Paperboard production at Metsä Board’s Husum mill is back to a normal level

Packaging Corporation of America reported fourth quarter 2020 net income of $124 million, or $1.30 per share, and net income of $127 million, or $1.33 per share, excluding special items. Fourth quarter net sales were $1.7 billion in both 2020 and 2019. Full year 2020 net income was $461 million, or $4.84 per share, and net income of $550 million, or $5.78 per share, excluding special items. Full year net sales were $6.7 billion in 2020 and $7.0 billion in 2019. In the Packaging segment, total corrugated products shipments with one less workday were up 9.9%, and shipments per day were up 11.7% over last year’s fourth quarter. Containerboard production was 1,174,000 tons, and containerboard inventory was down 13,000 tons from the fourth quarter of 2019 and up 40,000 tons compared to the third quarter of 2020. In the Paper segment, sales volume was down 80,000 tons compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, and down 17,000 tons from the third quarter of 2020.

Vonco Products LLC, an industry-leading risk-free turnkey contract manufacturer of medical devices and fluid bags, biohazard and specimen transport, infection protection and PPEs, and clean room assembly, packaging, sterilization management, and distribution, is excited to announce the acquisition of Flex-Pak Packaging Products, Inc. Based out of Batavia, IL, Flex-Pak provides world-class flexible barrier packaging and sterile barrier DuPont™ Tyvek® pouches for leading consumer and healthcare organizations. “Vonco is on a mission to create more value for healthcare devices and consumer products while reducing risk for our customers,” said Keith Smith, CEO of Vonco. “This acquisition puts Vonco in a very unique space of providing risk-free turnkey contract manufacturing of devices, packaging, and sterilization management, streamlining the supply chain for our customers.”

Total packaging papers & specialty packaging shipments in July increased seven percent compared to July 2019. They were up three percent when compared to the same seven months of 2019. The operating rate was 84.5 percent, up 2.2 points from July 2019 and down 0.7 points year-to-date. Mill inventories at the end of July decreased 1,000 short tons from the previous month and were up 17,000 short tons compared to July 2019.