There was a landslide at Norske Skog Saugbrugs around 04:30 CET today on 27 April 2023. This has had a material impact on building structures, cranes, and other machinery and equipment relating to PM6, which will result in a production stop for a longer period. "There has been a significant landslide which has caused great damage to the building structure for PM6 at Saugbrugs. We are working to get a full overview of the situation and risk of further landslides, but at the moment it is considered too dangerous to enter the area. This will result in a production stop on PM6 for a longer period. Most importantly, no one were harmed in the landslide, but it has been a traumatic and shocking experience for all involved and the local community" says Sven Ombudstvedt, CEO of Norske Skog ASA. Saugbrugs PM6 has a capacity of 260 000 tonnes SC magazine paper. Operations at Saugbrugs PM4 continue, the machine has a capacity of 100 000 tonnes SC magazine paper. The production and financial impact is currently uncertain, but further information will be provided when there is a clear overview of the situation

First Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights: *Produced revenue of $708 million, a decrease of 27% compared to the prior year *Generated income from operations of $62 million and net income of $25 million *Invested $93 million in capital expenditures, primarily in our vertical integration and newTRON initiatives

The Board of Directors of Rottneros has decided to invest a total of approximately 86 MSEK in renewable electricity at Rottneros Mill. The investments include a solar park and a battery storage and are part of a long-term strategy to reduce the groups exposure to the electricity market. The start-up is planned for 2024. The solar park is expected to generate over 3 GWh annually, which can be compared to the company's annual purchased electricity demand of around 220 GWh. The purpose of the battery storage is primarily to contribute to an improved balance on the electricity market, which also generates revenue from Svenska Kraftnät and thus a favourable return on investment.

Key highlights Q1 *Organic* and currency-neutral sales growth of 6% *Market-related downtime in several mills due to customers’ destocking and expectations of weaker market conditions *Prices increased for liquid board and speciality paper, were stable for graphic paper and cartonboard, and decreased for other product categories *All-time high input costs. Quarterly data Q1 *Net sales increased by 55% to SEK 11,495 million (7,397), whereof Billerud North America accounted for SEK 3,311 million (–) *Operating profit was SEK 806 million (1,189) *Net profit was SEK 639 million (884)

Ahlstrom introduces a new range of renewable and sustainable filtration solutions for automotive applications. Ahlstrom ECO™ is a technology supporting the increasing sustainability demands of the global transportation market and offering a new choice for filter manufacturers. Developed by Ahlstrom, a new renewable and sustainable filter media utilizes lignin-based* impregnation, replacing fossil-based resin. The resin solution contains a significant amount of bio-based, renewable lignin, whilst the mechanical properties and the durability of the filter media, even in challenging environments, are maintained. According to Ahlstrom’s initial estimates1, the new lignin-based impregnated filter media displays a lower carbon footprint than a standard fossil-based resin media. Additionally, the lignin-based impregnation recipe brings a significant reduction, between 50-70%, of formaldehyde emissions during the curing process.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. held a ceremony to inaugurate its new commercial-scale plant for the production of cellulose filaments at its Kénogami paper mill in Saguenay, Quebec. Cellulose filaments, also known as nanofibrillated cellulose, are a novel biomaterial derived from wood fiber, which can be used as a natural additive in many products to improve technical performance. Announced in 2020, the construction of the $27 million facility was part of a $38 million investment project in the company's Kénogami mill. Remi G. Lalonde, Resolute's president and chief executive officer, led the inauguration ceremony, also attended by Andrée Laforest, Quebec Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister Responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, as well as by local officials, dignitaries and Resolute employees.

Trust, but verify. This is the value of third-party assessments including the annual review undertaken by EcoVadis. All three of Sappi’s manufacturing regions – Europe, North America and South Africa – once again achieved the highest possible rating, platinum, in the annual EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ratings. This achievement places the regions individually and Sappi collectively in the top 1% of over 90,000 companies assessed by EcoVadis. Enhancing trust is one of Sappi’s key strategic fundamentals. We work to make every day more sustainable for people, communities and the planet. We demonstrate this through our tangible actions, our partnerships, through public reporting, by the group’s alignment with the United Nations Global Compact and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and importantly also through various assessments and verifications.

Q1 2023 highlights *Sales increased by 11% to EUR 2,787 million (2,507 million in Q1 2022) *Comparable EBIT grew by 29% to EUR 356 million, 12.8% of sales (277 million, 11.0%) *Delivery volumes were impacted by destocking in various product value chains *Operating cash flow was EUR 714 million (12 million), supported by cash inflow from energy hedges *Net debt increased to EUR 2,167 million (837 million) and the net debt to EBITDA ratio was 0.82 (0.46) *UPM Paso de los Toros pulp mill in Uruguay started up production on 15 April

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., the oldest continuously operating paper mill in the United States, demonstrates yet again that it’s keeping up with the times by introducing our newest “Un-Plastic®” and sustainable wide format and signage materials. “For Brands and retailers that are looking to fulfill their sustainability commitments without compromising durability, printability, and, of course, great style – the search ends here with Monadnock and our two newest product lines” said Lisa Taylor, Vice President Sales and Marketing. “We invested in developing Boulevard™ and Pavilion™ PC 100 without compromise, without plastic, and without a doubt that these times demand new signs.”

Twin Rivers Paper Company has announced the promotion of Tyler Rajeski to President and Chief Financial Officer. In the new role, Rajeski will oversee all functions of the business, including finance, procurement, operations, customer supply chain, sales and human resources. Rajeski continues to report to the Chief Executive Officer of Twin Rivers Paper, Debabrata ‘Deba’ Mukherjee. “Tyler has done a spectacular job leading several significant initiatives for Twin Rivers Paper, including a major refinancing of the business that has provided Twin Rivers with a strong working capital position, and the recent sale of the company’s Plaster Rock softwood lumber operation that benefits Twin with a long-term supply agreement,” stated Mukherjee. “Tyler’s impressive accomplishments in a relatively short timeframe have created strategic value for the business that will help ensure its long-term success.”

A longer filter lifetime is one of the key features helping to sustain operations and boost performance with minimal interruptions. This not only saves costs associated with frequent filter replacements but also reduces energy consumption and minimizes environmental impacts by lowering emissions. In addition, a longer filter lifetime can reduce the risk of system failures, downtimes, and potential equipment damage, further enhancing operational efficiency and reliability. New synthetic materials have more surface area available, therefore extending the filter lifetime and offering a more sustainable alternative to competing materials. The media can be used for both air and liquid filtration applications including air pollution control, oil, and fuel filtration. Products are easier to convert, which offers further savings for filter manufacturers. These capabilities reinforce our purpose to deliver products which Purify and Protect. "This investment is another example of our commitment to our customers in the Asia-Pacific region," says Kathrin Hueppe, Head of Asia, Filtration. "Improving our capabilities in the Hyun Poong plant allows us to serve their growing needs in high-performance filtration materials.”

UPM is replacing the use of fossil fuels with electric boilers in heat and steam production at its mills in Finland and Germany. A total of eight boilers will be installed, mainly to replace the use of natural gas. With the introduction of the electric boilers, the company will take a step towards its 2030 target of reducing CO2 emissions from the fuels and purchased electricity by 65%. In Finland, new electric boilers can reduce CO2 emissions from the use of fossil fuels by about 50,000 tonnes per year. In Germany, electric boilers will improve security of supply for heat and steam generation and achieve even greater emission reductions. "In addition to improved security of supply and emission reduction, electric boilers will significantly increase the mills’ ability to provide demand side flexibility to the electricity system and markets," says Petri Hyyryläinen, Energy Director at UPM Communication Papers.

Perce Thrower, UK sales, Crown Van Gelder - We ended 2022 on a positive note with a record-breaking volume of our Crown Letsgo inkjet-treated substrates, but due to a sudden cashflow problem, we went into administration in early 2023. The failure of the company was due to high costs of energy and pulp in the second half of 2022, and a drop in demand in the last months of 2022. During the tense weeks that followed we received a lot of positive messages from customers, merchants, OEMs inkjet press manufacturers and other paper mills, which increased our belief that Crown Van Gelder could and should survive. On 1 March we were able to announce that with the help of a new investor we could continue the paper mill as Crown Van Gelder International. The lead partner in the relaunch is EPAC Technologies, with whom we codeveloped our leading inkjet paper over five years ago, and we have continued to collaborate since. This will change the industry in a great way for our customers.

UPM has received the final operating authorization for its new UPM Paso de los Toros pulp mill from the environmental authorities. The start-up of the mill commences immediately, and first customer deliveries are expected to ship in May. The mill has gone through a comprehensive and thorough permitting process. Uruguayan environmental authority has monitored the construction of the mill on site throughout the project. The operating authorization process has included several inspections by the authorities, as well as third party audits by industry experts. UPM has an extensive environmental monitoring programme covering water and biota, air, soil, noise, and socio-economic aspects. Through the growth investment, UPM and its subcontractors will create 4,000 new jobs through the value chain, as well as approximately 6,000 induced jobs and a 2% increase in GDP for the Uruguay economy.

Billerud announces the temporary idling of the Escanaba Mill for up to three weeks as a precautionary measure to protect the health and safety of its employees and contractors due to a blastomycosis fungal infection outbreak. “Our top priority now and always is protecting the health and safety of our employees and contractors who work at our Escanaba Mill,” says Christoph Michalski, Billerud President and CEO. “We care deeply about their well-being and are doing everything we can to protect them and identify and address the root cause of the blastomycosis fungal infections. As a precautionary measure, we will temporarily idle the Escanaba Mill for up to three weeks to facilitate additional proper cleaning based on recommendations from NIOSH and other organizations, which requires larger portions of the mill to be vacant while this work is performed. The financial impact is assessed to be limited since the production at the Escanaba Mill was being adjusted to meet current market demand.”

HEINZEL GROUP is proud to announce a record-breaking year in 2022, achieving the highest turnover and the best earnings in the company's history. At the same time HEINZEL GROUP reduced its CO2 emissions substantially, in line with its climate targets and sustainability strategy. In the face of multiple crises in 2022, including the Ukraine crisis, the European energy crisis, and the steep general cost increases, HEINZEL GROUP showed resilience and responded flexibly to market changes. An all-time high in terms of pulp and paper prices contributed to an increase of HEINZEL GROUP's net sales by 36.6% to €2,777.4 million in 2022. In total, HEINZEL GROUP generated an EBITDA of €287.5 million, an increase of 46.8%, while lowering CO2 emissions (Scope 1&2) by 14.9% to 535,333 tons.

Sappi Limited announced today that the intended sale to Aurelius Group of its Maastricht Mill in the Netherlands, its Stockstadt Mill in Germany and its Kirkniemi Mill in Finland (the “Transaction”) has not materialised within the agreed timeframe of the contractual agreement and therefore the agreement has lapsed. The mills included: 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.

Klabin will carry out the 2023 General Shutdown at the Puma Unit, in Ortigueira (PR), starting next week. This important event aims to ensure the proper functioning and reliability of the Unit's equipment, in addition to implementing improvements that increase the quality of the company's production process and the safety of employees and the community. Maintenance stop periods are regulatory for some industry sectors and therefore in line with Brazilian legislation. It is at this moment that the necessary interventions take place to guarantee the reliability of the operation, bringing safety to the processes and to employees and the community. The Parade also generates an opportunity for improvements and technological updates to be implemented. It should be noted that at Klabin, the stages of work are defined using the best project management practices, with a focus on safety, planning, integration and quality in the production processes of the manufacturing units.

Monadnock Paper Mills, a manufacturer of technical specialty and premium printing and packaging papers, announced that Stephen (Steve) Murphy has rejoined the Company as Director of Supply Chain and Logistics. Steve has a history with Monadnock Paper Mills. He joined the Company in January of 1988 as an hourly employee and rose to the position of Paper Machine Tender. In January1997, he was promoted to the position of Maintenance Purchasing/Stockroom Manager. Steve left Monadnock in 2007 to pursue his education and a career progression with ENCON Evaporators, Inc. of Hooksett, NH. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management & Supply Chain, Summa Cum Laude, from Southern New Hampshire University. While attending college, he continued his career with ENCON, holding multiple positions from 2007 through 2023 including Purchasing Manager, Operations and Production Manager, Supply Chain Manager.

Stora Enso has completed the divestment of its paper production site in Hylte, Sweden announced on 27 January 2023, and all related assets to Sweden Timber, a Sweden-based sawmill and planing mill company. The enterprise value of the transaction is approximately EUR 18 million and will result in the reduction of Stora Enso’s annual newsprint paper capacity by 245,000 tonnes. Using 2022 figures as a benchmark, the divestment is expected to reduce Stora Enso’s annual sales by approximately EUR 160 million. As announced earlier, Stora Enso will book a disposal loss of approximately EUR 35 million, in addition to an impairment loss of EUR 19 million recorded in Q4/2022 in its IFRS operating profit in Q2/2023, as an item affecting comparability. The final value will be subject to closing date adjustments.

Paper Excellence Canada is thrilled to announce today that it has been awarded the Corporate Pioneer of the Year Award at the annual Foresight Canada BC Cleantech Awards. The award was announced during an event in Vancouver on Thursday evening. Foresight Canada’s BC Cleantech Awards are an annual event to recognize inspiring change-makers from across British Columbia that are leading the charge to a net-zero economy. The Corporate Pioneer of the Year Award recognizes a large organization or company adopting, championing or leading sustainable practices in their industry. Paper Excellence was honoured to be nominated alongside other great companies, including Copper Mountain Mining Corp., Shell, FortisBC, and the Port of Vancouver.

"I am confident that Kevin Kuznicki, with his experience from a variety of positions and industries, is the right person to lead Billerud's journey in the US going forward," says Christoph Michalski, President and CEO at Billerud. “I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to serve as President for Billerud North America and am optimistic about our future. I am honored to work with such a talented team across the company and look forward to continuing our journey and accomplishing great success together,” says Kevin Kuznicki, incoming President of North America at Billerud. Kevin Kuznicki succeeds Robert Kreizenbeck, who left the company this month.

Avery Dennison Corporation has appointed leaders for its two business segments. Hassan Rmaile has been named president of the Materials Group. Francisco Melo has been named president of the Solutions Group, a role that has been open since Deon Stander’s appointment to president and chief operating officer in March of 2022. As earlier announced, the company now consists of two reportable segments. The Materials Group comprises what was formerly Label and Graphic Materials and Industrial and Healthcare Materials. The change reflects efforts in recent years to leverage their combined operational capabilities and technologies to enhance the ability to win in their respective marketplaces. The Solutions Group was formerly Retail Branding and Information Solutions. This name change better reflects the business’s reach and ambition for its solutions beyond retail. Rmaile and Melo report to Avery Dennison President and COO Deon Stander.

UPM has completed withdrawal of its businesses from Russia by selling all its Russian operations, including the Chudovo plywood mill, to Gungnir Wooden Products Trading. The parties have agreed not to disclose the details of the transaction. Following Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, UPM announced in March 2022 suspension of its business activities in Russia, including deliveries, wood procurement and the Chudovo plywood mill.

Paper Excellence Canada is pleased to announce that Stew Gibson, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, was recently appointed to the board of directors for Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). FPAC is a non-profit association that represents many of Canada’s largest forestry companies. Mr. Gibson was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Paper Excellence Canada in 2022, after previously serving as Vice President – Operations West for the company. “I’m thrilled to be representing Paper Excellence Canada on the board of FPAC and I look forward to working alongside my colleagues from other forestry companies and with the FPAC leadership to advance the interests of our industry in Ottawa and across Canada,” said Gibson.

