Aki Temmes appointed SVP, Business Control & Finance Operations at UPM

The new Polar Grip Air film will initially be made available to purchase in the North American market from August 2023. Drytac, the leading international manufacturer of self-adhesive materials for the large-format print and signage markets, is delighted to announce the launch of its latest product – Polar Grip Air. The latest addition to the incredibly popular Drytac Polar Grip range, Polar Grip Air is a 3.2 mil white polymeric PVC film featuring a high-tack grey adhesive with a bubble-free technology release liner.

Metsä Group is planning to construct a new Kerto® LVL mill on its expanding mill area in Äänekoski, Finland. The final decision on the investment, the value of which is approximately EUR 200 million, is pending the completion of a local detailed plan for the area. The new Kerto LVL mill is expected to use around 375,000 cubic metres of log procured from Finland. According to plans, the production of the new mill will be mainly sold to customers in Europe and Asia. The market outlook is excellent for lightweight, environmentally friendly Kerto LVL products that speed up construction, especially in industrial prefabrication, modular construction and traditional project construction. The development of a hybrid element structure combining concrete and Kerto LVL products has also made good progress and will further boost demand.

Third Quarter Highlights: *Record net sales of $267.9 million were up 40 percent from prior year, with strong performance in each segment. Excluding the effects of the Itasa acquisition, net sales were 22 percent higher than prior year. *Record net sales in Technical Products were led by organic growth in all product categories. Net sales were up 46 percent from prior year, including sales from the Itasa acquisition. Excluding the acquisition, quarterly sales were up 15 percent from prior year. *Net sales in Fine Paper and Packaging were up 32 percent from prior year, driven by record sales in premium packaging and growth in consumer products. *As expected, operating margin was pressured by unprecedented increases in input costs and supply chain disruptions, as well as the effects of flooding from Hurricane Ida at our Pennsylvania facility. *Liquidity remained strong at $190 million as of September 30, 2021. *Itasa was awarded the EcoVadis 2021 Gold Medal for Sustainability, a key designation demonstrating our commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices.