Sappi Southern Africa has today announced it will shut down its Adamas paper mill in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The permanent closure of the mill is expected to be finalised at the end of August. This brings to a conclusion the process announced on 24 May 2011 to investigate the continued operation of the mill.

Sappi Southern Africa has concluded an agreement with its Adamas mill employee representatives and redundancy notices have been issued to staff which specifies redundancy terms and includes provisions for outplacement and training support for all employees, to ensure that people have the best possible opportunity to secure new employment. The Adamas mill employed 213 people.

The mill has operated in Port Elizabeth for 47 years. Alex Thiel, CEO of Sappi Southern Africa commented: "As I mentioned when we began the consultation process, we fully recognise and commend the enormous efforts that employees and mill management have put in to try to make the mill competitive and to find a way to create a future for the mill. Unfortunately these efforts have been unsuccessful. We recognize this is a difficult decision affecting our employees, their families and the local communities and we would like to thank all of them for their hard work and support. Unfortunately this action became necessary to address the severe cost pressure that we are facing and the uncompetitive nature of this old and small mill.”

The volumes produced at the mill have been transferred to Sappi Enstra and Sappi Tugela mills.

We expect to take a charge of approximately US$5 million in respect of these closure costs in the fourth financial quarter ended September 2011.

Sappi will maintain its presence in the Eastern Cape as regards marketing and sales as well as the collection and purchase of collected fibre (used for recycled paper) through Sappi ReFibre.

Forestry investment

Furthermore Sappi, in partnership with AsgiSA-EC have developed a joint proposal with a strategic goal of accelerating the establishment and management of 30,000ha of commercial tree plantations by 2020 in the Eastern Cape. It is anticipated that these partnerships will be developed between Sappi and communities that hold land rights, with Sappi being the “implementation partner” as a provider of technical, managerial and administrative support to the community businesses. This development is expected to create 1,400 direct and permanent unskilled jobs and a further 125 jobs for skilled workers. Using industry trends, it is expected that some four to five indirect jobs would be created for each direct job, meaning a further almost 8,000 jobs. In rolling out the project, Sappi and AsgiSA-EC have already developed close to 150ha in conjunction with the Mkambathi and Sinawo communities.

Sappi Fine Paper North America announced that Melching, Inc. has purchased the Muskegon Mill site, a former pulp mill, paper mill, and converting facility in Muskegon, Michigan. Sappi permanently ceased operations at the site in August 2009 due to industry and economic conditions. Melching is currently reviewing plans to redevelop the site for a variety of industrial uses.

"Sappi Fine Paper North America selected Melching, Inc. as the buyer based on its expertise and successful track record in addressing industrial sites, strong long term relationships in the local area and robust redevelopment plans," said Anne Ayer, Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Information Officer

Melching, Inc. is a demolition, dismantling, and industrial remediation services company located in Nunica, Michigan. Sanabe & Associates, LLC, acted as financial advisor to Sappi for the transaction.

Metso’s Wuxi Service Center for the pulp and paper industry in China celebrated its 10 years of operation on August 25, 2011. The center was opened in 2001 and started with 60 employees. Since then, the number of employees has grown to 150 committed professionals and the roll service capacity of the center has been doubled through an extension in 2007. As a result, the center can now serve a wider customer base and offer more flexible and faster service.

Guo Haiquan, Chairman, HNIC Dahe Paper Co., Ltd. (left), Jari Koikkalainen, President, Metso’s Paper and Fiber Technology, China, Xie Daorong, General Manager, Services, Metso Paper (China) Co., Ltd and Hong Yanwei, Wuxi New District CPC Working Committee, Deputy director of CMC, celebrating the 10 years of operation of Wuxi Service Center.

Located in Jiangsu Province, about 100 kilometers west of Shanghai, the Wuxi Service Center provides advanced machinery maintenance and process development services. The center has a fully-equipped roll service workshop providing roll covers and mechanical roll maintenance for all types of rolls. In addition, the center offers replacement rolls and full-scale services for spare parts and tailored consumables, such as doctoring products.

To support the customers' production and maintenance operations, the Wuxi Service Center offers specialized maintenance services and also more comprehensive cooperation including service agreements. In addition to extensive backup for Metso’s existing installations in China, the center’s services are also available for other makes of fiber and paper making machinery.

Strengthening local service operations is a vital part of Metso's continuing commitment and support to the Chinese pulp and paper industry. In line with this commitment, Metso has steadily been increasing its local presence in China. The latest additions to the service center network are the Guangzhou Service Center in Guangdong Province and the new Zibo Service Center in Shandong Province.