Billerud comes second when Lund University and the business newspaper Dagens Industri rank the 131 largest companies on the stock exchange in Sweden from a sustainability perspective. “We are proud to have been awarded second place out of 131 audited Swedish companies in the 2022 edition of Sustainable Companies. This recognition shows that we stand tall in Swedish industry and that our forward leaning perspective, long-term proactive sustainability work and high ambitions are appreciated. We will continue to develop our sustainability work and constantly strive to improve to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future”, says Matthew Hirst, EVP of Commercial and Sustainability at Billerud.

Out with the old, in with the new! Georgia-Pacific has contributed $100,000 to Auburn University to help fund a new state-of-the-art digester that will give engineering students the ability to test and improve a newly patented innovation in papermaking. The current digester in the Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering (AC-PABE) at AU is over 30 years old with many operational issues and no longer meets teaching and research needs. That’s why the AC-PABE contacted Georgia-Pacific, a long-time partner of AU and the pulp and paper program. A digester is a key piece of equipment used in the paper-making process. Pulp mill digesters use heat and chemicals to break down wood chips into pulp. The pulp is then further refined and processed to produce paper products.

Paper Excellence Canada is very pleased to announce today that it has been named as a Finalist for the fourth annual Foresight Canada BC Cleantech Awards. Paper Excellence Canada is a finalist in the Corporate Pioneer of the Year category, which features large organizations or companies adopting, championing, or leading sustainable practices in their industry. Paper Excellence Canada stands alongside other well-known finalists in this category, including FortisBC, Port of Vancouver, Shell Canada, and Copper Mountain Mining Corporation. “We are very excited and honoured to be a Finalist for this year’s BC Cleantech Awards, and we look forward to the awards event on March 30th,” said Stew Gibson, Chief Operating Officer for Paper Excellence Canada. “To be nominated as a finalist in this category confirms the work we are doing as a company, like investing in cleantech, improving our operations and developing innovative low-carbon products, is making an impact towards meeting global climate objectives.”

Phoenix Paper is pleased to announce the launch of their new product line, Phoenix Inkjet. Fall of 2022, Phoenix Paper entered the Inkjet paper market, offering Phoenix Premier™, a treated inkjet sheet, and Phoenix Preferred™, an untreated inkjet sheet to Commercial Inkjet Printers. Phoenix Paper completed the launch of their Inkjet line in March of 2023 with their 7pt. and 9pt. treated Phoenix Premier™ Grades. Field trials were conducted on each Phoenix Inkjet grade at OEMs and commercial ink jet locations to ensure the products met the paper applications required by end users. Phoenix Paper Field Tech Representatives were involved in the quality trials at major OEMs and the paper scored high in all categories.

Fourth Quarter of 2022 Highlights: *Fourth quarter 2022 net loss from continuing operations was $25.9 million, compared to net loss of $16.3 million in the third quarter of 2022on the same basis . This result reflects the sharp downturn in lumber market prices seen during the fourth quarter. *Lumber prices dropped, reflecting economic headwinds and lower demand in Q4 2022, with an average selling price of $644/mfbm compared to $800/mfbm in Q3 2022. Steadily rising interest rates since Q2 2022, in response to high inflation, reduced US housing starts and caused flagging homebuilders’ confidence, which worsened during the fourth quarter.

It is well known that Jackson Wijaya, the ultimate and sole owner of Paper Excellence, is the son of the current head of APP. In the early days, Jackson benefited from some experience gained from the family business early in his life, as well as support getting his company started. This is hardly a unique or exceptional circumstance. The situation is entirely different today. Jackson operates his Paper Excellence independently. Many stakeholders and regulators – global funding institutions, regulatory bodies and certifiers, among others – have acknowledged this reality. Paper Excellence’s acquisition of Resolute was extensively reviewed under the Investment Canada Act. As we have expanded our business, we have looked for companies and markets steeped in long traditions and with best practices to share in these areas. Our recent acquisitions of Domtar and Resolute were spurred certainly by undervalued businesses that we believe with meaningful investment can be improved and modernized, but equally by the rich experience and expertise of the leadership, and deep understanding of the norms and values of the markets in which they operate.

KPLP Q4 2022 Business and Financial Highlights • Revenue was $458.1 million in Q4 2022 compared to $424.1 million in Q4 2021, an increase of $34.0 million or 8.0%. • Net income was $16.0 million in Q4 2022, compared to net income of $42.3 million in Q4 2021, a decrease of $26.3 million. KPLP Full Year 2022 Financial Highlights • Revenue was $1,681.4 million in 2022 compared to $1,465.2 million in 2021, an increase of $216.2 million or 14.8%. • Net loss was $56.9 million in 2022, compared to net income of $42.0 million in 2021, a decrease of $98.9 million.

Drytac, the leading international manufacturer of self-adhesive materials for the large-format print and signage markets, is delighted to announce its products will feature on a number of stands at Sign & Digital UK 2023. Taking place from 21-23 March at the NEC in Birmingham, Sign & Digital UK is the longest running event in the UK signs, graphics and display sector, welcoming a wide range of major exhibitors and thousands of visitors from all corners of the industry. Epson, Roland DG, Soyang Europe and Hybrid Services, the exclusive distributor for Mimaki printing equipment in the UK and Ireland, will all feature Drytac media solutions as part of their own product demonstrations at Sign & Digital UK 2023.

Billerud's North America President, Robert Kreizenbeck, is leaving the company. “I would like to express a big thank you to Robert for his contributions during Billerud's startup phase in North America. He has been a key person in the integration work. I wish him all the best for the future”, says Christoph Michalski, Billerud’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Robert Kreizenbeck will be leaving Billerud later in March. A successor for the role will be announced in due course.

HEINZEL GROUP announces the conversion of an idled paper machine at the Steyrermühl mill in Austria for the production of sustainable kraft papers for flexible packaging. Heinzel will take over the Steyrermühl site from UPM on January 1st, 2024, according to an agreement signed in 2022, and will enter the market with a new range of unbleached and bleached kraft papers shortly thereafter. The Steyrermühl paper mill, currently still owned by UPM, has a long history of producing top-quality graphic paper products. The conversion of the machine will enable the mill to enter the growing market for packaging papers. The new kraft paper grades produced will be used in the production of bags, pouches, and other flexible packaging products. At the site UPM today operates one paper machine for newsprint production, a sawmill, and a residue incineration plant co-owned with Heinzel's Laakirchen Papier. UPM plans to continue operations as-is until the end of 2023 when the production of graphic papers in Steyrermühl will be ceased.

Members of the Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry (TAPPI) recently elected Bill Edwards, Domtar’s senior vice president of pulp and paper operations, to serve on the TAPPI board of directors. TAPPI is the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and converting industries. Through information exchange and events, it has provided management training and networking to the pulp and paper industry’s leaders for more than 100 years. Edwards leads Domtar’s pulp and paper manufacturing, converting/coating operations, and optimization efforts, and he brings more than 30 years of experience in the industry to his role on the TAPPI board of directors.

The Paper Excellence Group, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Domtar Corporation, announced the successful closing of its previously announced acquisition of Resolute Forest Products Inc. This acquisition creates a stronger and more resilient diversified forest products company, manufacturing a range of pulp products and specialty, printing, writing, and packaging papers, as well as lumber and tissue. The acquisition of Domtar in 2021 and Resolute today significantly increases the Group’s scale, overall product offering and geographic reach.

HIGHLIGHTS • Pulp sales of 2,759 thousand tons (+1% vs. 4Q21). • Paper sales³ of 338 thousand tons (-9% vs. 4Q21). • Average net pulp price in export market: US$831/ton (+32% vs. 4Q21). • Average net paper price3 of R$7,079/ton (+39% vs. 4Q21). • Pulp cash cost ex-downtime of R$937/ton (+25% vs. 4Q21). • Leverage ratio declines to 2.0 times in USD and 2.0 times in BRL, despite the investment cycle. • Cerrado Project completes 45% of physical progress and 41% of financial progress.

We are very happy to be at Hunkeler Innovation Days celebrating the relaunch of Crown Van Gelder International B.V. Not only is CVG now in its best financial position in our 126 year history (debt free with 30 million Euros of equity), we will actually be able to grow our 250 person work force this year. At this show, we are running our new Crown Letsgo High Performance Mail Card (235 micron / 9 pt) stock at 150 m/min on the HP PageWide Advantage 2200. This development testifies our core capability: achieving excellent inkjet print quality, with unrivaled ink consumption reduction, minimal drying requirements and highest output. A 20% better yield than other typical 7 and 9 point papers tops it off. Material savings, energy savings and postal savings. We are happy to announce that EPAC Technologies, Inc is our lead partner in CVG’s relaunch. EPAC’s solutions and technology combined with CVG’s paper knowledge will bring unmatched benefit to our customers. EPAC already provides integrated solutions to publishers, book printers, and now CVG will be able to bring these benefits to many more printers.

Stora Enso has completed the divestment of its Maxau paper production site in Germany, and all related assets to Schwarz Produktion, part of Schwarz Group. The divestment announced on 13 September 2022 was completed today after regulatory approvals. The enterprise value of the transaction is approximately EUR 210 million. The transaction will reduce Stora Enso’s annual SC (supercalendered) paper capacity by 530,000 tonnes. Based on the 2022 figures, the divestment is expected to reduce Stora Enso’s annual sales by approximately EUR 385 million. Subject to closing date adjustments, Stora Enso will book a one-time disposal gain of approximately EUR 55 million in its IFRS operating profit in the first quarter of 2023, considered as an item affecting comparability.

2022 was another strong year for Canfor, with the strength in global lumber market fundamentals experienced late in 2021 continuing well into the current year. Significant lumber demand led by solid activity in both new home construction and the repair and remodel segment, encountered tight supply due to supply chain disruptions. The result was ongoing global pricing pressure and high benchmark lumber prices through the first part of the year. As the year progressed, rising interest rates and inflation put significant downward pressure on housing affordability and global lumber market demand, leading to a rapid decline in global lumber market pricing in the latter part of the year. In response, the Company implemented reduced operating schedules at its Western Canadian operations. The Company’s strong earnings, however, reflect the continued benefit of its global diversification strategy which helped to moderate these challenges in British Columbia (“BC”).

Domtar Corporation, a part of the Paper Excellence Group, and First Quality Enterprises, Inc. today announced that they have entered into an agreement to sell Domtar’s Dryden pulp mill to First Quality. The Dryden transaction, expected to close early in the third quarter, is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and the closing of the Resolute Forest Products Inc. transaction. First Quality has made clear to Domtar its commitment to the Dryden Mill, its employees and the surrounding community and that First Quality fully intends to continue business operations consistent with past practices.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in December 2022 were down 29.8% vs. December 2021 and shipments were down 14.0% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in December 2022 were down 20.1% vs. December 2021 and shipments were down 9.9% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in December 2022 were down 28.2% vs. December 2021 and shipments were down 16.9% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in December 2022 were down 37.2% vs. December 2021 and shipments were down 22.2% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in December 2022 were down 16.2% vs. December 2021 and shipments were down 13.9% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in December 2022 were down 45.5% vs. December 2021 and shipments were down 11.1% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in December 2022 were down 26.8% vs. December 2021 and shipments were down 12.6% year-to-date.

Solenis has completed its previously announced acquisition of the paper process chemicals business of Kolb Distribution Ltd. The deal also includes a long-term supply agreement, in which the KLK Kolb Group will manufacture paper process chemicals exclusively for Solenis. “Bringing together the Kolb team with our consumer solutions business adds to our ability to deliver expanded offerings and provide cost-effective solutions for our EMEA pulp and paper customers. Kolb’s portfolio includes the latest innovations in deposit control, cleaning and foam control agents that will strengthen our commitment to providing more value to our customers,” said John Panichella, CEO, Solenis.

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has achieved excellent results in terms of sustainability and environmental efficiency in a study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS) in Halle, Germany. The study comprehensively examined the environmental footprint of Äänekoski bioproduct mill pulp production.  The Äänekoski bioproduct mill was compared with average values of pulp mills in Europe and Latin America. Äänekoski bioproduct mill, which produces pulp e.g., for printing and writing papers, speciality papers, tissue papers and paperboards, achieves top results in the study. To sum up, pulp from Äänekoski bioproduct mill has significantly lower emissions and the lowest environmental footprint compared to the pulp produced in average level pulp mills in Europe and Latin America. The complete set of environmental impact categories can be found at the following link: Spotlight report - Life Cycle Assessment of fibres from bioproduct mill compared to fibres from average European and Latin American pulp mills

Stora Enso’s lignin, Lineo® by Stora Enso, replaces fossil-based glue in plywood. Polish plywood manufacturer Paged has started collaborating with Stora Enso to meet their customers’ demands for bio-based and more sustainable plywood. This partnership also allows Paged to cut product carbon emissions. Across markets, consumers are increasingly turning towards eco-friendly products and demanding change. At the same time, the business demand for renewable, bio-based and circular solutions is also growing rapidly. We want to do our part and replace fossil-based materials with safer and more natural alternatives. With Lineo®, Paged has the possibility to replace 40% of fossil-based glue with lignin, resulting in a more environmentally friendly end-product. The ultimate goal for Paged is to be able to achieve several thousand tons of reduction in carbon emissions.

We are excited to announce that Mondi has just added a new special paper to its NEUJET family of papers. This is the 65gsm 44# NEUJET® silk. This paper grade was specifically developed for the book publishing industry, with a very high PPI - 847, brightness – 99, Opacity - 90, and Caliper – 2.36 Pt. Mondi’s complete Neujet family includes the Neujet Silk premium, NEUJET Matte, NEUJET® silk & NEUJET® matte premium, with weights ranging from 65gsm (44#) through 7Pt, 9Pt, and 11Pt. 300gsm (111#Cover). The NEUJET® silk premium & NEUJET® matte premium lines also incorporate the HP ColorPRO technology. We are offering midrange fully treated paper lines of DNS CF (coated feel) & DNS® NF (Natural Feel). The DNS® CF (coated feel) line offers calendarized papers with a very smooth finish – thus “coated feel”. Weights offered here range from 70gsm (47#) up to 160gsm (60#Cover).

Mativ Fourth Quarter 2022 Highlights *Sales increased 69% to $660.1 million, reflecting the benefit of the merger; 6% constant currency organic sales growth, or 2% including negative currency impacts; 20%+ sales growth in release liners and protective solutions led the portfolio *GAAP Income was $2.5 million, GAAP EPS was $0.04, and GAAP Operating Profit was $26.9 million, which all included significant expenses related to the Neenah merger integration *Continued positive momentum in price/cost performance drove margin expansion *≈$5 million cost synergies realized in 2022; ≈$25 million incremental synergies expected in 2023. Mativ Full Year 2022 Highlights *Sales increased 51% to $2,167.4 million, reflecting the benefit of the merger; 11% constant currency organic sales growth, or 7% including negative currency impacts *Double-digit sales growth in release liners, protective solutions, and packaging and specialty papers led top-line performance with strong pricing more than offsetting higher input costs *GAAP Loss was $6.6 million, GAAP EPS was $(0.18), and GAAP Operating Profit was $51.4 million, which all included significant expenses related to the Neenah merger closing and integration

Seven Domtar colleagues joined nearly 90 other pulp and paper workers from across the United States in Washington, D.C. in February to educate elected officials and advocate for our industry. The employees took part in a fly-in sponsored by the Pulp & Paperworkers’ Resource Council (PPRC), a grassroots organization of hourly employees in the forest products industry. The PPRC brings pulp and paper workers to the capital annually to speak with members of Congress and administrative officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Office of Management and Budget, and other government agencies on issues affecting American manufacturing jobs in the industry. This year, the group made more than 550 visits with members of Congress and administrative officials to discuss the effects of legislative and regulatory decisions on the environment and on people who make their living in forest products manufacturing. These pulp and paper workers represented 57 mills in 22 states.

Sustana is thrilled to join the ranks of hundreds of companies with GHG emission reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and in line with limiting global average temperature rise to 1.5° C. We committed to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2021 base year and have pledged to measure and reduce Scope 3 emissions. "Sustainability has always been at the root of Sustana's identity, and this commitment furthers our mission to mitigate climate change and be good stewards of the environment," said Fabian de Armas, Chief Executive Officer for Sustana.

The Nova Scotia Innovation Hub (NSIH) is announcing the launch of a new initiative aimed at promoting Nova Scotia’s extensive bioeconomy infrastructure to audiences around the world. The Bioeconomy Sites Project showcases industrial sites across the province to national and international firms in the low-carbon renewable resource sector. “Nova Scotia’s vibrant renewable resource sectors make it an excellent location for biotechnology and bioresource firms,” says Geoffrey Clarke, Director of Business Development for Port Hawkesbury Paper, one of the locations profiled on the site. “This exciting new medium will showcase Nova Scotia to international investors and encourage innovation and collaboration within the province.”

Drytac, the leading international manufacturer of self-adhesive materials for the large-format print and signage markets, is delighted to announce France’s ID Numérique as its latest branded dealer partner. A specialist distributor of materials and consumables for large-format digital printing, ID Numérique is a highly trusted and reputable name in the French market, working with customers across the country on all manner of projects. As a Drytac branded dealer partner, ID Numérique will offer a wide range of Drytac’s market-leading products to both new and existing customers in France.

Mactac® announces that its Spartanburg, S.C. facility, which is the most innovative pressure-sensitive materials manufacturing site in the U.S., has earned ISO 9001:2015 quality management certification. “Having the ISO 9001 certification signifies that Mactac has a systematic quality management system in place and that it is working,” says James Houser, Mactac Spartanburg Quality Assurance Manager. “This is a big deal for our customers. It assures them that Mactac has knowledgeable, trained, and experienced operators who are dedicated to producing quality products. It also provides a foundation for a quality-driven future.”

The new PrimeLineTAD machine will be supplied with state-of-the-art energy efficient process equipment to meet P&G’s demanding sustainability targets. ANDRITZ and Procter & Gamble have been strong business partners for many years. In 2007, ANDRITZ supplied and started up a TAD tissue/towel machine at Procter and Gamble’s Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA site that fully met P&G’s expectations. This was followed by another TAD tissue/towel machine at Procter and Gamble’s Box Elder facility, which started up successfully in 2011. Procter and Gamble, one of the largest manufacturers of premium consumer bath tissues and paper towels in North America, produces the brands of Charmin, Puffs, and Bounty.

Mondi, a global packaging and paper manufacturer, has maintained its Platinum status in EcoVadis’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ratings for the seventh consecutive year. The Group’s overall score of 84% places Mondi among the top 1% of global companies assessed. "As a trusted global platform for sustainability and corporate social responsibility ratings, EcoVadis is particularly useful to support our engagement with customers who request access to our disclosures. Being again rated among the top 1% of companies globally, recognises our continuous efforts to embed sustainability principles more deeply throughout our organisation and our value chain" Gladys Naylor, Mondi Group Head of Sustainable Development

Stora Enso and Valmet have started collaborating on next-generation lignin product and process development to drive Stora Enso’s lignin-based businesses and further improve the performance of the Valmet LignoBoost technology. The objective of the partnership is to further develop the quality and customer value of lignin, increase the supply by optimised process machinery and asset design, and to accelerate the speed of meeting the growing lignin demand of the future. In biomaterials innovations, where Stora Enso’s agenda is focused on lignin, we bring innovative and sustainable materials to the market to replace fossil-based materials. Through know-how, strategic collaborations, and partnerships, we work to accelerate breakthrough innovations in areas such as lignin-based carbon for energy storage and bio-binders. Already today, wood-based lignin replaces fossil-based materials in asphalt, plywood, furniture panels, and dyestuff, to name a few.

The last remaining manufacturer Opal will cease production of Reflex at the Maryvale mill, with up to 200 jobs in doubt. The M5 occupies a shed nearly half a kilometre long, turning forest pulp into tonnes of Reflex white copy paper daily. Last financial year it produced 116,000 tonnes of copy paper for the domestic market, plus 88,000 tonnes for export. In December it was switched off indefinitely. Workers signed the final roll with “last one” and “RIP M5”. The mill produced its last ream of copy paper in January. On Tuesday Reflex’s manufacturer, Opal, announced it would close the M5 and cease Reflex paper production permanently. Its packaging lines of brown kraft paper and paperboard will continue.

Tronox Holdings plc , the world’s leading integrated manufacturer of titanium dioxide pigment, reported its financial results for the quarter ending December 31, 2022: Fourth Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights: *Revenue of $649 million *Income from operations of $36 million; Net loss of $14 million *Adjusted EBITDA of $113 million. Full Year 2022 Financial Highlights: *Total revenue of $3,454 million *Income from operations of $458 million; Net income of $500 million (includes $301M of tax valuation allowance reversals) *Adjusted EBITDA of $875 million; *GAAP diluted EPS of $3.16; *Capital expenditures of $428 million *Reduced total debt to $2.5 billion

Sylvamo's board of directors entered into a cooperation agreement with Atlas Holdings, its largest shareowner, adding two new independent directors to its board. Effective March 1, Sylvamo will add Karl Meyers and Mark Wilde, expanding the company's board to 11 directors. "We look forward to welcoming Karl and Mark to our board," said Jean-Michel Ribiéras, chairman and chief executive officer. "They will bring valuable expertise to Sylvamo." The cooperation agreement includes customary restrictions and voting commitments. Sylvamo will nominate Meyers and Wilde for election with its other directors during its 2023 annual shareowners meeting. The board also determined it would terminate Sylvamo's shareholder rights plan immediately.

2022 FOURTH QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS *Operational and weather-related issues impacted paperboard operations *Completed planned major maintenance at the Lewiston, Idaho facility *Net loss of $6 million, or $0.34 per diluted share and Adjusted EBITDA of $28 million *Net sales of $527 million, up 8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. 2022 FULL YEAR HIGHLIGHTS *Delivered strong performance due to robust demand for paperboard products *Net income of $46 million *Net sales of $2.1 billion, up 17% compared to 2021 due to higher pricing and stronger tissue volumes *Net debt reduction of $108 million in the year, $377 million since 2020

Financial Highlights - 2022 Full Year: *Net income from continuing operations of $336 million ($7.57 per diluted share) *Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations of $418 million *Board of directors initiated a quarterly dividend of $0.1125 per share, paid for in the third and fourth quarters for a total of $10 million *Repurchased 1,556,835 shares of our common stock for approximately $80 million in the fourth quarter, resulting in 42.6 million shares outstanding as of Dec. 31

The AF&PA Board of Directors comprises top industry leaders representing a broad spectrum of companies in the paper and wood products manufacturing sector. AF&PA also welcomed 5 new directors: Arsen Kitch, President and Chief Executive Officer, Clearwater Paper Corporation; Charles Hodges, President and Chief Operating Officer, Hood Container Corporation; Dick Carmical, Chief Executive Officer, The Price Companies, Inc.; Mark Ushpol, Executive Vice President, Food & Consumer Packaging, Ahlstrom; Ole Rosgaard, President and Chief Executive Officer, Greif, Inc.

January–December 2022 (1–12/2021): Sales were EUR 6,980 million (6,017). Operating result was EUR 1,302 million (874). Comparable operating result was EUR 1,276 million (914). Result before taxes was EUR 1,270 million (832). Comparable result before taxes was EUR 1,240 million (872). Comparable return on capital employed was 19.5% (16.2). Net cash flow from operations was EUR 1,227 million (1,023). October–December 2022 (10–12/2021): Sales were EUR 1,741 million (1,560). Operating result was EUR 316 million (221). Comparable operating result was EUR 311 million (220). Result before taxes was EUR 309 million (215). Comparable result before taxes was EUR 306 million (214). Comparable return on capital employed was 18.0% (14.7). Net cash flow from operations was EUR 399 million (427).

With Termax, Lecta boasts an extensive range of thermal papers that is constantly evolving to meet POS, ticket and label application needs. Over the last years, Lecta has developed a series of high-quality thermal products that have recently obtained the official "No phenols added" certification issued by Ineris, the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risk. This certification guarantees that there is no Bisphenol A (BPA), S (BPS), F (BPF) or 12 other phenolic compounds in our Termax TFX, Termax TEX, Termax TC20X and Termax TCLLX products. In addition to this "phenol-free" recognition, the entire Termax range is manufactured in accordance with ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental standards, ISO 50001 energy management standards, ISO 9001 quality standards and ISO 45001 standards for occupational health and safety management systems. The range is also available with PEFC or FSC® C011032 Chain of Custody forest certification upon request. Termax is Lecta's fully updated range of heat-sensitive papers specially designed to grow with your business.

Commenting on the group’s results, Sappi Chief Executive Officer Steve Binnie said: “I am pleased with another strong performance from the Group which was well above pre-Covid levels and the best ever first quarter results. EBITDA of US$290 million was 21% above the prior year and in line with guidance provided in the previous quarter. The positive results were underpinned by year-on-year pricing gains for paper products which offset cost inflation, lower sales volumes and delivered an EBITDA margin of 17.5%.”

Ahlstrom now launches the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filter media portfolio from its brand-new production machine in Turin (Italy), supporting our customers in their ambition to offer best performing and premium quality filters to the most demanding end-uses. Uniqueness of our offering comes from state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies which deliver best reliability in performance as well as lower environmental impact. Ahlstrom has used its long experience and extensive competences to develop the complete range of filtration materials which are protecting people and equipment in closed environments. The product range covers today options from ISO Coarse 85% to ISO ePM1 80% rating (ISO16890:2016) in a standard version and in a high permeability version for most challenging requirements. All products have limited flow restriction and extended dust holding capacity with excellent consistency.

Back at high speed, the Hunkeler Innovation Days in Lucerne, Switzerland will be held from February 27 to March 2. Over the past three years, where the pandemic prevented this industry event from happening, high speed inkjet printing continued to evolve and will continue to do so according to the 2021 Smithers report “The Future of Print Equipment Markets to 2026”. For both types of high-speed presses – reel fed and sheet fed – the market is growing. In Europe, inkjet reel fed installations are expected to grow by around 50% between 2021 and 2026. Still, sheet fed inkjet installations top these figures as they are expected to grow by 126% in Western Europe and by 288% in Eastern Europe in the same period. Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper – part of the international packaging and paper group Mondi – developed the largest selection of high-speed inkjet papers in close collaboration with renowned OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). The papers feature ideal gamut, reels as well as sheets in grammages ranging from 60 to 300 gsm and various surface treatments.

A number of interested parties have visited Crown Van Gelder sparking hopes that the mill could be rescued and restart production in the near future. The Netherlands-based papermaker, best known for its Crown Letsgo range of high-speed inkjet papers, filed for bankruptcy last week after running out of cash. A source close to the situation said they were hopeful for a speedy resolution: “For the time being the [paper] machines are not running but hopefully we can be up and running again soon – this is a very good company and we will restart.”

On World Wetlands Day, Paper Excellence Canada announced it has donated $150,000 to Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). The largest single donation in Paper Excellence Canada’s history will support wetlands conservation and stewardship in boreal forest regions of Saskatchewan and British Columbia. The donation will also support wetlands training for residents and employees in industries that operate or work in the boreal forest regions of the two provinces. “On behalf of Paper Excellence Canada, I am thrilled to present this donation to Ducks Unlimited Canada and begin this exciting investment in supporting wetlands stewardship and education,” said Carlo Dal Monte, Vice President for Paper Excellence Canada. “Paper Excellence Canada is committed to conservation and sustainability in the regions where we operate, and working with Ducks Unlimited Canada on this initiative is another example of our company’s ongoing work.”

2022 highlights • Sales increased by 19% to EUR 11,720 million (9,814 million in 2021) • Comparable EBIT increased by 42% to EUR 2,096 million (1,471 million), and was 17.9% (15.0%) of sales • Operating cash flow was EUR 508 million (1,250 million), impacted by cash outflows from energy hedges in highly exceptional energy markets • Net debt increased to EUR 2,374 million (647 million) and the net debt to EBITDA ratio was 0.94 (0.35). A significant part of the increase in net debt is temporary, due to the cash flow impacts of energy hedges and future energy generation • In April, UPM and the Paperworkers’ Union agreed on the first-ever business-specific collective labour agreements • In June, UPM announced the sale of the Steyrermühl site in Austria to secure competitiveness and adapt newsprint production to long-term market development • In September, UPM Raflatac completed the acquisition of AMC AG

Highlights: *FY22 Reported EPS of $9.21, up 4% **Adjusted EPS (non-GAAP) of $9.15, up 3%, up 11% ex. currency *FY22 Net sales increased 7.5% to $9.0 billion - Sales growth ex. currency (non-GAAP) of 13.1% - Organic sales growth (non-GAAP) of 9.5% *4Q22 Reported EPS of $1.51 *4Q22 Net sales declined 7.2% to $2.0 billion - Sales change ex. currency (non-GAAP) of (0.8%) - Organic sales change (non-GAAP) of (0.9%)

Consumer Tissue business in Spain The Navigator Company completed the acquisition of Gomà-Camps Group’s Consumer Tissue business, including the acquisition of Spanish company GOMÀCAMPS CONSUMER, S.L.U. and French company GOMÀ-CAMPS FRANCE SAS (hereinafter referred to as "GC Consumer"). This acquisition is part of an ambitious plan for diversification and development of the Navigator Group, strengthening the Group’s position as the second largest Iberian producer of tissue, with an annual production capacity that now stands at 165,000 tonnes.

As previously announced, Michigan State legislatures have approved legislation to grant Billerud investment support of up to USD 200 million in funding to support Billerud’s investment plans. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the legislation, approving the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) appropriation of the funds. The transformation of the Escanaba Mill is planned to be the cornerstone of Billerud’s expansion into North America, one of the largest and growing markets in primary fiber premium cartonboard. The project is expected to support hundreds of high paying jobs and require a significant number of contractors during the construction period. This funding follows additional incentives recently approved by the State of Michigan Administrative Board, including approval of the Forest Products Processing Renaissance Zone. The zone exempts Billerud from paying almost all state and local property taxes at the Escanaba Mill.

Key highlights Q4: *Organic* and currency neutral sales growth of 14% *Solid operating cash flow and strong balance sheet *Shift towards softer demand and declining sentiment. Quarterly data Q4: *Net sales increased by 79% to SEK 11,971 million (6,688), whereof Billerud North America accounted for SEK 4,004 million *Operating profit was SEK 1,353 million (418), including items impacting comparability of SEK -52 million (-177) *Net profit was SEK 940 million (320). Comments by the CEO: Full-year performance 2022 has been excellent. Organic and currency neutral sales growth for the year was 16%. The EBITDA margin was 19% and earnings per share increased from SEK 7.2 to SEK 20.1. The Board of Directors proposes an approximately 75% increase of dividend to SEK 7.5 per share.

