: SEK 2 345 million excluding items affecting comparability of SEK 8 770 million). Lower production costs in Paperboard and higher wood product prices had a positive impact on earnings, though this effect was offset by price decreases and production curtailments in Paper. -Compared with the third quarter, operating profit decreased by SEK 119 million to SEK 595 million as a result of a maintenance shutdown in Paperboard. -Profit after tax in 2020 was SEK 1 979 million (8 731), which corresponds to earnings per share of SEK 12.2 (52.6). Profit after tax for the previous year was impacted by items affecting comparability of SEK 6 943 million.

WestRock is undertaking extensive efforts to identify, contain and recover from this incident quickly and securely. Upon discovering the incident, WestRock immediately began an investigation, implemented business continuity processes and initiated response containment protocols with the support of cybersecurity experts. These actions included proactively shutting down certain systems in an abundance of caution, as well as taking steps to supplement existing security monitoring, scanning and protective measures. The Company also implemented measures, including manual processes, to respond to customers’ needs. The Company is now systematically bringing its information systems back online in a controlled, phased approach. “We remain relentlessly focused on remediating this incident while continuing to safely operate our mills and converting plants,” said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer. “I am proud of the focus and determination of the WestRock team as we manage through this incident and deliver essential products for our customers.” All of WestRock’s mills and converting locations are producing and shipping paper and packaging. The Company’s mill system production through February 4 was approximately 85,000 tons lower than plan, and the packaging converting operations are close to returning to full planned production levels.

• Q4 GAAP net loss of $52 million / net income of $10 million for 2020 • Adjusted EBITDA of $129 million in the quarter / $338 million for the full year • Net debt down by $93 million to $448 million / year-end liquidity at $693 million • Repurchased 2.1 million shares in Q4 / 6.9 million (8%) in 2020 • Completed private offering of $300 million 4.875% senior unsecured notes

Full-year and fourth quarter highlights: •Full-year and fourth quarter net earnings (loss) attributable to International Paper of $482 million and $153 million, respectively, compared with $1.2 billion for full-year 2019, $204 million in the third quarter of 2020 and $165 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 •Fourth quarter cash provided by operations of $789 million, bringing full-year 2020 to $3.1 billion compared with $3.6 billion for full-year 2019. Full-year 2020 free cash flow (non-GAAP) of $2.3 billion, compared with $2.3 billion for the full-year 2019 •Fourth quarter debt reduction of $611 million, bringing full-year 2020 to $1.7 billion

SCA has decided to discontinue publication paper production and during the first quarter of 2021 all three paper machines on the site will be closed. LWC1 produced coated publication paper for magazines and commercial print. It started production in 1990 and had a capacity of 250 000 tonnes of publication paper per annumn. SCA has decided to invest SEK 1.45 bn in the production of chemically pretreated thermomechanical pulp on the Ortviken industry site.

Norske Skog’s EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2020 was NOK 146 million, an increase from NOK 73 million in the third quarter of 2020, as a result of increased sales volume and favourable cost development. Despite improvements in the fourth quarter, the markets have not returned to pre-COVID-19 levels. Cash flow from operations was NOK 73 million in the quarter compared to NOK 115 million in the previous quarter, mainly due to a reduction of inventory and accrued CO2-compensation to be paid in 2021. Operating earnings in the fourth quarter of 2020 were NOK -1 276 million compared to operating earnings of NOK -31 million in the third quarter of 2020.

Fourth Quarter 2020 Results: Net sales were $1.99 billion, up 12.3%. The extra week in 2020 increased sales 4.9%. Sales were up 5.2% ex. currency, and up 3.2% on an organic basis. Reported operating margin increased 350 basis points to 13.7%. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased 180 basis points to 16.3%, while adjusted operating margin increased 160 basis points to 13.5%. Reported net income was $2.28 per share, up 19% and adjusted net income was $2.27 per share, up 31%, both of which were above the company’s expectations. Year-to-date free cash flow was $548 million, up 6.9% compared to last year.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will increase prices by 3 to 15 percent on a range of polymer-based chemistries, effective immediately or as customer contracts allow. These price increases are necessary due to inflation and availability of raw materials and elevated freight and energy costs. “We are unable to absorb the impact of the increased costs that we are currently experiencing but we will continue to work in partnership with our customers to help mitigate the increases,” said Cory Ross, director, North America marketing and product management. “Solenis remains committed to controlling costs through process improvements to deliver high-value, innovative solutions that our customers have come to expect.”

Financial summary for the quarter: *EBITDA excluding special items US$98 million (Q1 FY20 US$139 million) *Net debt US$2,056 million (Q1 FY20 US$1,916 million) *Loss for the period US$17 million (Q1 FY20 Profit of US$24 million) *EPS excluding special items -1 US cent (Q1 FY20 6 US cents)

After many years of collaboration and joint efforts to promote sustainable forest management, UPM-Kymmene has been accepted as PEFC’s international stakeholder member. PEFC (The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is an international organisation with the main focus of endorsing national forest certification systems to ensure the verifiable, sustainable use of forests. “We were delighted to welcome so many of our members from all around the world, virtually. While we couldn’t meet in person, the virtual meeting enabled more employees of our members to join the session and experience a PEFC General Assembly first-hand”, says Ben Gunneberg, the CEO and Secretary General of PEFC. Alongside UPM joining as an international stakeholder member, Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina were welcomed as new national members. PEFC now totals 55 national members across six continents and 31 international stakeholder members.

SCA’s investments in Östrand pulp mill, in addition to the ongoing investments in pulp production at the Ortviken industrial site, will more than double the volume of pulp to be shipped from the Sundsvall region. The increased volumes mean that the pulp will be delivered to new and more distant markets. Tunadal and Bollsta sawmills are also ramping up their production volumes. Containers are being increasingly used to transport pulp and solid-wood products. Over the past five years, the volume of containerized trade from Tunadal port has more than doubled. “This development has meant that we need to be able to handle larger volumes of containerized cargo than previously and be able to accommodate larger ships – both container ships and break bulk vessels,” says Magnus Svensson, President Sourcing and Logistics at SCA.

Stora Enso has decided to permanently close its US-based Virdia operations during 2021. Virdia was acquired in 2014 and has focused on conversion of cellulosic biomass from sugar cane bagasse into refined sugars. The operations have consisted of a research centre in Danville, Virginia and a demo plant in Raceland, Louisiana, which will both be closed. The closure is in line with Stora Enso’s strategic choices in R&D to drive future growth and value creation from forest-based materials. Furthermore, today, the company’s innovation work focuses considerably more on applications further down the value chain instead of being a raw material supplier. There will be a stepwise process for discontinuing the operations and closing the sites during 2021. The employee impact will be approximately 65 Stora Enso employees and 18 contractors.

Q4/2020 (year-on-year) *Sales decreased by 10.7% to EUR 2 154 (2 411) million, due to structural changes, lower prices and volumes. *Operational EBIT was EUR 118 (124) million, lower sales were mitigated by efficient cost management. *Operational EBIT margin increased to 5.5% (5.1%). *Operating profit (IFRS) decreased to EUR 289 (680) million. *Cash flow from operations amounted to EUR 436 (725) million. Cash flow after investing activities was EUR 223 (518) million. *The net debt to operational EBITDA ratio was 2.3 (2.0). *Operational ROCE excluding Forest division was 4.6% (5.0%). Year 2020 (year-on-year) *Sales were EUR 8 553 (10 055) million, mainly due to lower volumes and prices, and structural changes. *Operational EBIT decreased to EUR 650 (1 003) million, due to lower sales.

OCTOBER 1 – DECEMBER 31, 2020 (compared with July 1 – September 30, 2020) *Net sales increased 6% to SEK 4,592m (4,338), mainly related to higher delivery volumes. *EBITDA margin increased to 30.0% (23.8).*Operating cash flow amounted to SEK 957m (1,118). JANUARY 1 – DECEMBER 31, 2020 (compared with January 1 – December 31, 2019) *Net sales declined 6% to SEK 18,410m (19,591). The fall in sales was mainly related to lower selling prices, which was partly offset by higher delivery volumes.*EBITDA margin of 24.1% (27.2). The decrease was mainly due to lower selling prices. *Operating profit amounted to SEK 1,145m (19,665). The difference was mainly due to one-off items from the discontinuation of publication paper operations in 2020 of SEK -1,694m and the changed accounting method for forest assets of approximately SEK 16bn in 2019. *Operating cash flow amounted to SEK 2,688m (2,916).

