Interfor Corporation announced that it has reached an agreement with an affiliate of the Kilmer Group to acquire 100% of the equity interests in the entities comprising Chaleur Forest Products. Chaleur owns two modern and well-capitalized sawmill operations located in Belledune and Bathurst, New Brunswick, with a combined annual lumber production capacity of 350 million board feet. Chaleur also operates a woodlands management division based out of Miramichi that manages approximately 30% of the total Crown forest in New Brunswick. This division provides a secure source of fibre supply for the sawmill operations as well as a stable, long-term stream of cash flow from third-party log sales, licence management fees and silviculture activities.

Solenis and Kolb Distribution Ltd. have announced that Solenis has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the latter’s paper process chemicals business. The deal includes a long-term supply agreement, in which the KLK Kolb Group will manufacture paper process chemicals exclusively for Solenis. KLK Kolb Group offers a broad portfolio of paper process chemicals, including deposit control, cleaning and foam control agents primarily for the EMEA pulp and paper markets. Its wide range of manufacturing process technologies, including alkoxylation, esterification and dispersion, enables KLK Kolb Group to offer a broad range of products, as well as offer customized solutions for its customers.

In October 2021, Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc., North America’s largest privately owned manufacturer of fine papers and envelopes, introduced Paper With a Plan: A new attribute-driven approach to specifying paper. Mohawk refined and reorganized its paper portfolio into 5 distinct Collections that help make choosing paper by its properties and attributes easier. Mohawk’s paper grades are now grouped into the Beautiful, Sustainable, Expressive, Elevated, and Practical Collections. Mohawk recognizes that sustainability has never been more important to brand storytelling. As sustainability stories have become more sophisticated, so have the material inputs used that drive their narratives. Experience Mohawk’s Sustainable papers as they were intended with the release of the “The Material is the Message” inspiration piece.

Metsä Tissue's renewed tissue paper machine at the Mänttä mill has moved from the trial run phase to continuous production. The renewed paper machine will be used to produce fresh fibre-based tissue paper products especially for the Finnish market. The upgrade will increase the production capacity of the tissue paper machine by 15 per cent, as well as improve product quality and energy and production efficiency. The renewal is an investment in increasing the production and improving the quality properties of Lambi, Serla and Katrin tissue paper products manufactured locally in Mänttä. The first products were trialled in June and the softness and strength of the paper have further improved. The new technology also enables tissue paper to be produced more energy-efficiently than before. The main machine supplier for the renewal was Valmet.

Sappi Limited announced today that it has concluded an agreement with AURELIUS Investment Lux One S.à.r.l. regarding the divesture of its Maastricht Mill in the Netherlands, its Stockstadt Mill in Germany and its Kirkniemi Mill in Finland. Steve Binnie, CEO of Sappi Limited commented: “We are very happy to have reached agreement with AURELIUS to take ownership of the three mills. Although they no longer fit in Sappi’s portfolio, they are strong assets with good people." The mills included in the sale: Sappi Maastricht Mill produces 260,000 ton per annum (tpa) of coated woodfree paper and paperboard mainly sold to printers and packaging converters globally Sappi Stockstadt Mill is an integrated pulp and paper mill located in Germany, producing 145,000 tpa of pulp which is used to produce 220,000 tpa of coated and uncoated woodfree paper mainly sold into the European print market. Sappi Kirkniemi Mill is an integrated pulp and paper mill located in Finland, producing 300,000 tpa of bleached mechanical pulp which is used to produce approximately 750 000 tpa of a variety of coated mechanical paper grades used in the print publication industry globally.

Total European shipments of graphic papers for July 2022 were down 12.0% vs. July 2021 and were down 10.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint for July 2022 were down 11.0% vs. July 2021 and were down 7.4% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine for July 2022 were down 27.5% vs. July 2021 and were down 13.6% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels for July 2022 were down 14.8% vs. July 2021 and were down 20.2% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) for July 2022 were down 19.7% vs. July 2021 and were down 13.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree for July 2022 were down 5.7% vs. July 2021 and were down 0.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree for July 2022 were down 5.8% vs. July 2021 and were down 11.0% year-to-date.

