Sonoco (NYSE: SON) has announced that John M. Colyer Jr., has been named senior vice president, Global Industrial Products and Protective Solutions, and Rob C. Tiede has been named senior vice president, Global Consumer Packaging and Services, according to M. Jack Sanders, president and chief operating officer, and the Company's chief executive officer-elect. These appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Colyer, 51, formerly vice president, Global Industrial Converting, will have responsibility for the Company's Global Paper, Tubes and Cores, Reels, Protective Solutions and related support businesses. Tiede, 54, formerly vice president, Global Flexibles and Packaging Services, will have responsibility for the Company's Corporate Customer program as well as its Global Rigid Paper, Closures, Rigid Plastics, Flexibles, and Display and Packaging businesses. 

"John and Rob are veteran leaders of our global packaging businesses and have demonstrated an ability to build strong businesses and effective leadership teams," said Sanders. "John has been instrumental in optimizing our global industrial-related businesses and in pursing the acquisition of Tegrant Holding Corporation, which led to the formation of our growing Protective Solutions business. Rob has successfully led efforts to rebuild our Flexible Packaging and Display and Packaging businesses, while evolving our marketing efforts and serving as executive sponsor for our IT systems integration."

Colyer has 29 years of experience with Sonoco and held numerous leadership and manufacturing positions in businesses serving industrial and consumer markets.  He is a graduate of Southern Oregon State University with a B.S. degree in business administration.

Tiede joined Sonoco in 2004 as head of the Company's Display and Packaging business following the acquisition of CorrFlex Graphics' point-of-purchase display and supply chain management business. He was named division vice president and general manager of Sonoco's Flexible Packaging division in 2007 and became vice president, Global Flexibles and Packaging Services in 2009. Prior to joining Sonoco, Tiede was executive vice president of Graphic Packaging International, Inc., president of Sterling International and president of Bostic Packaging/CorrFlex.  Tiede received a business administration diploma fromRed River Community College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and is a Canadian Charted Accountant.

Industrial and Consumer Executive Appointments

Rodger D. Fuller, 51, previously vice president, Global Rigid Plastic and Corporate Customers, has been named group vice president, Paper/Tubes and Cores, North America, reporting to Colyer. In this new position,  which is effective Jan. 1, 2013, Fuller will be responsible for improving the vertical integration of the Company's North American Paper, Tubes and Cores, Recycling and internal supply businesses.

Fuller joined Sonoco in 1985 and has held a number of senior leadership positions primarily in the Company's Consumer Packaging segment, including running the Company's global composite can, Rigid Plastics and North America and European consumer products operations. Fuller graduated from Berry College with a B.S. degree in business administration and earned an MBA from Emory University. 

With Fuller's appointment, R. Howard Coker, 50, previously vice president, Global Rigid Paper and Closures, has been given the additional responsibilities as group vice president, Global Rigid Paper and Plastics, reporting to Tiede. The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2013. During his career at Sonoco, Coker has held numerous leadership positions, including vice president, Rigid Paper and Closures, North America; division vice president and general manager, Sonoco Phoenix; director of sales and marketing, Rigid Paper and Plastics; and general manager, Asia/Pacific, Rigid Paper and Plastics. He is a graduate of Wofford College with a B.A. in business administration and holds an MBA in business administration from Wake Forest University.

Leach Retiring from Sonoco; Arthur to Head Protective Solutions Segment

Ronald G. Leach Jr., vice president, Protective Solutions, has decided to retire from Sonoco, effective March 31, 2013. Replacing Leach will be Vicki B. Arthur, vice president, Protective Solutions, reporting to Colyer. The appointment is effectiveApril 1, 2013.

"I want to personally thank Ron for working with Sonoco to acquire Tegrant and helping our efforts to rapidly integrate and further grow our combined Protective Solutions businesses," said Colyer. "Vicki is an excellent choice to lead this business after directing our joint integration team and then quickly transitioning into a leadership position heading our custom-engineered consumer and industrial expanded foam and temperature-assurance packaging businesses."