Stora Enso has signed an agreement to divest its paper production site in Hylte, Sweden and all its related assets to Sweden Timber, a Sweden-based sawmill and planing mill company. The enterprise value is approximately EUR 18 million. The completion of the transaction is expected in the first half of 2023. Concerning the Anjala paper site in Finland, Stora Enso has decided to discontinue the divestment process. The Hylte site transaction, along with the discontinuation of the Anjala divestment, concludes Stora Enso’s plan announced in March 2022 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 for its renewable products in packaging, building solutions and biomaterials innovations. The retained Anjala and Langerbrugge sites will continue paper production and serving their respective customers. The agreement to divest the Hylte paper site to Sweden Timber has no immediate impact on production nor customer deliveries.

January–December 2022 compared with January–December 2021 *The carrying amount of SCA’s forest assets increased to SEK 97.9bn (84.5) as of December 31, 2022 due to continued increase in transaction prices for forest assets in Northern Sweden. *Net sales increased 10% to SEK 20,794m (18,822), which mainly related to higher selling prices in containerboard and pulp. *EBITDA increased 12% to SEK 10,194m (9,109). The increase was mainly attributable to higher selling prices. Cost increases were largely offset through control over SCA’s own value chain with a high degree of self-sufficiency in wood, energy, and logistics. EBITDA margin was 49.0% (48.4). *Operating profit increased to SEK 8,642m (7,634). *Operating cash flow was SEK 5,685m (5,216) and fully financed ongoing strategic capital expenditures.

Billerud is evaluating significant investments to transform its Escanaba mill into a world-class paperboard production facility and has applied for investment support from the State of Michigan. The Michigan House of Representatives and Senate has passed legislation approving an appropriation of up to USD 200 million in funding to support Billerud’s plans. The legislation must be approved by Michigan’s Governor, which is expected to occur within two weeks. A pre-feasibility study about Billerud’s planned conversion of the Escanaba mill to paperboard production is ongoing and planned to be completed during the first half of 2023, after which the company’s Board of Directors can make an investment decision.

Norske Skog Skogn will invest around NOK 180 million, after NOK 40-50 million in grant funding from the NOx fund, in a new thermomechanical production line (TMP) that will replace expensive recycled paper with fresh fibre. The new TMP line will reduce variable costs, significantly reduce NOx and fossil CO2 emissions, and reduce landfilled waste. Start-up is expected in the first half of 2024. Today, newsprint is produced at Norske Skog Skogn with a pulp mix, consisting of wood fiber and recycled paper. The investment will replace the use of expensive recycled paper fiber with fresh wood fiber in newsprint production. The production capacity of thermomechanical wood pulp will increase by 100,000 tonnes.

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. introduces Ultrahide® PC 100 Blockout Poster. Ultrahide is a high-performance, Forest Stewardship Council® Certified, 100 percent opaque blockout poster stock ideal for indoor retail, hospitality and event signage. In answer to the call for more sustainable materials to replace PVC, styrene and vinyl, Ultrahide is now made with 100 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled fiber and it is curbside recyclable in the mix paper waste bin. Ultrahide is engineered for superior performance in varying moisture conditions. The bright white, uncoated printing surface is optimized for excellent photographic reproduction using offset, screen, latex inkjet, and UV inkjet printing equipment.

To better align manufacturing capacity in British Columbia with the available long-term fibre supply, Canfor is restructuring its B.C. operations by permanently closing its Chetwynd sawmill and pellet plant and temporarily closing its Houston sawmill for an extended period to facilitate a major redevelopment on the site. The Company intends to build a new, modern, globally competitive manufacturing facility that employs state of the art technology to produce high value products from the sustainable timber supply in the region. Project planning, scoping, preliminary engineering and budgeting are underway. The Company will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the availability of economic fibre and a thorough project financial analysis, supporting a final investment decision by the end of the second quarter of 2023. Both facilities will be closed following an orderly wind down of operations that is expected to conclude early in the second quarter of 2023 and will remove approximately 750 million board feet of annual production capacity.

International Paper announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its 50% interest in Ilim SA, the holding company for its Ilim joint venture (JV), to its JV partners for $484MM (USD) equity value. The sale is subject to regulatory approvals in Russia. This transaction indicates ~$3.5 billion in total enterprise value (TEV) for Ilim based on a ~3.1X EBITDA multiple on 2022 full-year results*. The Company also received an indication of interest from its JV partners to purchase all of the Company's shares (constituting a 2.39% stake) in JSC Ilim Group for $24MM (USD) on terms and conditions to be agreed. The Company intends to pursue an agreement to sell the JSC Ilim Group shares, and to divest other non-material residual interests associated with Ilim, to its JV partners.

Total shipments of graphic papers in November 2022 were down 23.7% vs. November 2021 and were down 12.5% year-to-date. Total shipments of newsprint in November 2022 were down 18.8% vs. November 2021 and were down 8.7% year-to-date. Total shipments of sc-magazine in November 2022 were down 18.4% vs. November 2021 and were down 15.9% year-to-date. Total shipments of coated mechanical reels in November 2022 were down 29.2% vs. November 2021 and were down 20.9% year-to-date. Total shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in November 2022 were down 13.9% vs. November 2021 and were down 13.7% year-to-date. Total shipments of coated woodfree in November 2022 were down 36.0% vs. November 2021 and were down 8.0% year-to-date. Total shipments of uncoated woodfree in November 2022 were down 20.4% vs. November 2021 and were down 11.4% year-to-date.

The District Court of Noord-Holland declared Crown Van Gelder B.V. Bankrupt. Crown Van Gelder is a producer of varios types of paper for specific applications, such as ice cream packaging, luxury shoppers and High Speed Inkjet printers. The company was forced to file for bankruptcy since she anticipated payment obligation could no longer be met.

Paper Excellence announced that it will invest nearly $50 million to upgrade its Crofton mill’s paper operations and towards reductions in its carbon footprint. The investment sees the restart of its C2 paper machine putting over 100 employees back to making paper at the site. Paper operations were recently curtailed due to weakening Chinese paper markets and escalating input costs. “This investment will enhance the development of innovative products that replace banned plastics with renewable paper while significantly reducing carbon emissions,” said Stew Gibson, Chief Operating Officer for Paper Excellence Canada. Gibson said that the Company has been working closely with Provincial and Federal Governments to restore value-added manufacturing jobs at Crofton. “The Government of Canada has contributed $14.3 million through Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program and the Government of British Columbia contributed $4.5 million in provincial funds to help make today’s announcement possible” added Gibson. The C2 paper machine will be transformed to produce stronger, water-resistant paper grades which replace single-use plastics, while the investment also reduces natural gas consumption through more efficient use of waste bark fuel in the mill’s boiler.

Koskisen is a Finnish wood industry company producing sawn timber and panel products, such as birch plywood, furniture, and construction boards made of chip board. Koskisen uses Stora Enso’s bio-based binder, NeoLigno® by Stora Enso, to replace fossil-based resins used in furniture boards. Both the furniture board raw material and the binder are made of wood and sourced from the production process flows of both companies. This results in all raw materials of the Zero Furniture Board being bio-based.

Together with RISE, IsoTimber and Moelven, Stora Enso has been working on the most recent development of NeoLigno – 100% fossil-free structural boards and building elements. Stora Enso has launched NeoLigno®, a revolutionary lignin-based binder for particleboard and insulation applications. We are committed to doing good for people and the planet, which is why we always look to innovate new, renewable alternatives where fossil-based materials are being used today. In this case, we asked ourselves: What if we could come up with a bio-based binding agent that keeps all the technical qualities of traditional binders while also being safe and renewable? Our answer to this question is NeoLigno® by Stora Enso.

Maine Governor Janet Mills announced an award of $1,000,000 from the final round of the Forest Recovery Initiative of her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to ND Paper (NDP) for an upcoming project at NDP’s Rumford Division to enhance the efficiency of its R15 packaging paper machine. “This financial support will greatly assist our efforts to increase the efficiency of our R15 paper machine and, ultimately, the long-term sustainability of the Rumford Mill,” said Ken Liu, Group Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “With help from the State of Maine, we are able to improve critical areas on the machine that will benefit our customers and establish R15 as a leading producer of packaging papers in North America.” “The work we’re doing at our Rumford Division is a huge part of our future and our 100-year vision to thrive as a business and as a positive contributor to the communities in which we operate,” said Liu. “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Governor Mills and the State of Maine for their support of both ND Paper and the forest products industry through this exceptional program.”

Together in cooperation with customers, Ahlstrom has developed a new portfolio that consists of the most effective solutions for the plasterboard market. FibRoc® Plasterboard is a new offering of protective and durable solutions for high performance plasterboard applications. What differentiates it from other solutions on the market is that it is a combination of glass, synthetic and natural fibres, delivering excellent dimensional stability, good protection, durability and reduced environmental impact in all high performance application areas. “Our high performance solutions for plasterboards deliver excellent fire and moisture resistance,” says Pierre Mary, Vice President, Nonwovens. “Delivering protection against flame spread, protecting against moisture and producing no mold growth in wet and humid environments, ensuring better indoor air quality.” he adds.

Drytac, the leading international manufacturer of self-adhesive materials for the large-format print and signage markets, is delighted to announce the appointment of Cathy Radoncic as its new Northeast Territory Manager for the US, with immediate effect. Cathy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Drytac team, having worked in the print industry for more than 35 years across a range of management roles with both manufacturers and suppliers. In this management role of Northeast Territory Manager, Cathy will be responsible for Drytac’s operations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. announced today that it will indefinitely curtail its Perry Sawmill in Florida later this month. Today’s decision is the result of high fiber costs and softening lumber markets. The indefinite curtailment of Perry Sawmill will impact approximately 126 employees and will reduce West Fraser’s US lumber production by 100 million board feet. West Fraser expects to mitigate the impact on effected employees by providing work opportunities at other West Fraser operations. High fiber costs at Perry and a low-price commodity environment have impaired its ability to profitably operate. The indefinite curtailment of Perry Sawmill better aligns our production capacity with demand.

For many years, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper's matt inkjet papers have established themselves as the standard in the market. Now the Bielefeld-based speciality paper manufacturer has revised the entire matt portfolio of its jetscript® inkjet media. The new generation of matt inkjet papers with basis weights from 70 to 228 g/m² impresses with a whole range of product improvements. The optimised coated ink-receiving layer enables particularly vivid, lifelike and brilliant colours. The homogeneous, even surface of the new papers is particularly noticeable with large-area prints. The higher optical ink density optimises the reproduction of dark and black shades in particular. The application areas of the new inkjet papers range from large-format and poster prints in retail and at the POS, direct mailings, publishing and brochures to photos and photo books.

Interfor Corporation announced plans to reduce its lumber production output in the first quarter of 2023 by at least 100 million board feet, or 8% of quarterly capacity, as economic conditions and market uncertainty continue to impact lumber demand. This temporary reduction in output is expected to be mostly concentrated outside of Interfor’s US South operating region. The Company currently expects to resume its normal operating schedule in April 2023, but will closely monitor market conditions and adjust its production plans accordingly

Following extensive analysis of its operating footprint and the long-term supply of economic residual fibre, Canfor Pulp Products Inc. (TSX: CFX) is announcing the decision to permanently close the pulp line at its Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill, which will result in a reduction of 280,000 tonnes of market kraft pulp annually. The Specialty Paper facility at the site will continue to operate. “In recent years, several sawmills have permanently closed in the Prince George region due to reductions in the allowable annual cut and challenges accessing cost-competitive fibre. This has had a material impact on the availability of residual fibre for our pulp facilities and we need to right-size our operating platform. As a result, we have made the very difficult decision to shut down the pulp line at Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill and will continue to operate the Specialty Paper facility,” said Kevin Edgson, President and CEO, Canfor Pulp. Over the next few months, the Company will be following an orderly wind down process. The pulp line is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2023 and is anticipated to impact approximately 300 positions across the organization by the end of the year.

Monadnock Paper Mills, a manufacturer of technical specialty and premium printing and packaging papers, announced that Brigitte O’Connor has joined the Company as Southeast Regional Sales Manager. Brigitte has more than 25 years of experience in the industry with a strong background in graphic communications, paper, packaging and printing. Most recently, she was a senior account executive for Standard Press, Atlanta, GA, where she demonstrated strong territory growth through strategic and educational initiatives. Previously Brigitte held sales and account development roles for Unisource Worldwide and Fox River Paper.

CTI Paper USA, a leading full-service supplier of premium printing and converting substrates, has launched COLORMATES®, a comprehensive new line of printing papers featuring high-bright favorites and fashion-forward colors. The new uncoated text and cover papers target merchants, commercial and in-plant printers, as well as converters and brand marketers/designers in the U.S. and Canada. A new COLORMATES® swatchbook and print demonstration is now available. COLORMATES® is Forest Stewardship Council certified and produced elemental chlorine free. The premium line—in 20 colors including one bright white—is available in 111-lb. cover and 81-lb. text, folio and cut-size, with select matching envelopes. Applications include dry toner, laser and offset printing as well as converting and high-end packaging.

Paper Excellence Canada announced it has donated $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross. A majority of the donation will support ongoing emergency management operations in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, while a donation of $20,000 was made earlier this fall to Nova Scotia Red Cross in response to Hurricane Fiona. Paper Excellence Canada currently has operations in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia. “The Red Cross is a constant, comforting presence across the world, but that is especially true here at home in Canada, so we are very pleased to be supporting the Red Cross in the provinces where Paper Excellence Canada operates,” said Graham Kissack, Vice President EH&S and Corporate Communications for Paper Excellence Canada.

In 2023, Domtar is celebrating 175 years of manufacturing products people use every day. Our company is built on more than a century of anticipating what our customers need and what consumers want to buy for everyday living. Our story is one of successful reinvention, and as we continue to change and grow, we take confidence from our strong legacy. Our next chapter begins now. Our roots trace back to 19th-century England. That’s when Henry Potter Burt established Burt, Boulton Holdings Ltd. His company specialized in treating lumber to prevent decay, and business boomed as demand for railway ties and wharf pilings grew in Europe and North America. As the company grew, he moved to Canada and founded Dominion Tar and Chemical Company in 1903. We grew along with Canada’s industrialization and diversified over the years, making products including chemicals, consumer products, construction materials, and paper and packaging. Over the years, we purchased other facilities and companies across North America, some of which are integral parts of Domtar today.

Canfor Corporation is announcing an extension of sawmill curtailments in British Columbia (B.C.) due to ongoing weak market conditions and the lack of available economic fibre. The production capacity will be reduced through two-week curtailment extensions in January at select solid wood facilities in B.C. This will remove approximately 21 million board feet in addition to the 150 million board feet previously announced on December 5, 2022. The Company will continue to adjust operating rates to align with market conditions and the available supply of economically viable timber.

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. announces the retirement of its Chief Executive Officer, Rick Doman, for personal reasons effective December 31, 2022. GreenFirst’s Chairman, Paul Rivett, has temporarily assumed the role of Executive Chair and interim CEO in order to ensure the focus of the company during this transition, including continuing the progress of initiatives that are underway and beginning the search for a new executive to replace the retiring Mr.Doman. Mr. Doman will continue as a Director of GreenFirst, and Marty Proctor has become Lead Independent Director.

Stora Enso has completed the divestment of its Nymölla paper production site in Sweden, and all related assets to Sylvamo, a US-based global producer of uncoated paper. The divestment announced on 15 September 2022 was closed today after regulatory approvals. The enterprise value of the transaction is approximately EUR 150 million. 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. Subject to closing date adjustments, Stora Enso will book a one-time disposal loss of approximately EUR 25 million (including currency translation adjustments) in its IFRS operating profit in the first quarter of 2023, as an item affecting comparability.

The Paper Excellence Group, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Domtar Corporation, a global diversified manufacturer of pulp and specialty, printing, writing, and packaging papers, and Resolute Forest Products Inc., a global forest products company, jointly announced that the Canadian Commissioner of Competition has entered into a consent agreement regarding the parties' business combination. Once the combination has been finalized, Domtar will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Resolute stock for $20.50 per share and one contingent value right tied to potential duty deposit refunds of up to $500 million. The consent agreement filed by the Canadian Commissioner of Competition with the Competition Tribunal today completes one of the remaining conditions to the closing of the transaction. The transaction remains on course to close in the first half of 2023, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions to the closing of the merger. (All financial information is in U.S. Dollars)

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. announced that its facility at Jesup, Georgia has been impacted by a force majeure declared by its natural gas provider, Southern Natural Gas Company, L.L.C., due to an unscheduled outage of the Elba Express Pipeline’s Hartwell Compressor Station. Southern Natural Gas Company has asserted that, during the period of the SNG Force Majeure Event, which commenced on December 24, 2022, RYAM’s Jesup facility will be subject to a financial penalty for each MMBtu of natural gas consumed in excess of a contractually allocated amount. Based on this and other current assumptions, the Company expects the Event could reduce EBITDA by approximately $775,000 to $900,000 per day. Accordingly, if the SNG Force Majeure Event were to continue through the end of 2022, the Company estimates that its aggregate EBITDA would be approximately $6 to $7 million lower than it otherwise would have been without the financial penalty. The Company’s facility at Fernandina Beach, Florida is not affected by the SNG Force Majeure Event.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in October 2022 were down 19.2% vs. October 2021 and were down 11.4% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in October 2022 were down 11.1% vs. October 2021 and were down 7.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in October 2022 were down 26.6% vs. October 2021 and were down 15.7% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in October 2022 were down 25.3% vs. October 2021 and were down 20.1% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in October 2022 were down 18.0% vs. October 2021 and were down 14.0% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in October 2022 were down 26.5% vs. October 2021 and were down 5.0% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in October 2022 were down 13.1% vs. October 2021 and were down 10.5% year-to-date.

UPM is finalizing the construction works of the new pulp mill in Uruguay and enters the final phases of the project. The start-up of the UPM Paso de los Toros pulp mill is expected by the end of the first quarter of 2023. While the project work continues intensively, the finalization of the construction works is an important milestone in the project. Since the investment decision in July 2019, over 20,000 people have been involved in the various construction sites related to the growth investment, including the construction of the UPM Paso de los Toros mill, the pulp terminal in the port of Montevideo and the 11 housing areas around Paso de los Toros.

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its La Sarre and Béarn sawmills and its Abitibi and Témiscamingue forestry operations, as well as their related assets and business operations (the “Quebec Assets”) to Chantiers Chibougamau Ltée (“Chantiers Chibougamau”), a long-standing Quebec-based and family-controlled forestry company, for approximately $90 million in cash payable at closing, including approximately $40 million for specific working capital items (subject to customary closing adjustments). Quebec-based employees are expected to continue to be employed by Chantiers Chibougamau post-closing. GreenFirst expects to use the net proceeds from the sale to strengthen its balance sheet and continue investing in its Ontario operations. The sale of the Quebec Assets is expected to close in Q1 2023.

The struggle: material availability and consumer needs. As the struggle on critical raw materials continues to be a problem in vehicle electrification, we are going to need to mine a huge number of metals like cobalt and lithium to electrify the world’s vehicle fleet. This is where smaller batteries become important. – Currently, manufacturers of the next generation’s electric vehicles are competing on range. This means putting big and powerful batteries into future cars so they can travel farther between charges, says Otto Kivi, Senior Business Development Specialist in battery materials at Stora Enso. The solution: Lignode® by Stora Enso – an alternative to graphite. EV batteries are based on lithium-ion constructions made up of lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and graphite. The last-mentioned is used for the negative end of a lithium-ion battery known as the anode. While graphite deposits are not scarce, the supply of battery-grade graphite used in EV batteries is much tighter. In addition, graphite is a strictly layered material which can be slow to charge. However, Stora Enso has come up with a solution where graphite is replaced with hard carbon. Lignode® by Stora Enso has an amorphous, highly open structure enabling faster charging/discharging and higher cycling stability. This lignin-based hard carbon can replace natural or synthetic graphite either in parts or completely.

SCA has acquired its first wind farm with the purchase of 36 wind turbines in Markbygden in Piteå municipality, northern Sweden. The park is acquired from the German company Enercon. The acquisition is in line with the company’s previously stated goal of becoming one of the Sweden’s leading providers of fossil-free electricity generated by wind power. Twenty per cent of Sweden's installed wind power capacity is currently located on land owned by SCA. The park is located in Markbygden in Piteå municipality, which has been designated by the Swedish Energy Agency as a national interest for wind farms and consists of a total of 36 turbines with a total installed capacity of about 85 MW. The annual electricity production from the site is estimated at close to 200 GWh. Of the 36 wind turbines, 15 are located on SCA land. The remaining 21 wind turbines are operated under agreements with about 10 landowners that are valid until 2062.

Canfor Pulp Products Inc. is announcing the immediate curtailment of its Intercontinental Pulp Mill, which is expected to be in place for four weeks. The curtailment is due to the lack of available economic fibre as a result of sawmill curtailments. The downtime will remove approximately 24,000 tonnes of market kraft pulp. “The sawmill curtailments occurring in BC are materially reducing the residual fibre available for pulp mills. Based on the near-term fibre outlook, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily curtail Intercontinental Pulp Mill,” said Kevin Edgson, President & CEO, Canfor Pulp. “We regret the impact the downtime will have on our employees, their families, our suppliers and the community. We are working to support them through this time.”

Ahlstrom FiltEV® Fuel Cell Air Intake filter media has won the Product of the Year award in Filter Media category by Waterloo Filtration Institute (WFI) on December 6th, 2022. This award promotes product development in the filtration and separation industry for a clean, healthy, and sustainable world and it was announced during the WFI 2022 Annual Conference. The purity of the cathode air intake is an essential parameter in the performance and the reliability of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles. By removing the finest particles and harmful gases Ahlstrom FiltEV® Fuel Cell Air Intake media protects the catalyst and the membrane and extends the fuel cell lifetime. Our proprietary technology platform, designed for high basis weight adsorbent media, delivers flexibility, outstanding performance and optimal processability to fulfill the most challenging requirements from the industry.

The Felix Schoeller Group is systematically implementing its growth program for North America. Starting in 2023, capacities at the company's sites in the USA and Canada will be significantly expanded in three steps. In the first step, a new silicone coater will be installed at the Pulaski, NY site in mid-2023. This will enable the Felix Schoeller Group to supply the North American market with domestically produced siliconized papers and films. In doing so, the company is relying not only on solvent-free silicone technology, but adding solvent-based silicone technology to their portfolio – while utilizing particularly energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technological solutions. The second step is the expansion of the paper machine capacity in Drummondville, Canada, from currently 32,000 tons to over 40,000 tons per year. This increase is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023. And finally, the specialty paper manufacturer plans to invest in the construction of a second paper machine for the North American market. The plan is to add up to 50,000 tons of capacity for the decor and release liner markets.

Sappi Europe’s Gratkorn mill in Austria is Europe’s leading producer of coated woodfree paper on two paper machines, supporting Sappi Europe’s market leadership and in particular its core Commercial Print business. The mill has benefited from a regular investment programme, including in recent years the upgrade of the PM9 in 2019. The current upgrade and modernisation project will focus on Paper Machine 11 (PM11), which will undergo extensive modernisation of automation and electrical equipment including drives, control systems, quality control and inspection systems as well as upgrades to the coating profile and other areas. This investment will improve and consolidate Gratkorn’s position as the leading producer of Woodfree Coated paper and demonstrates Sappi Europe’s continuing commitment to the Commercial Print business and belief in the continued important role of print media.

Stora Enso has initiated a sales process for a possible divestment of its consumer board production site in Beihai, China. The divestment would also include the Group’s forestry operations in the surrounding region, which supply raw material to the Beihai site. The sales process supports Stora Enso’s strategy to focus on long-term profitable growth within the areas of renewable packaging, building solutions and biomaterials innovations. Stora Enso’s Beihai production site started operations in 2016. It has a modern mechanical pulp mill and a premium consumer board line serving the Chinese market. The annual production capacity is 250,000 tonnes of mechanical pulp and 550,000 tonnes of consumer board. Stora Enso also operates 70,000 hectares of land in the Guangxi region for eucalyptus plantations, established in 2003, for fiber supply. The combined operations employ approximately 1,000 people including the forest operations. Stora Enso owns approximately 80% of the production site and forest operations, and its local partners and International Finance Corporation (IFC) own the remaining share. Stora Enso will work together with all stakeholders to complete the divestment process.

High energy costs, rising postal tariffs and other inflationary factors are here to stay. In response to increased needs for affordable direct mail inkjet paper with high quality print results, Crown Van Gelder recently launched their extended portfolio of Crown Letsgo High Performance, with 140 and 180 gsm - 7 and 9 pt caliper - for stiff but lighter one piece mailers and direct mail cards. This extended range is commercially available in Europe and North America from January 2023. It will make the difference for many printers and their customers, to enable printed messaging to remain an important part of their marketing strategy. Inkjet printing is becoming a main stream method for every market segment needing print as a functional part for communication, promotion and visibility. More, but smaller orders, the need for personalization, fast response and acceptable cost are the main drivers. Inkjet treated and inkjet coated substrates will be a vital part of this growth, supporting vibrant print results, lower drying requirements (energy savings), reduced ink consumption and faster speed compared to non-treated or offset coated substrates. Contact your Midland sales professional for additional details on this product.

Sole Source Capital LLC, an industrial-focused private equity firm, today announced that its portfolio company, ID Images (“IDI”), a premier provider of product identification solutions, has acquired Summit Labels and Precision Label in separate transactions. The acquisitions bring the total number of add-on investments for IDI to seven since becoming a Sole Source Capital portfolio company in August 2021, with the company’s most recent acquisition of Hickman Label announced just last month. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed. Jointly-owned Vancouver, Canada-based Summit Labels and Calgary, Canada-based Precision Labels are both manufacturers of prime labels for the food & beverage, industrial, and nutraceutical end markets. The companies’ Canadian facilities expand IDI’s presence across Canada while increasing its exposure to digital printing and prime label offerings. In addition, the companies' design and marketing teams often collaborate with clients to help create branding strategies through custom labeling.

Sustana, the sustainable fiber and paper industry leader, has joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact initiative. Sustana’s engagement in the UN Global Compact — a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible business practices – reflects its longstanding and continued adherence to sustainable practices and its ongoing support for the Ten Principles focused on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. “With this announcement, Sustana is proud to continue its commitment to developing solutions to move society toward a greener, more circular future,” said Fabian de Armas, Chief Executive Officer for Sustana. “Over the years, Sustana has proven to be a leader in the sustainable pulp and paper business,” said Jeffrey Crawford, Vice President of Sustainability for Sustana. “We look forward to partnering with the UN Global Compact, its US and Canada Local Network members, and companies throughout our value chain to help move the world toward a sustainable future through responsible business action.”

The Cup Collective, a programme founded by Stora Enso and Huhtamaki to capture the value of used paper cups through recycling at an industrial scale, has welcomed its first partners. The new partners include McDonald’s, SSP - The Food Travel Experts, C2 Centre, and the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB), all further supporting the initiative’s ability to significantly increase paper cup recycling volumes in Europe. The Cup Collective initiative, which is the first of its kind in Europe, aims to recycle half a billion paper cups in Europe within the first two years. The first paper cup collection bins are now available in public venues throughout Brussels including restaurants and transit hubs. Collected cups are recycled in facilities in the region including Stora Enso’s site in Langerbrugge, Belgium. Partnership in the Cup Collective is open to a wide range of stakeholders both within and outside of the value chain including food service providers, retailers, transportation services, waste collectors and management services, and other actors across Europe.

Canfor Corporation is announcing a temporary reduction in Canadian production due to very weak market conditions. The production will be reduced through curtailments at all solid wood facilities in B.C. and Alberta. This will remove approximately 150 million board feet in December and January. The curtailments will start to be implemented on December 19, 2022 and will range from one to four weeks across its Canadian operations. The Company will continue to adjust operating rates to align with market conditions and anticipates that the majority of its BC facilities will operate below full capacity in the New Year. “Due to the significant decrease in demand for solid wood products and challenging economic conditions, we are temporarily curtailing production in Canada. We will be working to mitigate the impacts on our employees by providing support and identifying meaningful work during the downtime,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor.

Twin Rivers Paper Company has reached a definitive agreement to sell its softwood lumber mill in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, to eastern Canadian lumber manufacturer and North American forest products leader Groupe Lebel. Group Lebel is a longtime supplier to Twin Rivers Paper. The transaction includes a long-term supply agreement for the Plaster Rock mill to continue providing Twin Rivers Paper with by-product chips and biomass utilized by the company’s pulp and cogeneration operations in Edmundston, New Brunswick.

The ISO 9001 certificate is the world's most recognized international certification standard for a quality management system. It provides guidance for companies that aim to ensure products and services consistently meet quality requirements. As an ISO 9001:2015 certified site, Mactac Minneapolis has a systematic quality management system in place and is committed to cost and waste reduction, continuous improvement, regulatory compliance and more. ‘At Mactac, we believe quality is key to a successful business and our sustainable quality culture is at the core of everything we do,’ said Jennifer Zenar, director of quality at Mactac.

Paper Excellence is one of the industry leaders that joined the Action Declaration on Climate Policy Engagement in support of governments to address climate change. The initiative was developed by Corporate Knights and Global 100 Council COP27. The Action Declaration outlines how industry in the movement to decarbonize the economy will support ambitious action to close the say-do gap on countries’ emission reduction by: *supporting climate change actions aligned with the Paris Agreement when engaging with policymakers; *working with their major industry/trade associations to advance alignment with the Paris Agreement; and *monitoring and disclosing climate policy alignment for their companies and their major industry/trade associations.

Domtar Corporation announced that President and CEO John Williams’ retirement date will be June 30, 2023. Williams has planned to leave the company after fourteen years in his leadership role; however, he will continue as a part-time advisor regarding strategic growth opportunities. Additionally, to continue Domtar’s forward momentum, Steve Henry, currently Senior Vice President of Packaging, has been appointed to the role of Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) effective immediately. As EVP and COO, Henry will lead the pulp, paper and packaging operations and commercial functions at Domtar, while Williams will continue to lead all corporate functions until his retirement. “On behalf of Domtar and the Management Committee, I want to thank John for his leadership and commitment to our employees, customers and communities over the past fourteen years,” said Henry. “He joined the company during a recession and has navigated ever-changing industry dynamics and economic fluctuations to transform Domtar into the strong pulp, paper and packaging company that it is today. I am honored to build on his legacy and continue serving our stakeholders.”