Modernisation of the power plant boiler at Sappi’ s production site in Gratkorn, Austria, is finally completed. As of now, more sustainable fuels will be used instead of coal to power the paper machines at the company’s largest mill in Europe. During a transitional phase, the new state-of-the-art boiler will run on natural gas and biomass. In the future, predominantly biomass will be used. “Our ultimate goal is to use only sustainable and renewable fuels. This will make us more independent in the future, especially in times of gas shortages and uncertainty on the energy market,” explains Sappi Gratkorn Managing Director Max Oberhumer. By entirely phasing out coal, the Gratkorn plant is making an important contribution to climate protection and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 30 per cent. The project is a top priority on Sappi Europe’s sustainability agenda. The 35 million euro investment represents a clear commitment to the Gratkorn site and shows that climate and environmental protection are deemed pivotal in the paper industry. More information on the shift from coal to renewable resources at Sappi’s Gratkorn mill is available at: www.sappi.com/co-creating-a-shift-from-coal-to-renewables-at-gratkorn-mill

UK paper making has been dealt a further blow after Arjowiggins Group’s UK operations – including the historic mills at Stoneywood and Chartham – were placed into administration after the business became unsustainable in the face of spiralling costs for energy and raw materials. Administrators Blair Nimmo and Alistair McAlinden from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators at ten Arjowiggins Group UK subsidiary companies on the afternoon of 22 September 2022. An MBO team acquired the business and assets of the Arjowiggins Fine Papers and Arjowiggins Chartham businesses in September 2019, just a few months before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The deal came about after a complex saga involving the insolvency of its former French parent group and was supported by Scottish Enterprise, which provided £7m of funding. The Stoneywood mill has been making paper since 1770 and specialises in fine papers, while Chartham has been in operation since 1738 and makes translucent papers. Stoneywood’s brands for graphics and packaging include Conqueror, Curious Collection, Keaykolour and Delos. It had also diversified into making casting papers, security papers and smart papers for printed electronics.

The Fedrigoni Group and Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc. have entered into a manufacturing agreement to expand the reach of their specialty papers globally. Shared core values of craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability make this a natural and valuable opportunity for both organizations. The Fedrigoni Group is the first global player in the manufacture of high added value specialty papers for luxury packaging and other creative applications and world leader in premium labels and self-adhesive materials. Mohawk, founded in 1931, is family owned and operated, manufacturing some of the world's most recognized specialty papers for designers, consumer brands, and printers. Mohawk's early innovation in digital printing and sustainability secured its leadership position in these two significant growth sectors. “The agreement with Mohawk is a further element in our growth strategy in a market with excellent prospects such as specialty papers, especially for luxury packaging, where we intend to consolidate our global primacy. Many synergistic opportunities are also present for our selfadhesive materials division, which will expand its leading position in premium labels for the wine market in the US", comments Marco Nespolo, CEO of Fedrigoni Group. "This is an important step forward to reinforce our geographical penetration in the United States, where we will directly produce and distribute high value-added papers, leveraging all possible industrial and commercial synergies with our Group. We will also better support the ESG strategies of our clients, especially those in the luxury sector by giving them the option of moving to near shoring rather than global purchasing”.

Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC has announced the mill located in Jay, ME will close in the first quarter of 2023. The mill employs approximately 230 people who will be affected by the closure. The mill produces specialty label and release papers, as well as industrial and packaging solutions for eCommerce and food service. Its two paper machines have a capacity of 230,000 tons annually. The mill has endured significant business and financial challenges that were compounded by the April 2020 rupture of one of its pulp digesters and catastrophic damage impacting the continued operability of the entire pulp mill. No one was injured in the event, and the mill subsequently transitioned into higher margin specialty products and invested capital to increase operational efficiencies while operating on purchased pulp. The company intends to work with its customers where possible to transition their products to other Pixelle mills or to plan for volumes of orders in the limited production leading up to mill closure.

Canfor Corporation is announcing a temporary reduction in production in British Columbia (BC) due to challenging market conditions. The production capacity will be reduced through a two-week curtailment beginning September 26, 2022 at the majority of solid wood facilities in BC and will be followed by the resumption of reduced operating schedules until the end of 2022. This is expected to result in a reduction of approximately 200 million board feet of production capacity. “We are temporarily curtailing production in BC due to reduced market demand. We will leverage our global operating platform to prioritize the requirements of our customers,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor. To limit the impact on employees, they will have the opportunity to work during the downtime to complete maintenance projects and other site activities.

Stora Enso has signed an agreement to divest its Nymölla paper production site in Sweden, and all related assets to Sylvamo, a US-based global producer of uncoated paper. The enterprise value is EUR 150 million. Closing is expected in the beginning of 2023, subject to regulatory approvals. The Nymölla site’s capacity is 485,000 metric tonnes of woodfree uncoated office papers, with Multicopy as the leading paper brand. Based on the 2021 figures, the divestment is expected to reduce Stora Enso’s annual sales by approximately EUR 290 million. Stora Enso will, at closing, book a one-time disposal loss of approximately EUR 20 million in its IFRS operating profit, as an item affecting comparability, subject to closing date adjustments.

