Lecta Increases Prices of Thermal and Carbonless Papers for New Orders

KP Tissue Inc. and Kruger Products announced that it will shut down certain older and inefficient production assets including a Light Dry Crepe paper machine and six converting lines in early January, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. High quality facial tissue and premium Through Air Dry (“TAD”) products will continue to be produced at its Memphis plant by approximately 400 remaining employees. The 165 employees impacted by this decision will receive severance and employment transition support. The Memphis plant is operated by Kruger Products’ subsidiary, K.T.G. (USA) Inc. and after the asset shutdown will have a production capacity of 85,000 Metric Tonnes. “While this is a difficult decision, it is necessary to ensure the continued success, competitiveness, and growth of our Memphis plant. We have invested over $400 million (USD) at our Memphis plant since 2010 and it will continue to be an important part of our business. We would like to sincerely thank our employees for their ongoing dedication and hard work.” said Dino Bianco, CEO of Kruger Products.

Part of innovating means pushing boundaries and taking risks to bring new and exciting products to the market. Mohawk Renewal launched in April 2020 as a groundbreaking line of papers made with recycled cotton textiles and alternative fibers, including straw. To make Mohawk Renewal possible, we had to forge together an unprecedented supply chain with strategic partners. One of these partners, Columbia Pulp — the only North American supplier responsible for processing wheat straw into pulp to make Mohawk Renewal Straw — announced in February 2022 that they were ceasing operations. We have exhausted every avenue in Columbia Pulp's absence, but without a supplier, we cannot continue to support this industry-disrupting product and will have to discontinue Straw from the Mohawk Renewal portfolio effective immediately. We will sell the remaining inventory of Mohawk Renewal Straw to depletion without replenishment.

In PakoPharm®, Koehler Paper has a specialty paper in its range, which is exclusively used as package inserts for medications and cosmetics or as instructions for use. Low paper weight and good readability are particularly important for these applications. Koehler’s PakoPharm® thin printing paper meets both of these requirements. This specialty paper with a grammage of 37 gsm to 60 gsm is ideally suited for printing and further processing on both sides, so even the smallest characters can be read with no problem. Thanks to its excellent running properties and printability in printing and folding machines, PakoPharm® is also perfect for challenging print jobs. As a leading developer and manufacturer of reel fed folding machines, GUK values outstanding quality, innovation and sustainable responsibility. With more than 70 years’ experience, the company develops and produces complex high capacity folding machines. Over 65,000 folding machines have been sold bearing the name GUK as a quality seal. The company account for approx. 70% of the worldwide demand for reel fed folding machines. “Whenever we build a new machine for package inserts for someone, wherever they are in the world, we prefer to test with PakoPharm®. That way we know that it works,” says Sebastian Faulhaber, Corporate Development and Marketing at GUK.