Stora Enso completes the divestment of its Maxau paper site to Schwarz Produktion

The Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of regenerated cellulose fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, learned today that Lenzing's main shareholder B&C Group and the Brazilian pulp producer Suzano S/A have signed a long-term partnership in connection with the majority stake in Lenzing. As part of this agreement, Suzano S/A will take over a 15 percent stake in Lenzing AG from B&C Group. Suzano is the world's largest pulp producer based in Sao Paolo and recently achieved annual sales of more than EUR 7 billion. Lenzing's management welcomes the proposed transaction and looks forward working with another core shareholder.

Koehler Group publishes figures for 2020 financial year: Despite the worldwide impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the fall of total sales for German paper industry, the Koehler Group managed to perform relatively well in its market and maintained its competitive edge and invested more than 91 Million Euros during 2020. In the 2020 financial year, Koehler Group’s revenue fell by 11.7% to 769 million euros. The operating result of 66 million euros is significantly lower than the previous year’s figure and therefore significantly below target. Koehler Paper saw its sales volume fall by 1.5%, with the decrease essentially due to the decline caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Koehler Group’s equity grew by 29 million to 590 million euros during the previous financial year. The equity ratio therefore equals 57.2%, with a decrease in the balance sheet total, and has clearly exceeded the long-term objective of more than 40%.

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.