UPM Raflatac has completed the acquisition of AMC AG (Advanced Methods of Coating). The acquisition announced in May 2022 was closed on 15 September 2022 after regulatory clearances. AMC AG employs more than 300 people and has two production sites in Northern Germany, in Kaltenkirchen and in Hagenow. UPM Raflatac expects to realize significant synergies through the acquisition. By joining forces with AMC AG UPM Raflatac will accelerate its growth and expand its product portfolio. New product areas include Viscom/Graphics materials which are currently sold under the Intercoat brand, and removable self-adhesive stationary products under the brand names Global Notes and Print Inform. Furthermore, the transaction will strengthen UPM Raflatac’s position in Central Europe.

Sappi Europe is set to extend its capacity at its mill in Gratkorn, Austria, enabling the mill to also manufacture wet-strength label papers. The double-digit million-euro investment in a state-of-the-art technical infrastructure will drive expansion of the site – and establish Sappi as a leader in the label sector for the long term. • Innovation through investment: expansion of the Gratkorn mill’s technical infrastructure • Increased demand for high-quality label papers • Guaranteed production and delivery reliability

Stora Enso has signed an agreement to divest its Maxau paper production site in Germany, and all related assets to Schwarz Produktion, part of Schwarz Group, one of the top retailers in the world. The enterprise value is approximately EUR 210 million. Closing is expected in the beginning of 2023, at the latest, subject to regulatory approvals. This transaction is part of the earlier announced plan to divest four of Stora Enso’s five paper production sites. In line with its strategy, Stora Enso’s focus is on long-term growth potential for its renewable products in packaging, building solutions and biomaterials innovations. Schwarz Produktion is expected to assume ownership for the Maxau site in the beginning of 2023. Schwarz’s plan is to continue paper production at the site, and the 440 employees belonging to the mill organisation at Maxau will be part of the transaction. Stora Enso will continue to operate the Maxau site and serve its supercalendered paper (SC) customers until the closing of the transaction.

As of September 1st, Technicote, a North-American company specializing in self-adhesive solutions, is the latest addition to Beontag’s growing family of international companies. The acquisition marks Beontag’s entry to the North American market, and is another step in its global expansion and internationalization strategy initiated in 2020. Besides the United States, Beontag has operations in other countries, such as Argentina, Uruguay, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, among others. This acquisition is more than Beontag wanting to enter a new market. It was also motivated because of the broad network of customers that Technicote has had for more than four decades and the diversity of products they offer in the segments of graphic and self-adhesive materials. Their portfolio offers a wide range of self-adhesive rolls and sheets, as well as solutions in silicone coated release liners and is a perfect fit for Beontag’s expanding international portfolio of products. Technicote will also be integrating many of those products into their North American range.

Along with members of the community, provincial and federal elected representatives, staff at Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp mill (MLMP) and Paper Excellence Canada today celebrated 30 years of the pulp mill being in operation. The mill is located just east of Meadow Lake and has been operational since 1992. MLMP was the first mill Paper Excellence Canada acquired in 2007. The mill employs over 200 full-time employees, creates approximately 1,300 direct and indirect jobs, and creates approximately $470 million in economic activity annually. MLMP produces approximately 400,000 tonnes of bleached chemi-thermal mechanical pulp (BCTMP) annually. BCTMP is used to make a variety of products from tissue and paper towel to food and board packaging.

The world’s first autonomously operated logyard cranes have been successfully lifted up at Metsä Fibre’s bioproduct mill in Kemi, Finland. Supplied by international technology group ANDRITZ, the delivery includes two 2 x 25-ton cranes on a 540 m long runway with a storage capacity of approximately 120,000 m3. The cranes will handle approximately 7.6 million m3 wood/year shipped on trucks and trains as well as handling log storage and wood feeding to the pulping process. The cranes feature the latest in Artificial Intelligence, thus optimizing log handling, minimizing wood losses and securing environmentally friendly and cost-effective operation when compared to traditional log-handling solutions. The fully autonomous logyard cranes featuring Artificial Intelligence are part of the comprehensive ANDRITZ portfolio of sustainable solutions and products that help customers reaching their goals with regard to environmental protection and sustainability

365 days of operation and a trajectory that stands out for its excellent performance. One year after the start of activities for the first paper machine (PM) of the Puma II Project - the biggest investment in Klabin's history, which includes the construction of two paper machines with integrated pulp production -, the MP27 surpassed the mark of 330 thousand tons of Eukaliner® and Eukaliner White® produced and sold to the domestic and foreign markets, reinforcing the Company's vocation for the development of sustainable and innovative solutions in paper and paper packaging in Brazil. The machine, which has the capacity to produce 450,000 tons per year, surpassed the learning curve expected for the period. Developed and patented by Klabin, the Eukaliner® product range, produced at MP27, is the first in the world with kraftliner paper made 100% from eucalyptus fiber, which guarantees advantages such as the optimization of the forest area necessary for its production. (less resource for manufacturing the same volume of paper), in addition to properties such as a more robust structure, which allows for a reduction in the weight of corrugated cardboard packaging with increased resistance and better printing quality.