KEY HIGHLIGHTS *Sales volumes increased by 5% *Continued positive development of the ramp-up at Gruvön (KM7) *Cost and efficiency programme exceeding target *Strong operating cash flow *The Board of Directors proposes dividend of SEK 4.30 per share. Quarterly data *Net sales amounted to SEK 5 803 million (5 815). Excluding currency effects sales grew by 2% *Operating profit rose to SEK 163 million (103), including SEK 73 million revaluation gain in an associated company *Net profit from continuing operations was SEK 242 million (283)

2020 highlights *Sales decreased by 16% to EUR 8,580 million (10,238 million in 2019) due to lower deliveries of graphic papers and lower pulp and paper prices *Comparable EBIT was EUR 948 million, 11.1% of sales (1,404 million, 13.7%), down 32% year-over-year *Operating cash flow was EUR 1,005 million (1,847 million) *Net debt was EUR 56 million (-453 million) *Cash funds and unused committed credit facilities totalled EUR 3.2 billion at the end of 2020 *The COVID-19 containment measures significantly decreased demand for graphic papers, while UPM Raflatac and UPM Specialty Papers achieved record earnings *UPM's transformative pulp project in Uruguay and biochemicals project in Germany are well on track with the planned start-up timeline *Closures of UPM Kaipola and UPM Chapelle paper mills and UPM Jyväskylä plywood mill, streamlining in several businesses and functions

Designed to enhance converters’ product portfolios, Mactac® Performance Adhesives Group announces the launch of an innovative new UV Inkjet semi-gloss paper product. Saving converters both time and money, the product, UVS9002, eliminates the potential need to prime prior to converting. “UVS9002 fills a gap in many converters’ portfolios,” says Sara Damante, Senior Marketing Manager, Mactac Performance Adhesives. “As the digital and UV space continues to grow, our team recognized a need for additional UV Inkjet products and the launch of this product will deliver great value to converters by increasing efficiencies and improving cost-savings.”

Mactac® Industrial Tapes announces its newest 100-percent solids, solvent-free performance product line – MacBond™ HSA440 Acrylic Tapes. Developed with Mactac’s innovative state-of-the-art adhesive technology, MacBond HSA440 Acrylic Tapes are environmentally and economically friendly. They are also highly versatile, meeting a wide range of requirements in applications such as: Mounting and bonding; Appliance; Nameplates and overlays; Graphic mounting and display assembly; Membrane switches; Medical device assembly; Automotive.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will increase prices by 5 to 20 percent on all sizing product lines across the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions, effective immediately or as customer contracts allow. The price increase is necessary due to inflation and availability of raw materials used in manufacturing our sizing product line, elevated freight and energy costs and regulatory compliance requirements. “We are unable to absorb the impact of the increased costs that we are currently experiencing but we will continue to work in partnership with our customers to help mitigate the increases,” said Jose Santolaya, director, EMEA marketing and product management. “Solenis remains committed to controlling costs through process improvements to deliver high-value, innovative solutions that our customers have come to expect.”

Crown Van Gelder starts production of Crown Letsgo 3rd generation grades as of 1 February 2021. The Crown Letsgo 3rd generation grades will bring visible quality improvements in the print result of presses operating with pigment inks and provide the opportunity to improve the Total Cost of Print by reducing ink consumption (5-12%) and save on drying energy*. Crown Van Gelder will switch production for the following grades: *Crown Letsgo Universal; *Crown Letsgo Matte; *Crown Letsgo Silk and Bright Silk, ColorPRO branded version. Inkjet paper makes perfect sense, even now “substrate independent” solutions are offered by press manufacturers. For anyone wanting best runnability on their press, there is no alternative to good quality inkjet paper.

Verso Corporation announced the appointment of Randy J. Nebel as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Nebel has served as interim President and Chief Executive Officer since October 2020 and has been a member of Verso's Board of Directors since November 2019. "We are pleased that Randy has accepted our offer to transition from the interim role to a permanent position," said Chairman of the Board Sean Erwin. "His more than 40 years of knowledge in the paper and packaging industry, combined with his breadth of executive leadership experience, make him the right choice for this role."

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, launches NAUTILUS® Elemental, its first recycled office paper product for the low-white segment. The new product made from 100% post-consumer waste complements the existing wide range of premium high-white recycled papers. Low-white recycled papers are particularly popular with public authorities and institutions (e.g. schools). The new paper is now available across Europe. Due to an increasing demand for recycled paper, Mondi extended its NAUTILUS® portfolio and availability over the past few years. This latest product innovation is the next milestone in its strategy and targets important low-white markets in Europe where currently limited suppliers exist. NAUTILUS® Elemental is ideally suited for all types of office communication such as everyday communication, e-mail print-outs, direct mail, invoices and manuals. NAUTILUS® Elemental is produced in Austria in compliance with certification schemes including the Blue Angel, FSC® Recycled, EU Ecolabel and the Austrian Ecolabel.

Notable items in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 include: *Net sales of $4.4 billion were essentially flat compared to the pre-pandemic prior year quarter *Total packaging shipments increased 5%; record North American per day box shipments that increased 8% compared to the prior year quarter *Successfully started up the Company’s new 330” state-of-the-art paper machine in Florence, South Carolina; the machine’s 710k tons of annual capacity replaces three old machines *Distributed COVID-19 relief payments to employees totaling $22 million; these payments are not included in the Company's adjusted earnings per diluted share for the quarter *Generated net cash provided by operating activities of $719 million and Adjusted Free Cash Flow of $562 million compared to $431 million and $79 million, respectively, in the prior year quarter

WestRock Company provided the following update on its ransomware incident which was announced on Jan. 25, 2021. WestRock’s security teams, supported by leading cyber defense firms, continue to work on remediation of and recovery from this incident. With some exceptions, the Company’s operations have continued to run and deliver for customers. In locations where technology issues have been identified, we are using alternative methods to process and ship orders. “We are working around the clock to complete our investigation and to restore normalized operations as quickly as possible,” said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer. “WestRock teams are taking extraordinary steps to keep our mills and converting plants operational and to safely deliver to our customers.”

For the second year in a row, the media, research and financial information products company Corporate Knights has named Cascades one of the world's 100 most sustainable corporations. Cascades rose to 17th place among the 8,080 organizations analyzed. Having ranked 49th last year, Cascades has clearly made tremendous progress and remains the leader among the corporations assessed in its sector. The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World ranking is the result of an in-depth analysis of international corporations with more than $1 billion in revenues. Cascades also ranks 3rd among the 13 Canadian corporations on the list. Cascades' ranking as one of the world's most sustainable businesses is the latest in a series of sustainable development distinctions it has received over the years and bears witness to the efforts made by the Company in terms of environmental protection and social responsibility.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in November 2020 were down 16.5% vs. November 2019 and were down 19.7% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in November 2020 were down 21.5% vs. November 2019 and were down 19.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in November 2020 were down 14.7% vs. November 2019 and were down 18.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in November 2020 were down 22.1% vs. November 2019 and were down 26.8% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in November 2020 were down 5.9% vs. November 2019 and were down 8.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in November 2020 were down 22.1% vs. November 2019 and were down 26.0% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in November 2020 were down 6.7% vs. November 2019 and were down 13.7% year-to-date.

