Conciliator interrupts the conciliation between UPM Communication Papers and Paperworkers’ Union, conciliation continues in other UPM businesses

Stora Enso invests EUR 9 million in an automated CLT (cross-laminated timber) coating line at the Ybbs sawmill in Austria. The investment will further strengthen Stora Enso’s position as a leading global provider of engineered wood products for low carbon, sustainable buildings. In the construction industry, there is labor shortage and a pressure to shorten the construction time on-site. The investment enables industrially pre-applied CLT coatings on the CLT walls and floors produced at Stora Enso’s Ybbs site. The automated coating solution results in shorter construction times and higher wood protection. “With this new automation line, we can apply high-quality water-based coating to approximately 500,000m² of CLT walls and floors per year – making us the world leader in this segment. Our customers will benefit from improved protection of CLT against moisture, sunlight, insects and fire, as well as nicely coloured visual surfaces,” says Lars Völkel, EVP Wood Products division.

SCA and the textile recycling company Renewcell have signed an agreement for Renewcell to establish textile recycling at SCA’s industrial site Ortviken in Sundsvall. The operation is expected to create one hundred new jobs. “We are glad that Renewcell chooses Ortviken as the site for this investment”, says Ulf Larsson, SCA’s President. “We know that Ortviken is a very attractive industrial site with excellent infrastructure, including first class logistic solutions.” SCA will discontinue the production of publication paper at Ortviken and will thereafter make room for Renewcell’s operations, where one of SCA’s paper machines is currently located. SCA has also started the investment to produce chemically pretreated thermomechanical pulp, CTMP, on the site.

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the previously announced decentralization of its lumber mill and paper mill operations. In connection with the decentralization, Terry Skiffington has been engaged as Chief Executive Officer of the paper mill division. Mr. Skiffington is a skilled executive with a broad range of experience in the pulp and paper sector in Canada and globally. The strategic decision to decentralize the businesses and management is expected to improve the ability to focus on the unique aspects of each business, provide for more efficient decision-making processes and to allow for increased entrepreneurialism and cost-control measures.