Suzano S.A. informs its shareholders and the public that, regarding the project “Partial retrofit of the pulp production plant located in Aracruz involving the replacement of parts in the recovery boiler and installation of a crystallization system”, as disclosed in the Material Fact notice dated December 19, 2019, the following is planned during its implementation phase in the fourth quarter of 2022: • Temporary downtime of the A line production for around 45 days due to interventions in the recovery boiler; • No adjustments to the Company’s original operating plan for 2022, which will ensure that clients’ needs are fully met without any changes to the commercial strategy. The project’s capital investments amount to R$298 million, of which R$188 million was already invested by July 2022, with the remaining amount considered in the capex estimate for the year disclosed by the Company on July 27, 2022.

Canfor Corporation is announcing reduced operating schedules effective September 12, 2022 at its Swedish facilities due to a decrease in market demand. The reduced operating schedules will result in a 15% decrease in production capacity and are anticipated to be in effect through the fourth quarter. “Rising inflation and mortgage rates in Europe, which are expected to persist into the fall, is impacting demand for lumber and as a result we are reducing production capacity. We are committed to continuing to meet the needs of our customers,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor. The decrease in production capacity will be achieved through reduced shifts. The Company will continue to assess and make adjustments to operating schedules based on changes in market demand.

For the second quarter ended 30 June 2022 Lecta had revenue of €529.4 million versus €310.7 million in the second quarter ended 30 June 2021, an increase of €218.7 million or +70%. The costs of raw materials and consumables used increased by €75.7 million, or +18.6%, from €155.9 million in 2Q2021 to €231.6 million in 2Q2022, and as a percentage of revenue they decreased from 50.2% in 2Q2021 to 43.7% in 2Q2022. The absolute increase was mainly attributable to higher produced and purchased volumes, and to an increase in the average consumption price of pulp of 193€/t of paper. Labor costs increased by €5.2 million, or +11.9%, from €43.4 million in 2Q2021 to €48.5 million in 2Q2022, and as percentage of revenue they decreased from 14.0% in 2Q2021 to 9.2% in 2Q2022. EBITDA increased by €35.9 million, from €11.6 million in 2Q2021 to €47.5 million in 2Q2022. This increase was essentially due to higher sales of paper in volume and higher sales prices, partly offset by higher production cost and higher labor and fixed costs.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will implement an energy surcharge on all products and product lines of up to 20% on all orders shipped on or after September 1, 2022, for all customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The continued impact of limited availability of gas from Russia has resulted in extremely high and volatile gas prices in Europe. As a result, higher costs are being experienced by our manufacturing plants in addition to price escalations in key raw materials from our suppliers.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in June 2022 were down 16.4% vs. 2021 and are down 10.2% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in June 2022 were down 10.7% vs. 2021 and are down 6.9% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in June 2022 were down 20.2% vs. 2021 and are down 11.2% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in June 2022 were down 28.1% vs. 2021 and are down 21.0% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in June 2022 were down 22.2% vs. 2021 and are down 12.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in June 2022 were down 8.8% vs. 2021 and are UP 0.6% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in June 2022 were down 14.8% vs. 2021 and are down 11.8% year-to-date.

Drytac, the leading international manufacturer of self-adhesive materials for the large-format print and signage markets, is delighted to announce the appointment of Daniel Farias as Technical Engineer with immediate effect. Based at Drytac’s specialist factory facility in North America, Daniel’s new role is to support the business with technical sales support and product management. He will also take a lead role in all aspects of quality assurance including continual improvements, technical data sheets, external audits and quality implementation. Daniel brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge, having previously worked in a quality assurance position within the tapes and adhesives sector. In this role, Daniel implemented various new systems to improve production and workflow across the business.