The national forest certification systems of the Czech Republic and France have become the latest systems to seek PEFC endorsement for the third time. Stakeholders globally are invited to provide feedback on their compliance with PEFC International's Sustainability Benchmarks by 28 October 2011.

With PEFC International limiting the validity of endorsements to five years, national schemes must be revised in multi-stakeholder processes and apply for re-endorsement to continue benefitting from PEFC recognition.

As part of the endorsement process, PEFC seeks comments and feedback from all interested parties to ensure full compliance of the national systems with PEFC's Sustainability Benchmark during a 60-day global public consultation.

"We require stakeholder engagement throughout the standards development and endorsement processes at both national and international levels," said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC Secretary General. "In-depth involvement of all interested parties ensures that a scheme reflects the best practices and incorporates available knowledge and expertise, and is aligned with their expectations and needs."

Arguably, PEFC has the most rigorous assessment process for national certification systems seeking international recognition. In addition to the comprehensive and inclusive process at national level, all standards are subjected to an independent third-party evaluation, global public consultation, a review by the Panel of Experts, and consideration by the PEFC Board of Directors before PEFC members decide about the endorsement of a particular national system.

All comments received during the global public consultation will provide valuable information for the third-party assessor in determining whether the respective national system is in compliance with international requirements.

Interested stakeholders are invited to use PEFC's Online Consultation Tool to provide comments by 28 October 2011.

On 12 August, a fire broke out in a chip conveyor at Södra's pulp mill in Mönsterås. The wind caused the fire to spread quickly to the chip stacks, but extensive efforts to extinguish the fire meant it was restricted to the surface of the stack and was then put out.


What is happening now?
Clearance work is currently in progress around the stack and in the culverts as it is important to ensure that no soot gets into the production area. The culverts under the chip stacks were relatively undamaged by the fire, but extensive restoration work still needs to be done.

The saw chip stack and pin chip stacks now have to be readied before operations restart so that chips can be supplied from there to the digesters. The chips for these stacks will be transported by road, and after that the temporary conveyor belt for the roundwood stack will be complete. At this point, the digester houses will be able to operate at full capacity.

Asphalting is also being carried out due to undermining of the stack surface and fire-damaged asphalt.

The project to restore and restart the mill, Operation Phoenix, should be finished in September.

Significant events
Ten out of twelve municipalities in the county deployed rescue personnel on site, and it is thought that almost 200 people were involved in putting out the fire.

The unloading of pulp was resumed at full capacity on Thursday, 18 August, and the saw was restarted on 16 August.

Heroic efforts have been made by both the factory's own rescue team and the external rescue services. Now work on planning, repairing, clearing, asphalting, procuring machine parts and resolving any problems that may occur as work progresses is continuing at a tremendous pace.

Ashland Inc., a global leader in specialty chemical solutions for consumer and industrial markets, today announced it will hold an analyst day on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, in New York City. James J. O'Brien, chairman and chief executive officer, along with other members of the company's management team, will provide updates on key business strategies and growth initiatives. The presentations will outline management's expectations for Ashland's longer-term performance, with a focus on fiscal 2014, as well as provide a more in-depth look at the newly formed Ashland Specialty Ingredients commercial unit.

Further event details will be posted on Ashland's investor website at http://investor.ashland.com closer to the date.

An audio webcast of the conference will be available live and can be accessed, along with supporting materials, through the Ashland website. A replay will be available within 24 hours of the live event and will be archived, along with supporting materials, on Ashland's website for 12 months. Copies of the presentations may also be requested by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 859-815-4454.

In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, tissue and towel, and water treatment. Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer through our four commercial units - Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials and Ashland Consumer Markets (Valvoline).

Thai premium copy paper manufacturer Double A (1991) Public Company Ltd. (known as Advance Agro Public Company Limited) has chosen PMT Italia to supply the Winder for the new PM 3 to its subsidiary company – Advance Paper Mill 3, for its mill in Thatoom, Prachinburi province in Thailand. Startup is scheduled for second quarter 2012.

The winder completes the scope of supply by PMT for the full line. PMT Italia will build complete paper machine from headbox to the winder. The 5,280 m reel wide machine, PM3, will have a capacity of 290.000 tonnes/y. The new machine, designed to run mainly with short fibers, will have an operating speed of 1.300 mpm.