Executive Summary: *Fourth quarter 2020 net sales of $4.8 billion increased 6 percent compared to the year-ago period, including organic sales growth of 5 percent. Full-year 2020 net sales of $19.1 billion increased 4 percent, with organic sales up 6 percent. *Diluted net income per share for the fourth quarter was $1.58 in 2020 and $1.59 in 2019. Full-year diluted net income per share was $6.87 in 2020 and $6.24 in 2019. *Fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share were $1.69 in 2020 compared to $1.71 in 2019. Adjusted earnings per share exclude certain items described later in this news release. *Full-year adjusted earnings per share were $7.74 in 2020, up 12 percent compared to $6.89 in 2019. The company's previous guidance was for adjusted earnings per share of $7.50 to $7.65. *Net sales in 2021 are expected to increase 4 to 6 percent, including organic sales growth of 1 to 2 percent. Diluted net income per share for 2021 is anticipated to be $7.10 to $7.60. Adjusted earnings per share in 2021 are expected to be $7.75 to $8.00.

Metsä Board announced its plan to strengthen its position as Europe’s leading producer of folding boxboard by increasing production capacity. The company has started pre-engineering for increasing the annual production capacity of folding boxboard machine BM1 at the Husum mill in Sweden by approximately 200,000 tonnes. The pre-engineering phase includes also an evaluation of the mill port’s capacity for increased volumes of raw materials and finished goods. The planned investment would further strengthen Husum BM1’s position as the biggest folding boxboard machine in Europe. The readiness to make the final investment decision is expected to be achieved in the summer of 2021 and if the investment is implemented the ramp-up of the additional capacity would start in 2023.

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 26 percent in December compared to December 2019. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers decreased 22 percent in December compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels remained essentially flat (+0.3 percent) when compared to November 2020. U.S. purchases of uncoated free sheet (UFS) papers in December decreased 17 percent compared to last December while the inventory level decreased one percent compared to November 2020. UFS imports increased 13 percent while exports decreased 31 percent in November 2020. Coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments decreased 26 percent compared to December 2019 while the inventory level increased four percent compared to November 2020. CFS imports and exports both decreased compared to November 2019, down 36 percent and eight percent respectively. click read more for additional statistics

Lecta presents an extensive new range of Termax products for the demanding, dynamic thermal paper segment, the result of deep technical know-how and years of experience in manufacturing specialty papers. Over the last years, Lecta completed a strategic investment plan prioritizing its heat-sensitive papers: a new base paper machine, a complete modernization of the coating preparation kitchen and a new coating line, installed in the Leitza mill (Spain) in 2018. Today, our new thermal facilities are equipped with two state-of-the art coating lines completely devoted to thermal paper, fully automated packaging lines and winding machines that provide a high-quality finish. In its new catalogue "Moving with your business", Lecta presents a renovated Termax paper range designed to meet the specific requirements of POS, ticket and label applications. Termax provides real end-use performance papers for converters and pressure-sensitive adhesive manufacturers, with high quality standards, perfect direct thermal printing results and numerous advantages.

Wednesday January 20, 2021, the last roll of paper was produced on SCA’s paper machine 5 at Ortviken paper mill in Sundsvall. PM5 produced uncoated publication paper for newpapers, magazines and commercial print and had a capacity of 255,000 tonnes per annum. The paper machine started production in the year 1985. PM5 will now be dismantled in order to make room for the company Renewcell and its recycling of textile fibre, which is expected to come on stream on the Ortviken site in 2022. As previously announced, the remaining two paper machines at the Ortviken paper mill will stop production during the first quarter of 2021, as SCA ceases to produce publication paper.

*Mondi’s new paper machine at its Czech mill in Štětí is dedicated to producing 100% recyclable speciality kraft paper for shopping bags using a combination of fresh and recycled fibres to prioritise sustainability without compromising on strength *The €67 million investment responds to growing consumer preference and legislative change to reduce plastic waste and demonstrates the company's commitment to supporting the circular economy *This new paper machine for shopping bags broadens Mondi’s leading portfolio, placing the group at the forefront of European kraft paper production

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced that Sylvain A. Girard will join the company and be appointed as senior vice president and chief financial officer as of March 2, 2021. His term will begin the day after Remi G. Lalonde, currently Resolute's senior vice president and chief financial officer, assumes the position of president and chief executive officer. Mr. Girard will report to Mr. Lalonde. With over 25 years of global financial and leadership experience, including nearly 20 years tenure in different chief financial officer roles, Mr. Girard is a seasoned finance professional with extensive global experience. He has a proven record of delivering results and leading bold transformations.

Georgia-Pacific announced that it will expand its Dixie to Go/PerfecTouch® cup manufacturing capacity at the Lexington, Kentucky, Dixie facility. This will allow GP to scale its efforts and create a single, world-class manufacturing facility for cupmaking. As part of this, GP will permanently close its Lehigh Valley Dixie cup manufacturing facility in Easton, Pennsylvania, by the end of 2021. Lehigh Valley will continue to make cups to support the business for the next several months as some of its cupmaking equipment is relocated to the Lexington site. With the closure of the Lehigh Valley plant, it means that after 2021 all Dixie cups, including premium hot cups, recycled fiber cups and bath cups, will be made at the Lexington plant. Approximately 190 jobs at the Lehigh Valley facility will be impacted by this closure, while approximately 50 jobs will be created by the expansion in Lexington. As we work through this transition, no supply disruption is anticipated.

Summary: *Revenue expected to be $783 million(1) *Adjusted EBITDA expected to be $200 to $204 million(1)(2) *Termination of the TTI transaction agreement following rejection by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) of a remedy proposal and opening of a Phase 2 investigation *$300 million discretionary debt repayment to be made by the end of the quarter from cash on the balance sheet originally intended for the TTI acquisition *Increasing annualized dividend to $0.32 per share from $0.28 per share, equivalent to a 14 percent increase, effective when the normal first quarter 2021 dividend is declared *Well-positioned to continue participation in the recovery and demonstrate the full capabilities of Tronox’s vertically integrated portfolio

Clean energy is vital for sustainability. Our responsibility targets express our commitment to annually improving our energy efficiency and increasing our use of renewable fuels. Fossil raw materials can be replaced with wood-based products and solutions in many applications, but this consumes a large amount of heat and electricity. As UPM produces and consumes significant amounts of energy, the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, is one of our six focus goals. “Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy while at the same improving energy efficiency is crucial for mitigating climate change. Energy efficiency not only reduces emissions, but it also saves natural resources and money, so it’s smart both for the environment and our bottom line,” says Pasi Svinhufvud, UPM Energy Manager, Thermal Power, HSEQ. UPM has a remarkable share of climate friendly energy production. there is much more..

‘We will offer packaging that does not yet exist’, said Koehler CEO Kai Furler in an interview with the newspaper F.A.Z. at the beginning of 2018. Some readers will have wondered where he got the self-confidence for this bold statement from. On the one hand, it shows great confidence in the company’s research and development. But it also anticipated what was announced a year later, in January 2019: the founding of the Green Coating Collaboration, a joint laboratory between Koehler and Darmstadt Technical University. The name already hints at the institution’s field of activity. The focus is on barrier coatings that can give flexible packaging paper properties that previously only plastic could offer. These include mineral oil barriers, water vapour barriers or barriers for oils and fats, as well as aroma barriers. ‘We are conducting fundamental research in the Green Coating Collaboration’, explains Dr. Markus Wildberger, Head of Technology at Koehler. ‘Our goal is to find and test more sustainable, bio-based raw materials for barrier coating in order to ultimately use them on production line 8. It is important not to use raw materials that could potentially be used as food. After all, our packaging material should not compete with food for land.’

Lecta announces a price increase on thermal papers of 10% to 12% for new orders. The price increase is necessary to offset the continuous and relevant increase in manufacturing and transport costs and to restore our profitability. The price increase is effective immediately. Lecta sales teams are at our customers’ disposal to provide specific information on how the price increase will be applied on a country-by-country basis.

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. announced changes to the management structure in its High Purity Cellulose segment and Pulp business. Dr. Christoph Koenig will assume responsibility for all High Purity Cellulose sales, while Tomas Fernandez will assume responsibility for marketing and customer service, sustainability, high yield pulp and lignin sales, research and development, and other strategic growth initiatives. Dr. Christoph Koenig and Tomas Fernandez each bring over 25 years of experience in business leadership, sales and research and development in the specialty chemical industry.