The new broke handling will be part of the production line PM9 producing high-quality wet strength paper, such as label paper in the future. ANDRITZ will deliver high-consistency (HC) pulping, high-density (HD) cleaning and deflaking for processing the special type of broke. Specific trials on pulping and deflaking of wet-strength paper were conducted at the ANDRITZ stock preparation pilot plant in Graz, Austria in advance. The trials were carried out with comparable raw material from Sappi and confirmed the pulp properties and operating characteristics required by Sappi for the future. Flavio Froehli, VP Marketing & Sales at Sappi Europe: “We are very pleased that we will also be able to produce wet-strength label paper at our Gratkorn mill in the future. This investment underscores our strategy to establish Sappi as the leader within the label sector, adding to the supply of value adding products across our entire business.”

Revenue: For the third quarter ended 30 September 2022 Lecta had revenue of €514.6 million versus €342.3 million in the third quarter ended 30 September 2021, an increase of €172.3 million or +50%. EBITDA increased by €25.9 million, from €8.9 million in 3Q2021 to €34.7 million in 3Q2022. 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. Revenue: For the nine months ended 30 September 2022, Lecta had revenue of €1,522.3 million versus €923.8 million in the nine months ended 30 September 2021, an increase of €598.4 million or +64.8%. EBITDA increased by €126.6 million, from €30.0 million in September 2021 YTD to €156.5 million in September 2022 YTD. This increase was the result of higher sales of paper in volume, and higher sales prices, partly offset by lower margin on variable costs, and higher fixed costs. EBITDA in September 2022 YTD includes the €38.6 m€ compensation received as a consequence of the anticipated termination and renegotiation of gas purchase agreements in Spain with the current supplier.

Total European shipments of graphic papers in September 2022 were down 11.0% vs. September 2021 and were down 10.6% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in September 2022 were down 4.9% vs. September 2021 and were down 7.2% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in September 2022 were down 17.1% vs. September 2021 and were down 14.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in September 2022 were down 13.2% vs. September 2021 and were down 19.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in September 2022 were down 11.5% vs. September 2021 and were down 13.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in September 2022 were down 11.9% vs. September 2021 and were down 2.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in September 2022 were down 10.4% vs. September 2021 and were down 10.2% year-to-date.

UPM Raflatac, a global supplier of innovative and sustainable labeling materials, recently expanded their Direct Thermal (DT) Opticut Linerless labels portfolio. The OptiCut products in this portfolio are customized for various applications in hospitality, retail and weigh scales, transport and warehousing, and industrial food. “We widened our OptiCut Linerless portfolio to enable brands to maximize efficiency and find solutions for each unique packaging type. The adhesive properties for each of our seven OptiCut products were designed for various application environments,” stated Brinder Gill, Director, Paper Laminates, UPM Raflatac Americas.

Domtar’s Cougar® paper brand has given life to creative ideas across North America for a half century. Featured in presidential holiday cards, the Kate Spade Brand Book and music festival posters, Cougar’s reputation for quality and consistency has set the brand apart. But it all begins at our Rothschild Mill on the east bank of the Wisconsin River. That’s where more than 320 mill employees recently celebrated 50 years of Cougar alongside senior Domtar leaders and community stakeholders. The two-day event included birthday cake, employee giveaways and mill tours. The 50th anniversary event recognized the work behind the printed page. Employees and leaders celebrated the mill’s commitment to quality and safety. Guests included representatives from the Wisconsin Paper Council and the Wausau Chamber of Commerce.

Increasing demands for electrification mean more and more batteries are needed. Societies are built around electrification. Batteries are everywhere. This is true now, but it will also be true for the years to come at an ever-increasing pace. We need to find new and smart solutions to meet the demands of the future – solutions based on renewable materials. As a renewable natural resource, wood represents a favourable alternative to fossil-based and other non-renewable materials, and as such, trees are pivotal in fighting climate change. Trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and that carbon stays in the fibers when they are made into products, even through recycling. Carbon storage can be increased by substituting materials from finite resources with renewable alternatives. With Lignode® by Stora Enso, we use lignin from sustainably managed Nordic forests and turn into an anode material for batteries.

Fedrigoni Group has agreed yet another buy, which will give the business a dominant presence in the worldwide market for premium papers for wine and spirits. The acquisitive Italian group has signed an agreement with Papeterie Zuber Rieder to take over the business, subject to consultation with the French firm’s works council. Papeterie Zuber Rieder was founded in 1881. It employs 130 staff and since the turn of the century has focused its offering on specialty papers for labels, packaging and perfumed cards. Its range includes food grade papers and 'ice bucket proof' labels. Fedrigoni said the buy would create “the first global player in premium papers for wines and spirits”, and Zuber Rieder would benefit from its production capabilities and international network.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has released its October 2022 Printing-Writing Monthly report. According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 4% in October compared to October 2021. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers increased 6% in October compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels increased 1% when compared to September 2022. U.S. purchases of uncoated free sheet (UFS) papers in October increased 7% compared to last October, while the inventory level increased 1% compared to September 2022. UFS imports increased 41% while exports decreased 12% in September 2022. Coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments increased 1% compared to October 2021 while the inventory level decreased 4% compared to September 2022. CFS imports and exports both increased compared to September 2021, up 62% and 16% respectively. U.S. purchases of coated mechanical (CM) papers in October remained essentially flat (0.1%) compared to last October while the inventory level increased 3% compared to September 2022. CM imports increased 31% while exports decreased 12% in September 2022. Uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments decreased 22% compared to October 2021 while the inventory level increased 33% compared to September 2022. UM imports and exports both decreased compared to September 2021, down 11% and 38% respectively.

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. is pleased to announce its HP Indigo Solutions Portfolio of 100% Post-Consumer Waste (PCW) paper, packaging, and environmental graphics materials. The product portfolio, complete with a comprehensive listing of available weights, sizes, and properties, is now featured in a comprehensive Stock Guide publication. Either certified or optimized for use on HP Indigo printers, all portfolio offerings are made with Forest Stewardship Council-certified 100% PCW recycled fiber, manufactured carbon neutral and made with 100% Green-e certified wind powered electricity. Additionally, the recycled paper is processed chlorine free, and the entire production process operates under third-party Certified ISO 14001 Environmental and ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems.

Stora Enso and Voodin Blade Technology GmbH have signed a partnership agreement to develop sustainable wind turbine blades from wood. Under the agreement, the two companies are committed to developing sustainable alternatives for wind turbine blades and creating a competitive and reliable supply chain. They are currently producing and installing a 20 m blade for a 0.5 MW turbine and have plans for an 80 m blade. Wind power blades are typically produced with fibreglass and carbon fibre, energy-intensive non- renewable plastics made from petrochemicals that cannot be easily recycled. Tens of thousands of ageing blades today end up in landfills. By developing blades with sustainable wood, Stora Enso and Voodin Blades can make the blades lighter and reduce the overall dependency on fossil fuel extraction.

KP Tissue Inc. and Kruger Products announced that it will shut down certain older and inefficient production assets including a Light Dry Crepe paper machine and six converting lines in early January, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. High quality facial tissue and premium Through Air Dry (“TAD”) products will continue to be produced at its Memphis plant by approximately 400 remaining employees. The 165 employees impacted by this decision will receive severance and employment transition support. The Memphis plant is operated by Kruger Products’ subsidiary, K.T.G. (USA) Inc. and after the asset shutdown will have a production capacity of 85,000 Metric Tonnes. “While this is a difficult decision, it is necessary to ensure the continued success, competitiveness, and growth of our Memphis plant. We have invested over $400 million (USD) at our Memphis plant since 2010 and it will continue to be an important part of our business. We would like to sincerely thank our employees for their ongoing dedication and hard work.” said Dino Bianco, CEO of Kruger Products.

Sole Source Capital LLC, an industrial-focused private equity firm, announced that its portfolio company, ID Images (“IDI”), a premier provider of product identification solutions, has acquired Lebanon, Tennessee-based Hickman Label. The acquisition marks the fifth add-on investment for IDI since it became a Sole Source Capital portfolio company in August 2021. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed. Founded in 2016, Hickman Label is a provider of highly-customized label solutions for the ondemand inkjet market. On-demand inkjet labels enable customers to print small batch, prime labels via their own desktop printers. In addition, Hickman’s robust ordering platform has the unique capability of integrating into its distribution customers’ websites utilizing a plug-in tool. The company sells to a mix of distributors and end users with more than 2,000 active customers across North America.

Lecta has decided to invest in a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) boiler for its Condat paper mill in France, which will be finished by mid-2024. This is a great energy transformation project that presents multiple environmental and economic advantages, in line with the Sustainability goals that Lecta is working on. The RDF boiler project is based on circular economy, as we will collect from local sources the waste with high biogenic content that will be used as fuel. This will help to reduce the volume of waste that currently cannot be recovered and would otherwise end up in landfills. Regarding energy, the new boiler will cover about 50% of the mill’s steam needs. This will increase the mill’s competitiveness because the generation of steam will be much less expensive than with natural gas. In addition, there will be a reduction of gas related CO2 emissions by a total of 55.000 tonnes per annum.

Mativ Third Quarter 2022 Highlights: *Sales increased 76% to $674.1 million with 12% constant currency organic sales growth, or 7% organic growth including negative currency impacts; strong sales growth in release liners, protective solutions, filtration, and paper and specialty packaging led the portfolio *GAAP EPS was $(0.43), and included significant expenses related to the Neenah merger closing and integration; Adjusted EPS was $0.74 *GAAP Operating Loss was $13.9 million; Adjusted Operating Profit was $65.5 million, up 24% on a comparable basis (see non-GAAP reconciliation) *Pricing actions across the Company driving top-line gains and offsetting raw material cost increases, with margin expansion across most categories

Third Quarter Highlights: *Net income from continuing operations of $109 million ($2.44 per diluted share) compared with $84 million ($1.89 per diluted share) in the second quarter of 2022 *Free cash flow3 (non-GAAP) of $114 million compared with $39 million in the second quarter of 2022 *Announced an agreement to acquire an uncoated freesheet mill in Nymolla, Sweden, for an attractive price of 150 million euros (approximately $150 million). Third Quarter Commercial and Operational Highlights: *Price and mix improved by $60 million versus the prior quarter, outpacing energy and input cost inflation *Operations and costs increased $3 million this quarter, while total planned maintenance outage expenses improved by $14 million *Input costs grew by $46 million versus the prior quarter, reflecting energy and input cost inflation

Financial summary for the quarter and full year: *EBITDA excluding special items - For the quarter US$391 million (Q4 FY21 US$177 million); For the year US$1,339 million (FY21 US$532 million) *Profit for the period - For the quarter US$26 million (Q4 FY21 US$35 million); For the year US$536 million (FY21 US$13 million) *EPS excluding special items - For the quarter 44 US cents (Q4 FY21 11 US cents); For the year 138 US cents (FY21 15 US cents) *Net debt US$1,163 million (FY21 US$1,946 million)

KPLP Q3 2022 Business and Financial Highlights • Revenue was $427.0 million in Q3 2022 compared to $391.4 million in Q3 2021, an increase of $35.6 million or 9.1%. • Net loss was $38.8 million in Q3 2022 compared to $9.3 million in Q3 2021, a decrease of $29.5 million. • Declared a quarterly dividend of $0.18 per share to be paid on January 16, 2023.

Third Quarter of 2022 Highlights *Third quarter 2022 (“Q3 2022”) net loss was $23.3 million or a $0.13 loss per share (diluted), compared to net earnings of $30.7 million or $0.16 per share in the second quarter of 2022 (“Q2 2022”). This quarter marked the one-year point for the Company operating its acquired forest- products assets. *Lumber continued to experience price volatility in Q3 2022, with an average selling price of $780/ mfbm compared to $1,255/mfbm in Q2 2022. Steeply rising interest rates and inflation reduced demand for lumber products from the second quarter onward, and remain a concern impacting US housing starts and homebuilders’ confidence. *On September 23, 2022, the Company entered into a credit agreement with a tier-1 Canadian bank for up to $140.0 million consisting of a term loan of $15.0 million and an asset-backed revolving credit facility of up to $125.0 million (collectively, the “Credit Facility”). This refinancing replaced a high yield secured term loan (US$87.3 million outstanding at extinguishment)and a $65.0 million asset-backed loan facility (undrawn at time of extinguishment). *On November 7, 2022, the Company announced the sale of its 203,000 acres of private forest land south of Kapuskasing, Ontario, to a third party for cash proceeds of $49.2 million.

Norske Skog Skogn and Statkraft have entered into a new long-term industrial energy agreement, which together with previous contracts, will secure large parts of the mill's energy supply on competitive terms until 2030. - This agreement will give the Skogn mill stable energy supply at predictable and acceptable prices. The agreement contributes to secure jobs and the long-term competitiveness of Skogn. At the same time, this is important for the forest sector in Central Norway, says Sven Ombudstvedt, CEO of Norske Skog and chairman of Norske Skog Skogn AS.

UPM Raflatac has received recognitions from RecyClass for multiple label products* with different adhesive technologies. The granted recognitions expand UPM Raflatac’s portfolio of RecyClass recognized PE (polyethylene) label materials and extends the portfolio to include PP (polypropylene) label materials. Both the PE and PP materials are recognized to be recycling compatible with colored HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and PP packages. This means that the PE and PP labels can be recycled either in PP or HDPE colored recycling streams. The recognition for the PP recycling stream compatibility is first of its kind in the world. “At UPM Raflatac we are working towards a more sustainable and circular future. One big part of this is making consumer plastic packaging recyclable. We are proud that we are the first self-adhesive label company to provide RecyClass approved recycling compatible labeling solutions for PP packaging. According to extensive, independent testing done by Plastics Forming Enterprises (PFE), our unprinted labels have had limited impact on the recycling quality on both PP and HDPE colored recycling streams. This proves that our labels don’t hinder the recycling process or recyclate quality,” says Katja Kivelä, Business Director, Food and HPC, Films & Specials SBU EMEIA, UPM Raflatac.

Appvion, a Wynnchurch Capital, L.P. portfolio company, announced the addition of Nekoosa Coated Products, LLC to the platform. Headquartered in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, Nekoosa is a leading provider of specialty engineered materials for the graphics and commercial print markets in North America and Europe. Laurie Andriate, CEO of Appvion, said in a statement, “We are bringing together two great companies with complementary businesses and capabilities to accelerate growth and create additional value for our customers. I’m excited to welcome the Nekoosa team to Appvion.” “I’m excited for our teams as we move forward and write a new chapter together,” said Paul Charapata, CEO of Nekoosa. “We know each other well and will build upon our long history to proudly produce innovative products that help all our stakeholders succeed.”

Paraná exported more than one million tons of paper and pulp between January and July 2022, a growth of 21% compared to the same period in 2021. The consolidated number of 1,091,752 tons , according to data from SECEX (Special Secretariat for Foreign Trade and International Affairs), it is strongly encouraged by Klabin, which a year ago began its mega operation to transport and export the production of the Puma II Project via the port of Paranaguá, including an investment of more than R＄ 300 million at the Ortigueira Railway Terminal, in partnership with Brado and TCP, capable of transporting 125 thousand tons of pulp and paper in containers per month, connecting the Puma Unit to the port. Positioning itself today as the 5th largest exporting state of paper and cellulose in Brazil, Paraná has Klabin as the main company operating in the segment. The recent expansion of the Puma II, the result of R＄ 12.9 billion of investments, considered the largest private investment in the state, started its production and exportation in 2021, and already represents 6% of the total loads of paper and pulp shipped by the region. in the year 2022.

