Lecta to take temporary downtime at several mills

UPM has been listed in the Dow Jones European and World Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for 2021-2022 as the only company in its industry. The DJSI indices cover environmental, social and governance aspects of responsibility. “We are delighted and proud that our consistent commitment to sustainability has been recognised in this index for a decade,” says Sami Lundgren, Vice President, UPM Responsibility. “We congratulate UPM for being included in the Dow Jones European and World Sustainability Indices. DJSI distinction is a reflection of being a sustainability leader in your industry. The record number of companies participating in the 2021 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment is a testament to the growing movement for ESG disclosure and transparency,” says Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research, S&P Global.

A scheduled maintenance outage is a critical part of any mill’s operation. The downtime gives employees an opportunity to complete necessary maintenance that isn’t possible during normal operations, and it ensures the mill continues to run safely and efficiently. It’s also important to the community. Vendors and contractors who travel to the site to assist with the outage support the local economy by staying in hotels, eating in restaurants and shopping at local businesses. Then the COVID-19 pandemic started, and Dryden Mill Manager Marie Cyr and her team had some tough decisions to make. With support from Domtar’s corporate leadership, the team decided to proceed with the maintenance outage, but it designed a reduced work scope that focused only on tasks deemed essential for the mill’s safe and efficient operation. More work would be performed by mill employees, reducing the need for outside service providers by 80 percent. In addition, the majority of the 100 outside providers who were required would come from within Northwestern Ontario, eliminating the need for travel from outside the region. The change in scope also meant the outage would take 21 days instead of 9 days.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, will increase prices across all product lines in North America and Latin America by 10 to 25 percent, effective April 1, 2022, or as customer contracts allow. These price increases are necessary because of increased costs for raw materials, energy, transportation, and packaging. These increases will allow Solenis to continue to provide value-added solutions to customers.