Kotkamills, a manufacturer of food service board, has signed a Collaboration agreement with Lahti Ski Games. Food and Beverages at the World Cup event will be served in cups, plates and trays made from Kotkamills' food-safe, eco-friendly, fully recyclable and compostable board Kotkamills has previously signed Collaboration agreements emphasizing Sustainability with the Norwich City and HJK football clubs, the KooKoo ice hockey club, and the World Cup Levi of alpine skiing. “Sustainability is an inherent value for both Collaboration parties. We are pleased that the event organizers have wanted to replace the traditional products with new, eco-friendly alternatives , ”says Markku Hämäläinen , CEO of Kotkamills.

The Nomination Committee of BillerudKorsnäs has decided to propose that Jan Svensson shall be elected as Chairman of the Board of BillerudKorsnäs, at the Annual General Meeting that will be held on 5 May 2021. Jan Åström has announced that he is not available for re-election as Chairman of the Board, but as a continued member of the company's Board, and the Nomination Committee will propose that he is elected to this role. Michael M.F. Kaufmann, Chairman of the Nomination Committee commented: “The Nomination Committee is very pleased to propose Jan Svensson as new Chairman. We are convinced that Jan Svensson, with his broad industrial experience as well as excellent strategic and leadership skills, will provide the company with a chairmanship that is right for the company. The Nomination Committee also wants to point out the important contributions by Jan Åström during his term as Chairman of the Board, including his recruitment of a new CEO.”

Now Astrolite PC 100 Velvet is available in a 9 pt. caliper for postal-compliant oversized postcards. The only premium coated 100% recycled sheet made in America, Astrolite PC 100 Velvet is coated on two sides and crafted with only post-consumer waste recycled fiber. Like all Monadnock paper and packaging materials, it is made with responsibly sourced FSC-certified fiber, manufactured carbon neutral (VERs), and made with 100 percent renewable Green-e certified wind powered electricity (RECs) under a third-party certified ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. “Eco-conscious marketers are seizing opportunities to grow brand presence and drive sales by re-embracing direct-mail tactics in their omnichannel campaigns. They are finding fresh new ways to reach screen-fatigued consumers and prospects,” said Julie Brannen, Director, Sustainability Solutions, Monadnock. “Our Astrolite PC 100 Velvet 9 pt. meets their needs for sustainable, high-quality graphic reproduction in oversized USPS direct mail marketing communications.”

Domtar Corporation announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Personal Care business to American Industrial Partners (AIP) for $920 million. The sale of Domtar’s Personal Care business represents the culmination of a process announced on August 7, 2020, during which the Company undertook a comprehensive strategic review of value-creating alternatives for the business. With this sale, Domtar is reinforcing its focus on building an industry-leading Paper, Pulp and Packaging company to deliver long-term shareholder value. “This transaction represents a milestone in Domtar’s ongoing portfolio transformation and further advances our strategic initiatives that will position Domtar for a sustainable and successful future,” said John D. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer of Domtar.

Rottneros’ Board has decided on investments to reduce emissions to water at Vallvik Mill. The investments amount to a total of SEK 33 million and are linked to the mill's updated environmental permit, which has now gained legal force, allowing an annual pulp production of 255,000 tons. The decision means that a number of measures will be taken to reduce emissions to water. They will be implemented during the mill's annual maintenance shutdown in 2021. The majority of them are aimed at increasing the proportion of emissions treated in the mill's biological treatment plant, as well as improving the efficiency of the fiberline and thereby minimizing emissions from the bleaching process.

Sappi Maastricht and the Belvédère Wijkontwikkelingsmaatschappij (Neighborhood Development Company, WOM) of the Municipality of Maastricht have signed an agreement that will finalize the sale of the southwestern part of the Maastricht paper mill site to the WOM. The sale and subsequent purchase of this land creates a win-win situation for both parties as well as to the local area and will have no negative impact on employment at the Sappi site. In order to survive in this shrinking market and to guarantee continuity and employment, Sappi Maastricht started three years ago with the transition into luxury packaging board. This activity mainly takes place on the north side of the company site. The southwestern part is therefore less intensively used and was eligible for sale to the WOM. Ferdinand Koster, director of Sappi Maastricht commented: "This sale makes it possible for us to invest in the future of Sappi Maastricht. We will use the resources to improve internal logistics and additionally improve the sustainability of our production processes. "

Over the course of the last 12 months, we have experienced negative cost pressure due to inbound/outbound freight issues, higher import tariffs, and increased costs of raw materials. These costs have impacted our entire range of products. Until now, improvements in manufacturing and logistic efficiencies have enabled us to mitigate increased costs. However, we are no longer able to absorb the full impact of these costs on our business. Effective on orders received on or after January 18, 2021 we will implement a 6% price increase on all stock and custom orders. Thank you for your understanding and your continued support of 3A Composites.

No one was hurt after a fire erupted Monday morning, Jan. 4, 2021, in one of the paper machines at Paper Excellence Canada in Port Alberni. “We had a paper fire on the No. 4 paper machine in the dryer section,” Paper Excellence Canada Alberni division general manager Marc Bodin confirmed. Bodin said preliminary checks indicate damage was not extensive. “It looks like there was minimal damage to the machine itself.” The No. 5 machine remains in production. Bodin said he doesn’t anticipate Monday’s fire affecting the Alberni plant’s overall production. “We’re not expecting any significant down time or loss of production as a result,” he said.

GP reached an agreement today to sell the company‘s nonwovens business to Glatfelter, a leading global supplier of engineered materials, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, for $175 million. The sale must still go through customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances from competition authorities. The proposed transaction includes Georgia-Pacific’s nonwovens operations at Mt. Holly, North Carolina, which produces airlaid nonwoven material for commercial customers used to make table top, wiping, food pads, hygiene and related products, and a research center in Memphis, Tennessee.

Avery Dennison announced that it has acquired the business of Ohio-based ACPO Ltd. for the purchase price of $87.6 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments. ACPO is a leader in pressure-sensitive overlaminate products for the label and flexible packaging markets and has approximately 170 employees. Avery Dennison has acquired the majority of ACPO’s assets, including coating, finishing and distribution operations at its Oak Harbor, Ohio, headquarters, as well as three finishing and distribution sites in Atlanta, Georgia; Oak Creek, Wisconsin; and Vancouver, Washington. ACPO employees will transition to the Avery Dennison Label and Graphic Materials team.

Tronox Holdings plc, a leading integrated manufacturer of titanium dioxide pigment, received a decision from the British Competition and Markets Authority indicating that it intends to open a Phase 2 investigation into Tronox’s proposed acquisition of the TiZir Titanium and Iron business from Eramet S.A. (the “Seller”) as announced on May 14, 2020. As a standard part of the process, the Company may offer remedies to the CMA before it reaches a final decision on whether to begin a Phase 2 investigation. The Company will keep the market informed of the progress of the transaction. The transaction did not require notification in the United Kingdom or meet premerger reporting thresholds in the United States; however, the CMA and the Federal Trade Commission each launched investigations into the transaction, and the Company has been cooperative throughout these reviews.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, announced on 1 December 2020 that it had signed an agreement to sell a 30 percent stake in its Husum pulp mill in Sweden to the Swedish forest owners' cooperative Norra Skog. The transaction was completed on 4 January 2021, and its impacts will be included in Metsä Board's financial reporting as of the January–March 2021 interim report.

The Navigator Company announced today that it will increase paper prices in Europe from 4% to 6%, setting a minimum of 30 euros net per tonne. This increase will be effective for all dispatches from 1st February, and the Company will inform shortly about the details of the new prices to be applied by grade. This decision was taken due to unsustainable low levels of profitability across the industry in Europe and following the recent announcements of worldwide increases in pulp and logistics costs.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in October 2020 were down 18.7% vs. October 2019 and are down 19.9% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in October 2020 were down 21.6% vs. October 2019 and are down 18.7% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in October 2020 were down 16.5% vs. October 2019 and are down 18.8% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in October 2020 were down 24.0% vs. October 2019 and are down 27.2% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in October 2020 were down 5.0% vs. October 2019 and are down 8.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in October 2020 were down 27.1% vs. October 2019 and are down 26.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in October 2020 were down 10.3% vs. October 2019 and are down 14.3% year-to-date.