It is with great appreciation to their dedicated and committed volunteers that the Howe Sound Pulp & Paper Mill recently presented a $1,500 donation to the Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue (SCSAR) – a fantastic non-profit organization. The SCSAR relies on donations to maintain a state of readiness and help conduct life-saving operations within our community. Thank you for the work you do!

The company “Digibook Technology” chooses ICEWHITE IQ® from Koehler for the new edition of its promo book. Digital printing paper is ideally suited for machines developed by “Digibook Technology” for industrial book production as well as full-page printing. “Digibook Technology” is an ever-expanding medium-sized company based in Switzerland. For over 10 years, the company has been a leading provider of innovative machine program solutions for cost-effective, fully automated production of digitally printed hardcover books in short runs. “The digital printing paper from Koehler Paper impresses in this area with perfect processing properties and optimal quality for digitally printed applications,” says Jens Krüger, Sales and Partnering Manager at “Digibook Technology”.

Highlights - Three Months Ended September 30, 2022•Net sales of $3,712 million, up 9%;•GAAP Net income of $232 million, up 15%; GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of 15.5 cps, up 18%;•Adjusted EPS of 18.1 cps, up 10% on a comparable constant currency basis;•Adjusted EBIT of $392 million, up 9% on a comparable constant currency basis;• Quarterly dividend increased to 12.25 cents per share.

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, GreenFirst Forest Products (QC) Inc. has entered into an agreement to sell its interest in approximately 203,000 acres of private forest land to Perimeter Forest Limited Partnership for cash consideration totaling $49.25 million. The Property is located in the boreal forest south of Kapuskasing, Ontario. “The sale of these lands will allow Perimeter to foster long term ecosystem benefits on the Property and unlocks hidden value for GreenFirst shareholders.” Daniel Andres, Perimeter’s Chief Operating Officer noted that “GreenFirst’s legacy of good stewardship of the land combined with its attractive ecological features were value drivers for Perimeter”.

Ahlstrom perpetuates its 50-year commitment and support to the global Filtration industry by investing EUR 2 million in a new laminator at Louveira plant, Brazil. With a planned installation in 2023, the equipment is expected to be fully operational by Q1 2024. This strategic growth initiative will expand manufacturing capabilities at Louveira plant. It reinforces our ambition in local and regional filtration markets by offering customers shorter lead-times and improved local technical support.

Stora Enso invested EUR 80 million to centralise and modernise wood handling at Imatra Mills to enhance its production capabilities for premium packaging board. The investment will additionally reduce the consumption of process water and mitigate environmental impacts. The project, which started up in the first quarter of 2021, is now complete. The modernisation of Imatra Mills’ wood handling was completed on schedule. From now on, wood will be debarked and handled centrally on Kaukopää Mill’s new debarking line. The project included the installation of a third debarking line, improvements to chip handling systems, and modifications to the infrastructure of the existing wood yard. The centralised and modernised wood handling capacity will improve the stability and efficiency of the process.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. reported net income of $87 million, or $1.11 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, compared to net income of $80 million, or $0.99 per diluted share, in the same period in 2021. Sales were $974 million in the quarter, an increase of $157 million from the year-ago period. Excluding special items, the company reported net income of $85 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, compared to net income of $67 million, or $0.84 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2021. The company reported operating income of $124 million in the quarter, compared to $217 million in the second quarter. The $93 million reduction reflects lower realized prices in wood products ($185 million), partially offset by higher prices in the pulp, paper and tissue segments ($48 million), higher shipments in wood products ($40 million) and lower manufacturing costs ($12 million). The company also recorded higher selling, general and administrative expenses ($17 million), reflecting a higher share-based compensation expense and costs incurred in relation with the acquisition by the Paper Excellence Group.

THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS *Delivered strong performance in the quarter, with price realization helping offset inflation *Net sales of $539 million, up 20% compared to the third quarter of last year *Net income of $21 million, or $1.21 per diluted share *Continued to reduce net debt, with nearly $106 million reduced year to date

Seaman Paper Company is pleased to announce the acquisition of South Windsor, Connecticut-based Eagle Tissue LLC, a provider of tissue paper printing and converting services. “We believe this acquisition will greatly improve the service and production capabilities of both Seaman and Eagle, and we expect our customers to benefit from this enhancement,” said Ken Winterhalter, CEO of Seaman Paper. “Importantly, the team at Eagle Tissue shares our passion for people and the planet, and their hard work and dedication to customer relationships align perfectly with our core values at Seaman Paper.” “We are excited to join such an incredible team of like-minded people. We have grown our business and partnerships over the last 26 years, and I believe this is the perfect next step for Eagle,” added Bob Costa, CEO of Eagle Tissue.

Supremex Inc. announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Royal Envelope Corporation (“Royal”), an envelope manufacturer and lithography company located in Chicago. This transaction was concluded for a total cash consideration of US$18.7 million on a cash-free and debt-free basis plus US$2.0 million for manufacturing equipment that was recently commissioned. “We are very excited with this acquisition that expands our reach in the fragmented U.S. envelope market and gives us a significant manufacturing presence in the U.S. Midwest,” said Stewart Emerson, President and CEO of Supremex. “Royal has established itself as one of the preeminent direct mail envelope manufacturers in North America, utilizing a modern fleet of envelope converting equipment, in-house lithographic printing and embellishing, targeting the financial services sector. We expect this acquisition will generate significant synergies and additional operating efficiencies throughout our network. We are pleased that John, Matt and Mike Pusatera will remain with the Supremex team.”

Interfor Corporation recorded Net earnings in Q3’22 of $3.5 million, or $0.06 per share, compared to $269.9 million, or $4.92 per share in Q2’22 and $65.6 million, or $1.05 per share in Q3’21. Adjusted net earnings in Q3’22 were $31.5 million compared to $280.2 million in Q2’22 and $46.7 million in Q3’21.

Overview • Q3 2022 reported operating income of $108.6 million; quarterly sales of $1.7 billion • Downward pressure on global lumber market fundamentals and pricing following highs earlier in the year • Reduced Western Canadian operating schedules & European seasonal downtime led to lower shipments • Strong global pulp fundamentals & improved pulp production following capital-related downtime • Shareholder net income of $87.4 million, or $0.71 per share

Overview • Q3 2022 reported operating income of $19 million; net income of $16 million, or $0.25 per share • Strong global pulp fundamentals principally led by supply shortages; significant uptick in NBSK pulp unit sales realizations • Improved pulp production following capital-related downtime earlier in the year

HIGHLIGHTS • Pulp sales of 2,797 thousand tons (+5% vs. 3Q21). • Paper sales³ of 331 thousand tons (-2% vs. 3Q21). • Average net pulp price in export market: US$821/ton (+25% vs. 3Q21). • Average net paper price3 of R$6,905/ton (+40% vs. 3Q21). • Pulp cash cost ex-downtime of R$883/ton (+24% vs. 3Q21). • Leverage ratio declines to 2.1 times in USD and 2.2 times in BRL, despite the investment cycle. • Cerrado Project completes 31% of physical progress and 24% of financial progress

Holmen and SCA have decided to initiate a pre-study to evaluate the viability of building a new, large-scale sawmill together in the northern Swedish community of Rundvik in the county of Västerbotten. The pre-study, which only concerns a production cooperation at the Rundvik Sawmill, is set to begin straight away and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023. Holmen produces sawn and refined wood products for joinery, construction and builders’ merchants. Following the acquisition of Martinsons in 2020, Holmen also offer customised solutions in CLT and glulam for climate-smart, large-scale wood construction.

The Paper Excellence Group and Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced their intention to sell Resolute's Thunder Bay pulp and paper mill to further facilitate the regulatory review process. "Today's announcement is a clear demonstration of our commitment to timely complete the acquisition of Resolute," said Patrick Loulou, vice chair and chief strategy officer of the Paper Excellence Group. "This is a very hard thing to do, but we believe it is necessary in order to accelerate our strategic combination with the Paper Excellence Group," stated Remi G. Lalonde, Resolute's president and chief executive officer. "The mill is an exceptional asset. I am confident that the dedicated and talented team in Thunder Bay will have a prosperous future with any company fortunate enough to have them as part of their organization."

January–September 2022 (1–9/2021) *Sales were EUR 5,239 million (4,457). *Operating result was EUR 986 million (652). Comparable operating result was EUR 966 million (694). *Result before taxes was EUR 961 million (616). Comparable result before taxes was EUR 934 million (658). *Comparable return on capital employed was 20.0% (16.4). *Net cash flow from operations was EUR 828 million (596). July–September 2022 (7–9/2021) *Sales were EUR 1,823 million (1,515). *Operating result was EUR 397 million (273). Comparable operating result was EUR 391 million (278). *Result before taxes was EUR 396 million (263). Comparable result before taxes was EUR 385 million (267). *Comparable return on capital employed was 23.5% (18.8). *Net cash flow from operations was EUR 372 million (222).

Third Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights: *Produced revenue of $895 million, an increase of 3% compared to the prior year, driven by higher TiO2, zircon and pig iron prices and higher pig iron volumes *Generated income from operations of $163 million and net income of $123 million *Delivered Adjusted EBITDA of $247 million and an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 27.6% *Invested $112 million in capital expenditures, primarily in our vertical integration and newTRON initiatives *Generated free cash flow of $25 million in the quarter *Returned $110 million to shareholders in the nine months ending September 30, 2022 in the form of share repurchases and dividends

Total European shipments of graphic papers in August 2022 were down 11.2% vs. August 2021 and were down 10.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in August 2022 were down 10.1% vs. August 2021 and were down 7.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in August 2022 were down 17.4% vs. August 2021 and were down 14.1% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in August 2022 were down 21.1% vs. August 2021 and were down 20.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in August 2022 were down 17.3% vs. August 2021 and were down 13.8% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in August 2022 were down 4.8% vs. August 2021 and were down 0.9% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in August 2022 were down 4.3% vs. August 2021 and were down 10.2% year-to-date.

Label and Graphic Materials *Reported sales increased 12% to $1.5 billion. Sales were up 20% ex. currency and 20% on an organic basis.*Reported operating margin increased 60 basis points to 14.3%. *Inflation continues to be significant in the company’s materials businesses, with it now anticipating more than 20% inflation in 2022 compared to prior year. Retail Branding and Information Solutions *Reported sales increased 17% to $623 million. Sales were up 22% ex. currency and 7% on an organic basis. *Reported operating margin increased 120 basis points to 12.2%. Industrial and Healthcare Materials *Reported sales decreased 2% to $192 million, up 5% on an organic basis. *Reported operating margin increased 100 basis points to 10.6%.

Suzano S.A. hereby informs its shareholders and the market in general the execution, on October 24th, 2022, of an Equity Purchase Agreement entered into by and between the Company, as Buyer, Kimberly-Clark Brasil Indústria e Comércio de Produtos de Higiene Ltda. (“KC Brasil”), as Seller, and KimberlyClark Worldwide, Inc. (“KC”) as guarantor, for the acquisition, by the Company, subject to certain conditions precedent, of all the quotas held by KC Brasil in a new company that will be the holder of the assets related to the business of manufacturing, marketing, distributing and/or selling of tissue products, including toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, tissues, as well as other paper products in Brazil, including ownership of the brand “NEVE”. As part of the deal, the other global brands currently used by KC Brasil will be licensed to the Company for a specific term. The main asset included in the Transaction consists on a tissue production plant, located in the municipality of Mogi das Cruzes, in the State of São Paulo, with an annual production capacity of approximately 130 thousand tons. The Transaction is aligned with the Company’slong-term strategy to “advance in the links of the value chain”, as is widely public knowledge, representing geographic complementarity and synergy gains with its current consumer goods business (tissue).

Q3 highlights *Sales increased by 36% to EUR 3,420 million (2,523 million in Q3 2021) *Comparable EBIT grew by 84% to EUR 779 million, 22.8% of sales (424 million, 16.8%) *Operating cash flow was EUR -201 million (318 million), impacted by cash flow from energy hedges. Other operating cash flows were largely as expected *The rise in energy futures prices continued, causing short-term cash outflow impact from energy hedges. Respectively, it indicates the strong earnings potential of UPM Energy *Sales prices increased in all business areas and more than offset the negative impact of higher variable costs *Cash funds and unused committed credit facilities totalled EUR 5.2 billion at the end of Q3 2022. UPM signed EUR 4.3 billion of credit facilities during Q3 *In August, EcoVadis recognised UPM on Platinum level based on the company’s sustainability performance *In September, UPM Raflatac completed the acquisition of AMC AG *In October, the new deep sea pulp terminal in the port of Montevideo in Uruguay was inaugurated

Key highlights Q3: Strong organic* and currency neutral sales growth of 20%; Record underlying EBITDA performance; Price and mix management more than offset cost inflation; Excellent cash delivery and all-time low leverage. Quarterly data Q3: Net sales increased by 82% to SEK 11,814 million (6,494), whereof Billerud North America accounted for SEK 3,718 million; Operating profit was SEK 1,536 million (639); Net profit was SEK 1,347 million (477)

Executive Summary *Third quarter 2022 net sales of $5.1 billion increased 1 percent compared to the year-ago period, including organic sales growth of 5 percent. *Diluted net income per share for the third quarter was $1.38 in 2022 and $1.39 in 2021. *Third quarter adjusted earnings per share were $1.40 in 2022, down 14 percent compared to $1.62 in 2021. Adjusted earnings per share exclude certain items described later in this news release. *The company continues to target full-year 2022 organic sales growth of 5 to 7 percent and expects adjusted earnings per share at the lower end of $5.60 to $6.00 range

Delaware-based global water technologies leader Solenis has chosen its hometown of Wilmington as the site for a $40 million research and development expansion. In response to increasing market demand for its sustainability-focused products and expertise and with an eye toward long-term growth, Solenis will expand its R&D operations with a move to the 100,000-square-foot Building 713 at Chestnut Run Innovation and Science Park (CRISP). CRISP is a former DuPont campus that MRA Group is developing into a hub for a range of life sciences and advanced chemical companies. The new CRISP facility will provide Solenis with 20,000 square feet more lab space than the company currently has at its existing R&D center on Ashland’s Wilmington campus. In addition to more space, the larger, upgraded site will allow Solenis to add up to 46 new highly skilled Delaware jobs — including lab technicians, scientists and R&D supervisors — within the next three years.

Committed to bringing to market innovative solutions that increase productivity and sustainability, Klabin announces the launch of PineFluff eXcel, a fluff pulp made from a mix of fibers (eucalyptus hardwood pulp and pine softwood pulp) targeting the hygiene products market (baby and adult diapers, sanitary pads, pet mats, etc.). A global pioneer in combining pine and eucalyptus fibers, the solution expands alternatives for innovative designs that improve aspects such as fluid retention and distribution as well as softness of the end product reaching consumers. Laboratory studies showed excellent potential for defibrated material, which enhances the perception of softness to touch and comfort during product use. The solution also brings competitive advantages for distribution logistics, packaging optimization and lower energy consumption during production.