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 1% in July compared to July 2021. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers increased 3% in July compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels increased 2% when compared to June 2022. • Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments decreased 1% compared to July 2021 while the inventory level increased 5% compared to June 2022. UFS imports increased 8% while exports decreased 25% in June 2022. • U.S. purchases of coated free sheet (CFS) papers in July increased 2% compared to last July while the inventory level decreased 1% compared to June 2022. CFS imports and exports both increased compared to June 2021, up 32% and 6% respectively. • Coated mechanical (CM) paper shipments decreased 18% compared to July 2021 while the inventory level increased 2% compared to June 2022. CM imports increased 48% while exports decreased 41% in June 2022. • U.S. purchases of uncoated mechanical (UM) papers in July increased 16% compared to last July while the inventory level decreased 13% compared to June 2022. UM imports increased 9% while exports decreased 10% in June 2022.

*Operating profit for January-June 2022 was SEK 3 984 million (January-June 2021: 1 747). Excluding the item affecting comparability of SEK +266 million, operating profit increased by SEK 1 972 million to SEK 3 719 million. This was due to price increases in every product area, while cost inflation was limited by our high level of wood and energy self-sufficiency. *Profit after tax for January-June amounted to SEK 3 125 million (1 373), which corresponds to earnings per share of SEK 19.3 (8.5). *A total of SEK 1 862 million of ordinary and extraordinary dividends was paid in April. Thanks to strong cash flow, net debt has decreased by roughly SEK 300 million since year-end.

UPM and Dongsung Chemical announce a development partnership that will accelerate the introduction of renewable, sustainable forest-sourced materials into the Asian market and reduce fossil resource consumption. Dongsung Chemical, headquartered in South Korea and UPM Biochemicals, headquartered in Germany have agreed to form a strategic partnership to develop renewable products using bio-based raw materials, initially for footwear materials. Dongsung Chemical has signed a Letter of Intent for this strategic partnership to develop a renewable polyurethane product based on UPM Biochemicals’ biobased mono-ethylene glycols (MEG), UPM BioPura™. UPM is investing 750 million Euros to build the world’s first industry scale biorefinery at Leuna in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, to convert sustainably sourced, certified woody biomass into next generation biochemicals. The facility aims to produce 220,000 tonnes annually in total. Bio-MEG is one of the outputs. UPM targets the start-up for end 2023.

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., the oldest continuously operating paper mill in the United States, is pleased to announce that it has earned a gold rating in the EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) assessment. This achievement places the company in the top eight percent of the 90,000 companies ranked by EcoVadis. The company has achieved a 30% increase in its performance level since earning a silver rating in its assessment in 2015. Monadnock is FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certified (FSC C018866) ensuring that the fiber it sources comes from responsibly managed forests and recycling facilities that meet the highest environmental and social standards. Its products are manufactured carbon neutral, and they use 100% renewable Green-e certified wind-powered electricity, all under a third-party certified ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.

International technology group ANDRITZ and Paracel S.A., Paraguay, have signed a contract under which ANDRITZ is to supply all process equipment and energy-efficient and environmentally friendly pulp production equipment for Paracel’s 1.8 million ton/year pulp mill to be built in Concepción, Paraguay. ANDRITZ will supply all equipment on an EPC basis. The order value for ANDRITZ will be more than 1.5 billon US dollars. The contract is expected to be booked during 2023.

Following an extensive and long-term strategic analysis, Rottneros' Board of Directors has decided to discontinue the production of groundwood pulp in Rottneros Mill as there are no prospects for long-term sustainable profitability. The decision means that about 40 people will be made redundant. The cost of the closure is expected to amount to approximately 60 MSEK. Production is expected to cease at the end of 2022, following the conclusion of trade union negotiations which are now beginning. The Group plans to invest 160 - 200 MSEK to significantly increase capacity and production in the mill's CTMP line. In 2021, the Group's production of groundwood pulp amounted to 64 000 tons, corresponding to 16 percent of Rottneros' total production of 395 300 tons. During the same year, the groundwood line's share of the Group's net sales amounted to just over 10 percent, while the contribution, including electricity hedges, to the Group's net profit was marginal. The costs for the closure, approximately 60 MSEK, consist mainly of redundancy costs and will be charged in the Group's earnings for the third quarter. Only a minor part is write-downs of fixed assets.

Mondi plc has agreed to acquire the Duino mill near Trieste (Italy) from the Burgo Group for a total consideration of €40 million. The mill currently operates one paper machine producing lightweight coated mechanical paper. Mondi plans to convert this paper machine to produce around 420,000 tonnes per annum of high-quality recycled containerboard for an estimated investment of around €200 million. Close to two important export harbours, Duino is ideally located to supply the Group’s Corrugated Solutions plants in Central Europe and Turkey as well as to serve the growing local Italian market. The containerboard machine will strengthen backward integration in Corrugated Packaging and provide us with security of supply to better serve our customers.