The scope of supply will include together with the complete paper machine all the major auxiliary systems. PMT Italia is proud to be confirmed, by Double A, as winder supplier for this important project focused on the highest paper qualities.

It represents for PMT the recognition of the highest level in fine paper making technology reached as a result of the projects done recently. Moreover it is an opportunity to strengthen and consolidate, once more, its presence as well as to show its capabilities on the Asian markets.

ABK Group, one of the major designers and manufacturers of complete machines and specialised equipment for the paper and board industry with headquarters in France, is pleased to announce the set up of a new company, ABK Italia S.p.A. (former Over Meccanica S.p.A.), with production activities started as of August 8th, 2011, and plant facilities based in Verona, Italy.

Such new and important investment confirms the aim of ABK Group to strengthen its presence worldwide with the capability to offer to its customers even more qualified and high technology equipment especially to the tissue market in addition to already mastered equipment that ABK offers to the paper and board producers.

The highly qualified personnel of ex-Over Meccanica S.p.A. now employed by ABK Italia S.p.A. is a key of success as it brings a wealth of knowledge and longstanding experience that will efficiently sustain the growth of the company worldwide.

ABK Italia S.p.A. also immediately benefits not only from streamlined and highly automated machining facilities, but also from a most modern and perfectly equipped foundry which renders the company entirely independent from third parties for the casting of all parts especially drying cylinders and big size Yankees.

Holding all these aces, ABK Group will be in a position to manufacture machines and equipment for the production of all grades of paper, from tissue and writing-printing paper to newsprint and packaging grades as well as fine paper and specialty papers, making use of great workshop capacity and an unquestionable technical know-how reinforced by the technology and the experience developed over 50 years of history by Over Meccanica.

ABK Group is now and more than ever ready to face the challenges of a very demanding market, and to manage in the best conditions all the present and future projects of its customers.

Metso has received several orders for advanced automation technology from Chinese papermakers. The strong confidence in Metso’s technology is proven, for example, by the fact that Metso has a 100% market share in kappa measurements in China. The latest orders have been placed by the greenfield mill of Nanning Jindaxing Pulp Co., Ltd. and Shandong Tralin Paper Co., Ltd., one of China’s frontrunners in the use of recycled raw material.

Nanning Jindaxing Pulp Co., Ltd. has ordered a Metso DNA automation system for its fiber line, and a Metso MAP wet end analyzer and a Metso RM3 retention analyzer for its fine paper machine.

Additionally, Metso has signed an agreement with Nanning Design Institute of Light Industry for the delivery of analyzers and measurements, such as Metso Kappa Q, bleaching sensors, consistency transmitters and Kemotron sensors, to Nanning Jindaxing Pulp Co., Ltd.

After the start-up, the greenfield mill will be the biggest pulp and paper producer in the Guangxi area with a capacity of 120,000 tpy of newsprint, 200,000 tpy of fine paper and 170,000 tpy of pulp.

Another Metso DNA automation system will be supplied to Shandong Tralin Paper Co., Ltd. in Gaotang City, Shandong Province. The company is one of the main manufacturers of straw pulp, fine paper, LWC, coated board and unbleached tissue in China. The investment in a new process control system is part of the mill’s modernization and environmental protection project.

“We have long experience and extensive application know-how both in pulp and paper processes, in addition to a wide installed base. China has been and continues to be a significant market area for Metso’s automation technology. In addition to new pulp and papermaking lines, we also increasingly supply products for second-hand machines,” comments Ye Zhongde, Regional Vice President, Metso.

Kadant Inc. recently expanded its product lines with the acquisition of M-Clean Papertech AB, a Europe-based supplier of paper machine fabric and roll cleaning systems. The acquisition was completed in May 2011 and the company will be re-named Kadant M-Clean AB. Based in Husqvarna, Sweden, Kadant M-Clean AB manufactures the MultiJet™ modular cleaning system used for fabric and roll cleaning. The acquisition of the high-efficiency cleaning product line expands Kadant's water-management product line and will be sold and serviced by Kadant's existing global sales and service network.

"With more than 350 installations throughout Europe, China, and Asia-Pacific, the MultiJet product line adds increased depth to Kadant's water-management offerings to the paper industry and further strengthens our market position in Europe and China," said Jonathan W. Painter, president and chief executive officer of Kadant Inc. "The high-performance cleaning system has demonstrated success in helping papermakers extend fabric life and improve machine runnability and we are looking forward to completing the integration of the M-Clean business into our organization."