Arthur, 54, was previously vice president, Global Corporate Customers, and division vice president and general manager of Sonoco's Kraft Corporate Customer team, where she had global packaging relationship responsibility for the former Kraft Foods. She joined Sonoco in 1984 and held various finance positions, including as staff vice president and treasurer. Arthur graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. degree in accounting and holds an MBA in business from Duke University. She is a Certified Public Accountant.

Leach, 55, joined Sonoco after serving as president and CEO of Tegrant. He was also president and CEO of Alloyd Companyand served as a general manager of TriEnd Corporation and has held several other leadership roles in the packaging industry.  Leach holds a B.S. degree in packaging engineering from Michigan State University.  

SOURCE Sonoco

Metorg GmbH company (exclusive representative of German equipment producer Bielomatik on the Russian market) has concluded a contract with Arkhangelsk pulpmill on delivery of automatic line BIELOMATIK P15-90 to produce copybooks, as mill's press service reported.

According to schedule, installation of new equipment will be finalized in April 2013. The contract also entails personnel training by Metorg specialists once the line is installed in the stationery department.

Upgrade of equipment will enable the company to increase paper processing. The new machine will also enable producing not only standard copybooks (12, 18, 24 и 48 sheets), but also that of 96-sheet format. New equipment would be able to print and collect sheets to make other stationery grades like albums, notebooks, and multi-section copybooks. This will meet growing demand, as said in the message of press service.

NewPage Corporation (NewPage), a leading producer of high quality supercalendered rotogravure and offset printing papers, is pleased to announce that its Supercalendered Delivery Promise. Effective with confirmed orders with a requested delivery date on or after January 1, 2013, NewPage will assure that supercalendered paper will be provided to meet each and every press date. To demonstrate our confidence, customers will be entitled to a discount on their next order of similar size should NewPage not deliver on our Supercalendered Delivery Promise. “The Duluth, Minnesota, mill has been delivering on our commitments for 25 years,” said Dawn Polaski, Customer Service manager at the NewPage Duluth mill. “We are thrilled to continue this legacy by offering the Supercalendered Delivery Promise.”

The Supercalendered Delivery Promise is available to all customers requesting shipments of supercalendered paper in the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) from the NewPage Duluth mill. “We are pleased to offer our customers the extra assurance that their paper will arrive when and where it is needed,” stated Ethan Haas, general manager, Supercalendered Papers. “Our Customer Service, Operations and Logistics teams have consistently proven that they have the focus, follow-through and longevity that are superior to many other supercalendered mills in North America. Our geographical location has always provided a logistical advantage to our customers. This program will allow us to further reduce the supply risk to our customers’ supercalendered papers purchasing programs.”

For more information about NewPage Voyager^®, Voyager^® Arbor^® and Superior Gloss^® supercalendered products, the Supercalendered Delivery Promise or any high-quality NewPage papers, please visit www.NewPageCorp.com.

CelluForce, the world leader in the commercial development of NanoCrystalline Cellulose (NCC), also referred to as Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNC), is participating in the first Brazil-Canada workshop on nanotechnology  in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Thursday, December 6, 2012.  Richard Berry, Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer of CelluForce, will provide an overview of the current knowledge of NCC including the state of development, potential applications as well as health and safety practices.

This workshop, organized by Nanotechnology Coordination at the Brazilian Ministry for Science Technology and Innovation and the Energy and Nuclear Research National Institute (IPEN), aims to identify prospective nanotechnology projects where Brazil and Canada can cooperate. Distinguished members from industry and academia will share their knowledge and expectations on the subject.

Media representatives are invited to attend:

What:         Nanomaterials From Trees - Harnessing The Power of Nature's Basic Elements

Who:          Richard Berry, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, CelluForce

When:        December 6th at 14:45 (GMT -3)

Where:      IPEN, Sao Paulo University Campus, Av. Lineu Prestes 2242 - Cidade Universitária - CEP: 05508-000

On 30 November, Helena Halonen defended her doctoral thesis “Structural changes during cellulose composite processing”. Her work demonstrates two methods for creating a new composite material based only on cellulose fibres.

In a composite material, the reinforcing agent and the matrix must adhere well at the interface; any effect can reduce the strengthening effect. Using components composed of the same material, as in all-cellulose composites, the adhesion at the interface is expected to be improved. In addition, this construction would improve the recyclability of the material.

In her thesis, Helena Halonen presents a production method that entails more advantages including low cost, simplicity and relatively predictability. The method involves the use of existing raw materials, i.e. pulps that are already available from the pulp mills. Biocomposites based on chemical pulp or dissolving pulp are processed via compression moulding, a commonly used technique found in nearly all industrial sectors. It would therefore be relatively easy to implement the method in an industrial installation.

Structural changes during processing have been studied as well as the relation between the organisation of cellulose fibrils in the fibre cell wall and the mechanical properties of the end material. A higher press temperature yielded increases in the fibril aggregation, higher stiffness and better water resistance. The experiments show that the optimum press temperature would be 170 °C in order to achieve fast drying without the material being broken down thermally, while still having excellent mechanical properties.

The thesis also describes a method for producing biocomposites based on bacterial cellulose fibril aggregates from Gluconacetobacter xylinus processed through a biosynthesis. The formation of cellulose fibrils was affected by the addition of hydroxyetylcellulose (HEC) which resulted in a biocomposite with remarkable mechanical properties including improved strength, modulus and toughness. The HEC coating improved the fibril dispersion and prevented fractures.

“Helena has demonstrated the importance of fundamental understanding of linking process induced modifications in the fibre cell wall structure to the final product properties,” says Assoc. Prof. Tommy Iversen who has been Helena's supervisor at Innventia.

“Helena’s doctoral work is an important contribution to the ‘renewable materials’ area and shows a great potential for wood as a raw material base,” says Catharina Ottestam, Director of business area Packaging Solutions at Innventia.

Walki Group, a leading producer of technical laminates and protective packaging materials, has opened a new sales office in Moscow, Russia, in a bid to gain stronger foothold in fast-growing Russian and CIS markets.

The new office, which offers customers the whole range of Walki’s products, opened its doors officially in November.

- Opening a local sales office in Russia was a decisive step for us in building an even closer partnership with our key customers in Russia and other CIS countries. It also shows our long-term commitment towards growth in the region, says Walki Group’s Chief Executive Officer Leif Frilund.

Local presence creates advantages

Walki’s high-quality products and solution-focused attitude and service are the company’s competitive edge in Russia and other CIS countries, and the Groups’ local presence offers an excellent platform for bringing new products to the market.

- Opening of a new sales office in Russia was a natural step for us especially as the Group already opened a new manufacturing facility in the town of Svetogorsk, last May, says Sales and Marketing Manager Artur Hytti, who is responsible for Russia and CIS countries. 

- We see strong growth in the region especially for our packaging materials and insulation facings. In addition to now having a local sales force in Russia, it’s very important for us to be able to also utilise our production unit and warehouse in Svetogorsk to generate added value to our customers. 

- A local sales office also makes it much easier for our customers to deal with us because they can now avoid all the hassles related to import duties and other taxes and fees required to import our goods into the region, Walki’s CEO Leif Frilund notes. /ins

Borregaard has received a grant of NOK 30 million from the Research Council of Norway's earmarked funds for research on wood processing. The funds will be used over three years on innovation projects based on timber.

“The grant from the Research Council is recognition of the research and development work Borregaard has done so far, and a positive signal for continued focus on innovation in the wood processing area in Norway,” says CEO Per A. Sørlie.

Funding comes from the User-Led Innovation Arena (BIA), which is the Research Council's program for innovation in trade and industry. Borregaard submitted three applications for funding for innovation projects within the areas of lignin products for use in concrete, microfibrillar cellulose and new specialty cellulose products.

“Borregaard outlined good projects in their applications. They display a high degree of innovation and great potential for growth. Through this support, we can help to create new and innovative products and manufacturing processes, and create greater value in the wood processing industry,” says Anne Kjersti Fahlvik, Executive Director, Division of Innovation with the Research Council. 

Borregaard annually spends more than NOK 120 million on research and development and has its own research centre with 70 employees in various chemical disciplines in Sarpsborg. Around 15 per cent of the company's turnover comes from new products that did not exist five years ago. 

The Supervisory Board of AkzoNobel is delighted to announce that CEO Ton Büchner will resume his duties on Friday, December 7, following a full recovery. 

"On behalf of the Supervisory Board and the Executive Committee we welcome Ton coming back to the office. It has obviously been a testing time for all of us but now Ton is back as expected, leading the company forward and returning to business as usual," said Karel Vuursteen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. 

Commented CEO Ton Büchner: "I am thrilled to return to my post. I am grateful to my team who have taken care of the company so well during my absence. There is a great future for AkzoNobel and we are looking forward to updating you on our plans to further improve the company’s performance." 

AkzoNobel will organize an analyst conference call and media interviews on Friday, December 14. Supervisory Board member Antony Burgmans, and CEO Ton Büchner will answer questions relating to this announcement. 

On February 20, 2013, AkzoNobel will announce its Q4 and Full Year 2012 results, and Ton Büchner will give the Strategy Update, postponed from October 22.

At the New Generation Plantation Project (NGPP) conference organised this week in the capital of Uruguay in Montevideo, UPM showcased how it manages sustainable forestry plantations. The international conference was attended by forestry, plantation and sustainability experts from all over the world as well as global companies and representatives of the Uruguayan government.

Opening the conference Tabare Aguerre, the Uruguayan Minister for Agriculture, highlighted the fact that Uruguay is the only country in South America that had actually increased its area of native forest in the last twenty years.

Minister Aguerre said: “Plantation forestry has helped develop and diversify the Uruguayan economy and continues to attract investments”.

“Well-managed plantations can have a positive role to play in economic, social and environmental development when they are managed in accordance with the concepts of the New Generation Plantation Project”, said Luis Neves Silva of WWF, Manager of the NGPP.

“Our approach to plantation management is aligned with the New Generation Plantation Principles. Wherever we operate, we respect the rights of local communities and protect ecosystems and natural forests. All of our eucalyptus plantations in Uruguay are FSC and PEFC certified,” says Javier Solari, Vice President of UPM’s Plantation Operations.

The Montevideo conference concluded with a four day study tour of Uruguay sharing best practices in sustainable plantation management.

Plantation Life website tells more about UPM’s sustainable plantation forestry

UPM’s eucalyptus plantation forestry company in Uruguay, Forestal Oriental, is the centre of expertise for UPM plantation operations worldwide. Approximately 60% of the land owned by the company is planted for eucalyptus. The rest of the land is used for cattle grazing and forestry-related infrastructure or is protected and not used for plantation operations. The long term annual harvest of pulp wood in these areas covers currently 70% of the demand for wood raw material for UPM’s Fray Bentos pulp mill. The remaining 30% is purchased from independent suppliers. In co-operation with local private landowners, the company’s FOMENTO programme works to encourage the suppliers to diversify the use of their farmland using sustainable plantation forestry.

More information on UPM’s plantation operations is available online at www.upmplantationlife.com. On the website the visitor will find videos with UPM employees working in the plantation operations, people who live in the communities close to the plantations, and many other people UPM works with discussing issues relevant to plantation operations. Facts and cases provide additional information on UPM’s operations.

C&S Paper has brought a new 28,000 tonne/yr tissue machine on stream at its mill in Chengdu city, Sichuan province.

The PM, supplied by Toscotec, has a wire width of 3.6 m and a design speed of 1,600 m/min.

Another two identical units from the same supplier will come online soon at the firm's mill in Jiangmen city, Guangdong province.

The first of these is expected to start up in December, and the second will come online early next year.

Four more PMs to come: C&S Paper will also install four other tissue units which it aims to fire up in 2013, raising its total capacity to more than 520,000 tonnes/yr.

Two machines with a combined capacity of 59,000 tonnes/yr have been ordered from Toscotec. These will be erected at the Chengdu site, with startup scheduled for the second half of 2013.

One of the PMs will have a trim width of 3.55 m and a design speed of 1,650 m/min, and will be able to produce tissue at a rate of 32,000 tonnes/yr.

The other, with a trim width of 2.85 m and a design speed of 1,700 m/min, will have a capacity of 27,000 tonnes/yr.