Fortress Paper Provides Update on Auxiliary System Failure at its Dissolving Pulp Mill

Supremex Inc., a leading North American manufacturer and marketer of envelopes and a growing provider of paper-based packaging solutions, announced today the release of its inaugural Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) report. The ESG report, which covers activities for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, underlines the Company’s commitment to understand the full scope of its impact on the environment and society before establishing sciencebased targets. “As stewards of the environment, responsible corporate citizens, and advocates for positive change, we recognize the critical role ESG plays in shaping our future,” said Stewart Emerson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Supremex. “A more thorough understanding of our impact in such areas will provide Supremex with the ability to carry out targeted sustainability practices and initiatives that will have a significant positive effect on the environment, our employees and local communities. We are dedicated to being a transparent and accountable organization, and look forward to sharing our progress as we continue along our ESG journey.”

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

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will increase prices by 5 to 20 percent on all sizing product lines across the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions, effective immediately or as customer contracts allow. The price increase is necessary due to inflation and availability of raw materials used in manufacturing our sizing product line, elevated freight and energy costs and regulatory compliance requirements. “We are unable to absorb the impact of the increased costs that we are currently experiencing but we will continue to work in partnership with our customers to help mitigate the increases,” said Jose Santolaya, director, EMEA marketing and product management. “Solenis remains committed to controlling costs through process improvements to deliver high-value, innovative solutions that our customers have come to expect.”