Ashdown Fluff Pulp Named Coolest Thing Made in Arkansas

UPM has signed an agreement to sell its Chapelle Darblay newsprint mill site to a consortium of two partners Samfi and Paprec France SAS. The transaction is subject to customary approvals. The sale of Chapelle Darblay is an asset sale, and no personnel will be transferred. UPM has permanently ceased production and agreed a social plan for its employees at its Chapelle newsprint mill in Grand-Couronne, France in June 2020. Samfi and Paprec plan to develop the site into a platform for the supply of green energy and the production of raw materials from recycling. The future site would consist of a sorting and packaging plant for paper and plastics, an on-site power generation facility using biomass and a production facility for renewable hydrogen.

Packaging Corporation of America reported third quarter 2021 net income of $251 million, or $2.63 per share, and net income of $257 million, or $2.69 per share, excluding special items. Third quarter net sales were $2.0 billion in 2021 and $1.7 billion in 2020. In the Packaging segment, total corrugated products shipments and shipments per day were up 2.3% over last year’s third quarter. Containerboard production was 1,256,000 tons, and containerboard inventory was up 91,000 tons from the third quarter of 2020 and up 17,000 tons compared to the second quarter of 2021. In the Paper segment, sales volume was down 33,000 tons compared to the third quarter of 2020, and up 2,000 tons compared to the second quarter of 2021.

TAPPI has named Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer of WestRock, as the TAPPI/PIMA Executive of the Year. WestRock, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a global provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions. “Since taking the helm at WestRock in 2015, Steve has expertly managed its electrifying growth, helping WestRock more efficiently and economically serve customers,” says Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO, in a statement.