Tronox Holdings plc, the world’s leading integrated manufacturer of titanium dioxide pigment, announced that its Board of Directors appointed John D. Romano, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, and Jean-François Turgeon, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as co-Chief Executive Officers on an interim basis, effective immediately. In addition, Ilan Kaufthal, Lead Independent Director, has been elected Chairman of the Board on an interim basis, effective immediately. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffry N. Quinn will take a leave of absence, effective immediately. On December 24, 2020, Mr. Quinn alerted the Board that he had been referenced as an unnamed individual in a Securities and Exchange Commission civil complaint and related criminal complaint regarding alleged insider trading by the defendant named in the complaints in the shares of Ferro Corporation in February and March of 2016.

Please be advised that Catalyst Paper will be implementing a two-step price increase on its Machine Finished papers sold in the United States. For shipments on or after February 1, 2021, the US transaction price for the following grades from Catalyst Paper will be increasing by $25.00/Metric Tonne. The second step increase of $25.00/Metric Tonne will be applied to shipments on or after March 1, 2021. This includes all basis weights, finishes and brightnesses of Electrabrite, Electrabrite Book and Electrastar.

UPM and the US-based pulp and paper producer Domtar Paper Company LLC have signed an agreement for UPM to acquire the total annual kraft lignin production of Domtar’s Plymouth Mill in North Carolina, USA as of January 2021. This step enables UPM to expand its role in the growing lignin business and different application segments. Following the agreement, UPM will increase its supply of kraft lignin by more than 20.000 metric tonnes annually. Part of the supply will be used to complement the existing UPM BioPivaTM product family. UPM lignin products will be sold globally through UPM’s sales network and are supported by strong technical expertise. “We are very pleased to have agreed this new supply agreement with Domtar. It enables us to expand our lignin business in the growing biochemicals market before the start-up of our Biorefinery in Leuna, Germany,” says Juuso Konttinen, Vice President, UPM Biochemicals.

Clearwater Paper Corporation announced a preliminary update to the company’s previous outlook for fourth quarter 2020 Adjusted EBITDA of $52 to $62 million. Due to significantly greater than expected demand in tissue, strong operating performance, and favorable cost trends, the company now expects Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2020 to be in the range of $71 to $76 million. “Demand for tissue products increased significantly in November through mid-December. We believe that the recent increase in COVID-19 cases caused a temporary change in consumer buying patterns, which are starting to normalize in later December,” said Arsen Kitch, president and chief executive officer. “We now expect our fourth quarter volumes to be above our previous guidance, with shipments exceeding those experienced in the fourth quarter of 2019,” Kitch concluded.

The owner of the Androscoggin Mill announced Wednesday that it will not rebuild a wood pulp digester that exploded April 15 and will permanently shut down one paper machine idled by the blast. Alan Ulman, spokesman for Pixelle Specialty Solutions based in Pennsylvania, said the decision is part of its long-term strategy to continue manufacturing specialty papers on its other two machines and utilizing more than 250 full-time employees. About 177 jobs have been eliminated at the mill since the explosion, which halted manufacturing for eight days and initiated months of recovery and strategic planning to ensure the mill would operate successfully and competitively. The mill will continue using pulp sourced from other mills, including Maine-based facilities.

Sappi Limited wishes to congratulate Mr Valli Moosa for his appointment by President Cyril Ramaphosa as deputy-chair and member of the inaugural Presidential Climate Change Coordinating Commission for South Africa. The Commission is chaired by the President. The mandate of the commission is to advise on and facilitate a common understanding of a just transition towards a low-carbon, inclusive, climate change resilient economy and society, including matters of adaptation, mitigation as well as means of implementation. The commission comprises representatives from government departments and state entities, business organisations, labour, academia, civil society, research institutions and traditional leadership. Mr Moosa is the lead independent director of the Sappi Limited Board and serves as chair of the Social, Ethics, Transformation and Sustainability Committee of the Board.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced that Hugues Simon will join the company and be appointed as president of the wood products division as of March 1, 2021. His term will begin as of the date on which Remi G. Lalonde, currently Resolute's chief financial officer, assumes the position of president and chief executive officer. Mr. Simon will report to Mr. Lalonde. Mr. Simon, a native of Quebec, most recently served as president, BarretteWood, Inc., a producer of value-added wood products with operations in Canada and the United States. Previously, Mr. Simon worked for Resolute and its predecessor companies for seven years in corporate and division-based functions. Earlier in his career, he worked for a number of other forest products companies. Mr. Simon is a graduate of Sherbrooke University and is a certified public accountant.

“ The pulp demand is strong on all markets”, says Henning Ellström, VP Sales and Marketing Pulp. “The price development in Europe has been lagging compared to that in North America and Asia. We want to reduce the gap between Europe and other markets.” The new price on bleached softwood kraft pulp is valid from January 1, 2021.

As part of its forest land optimisation, Stora Enso has signed an agreement to divest forest assets located in southern Sweden to the forestry fund Silvestica Green Forest AB. The total area of forest land in the transaction is approximately 5 200 hectares. The selling price is approximately SEK 940 million (EUR 90 million). The transaction is in line with Stora Enso’s policy of divesting non-core assets. The forest areas are located geographically far away from Stora Enso’s other forest lands, which limits the scale benefits. The forest land divestment has no impact on Stora Enso’s nearby Hylte Mill, which uses other wood supply sources for its production. The forest land corresponds to less than 0.5% of Stora Enso’s total forest land area in Sweden.

Toundra Greenhouse, an innovative cucumber-growing greenhouse complex in which Resolute holds a 49% interest, is expanding once again. On December 9, 2020, the organization announced its third expansion since its inauguration in 2016. The new $50-million plan brings the total invested in the joint venture’s three phases to $175 million. Located on land adjacent to Resolute’s Saint-Félicien (Quebec) pulp mill, the complex operates using state-of-the-art growing technology and sustainable practices, such as collecting rain and snow for plant watering, and offering polysterene-free packaging for its products. Toundra Greenhouse cucumbers can be found on dinner tables across Quebec. In under five years, Toundra Greenhouse has become a major player in the province’s greenhouse industry. A second development phase began just last month, and construction on the third phase is expected to begin in November 2021. The third expansion phase will increase the facility’s total annual production area to 28 hectares, and allow for the cultivation of new products. The expansion is expected to add 55 new jobs to its workforce of 180 employees.

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 24 percent in November compared to November 2019. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers decreased 16 percent in November compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels increased one percent when compared to October 2020. Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments decreased 17 percent compared to November 2019 while the inventory level increased one percent compared to October 2020. UFS imports and exports both decreased compared to October 2019, down 12 percent and 40 percent, respectively. U.S. purchases of coated free sheet (CFS) papers in November decreased 23 percent compared to last November while the inventory level increased three percent compared to October 2020. CFS imports and exports both decreased compared to October 2019, down 42 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Coated mechanical (CM) paper shipments decreased 37 percent compared to November 2019 while the inventory level decreased three percent compared to October 2020. CM imports and exports both decreased compared to October 2019, down 35 percent and 43 percent, respectively. U.S. purchases of uncoated mechanical (UM) papers in November decreased 13 percent compared to last November while the inventory level increased two percent compared to October 2020. UM imports and exports both decreased compared to October 2019, down 14 percent and 44 percent, respectively.

Crown Van Gelder is pleased to announce we will begin production of our enhanced 3rd generation inkjet papers on February 1, 2021 for the following grades: - Crown Letsgo Universal - Crown Letsgo Matte - Crown Letsgo Silk and Bright Silk, ColorPRO branded version. This switch brings several advantages for pigment inks: 1. First and foremost it brings visible and measurable quality improvements in the print result of presses operating with pigment inks; 2. You can reduce total cost of print, because you will reach the same colors with less ink.

According to the Federal Environmental Agency, 2.8 billion disposable cups are consumed each year in Germany alone. Around 60% of these are plastic-coated paper cups which are currently thrown away, as they cannot be recycled in a reasonable and economically meaningful manner. The reason for this is the plastic coating on the inside, which prevents the cups from leaking or softening. The composite material of paper and plastic slows the recycling process. So far, the paper fibres could only be separated from the plastic coating in special recycling facilities and with a large amount of effort. However, separating the two materials is the prerequisite for restoring the paper fibres to the recycling loop. A newly developed, innovative recycling product now enables the fresh fibre pulp from disposable cups to be returned to the recycling loop in a resource saving and efficient way, without disproportionate additional input in the paper treatment process. The innovative idea for the new product comes from the Printing and Media Technology department of the creart advertising agency in Fulda, in the state of Hesse. “The upcycling that takes place here serves to upgrade the material,” explains authorised officer Torsten Gröger, who came up with the idea. “The waste product of disposable cups become a raw material again, in this case for a graphic paper that can be used for various purposes in communication and advertising.” As the name suggests, CoffeeCup Paper comprises around 25% disposable paper cups and 75% directly recyclable waste paper. Once manufactured, it can be recycled again at least six more times.

Innovation Norway has allocated NOK 15 million in support of building a demonstration plant for the development of fiber composite production at Norske Skog Saugbrugs. This will accelerate the on-going development work to industrialize the production of a new type of biocomposite, which can be included in furniture, packaging and car interiors. Norske Skog Saugbrugs will develop sustainable solutions related to plastic raw materials, fiber blending, technology development and testing of biocomposites. "We want to contribute to reduced plastic consumption by creating new, green products with significantly reduced carbon footprint, and find good solutions to recycle significantly more plastic than today. The plant is crucial for accelerating the industrialization of new sustainable, bio-based products," says CEO Kjell-Arve Kure at Norske Skog Saugbrugs. Norske Skog Saugbrugs is now well under way with the development of finding solutions to problems related to plastic raw materials, fiber blending, technology development and testing of biocomposites. The demonstration facility will be a prerequisite in the further development work to succeed.

WestRock welcomes Brandi Colander to its executive leadership team as chief sustainability officer. Colander further strengthens WestRock’s commitment to sustainability, both within the company and in the packaging solutions it provides its customers. "WestRock is committed to a world in which fiber-based packaging plays a central role in advancing the circular economy,” said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer of WestRock. “As we work in partnership with our customers, I am confident that Brandi’s extensive experience will help us advance our work to imagine and deliver a more sustainable future. I am very pleased that she is joining us on our sustainability journey." Colander brings to WestRock a cross-section of experience that spans the private, government and nonprofit sectors. Colander was most recently a principal at The Raben Group leading teams to advance client public policy goals. She has worked as head of external relations with Charter Communications, where she created diverse partnerships and oversaw philanthropic investments. Colander has served as a deputy assistant secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the U.S. Department of the Interior and deputy general counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, advising on environmental laws and policies across federal agencies with diverse stakeholders.

Northern Pulp is safe from its creditors for another five months. British Columbia Supreme Court justice Shelley Fitzpatrick approved the company’s motion on Friday to have creditor protection extended until April 30. Northern Pulp estimates it has enough money left to run until June. After that it will have to seek permission from the the court and its creditors to draw again on a $50 million financing facility set up by its parent company, Paper Excellence. “The Province is generally satisfied with the improved level of communication between the Petitioners and the Province, and also with other interested parties,” reads an affidavit filed with the Court on behalf of the provincial government before Friday’s hearing.

UPM Biofuels has joined the BIKE project that promotes low-ILUC risk biofuels production for European Bioeconomy. The project brings together companies and research organisations who believe that novel, safe and reliable biomass value chains can be deployed to produce food, feed, biofuels and biomaterials with a low risk of generating indirect land use change. Sustainable biomass-based biofuels mitigate ILUC (Indirect Land Use Change) because they result from productivity increases such as sequential cropping of cover or intermediate crops, or they come from crops grown on abandoned or severely degraded land. Sustainable biofuels are needed to rapidly decrease transport emissions in the EU. The responsible production of feedstock for biofuels through well-designed sustainable biomass value chains can enhance soil health and promote green resilience practices in agriculture, thus serving the objectives of the European Green Deal and fostering the bioeconomy.

Norske Skog Saugbrugs has since 2006 developed new and sustainable products based on fibre. CEBINA is a natural fibre product and add rheology control in fluids and armouring in solid materials. Following significant marketing efforts and customer testing in 2020, Norske Skog is proud to announce that CEBINA is now sold to customers in Norway and internationally. “The CEBINA sales in the fourth quarter are incredibly exciting. We have been able to establish promising cooperation with companies, consultants and researchers, who see the unique potential in the green and sustainable product we have developed,” says Hugo Harstad, Commercial Development Director of CEBINA at Norske Skog Saugbrugs. Product development of CEBINA continues at full speed, and Saugbrugs works closely with, among others, Re-Turn in Fredrikstad to identify new applications. In 2020, a new variant of CEBINA has been developed in which the water in which the fibrils are suspended has been replaced with a polymer. This enables the use of CEBINA in, for example, epoxy floor coverings and adhesives.

The owners of a Port Alberni paper mill say a major new investment in the facility reflects confidence in British Columbia’s forestry sector. Paper Excellence says it will spend $13 million to upgrade the mid-Island mill as it prepares to produce food-grade papers used by restaurants and food preparation companies. The company says the investment will remove production bottlenecks and upgrade a pair of paper machines at the facility. "With help from the leadership of B.C.’s government, we are very excited to invest in a winning project like this at Port Alberni," said Patrick Corriveau with Paper Excellence. "With the mill’s best-in-class papermakers and the ability to make even more of these new food grades, we’re confident in the Port Alberni mill’s secure and long-term future."

Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a leading, global manufacture of high performance fibre based solutions, supplying products to the flooring industry for over 40 years. Following the launch of FibRoc®, communicating the identity and positioning of the new product platform, Ahlstrom-Munksjö is pleased to announce the launch of the FibRoc® Flooring product portfolio. The new portfolio consists of a wide range of high performance fibre-based solutions for heavy duty, cushion vinyl and luxury vinyl flooring, as well as solutions for carpets and carpet tiles. The portfolio is bringing together a wide range of high performance products for flooring applications, making it easier for business partners to recognize and understand the product benefits.

Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) released Innovative, Sustainable, Resilient: Recommendations from Canada’s Forest Sector to Drive Economic Recovery and a Net-Zero Carbon Future. The report, submitted to the federal government, outlines how Canadian forestry workers, forest management, and forest products can help kickstart a green economic recovery. At today’s launch, FPAC President and CEO, Derek Nighbor, issued the following statement: “In the face of rising COVID numbers in most parts of the country, Canadians continue to stare down the biggest health and economic crisis of our lifetimes. Last week’s announcement that the federal deficit is projected to hit $382 billion by March 2021 is a stark reminder of how daunting the recovery effort will be. We need to come together with solutions that will meet the needs of Canadian workers and their families and deliver jobs to communities that need them, while promoting innovation and our move to a lower-carbon economy."

The Tasman mill has over the last period commenced production of paper for supplies into the Asian packaging markets in the form of Pulp on Reel. This is part of the ongoing strategic development process to transition the Tasman mill in New Zealand out of standard newprint production. As part of the same strategic review, Norske Skog has received significant inbound interest for Nature’s Flame pellets facility located close to the Tasman mill; therefore, Norske Skog has decided to launch a process to asses the best long term ownership structure for this operation. “The Tasman mill management and the larger Australasian organisation have shown entrepreneurial spirit in quickly developing an alternative business case for the mill, making good commercial use of existing assets and infrastructure on the site. I am certain that the continuing work will result in further ways to maximise the potential in the Tasman mill’s excellent fiber access and fiber processing competencies” says Norske Skog Chief Executive Officer, Sven Ombudstvedt.