Paper Excellence on 10/21/2022 announced that one of the unions at its Crofton mill, the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC) local 2, has given 72-hour strike notice, putting the union in a strike position on Saturday October 22, 2022. Since July 2022, the company has been negotiating with PPWC local 2, which represents 370 of the 575 employees that work at the site. Those discussions have recently hit an impasse, and the company’s mediation request was rejected by the union. The negotiations committee will continue to meet as they try to resolve the situation. To protect the health and safety of employees, the integrity of the local environment, and preserve the company’s assets at Crofton, Paper Excellence has begun a controlled and orderly shutdown of the kraft pulp mill and mechanical paper operations.

Q3/2022 (year-on-year) *Sales increased by 15% to EUR 2,963 (2,577) million. *Operating profit (IFRS) increased to EUR 511 (386) million. *EPS was EUR 0.47 (0.38) and EPS excl. fair valuations (FV) was EUR 0.47 (0.37). *Cash flow from operations amounted to EUR 639 (485) million. Cash flow after investing activities was EUR 489 (347) million. Q1-Q3/2022 (year-on-year) *Sales were EUR 8,816 (7,445) million. *Operational EBIT was EUR 1,536 (1,102) million.

Smurfit Kappa’s Townsend Hook paper mill in the UK has introduced a new state-of-the art drying process innovation to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Traditionally, paper drying is one of the most energy-intensive aspects of the manufacturing process. The innovative new processes implemented have resulted in a 6% reduction in steam energy consumption and a 5% reduction in total CO2 emissions from the Kent-based paper mill. A ‘digital twin’ approach was used in the project to create a virtual representation of the drying system to simulate how it would perform. An early example of digital twin technology usage was during the rescue mission of the Apollo 13 spacecraft in 1970 when computer models were used to determine flight characteristics far from earth.

Interfor Corporation announced plans to reduce its lumber production output in the fourth quarter of 2022 by approximately 200 million board feet, or 17% of quarterly capacity, as current economic conditions and market uncertainty have led to reduced lumber demand. This temporary reduction in output is expected to be spread across each of the Company’s operating regions, primarily timed around U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods, and used to accelerate ongoing capital and maintenance projects. The Company’s lumber inventories are currently within normal volume parameters, and these plans are expected to maintain the balance between production and market demand through the remainder of 2022. The Company currently expects to resume its normal operating schedule in January 2023, but will closely monitor market conditions and adjust its production plans accordingly.

BIXOLON has certified the blue Blue4est® thermal paper for use in its premium SRP-380 thermal receipt printer. BIXOLON’s SRP-380 printer delivers perfect printing results every time on the blue thermal paper thanks to the smart media function, a special Blue4est® setting. The blue receipt is continuing its ascent as more and more companies put a premium on sustainability as they respond to their customers’ demand for more environmentally conscious products and services. Consumers can easily recognize that the receipts are environmentally friendly given the paper’s blue color. This is a result of the novel way in which the paper works: Koehler’s Innovation & Technology division developed a process which completely eliminates the need for color developers, meaning the Blue4est® till receipt is fully recyclable and can be disposed of as wastepaper.

Norske Skog’s EBITDA in the third quarter of 2022 was NOK 508 million, a decrease from NOK 905 million in the second quarter of 2022. The third quarter EBITDA was impacted negatively by reduced volumes and higher fixed costs per tonnes following the closure for conversion of PM3 to containerboard production at Norske Skog Bruck, reduced CO2 compensation in Norway and significant increases in energy and raw materials, which more than offset the increase in sales prices for all grades. The containerboard conversion projects are progressing as planned. “Despite the turbulence in the energy and raw material markets, we have been able to sustain satisfactory margins on our publication paper products. Our conversion projects at Bruck and Golbey are progressing as planned, and will contribute to a long-term sustainable industrial platform,” says Sven Ombudstvedt, CEO of Norske Skog.

*Operating profit for January–September 2022 was SEK 5 905 million (January–September 2021: 2 725). Excluding the item affecting comparability, operating profit increased by SEK 2 764 million to SEK 5 640 due to higher selling prices, while cost inflation was limited by our high level of wood and energy self-sufficiency. *Compared with the second quarter, operating profit for the third quarter decreased by SEK 180 million to SEK 1 921 million. A weaker wood products market had an adverse impact, but this was largely offset by higher earnings in other business areas. *Profit after tax for January–September amounted to SEK 4 606 million (2 136), which corresponds to earnings per share of SEK 28.5 (13.2).

UPM Communication Papers is collaborating with HP Inc to pilot a new generation of digital printing papers specifically designed for high-speed inkjet printing technology. The new portfolio includes four treated, coated grades, that provide productive and smooth printing, excellent image production and ease of use for customers. The ColorPRO papers are compatible with all existing HP Inkjet presses, as well as the newest generation that will be unveiled at PRINTING United Expo in Las Vegas (October 19th-21st, 2022).

Canfor Pulp Products Inc. is announcing a temporary curtailment of its Intercontinental Pulp Mill due to the lack of available economic fibre. Following its annual turnaround maintenance that began on September 24, 2022 and lasted for two weeks, the facility has implemented a two-week curtailment. Regular operations are expected to resume on October 24, 2022. In total the four weeks of downtime is reducing Canfor Pulp's production output by approximately 28,000 tonnes of market kraft pulp. "Despite strong global pulp markets, we are experiencing a shortfall of economic fibre in British Columbia. The fibre for pulp mills is increasingly constrained due to the impacts of the decreasing allowable annual cut, the end of the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic, wildfires and reduced sawmill capacity in the province," said Kevin Edgson, President & CEO, Canfor Pulp. "We regret the impact of the downtime on our employees and are working to support them through this time."

In accordance with the terms of his service contract, UPM’s President and CEO Jussi Pesonen has announced that he will exercise his right to retire from UPM during 2024. "In 2024 I will have served UPM as President and CEO for 20 years and spent a total of 37 years with the company. The announced timetable aims to secure the success of the strategic growth initiatives as well as business performance over the coming few years. However, it is also time to start planning for the next stage,” says Jussi Pesonen. The schedule also allows UPM’s Board of Directors sufficient time for implementing the succession planning process.

Drytac is delighted to announce the global availability of its improved ViziPrint Impress Clear UVL film. ViziPrint Impress Clear UVL is an optically clear gloss PET printable film designed for trouble-free installation of graphics onto glass and other smooth, flat surfaces. It incorporates Drytac’s low tack hybrid adhesive technology, creating a strong bond in both high and low temperatures without leaving residue behind when removed. Drytac has now incorporated a new thinner face film, which makes the media easier to work with. Compatible with UV and Latex printing, ViziPrint Impress Clear UVL uses a mechanical bond to gently adhere images to surfaces and can be repositioned and reapplied multiple times. Drytac’s unique adhesion technology eliminates bubbling and ensures the product is unaffected by moisture.

BillerudKorsnäs is simplifying its name to Billerud to cater to its international customers. As a leading supplier of virgin fiber-based paper and packaging materials, the name change is fully in line with the company’s strategy to expand into North America and continue driving sustainable growth in global markets. It is simply easier to say Billerud. ”We are now ready to meet the challenges of the future as one company: Billerud. One year ago, a clear strategic plan was drawn up with the aim of achieving profitable and sustainable sales growth until the year 2030 and to grow in North America. Today we change name to Billerud. The name change is a natural step on our strategic journey”, says Christoph Michalski, President and CEO at Billerud.

Underlying EBITDA from continuing operations (Group excluding the Russian operations) for the third quarter was €450 million, up 55% compared to the prior year period (Q3 2021: €290 million). Higher average selling prices and overall volume growth more than offset significant cost pressures. Corrugated Packaging benefitted from higher average selling prices compared to the prior year period, leveraging our innovative product portfolio and strong customer proposition. Corrugated Solutions box volumes were lower in the quarter driven by generally softer demand when compared with the strong volume growth delivered in the prior year. Flexible Packaging performed well, with resilient demand during the period. Price increases across our range of kraft papers and packaging products were implemented during the quarter, where not fixed by annual or semi-annual contracts. Uncoated Fine Paper achieved higher average selling prices and grew pulp volumes in the quarter while uncoated fine paper volumes were lower. The non-cash forestry fair value gain was higher.

The Norwegian National Budget for 2023 proposes a reduction of the CO2 compensation to Norwegian industry of approximately NOK 2.7 billion annually. Norske Skog expects a reduction in the CO2 compensation payment to be received from 2023 and onwards of approximately NOK 140 million annually. Yesterday, 6 October 2022, the Norwegian government presented its National Budget proposal for 2023. The budget proposes to reduce the CO2 compensation to Norwegian industry. The CO2 compensation is an EU initiative, which can be implemented at the discretion of each individual member country, designed to mitigate the impact of high CO2 allowance (EUA) prices on electricity costs. The overall ambition is to avoid transfer of energy intensive industries to countries with less strict climate policies outside the EU, this has been termed Carbon Leakage.

Billerud Americas Corporation, a leading producer of pressure sensitive (PS) face paper and release liner in North America, announced it will investigate a relaunch of its OptiLabel™ HB product made at its Quinnesec Mill on the No. 41 paper machine. "We launched OptiLabel™ HB made at our Quinnesec Mill in 2020 during the peak of the COVID pandemic to support demand in the PS marketplace, so, we have already successfully made a significant volume of this product," said Senior Vice President of Marketing Aaron Haas. "By making OptiLabel™ HB at Quinnesec, we hope to provide an additional domestic supply source for PS paper. We already make a great deal of OptiLabel™ HB and UniSil™ release liner on our No. 3 paper machine at our Escanaba Mill, and this additional machine will give us more manufacturing flexibility to support the PS marketplace for both release liner and face paper supply."

Sylvamo is announcing it reached an agreement and completed the sale of its Russian operations to Pulp Invest Limited Liability Company for $420 million. After foreign currency exchange rates and transaction fees, Sylvamo received approximately $390 million in cash proceeds. "We made a principle-based decision to exit Russia and believe Pulp Invest is the best option for our Russian colleagues and assets," said Jean-Michel Ribiéras, chairman and chief executive officer. "We intend to use $325 million of the proceeds to repay debt."

Paper Excellence announced the indefinite curtailment of its paper operations at the Catalyst Crofton facility starting in early December 2022. Paper markets in China served by the mill have significantly weakened while there have been substantial cost escalations for chemicals, energy and wood fibre used at Crofton. The intersection of these pressures has materially impacted the financial viability of the paper operation. We expect to operate Crofton’s paper machines for 60 days following this announcement. We will be working closely with both unions as this decision affects about 80 Unifor employees and 70 PPWC employees. We recognize the hardship this will have on both our employees and the Cowichan Valley. We hope to minimize these impacts through union discussions that will consider secondments, utilization of earned time off and employment insurance. The mill’s pulp operations will continue production during the paper curtailment. Paper Excellence is working with both Provincial and Federal Governments while it conducts studies at the Crofton facility to consider accelerating its conversion into natural food and packaging grades.

Stora Enso’s new production site for cross-laminated timber (CLT) in Ždírec, the Czech Republic, was inaugurated today. Following a EUR 79 million investment, the new CLT site is one of the most modern in the world, supporting Stora Enso’s strategy of growth within wooden building solutions. With the new site, Stora Enso’s CLT production capacity will grow substantially to meet the increasing demand for sustainable, cost-effective and renewable building materials. The project proceeded according to plan from the investment decision made in September 2020 to the start of production in the third quarter of 2022, when the first panel was manufactured. CLT represents a modern and sustainable building material that allows construction with great precision and speed. The estimated annual production capacity will be approximately 120,000 m³ after ramp-up.

This month marks a new milestone for paper production for Willamette Falls Paper Company (WFPC). On October 1, WFPC expanded its capacity on a third paper machine to manufacture additional coated freesheet paper. Previously only running at 50% capacity, this paper machine is now operating at 100% capacity to meet customer demand. This has increased our ability to produce additional tons of 60# and 70# text, as well as a new higher yield 75# Sonoma® coated grade.

The current market environment is characterised by very high production costs, in particular energy costs, and weaker demand primarily due to destocking in the value chain. Therefore, Lecta has decided to take temporary downtime at several of its paper mills. Downtime will be scheduled in such a way that high service levels for customers will be maintained. The company remains confident in its financial outlook for Q4.

Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC has announced plans to restart a paper machine in the Chillicothe, Ohio facility. The company is investing $21 million to upgrade and restart the #24 paper machine (PM24) and plans to hire 52 full-time employees to operate and maintain it. “The current supply-demand balance in the market and our Ohio facility’s competitive, integrated cost structure has afforded us the opportunity to restart paper machine #24 (PM24) at the Chillicothe mill. This rebuilt machine will add 75,000 tons per year of capacity to serve our customers in the food packaging, commercial inkjet and other specialty paper segments. These are growing attractive markets where Pixelle has leading positions,” said Timothy R. Hess, Pixelle’s President and CEO. Several upgrades in the current rebuild will enable Pixelle to produce an attractive product mix for its customers. Pixelle expects the machine to be fully online shipping quality specialty papers in early first quarter 2023.

UPM inaugurates today its new pulp terminal in the port of Montevideo, Uruguay. This investment of approximately USD 280 million is a fundamental part of UPM’s USD 3.47 billion growth investment in Uruguay that includes a state-of-the-art pulp mill in Paso de los Toros, new eucalyptus tree nursery as well as local community investments in Paso de los Toros. “This is a significant milestone in our growth project in Uruguay. The new pulp terminal with direct connections from the new pulp mill and to the global markets plays a key role in the growth and competitiveness of UPM’s pulp business,” says UPM President and CEO Jussi Pesonen. “The public infrastructure investments to the deep sea port and railway improve the competitiveness of all export sectors in Uruguay.”

Paper Excellence announced that the company’s Prince Albert Pulp Inc mill restart project has submitted its environmental impact statement (EIS) to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. The EIS is a critical part of the environmental permitting process and marks another significant step in the process towards restarting the dormant pulp mill, which has been down since 2006. “Submitting our environmental impact statement is a critical step forward for the project,” said Carlo Dal Monte, Project Operations Director for the Prince Albert Pulp Inc. restart. “We look forward to the Ministry of Environment’s thorough and timely review of our EIS.” Paper Excellence recently commissioned public opinion polling that showed 93 percent of Saskatchewan residents support the restart of the pulp mill.

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Bracell SP Celulose Ltda. to supply four PrimeLineTM W 2000 tissue production lines to its mill located in Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo. Start-up is scheduled for 2024. The four tissue machines are of the type PrimeLineTM W 2000, with a design speed of 2,100 m/min and a working width of 5.68 m. They are equipped with fully cantilevered shoe presses for gentle dewatering and easy maintenance and 18 ft. steel Yankees with steam-heated hoods for energy-efficient drying. The new tissue mill will be self-sufficient in steam and electricity consumption for the drying process, making it one of the tissue mills with the smallest CO2 footprint in the world.

The new state-of-the-art pine sawmill in Rauma in Finland, owned by Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has moved from production test run to continuous sawn timber production. The sawmill is operating continuously in three shifts. “The Rauma sawmill implements Metsä Group’s strategic goals of increasing the value of Finnish forests, growing profitably with our customers, enabling fossil free production and increasing the production of products that store carbon for a long time. The role of the mechanical forest industry is very important for our whole value chain, and I’m happy that new ways to significantly improve performance have been found also there,” says Ilkka Hämälä, President and CEO of Metsä Group.

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.