Sappi Europe to increase prices on Woodfree grades by 6-8% from January 1st 2018

Jari Voutilainen has been appointed Metsä Group's Senior Vice President, Sourcing and Logistics as of October 1, 2021. He reports to President and CEO Ilkka Hämälä. Voutilainen has worked at Metsä Group since 2013. He moves to his new role from the position of Metsä Group's SVP, Corporate Affairs. Prior to that, he served as SVP, Logistics. Jarmo Toikka, who has been responsible for Metsä Group's sourcing since 2009 and also for logistics since 2018, has been appointed SVP, Business Process Development. In his new role, he reports to Metsä Group’s EVP, Strategy Sari Pajari-Sederholm.

Kruger Inc. is announcing today a $377.6-M transaction to diversify operations at its Brompton and Wayagamack Mills into specialty niches, such as flexible food packaging, labelling and digital printing. This major project, undertaken in partnership with the Government of Québec, will help to maintain more than 500 jobs in the Mauricie and Estrie regions. The announcement was made today in the presence of Philippe Couillard, Premier of Québec; Dominique Anglade, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy; and Joseph Kruger II, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kruger, as well as Ministers Luc Blanchette, Julie Boulet, and Luc Fortin. Kruger and the Government of Québec have formed a partnership by which Investissement Québec, acting as the government's agent, will grant loans and a loan guarantee totalling $59.8 million and acquire an equity participation of 37.5%, or $44.6 million, in the new entity Kruger Specialty Papers Holding L.P. The new entity comprises the assets of the Brompton and Wayagamack Mills, as well as the Biomass Cogeneration Plant adjacent to the Brompton Mill. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Members of Unifor Local 10-B voted 80 per cent in favour of a new four-year contract that helps secure the future of the pulp mill with significant investments over the next two years. "Our new collective agreement is good for workers and good for the community," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "We're proud to work with Domtar to ensure a future for this mill and hundreds of good jobs that Kamloops can rely on." The new collective agreement commits the parties to finding solutions on retiree health benefits, it also works on retention and training of trade workers, and streamlines administration while improving benefits. Unifor says that these gains will be important for the next generation of mill workers as a wave of retirements creates openings. "The collaborative working relationship we have with the union is something that I'm very proud of" stated Jean-Claude Allaire, General Manager of the Domtar Kamloops Mill. "It's our commitment to finding innovative solutions that resulted in a meaningful agreement for both parties". The framework of the new contract is built on Unifor's Western Canada pulp and paper pattern agreement. Click Read More below for additional detail.