After much consideration, Nekoosa has chosen to discontinue and exit our DIGITAL COATED paper offering at the end of 2020 and we will be selling off our existing inventory without replenishment. The decision to exit this lane was not an easy one, but at the end of the day we do feel it’s best for our business. We are operating on a “while supplies last” basis for this product line and customer service can let you know our current stock levels and pricing for the SKUs that you typically buy. The reasons for this decision can be summarized as a combination of things such as: supply chain issues, an interest in freeing up converting equipment to focus on other product segments, and profitability of the line.

“We are delighted to see the PEFC alliance grow further, even in these challenging times.” said Ben Gunneberg, following the acceptance of UPM. “It is a pleasure for me to welcome UPM into the family as our 31st international stakeholder member.” “On behalf of the company I would like to warmly thank the members for voting for our membership,” said Inka Musta, Senior Manager Global Forest Affairs, after the acceptance at the General Assembly. “UPM is one of the world’s leading forest industry companies. Our head office is in Helsinki, Finland, but we have operations all over the world. We have nearly 19,000 employees and production in 12 countries. Across our six business areas, we create renewable solutions that replace fossil-based materials,” she continued.

Willamette Falls Paper Company, Inc., a Columbia Ventures Corporation subsidiary, announces Ed Buehler will join Willamette Falls Paper Company as part of their executive leadership team. Mr. Buehler has spent over 30 years in the paper industry, providing leadership in Coated, Specialty, and Packaging Papers. Before joining Willamette Falls Paper, he started Point Specialty Papers Consulting following his retirement as VP and General Manager of Specialty Papers with Verso Corporation. Mr. Buehler brings a broad background to support Willamette Falls Paper with management experience in strategy, business turnaround, new market development, manufacturing, capital rebuilds, sales, marketing, and product development.

International technology Group ANDRITZ recently completed successful replacement and start-up of the PM5 Yankee hood at Cascades Tissue Group’s tissue mill in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA. The ANDRITZ PrimeDry Hood is specially designed for low energy consumption and long durability. With this upgrade, production output of the PM5 – a medium-speed tissue machine for dry-crepe tissue with a 12 ft. Yankee – has increased remarkably while reducing specific gas consumption by the hood. Due to the energy savings achieved, Cascades Tissue Group Wisconsin was awarded the 2020 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award by FOCUS ON ENERGY®, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy resources program. This program encompasses 107 utilities across the state, with the goal of providing expertise and financial incentives to residents and businesses to reduce energy consumption or increase energy efficiency.

Stora Enso is investing EUR 14 million to build a granulation and packing plant for lignin, allowing easier packing and handling of lignin compared to powder and wet form. According to Stora Enso’s strategy, lignin is one of the key innovation areas for delivering growth on new applications, such as energy storage, binders and carbon fiber. The granulation plant will be located at Stora Enso’s Sunila Mill in Finland. Lignin is one of the main building blocks of a tree. Today, the lignin produced at Sunila Mill, Lineo™ by Stora Enso, is delivered as a dusty powder or as wet lignin. It is used, for example, as a phenol replacement in adhesives, as a bio-based natural binder replacing bitumen in asphalt, and in bioplastics. In the future, it can be used as a source of biocarbon in energy storage systems such as batteries for electric vehicles, as bio-based binders in plywood and as material for carbon fiber.

The energy-efficient tissue machine has a design speed of 1,300 m/min and a paper width of 2.85 m and produces high-quality tissue grades made of either 100% virgin or 100% deinked pulp (DIP). It is equipped with a 15 ft. steel Yankee with a PrimeDry Hood COMBO from ANDRITZ Novimpianti. The innovative hood design – a pressurized wet chamber heated with steam and a special dry chamber – enables highly efficient drying while saving energy. The scope of supply includes a separate DIP line (to be started up this month), a stock preparation system for LBKP/NBKP market pulp, an approach flow system, a fiber recovery and broke handling system, machine clothing by ANDRITZ Fabrics and Rolls, basic and detailed engineering, as well as process pumps for water and pulp. The entire line is equipped with an ANDRITZ PrimeControl automation package and an advanced multi-motor drive system.

Sappi Limited announced that Marco Eikelenboom (53), currently Vice President Marketing & Sales, Graphic Papers at Sappi Europe, has been appointed as CEO of Sappi Europe as from 1 April 2021. Marco Eikelenboom succeeds Berry Wiersum (65), a 40-year veteran of the industry in Europe, who will retire at the end of March 2021. Berry Wiersum joined Sappi as CEO of Sappi Europe, a position he held for 14 years. Commenting on the retirement of Berry Wiersum, Steve Binnie, Chief Executive Officer of Sappi Limited said: “I would like to thank Berry for his significant service to Sappi during his 14 years with the company and for the support he has shown me as CEO. He is an outstanding leader both for the company and for the industry. His tenure saw massive changes as we made significant acquisitions, invested in machine rebuilds, restructured and refocused the business, all to ensure that Sappi could respond to and take advantage of the changes which were occurring. Most recently he also led Sappi Europe’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic. He and his team responded to each one with alacrity.”

International Paper announced a plan to pursue a spin-off of the Company's Printing Papers segment into a standalone, publicly traded company. The transaction will result in two streamlined, leading companies well positioned for long-term success. Upon completion of the transaction, International Paper and SpinCo will each be well positioned to create long-term value. The Company expects the separation to be tax-free for the Company's shareowners for U.S. federal income tax purposes and plans to complete the spin-off late in the third quarter of 2021. SpinCo intends to raise debt in order to pay a dividend to International Paper, which will be used to pay down outstanding debt. Upon completion of the spin-off, Jean-Michel Ribiéras, currently senior vice president, Industrial Packaging, will become the chief executive officer of the new company, which we will refer to as SpinCo until the company establishes its own corporate identity.

We’re proud to be a part of the communities where our employees live and work, including Plymouth, North Carolina. Our Plymouth Mill has played an important role in this historic mill town, driving the economy as the area’s largest employer and changing with the times. It also offered an area first in leadership diversity. The Plymouth Mill was originally known as the North Carolina Pulp Co. It was built in 1937 by brothers John W. and Herbert Kieckhefer of the Delair, New Jersey-based Kieckhefer Container Co. The mill and the mill town grew throughout the 1940s as Keickhefer Container Co. expanded across the United States to keep up with increasing demand. In 1957, the company merged with Weyerhaeuser, and by the 1970s, the Plymouth Mill had grown into one of Weyerhauser’s largest east coast operations — a fully integrated five-machine facility manufacturing a wide range of products, including fine paper, fluff pulp and corrugated medium.

SCA is changing the name of its business area Paper to business area Containerboard as of January 1, 2021. Following the discontinuation of its publication paper operations during the first quarter, SCA’s paper production will consist solely of packaging paper, a product with a stable and growing demand. SCA’s business area Containerboard will then comprise of the paper mills of Munksund, near Piteå, and Obbola, near Umeå (both in Sweden). Together, they have a production capacity of just over 850,000 tonnes. SCA is currently investing SEK 7.5bn in the Obbola paper mill, which will increase SCA’s containerboard capacity to 1,140,000 tonnes and further strengthen SCA’s position as a leading supplier of kraftliner on the European market.

UPM has completed the employee consultation process started in October on its plans to improve efficiency in global functions. UPM increases efficiency of its global functions by reorganising and streamlining the functions’ operations in five countries. This will decrease the number of positions in the functions by 67, of which 46 in Finland. UPM has also concluded the consultations regarding the reorganisation and restructuring at the Finnish pulp mills and UPM Forest that were announced in August. The consultations led to a reduction of 80 jobs in the Finnish pulp operations and 55 in UPM Forest.

Supremex Inc. announced a plan to further optimize its Canadian envelope operations by reducing expenses and improving resource allocation. Supremex will be closing its Edmonton facility and reducing its Canadian envelope facility headcount by a total of 39 employees, or approximately 5% of its total workforce. These measures will result in annual cost reductions of approximately $2.4 million, before taxes, which will begin to materialize in the current quarter and throughout the first three quarters of 2021 as operations wind down in Edmonton. A one-time charge of approximately $2.5 million, before taxes, will be recorded in the Company’s 2020 fourth quarter results.

Canada is home to among the most-sustainably managed forests in the world, global leading forestry innovation and product development, and a workforce that is 230,000 strong and committed to driving a green recovery that will lift rural and northern Canada up. Today, our industry has 140 capital investment projects across the country that are ready-to-go – worth over $1.5 billion. These projects can safeguard and grow Canadian jobs, improve our ability to win on the global stage, and fast-track our move to a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. We look forward to working with the federal government to build a recovery that lasts and one that can chart a new and exciting path for our workforce and forestry communities across the country.”

Cascades Inc. announced that its Laval plant in Québec, specializing in the manufacture of napkins for the away-from-home market, will be closing on June 30, 2021. The Laval plant has an annual converting capacity of 1.4 million cases. This volume will be moved to other Cascades plants and filled by additional capacity. The plant currently employs 54 workers. Until the plant is closed, Cascades will work closely with its employees to reduce the impact of this announcement. Among other things, it will offer to relocate as many employees as possible to its many other business units in Québec. Employees who are not able, or do not wish to relocate to other plants will be offered support in their search for other employment.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in September 2020 were down 15.0% vs. September 2019 and year-to-date shipments are down 20.0%. Total European shipments of newsprint in September 2020 were down 14.8% vs. September 2019 and year-to-date shipments are down 18.0%. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in September 2020 were down 12.1% vs. September 2019 and year-to-date shipments are down 19.1%. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in September 2020 were down 23.4% vs. September 2019 and year-to-date shipments are down 27.6%. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in September 2020 were down 2.6% vs. September 2019 and year-to-date shipments are down 9.0%. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in September 2020 were down 23.0% vs. September 2019 and year-to-date shipments are down 26.4%. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in September 2020 were down 7.1% vs. September 2019 and year-to-date shipments are down 14.9%.

Matti Koski’s role is to establish North American businesses and increase board sales and help other businesses in North America. Koski reports to Ari Tanninen, the Senior Vice President of the Consumer Board business. Matti has lived in the United States since 1997, where he has worked e.g. at Stora Enso for more than 15 years. For the last seven years, Koski has run his own consulting company and collaborated, e.g. with Kotkamills Oy. We wish Matti good luck and success in his new challenges.

Paper Excellence Canada announced that it plans to restart the number 3 paper machine at its Catalyst Paper mill in Crofton, British Columbia in early January 2021. The restart reflects the strong performance being delivered by Catalyst’s paper sales force and paper operations making both existing printing and writing grades with new food and packaging papers. The machine was curtailed in the spring of 2020 after the impacts of an external malware attack, a forest fibre shortage, and the COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously impacted paper production as well as global paper demand. Approximately 58 jobs will return with the startup of the paper machine at the Crofton facility bringing its total employee count to about 560. Crofton is one of Canada’s largest pulp and paper mills responsible for injecting almost $3 million into BC’s economy daily.

Please note that our Standard 45g Newsprint price will increase by $20/MT for shipments on or after January 1st, 2021, and will increase by an additional $20/MT for shipments on or after February 1st, 2021. Prices for all other basis weights and uncoated mechanical publishing grades will be adjusted accordingly.

We are announcing a US$40/metric tonne (for 45.0 gsm) newsprint price increase to be phased in over two months. The price will increase US$20/metric tonne effective with shipments on or after January 1, 2021 and a second US$20/metric tonne increase will be implemented with shipments on or after February 1, 2021. Other basis weights will be adjusted accordingly.

A collaborative effort between Sappi, MaBe and Kegelmann Technik GmbH from Rodgau-Jügesheim has culminated in the development of a biobased alternative for an injection moulding birdfeed-adapter. This development used the expertise of all partners. MaBe a German based company focused on upcycling and sustainability, sells lanterns made from recycled soda bottles. With recent innovation and adapters, these lanterns could now be used for bird-feeding devices. Partnering with Kegelmann Technik GmbH from Rodgau-Jügesheim, experts in the field of material composite formulations, these adapters were produced efficiently from more sustainable material. Instead of regular plastic, a natural fibre composite material was proposed. Sappi Symbio provided that alternative being a highly resistant, biocomposite cellulose fibre derived from responsibly managed renewable forests. This partnership has reflected the need for developing mutually beneficial, value adding products that could be recycled. This places a shared responsibility to move toward a sustainable future and recognise it is work that cannot be done alone.

Neenah, Inc. announced that on November 19, 2020, its Board of Directors renewed the Company’s share repurchase plan for up to $25 million of its outstanding common stock effective January 2021. The current share repurchase plan remains in effect through December 31, 2020. Purchases by the Company under the program would be made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions in accordance with the requirements of applicable law. The timing and amount of any purchases will depend on share price, market conditions and other factors. The program does not require the Company to purchase any specific number of shares and may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 24 percent in October compared to October 2019. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers decreased 21 percent in October compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels decreased two percent when compared to September 2020. U.S. purchases of uncoated free sheet (UFS) papers in October decreased 18 percent compared to last October while the inventory level decreased two percent compared to September 2020. UFS imports and exports both decreased compared to September 2019, down seven percent and 38 percent respectively. Coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments decreased 16 percent compared to October 2019 while the inventory level decreased four percent compared to September 2020. CFS imports and exports both decreased compared to September 2019, down 34 percent and 14 percent respectively. U.S. purchases of coated mechanical (CM) papers in October decreased 40 percent compared to last October while the inventory level decreased four percent compared to September 2020. CM imports decreased 20 percent while exports increased 35 percent in September 2020. Uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments decreased 47 percent compared to October 2019 while the inventory level increased three percent compared to September 2020. UM imports and exports both decreased compared to September 2019, down 11 percent and 56 percent respectively.

In accordance with its firm environmental commitment in carrying out its manufacturing operations, Lecta has updated the lighting installations at its Zaragoza, Sant Joan les Fonts and Motril mills in Spain. This energy efficiency project carried out in cooperation with Spanish energy and renewables company Acciona entailed substituting all the lighting at plant facilities, replacing conventional lighting with new LED installations. This first phase is part of an overall energy plan that aims to optimize energy management at Lecta's five mills in Spain. Before implementing the projects defined within the plan, most of which are currently being developed, several audits and an exhaustive analysis of the current situation at each mill were carried out.

Mondi is the first global paper manufacturer to introduce an innovative logistics solution for its large reels, which provides benefits throughout the supply chain. The ProVantage Komiwhite reels with a width of 280cm, a diameter of 139cm and a weight of nearly four tonnes, presents a logistical challenge when it comes to transporting krafltiner products. To address this issue, Mondi is now transporting large reels on more efficient "roll-on/roll-off" (RoRo) vessels from its mill in Syktyvkar (Russia), via Bronka (Russia) and Luebeck (Germany), to the Innocenti terminal in Milan (Italy) without the need for them to be placed in shipping containers. "With this new way of transporting large reels, we are able to reduce our carbon footprint even further when moving goods. There is no longer a need for additional packaging materials to wrap around the reels to protect the cargo during transport. This innovation has led to us decreasing the amount of protective material waste by one truck load per month. Additionally, we now dispose of far fewer damaged reels." Giovanni Mondini, Sales Director at Mondi Italy

UPM Specialty Papers joins CELAB-Europe to promote the development of a sustainable and circular business model in the self-adhesive label industry; the target is to ensure that 75% of the used liner and matrix materials in Europe are recycled in a circular fashion by 2025. “As part of our eco-design approach, UPM actively looks for innovative ways to recycle our products at the end of their life. UPM Specialty Papers is excited to support industry-level initiatives to promote circularity in the self-adhesive label business,” highlights Mikko Rissanen, Director, Technology at UPM Specialty Papers.

Canfor announced it has reached multi-year $30-million agreements with Peak Renewables involving the sale of the Company’s forest tenure in the Fort Nelson region of British Columbia. The transactions are subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from the BC Minister of Forests. Closing is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2021. The agreements follow Peak Renewables’ purchase of Canfor’s Fort Nelson mill assets in the third quarter of 2020. “I am pleased to have reached an agreement to sell our Fort Nelson tenure to Peak Renewables, a company that is committed to developing a long term plan to rejuvenate the forest industry in the region,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor.