Displaying items by tag: appleton coated

Appleton Coated LLC, a manufacturer of coated, uncoated, and specialty papers, as well as containerboard medium, liner, white top and coated white top has been sold to Industrial Assets Corp., a California-based corporation specializing in the acquisition and subsequent resale and or leasing of distressed manufacturing companies in their entirety. IA Corp., is now seeking to sell or lease the facilities and equipment to a single buyer or co-operators. Appleton produced over $300M in annual sales and has recently entered the brown paper and coated board marketplace.

Steven Mattes, CEO of Industrial Assets Corp., states the site has over a billion USD of investment capital put into the infrastructure and equipment at the site. The workforce is determined to keep the mill in operation with a high level of technical knowledge and work ethic. Industrial Assets and its partner, Maynards Industries, are uniquely suited to find the perfect strategic buyer, most likely in the growing packaging grade sector. This mill’s infrastructure is very desirable, featuring a 50 MW Cogeneration system, which will provide low cost energy, the site includes rail service, all permits in place for an immediate restart for a domestic or foreign buyer.  This 55-acre site with 1.2 million sq. ft. is ideal for running containerboard grades. The (3) paper machines have trim widths ideal to serve the corrugator converters with a customer base ready to enter into production output agreements.  The Jagenberg off-machine coater laminator provides the distinct advantage to produce linerboard to the growing demand of the high end graphics segment of commodity packaging. 

Taso Sofikitis, CEO/President of Maynards “We have a combined ability to provide direct financing and leasing program for all size companies to take advantage of this very unique opportunity.“ 

“We are pleased that the sale process has concluded and we have a clear direction,” said Doug Osterberg, President and CEO of Appleton Coated LLC.  “We are working closely with Industrial Assets and their partners to secure a strategic buyer or co operators for this mill and to reemploy as many people in Combined Locks as possible, as we have for almost 130 years.” 

Appleton Coated LLC, NewPage Corporation, and Sappi Fine Paper North America – together with the United Steelworkers (USW) -- welcomed the U.S. International Trade Commission's (ITC) finding today that imports of coated paper from China and Indonesia are causing material injury to U.S. producers and workers.  That finding was based on a 6-0 vote by the bipartisan commission.

The ITC decision clears the way for the U.S. Department of Commerce to impose antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of coated free sheet paper from these countries.  On Sept. 21, 2010, the agency issued its final determination citing imports from China and Indonesia as being both dumped and subsidized by significant margins.

The Commerce Dept. found that producers or exporters dumped coated paper in the United States at margins of 7.6-135.83 percent for China, and 20.13 percent for Indonesia. The agency also determined that these producers or exporters received countervailable subsidies ranging from 17.64-178.03 percent for China, and 17.94 percent for Indonesia.

Coated paper covered by the cases is used in many high-end commercial printing applications, including annual reports, coffee table books, magazines and brochures.

"NewPage is very pleased with the International Trade Commission's finding on injury," said George Martin, president and chief executive officer of NewPage.  "Today's determination underscores the effects of unfair competition on the U.S. industry, where government subsidies and dumping have suppressed prices and forced mill closures," said Martin.  "The decision will allow the Commerce Department to impose duties to offset the significant levels of dumping and government subsidies that were found to exist last month."  Martin added, "We will remain committed to this effort and it's important to remember that we are willing to compete with anyone in the world as long as we have a level playing field."

"We've waited a long time for this decision, which will help restore a competitive market," added Mark Gardner, president and chief executive officer of Sappi Fine Paper North America.  "For far too long, some of our competitors have been able to get away with unfair and illegal dumping and subsidies to sell their products.  The ITC's decision puts us one step closer to being able to compete fairly based on the quality of our products, the investments we make in our mills, equipment and people, and the sustainable manufacturing and procurement practices we implement and pursue," said Gardner.

Sandra Van Ert, president and chief executive officer of Appleton Coated LLC said, "The ITC finding of injury is testimony to what we, our workers and the communities in which we operate have been experiencing for far too long.  In this instance, our trade laws have worked and will help restore not only legal competition in the marketplace, but the faith of our employees that work hard, play by the rules and only want a fair chance to compete."

Jon Geenen, USW international vice president, declared, "Today's decision shows that these predatory trade practices by the Chinese and Indonesian exporters are unfair, illegal and injurious to our employers and their workers. We will not ignore the efforts of our foreign competitors who want to violate international trade standards to succeed at the expense of our union members' jobs -- that's a fight we'll never back away from."
 
Once the final antidumping and countervailing duty orders are published in the Federal Register, the U.S. Customs agency will begin applying duties on Chinese and Indonesian coated paper imports.
 
The companies and the USW filed unfair trade cases Sept. 23, 2009 with the Commerce Dept. and the ITC, alleging that certain coated paper from China and Indonesia had been dumped and subsidized, resulting in injury to the domestic industry and its employees.
 
The domestic industry has experienced capacity reductions and under-utilization resulting in the loss of jobs in communities all across the country.  The petitions show that unfairly traded imports from China and Indonesia are a significant contributor to that underutilization of capacity, mill closures and resultant job loss.  

The three companies employ about 6,000 production workers represented by the USW at 20 paper mills operating in seven states.

About Appleton Coated

Appleton Coated, headquartered in Combined Locks, Wisconsin, provides focused market leadership in premium coated and specialty paper products. The Appleton Coated product portfolio includes a range of commercial printing and book publishing papers marketed under the Utopia® brand as well as specialty and private label products. Known for their performance, aesthetics, and environmental attributes, Appleton Coated manufactures their products in a state-of-the-art facility in Combined Locks, Wisconsin, hosting the newest papermaking machine of its type in North America.  For more information please visit our website at www.appletoncoated.com/.

About NewPage Corporation

Headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, NewPage Corporation is the largest coated paper manufacturer in North America, based on production capacity, with $3.1 billion in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2009. The company's product portfolio is the broadest in North America and includes coated freesheet, coated groundwood, supercalendered, newsprint and specialty papers. These papers are used for corporate collateral, commercial printing, magazines, catalogs, books, coupons, inserts, newspapers, packaging applications and direct mail advertising.
 
NewPage owns paper mills in Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nova Scotia, Canada. These mills have a total annual production capacity of approximately 4.4 million tons of paper, including approximately 3.2 million tons of coated paper, approximately 1.0 million tons of uncoated paper and approximately 200,000 tons of specialty paper.  For more information, visit www.NewPageCorp.com.
 
About Sappi Fine Paper North America

Sappi Fine Paper North America (SFPNA) is a leading North American producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Sappi Fine Paper North America is known for innovation and quality. Its brand names, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset and Flo, are some of the industry's most widely recognized and specified. SFPNA is a division of Sappi Limited (NYSE, JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with manufacturing operations on four continents in 10 countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi Fine Paper North America at: www.sappi.com/na/.

About the United Steelworkers

The United Steelworkers (USW) is a North American union headquartered in Pittsburgh. The union negotiates labor agreements representing 850,000 active workers employed in a variety of major industries that include metals, mining, pulp, paper, timber, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto parts, oil, and energy renewables. The USW also represents service and professional sector workers to include healthcare, municipalities and pharmaceuticals. For more information: www.usw.org/.

SOURCE NewPage Corporation

Appleton Coated LLC, NewPage Corporation and Sappi Fine Paper North America – commended the Economic Policy Institute for its study, No Paper Tiger, Subsidies to China’s Paper Industry From 2002-09, authored by Professor Dr. Usha C.V. Haley.

The Economic Policy Institute’s (EPI) report highlights the continuing efforts of the Chinese government to promote the development of its paper producers at almost any expense. The academic study identified roughly $33 billion in subsidies provided to China’s paper producers in a variety of forms that have stimulated enormous capacity increases and jeopardized production and jobs in the U.S.

This study backs up the facts that underlie the trade case that was filed by our companies and the United Steelworkers (USW) union last September. That case alleged that Chinese and Indonesian paper producers benefitted from subsidies and were dumping their products in the U.S. market. At each stage of the government’s review of the cases, the concerns were validated and relief has been authorized.

Among the study’s findings:

* “Since 2000, China has tripled its paper production...”
* “China’s rapid rise in the global paper industry has been fueled by over $33.1 billion in government subsidies from 2002 to 2009.”
* “China has no natural competitive advantage in papermaking, and lacks the natural resources to fuel the industry... Despite global overcapacity, China’s paper industry has added on average 26% of new capacity every year from 2004... (E)xports have led the development of China’s paper industry with detrimental effects on the United States and global economies.”
* “The U.S. trade deficit with China on paper has been increasing exponentially since 2002. Imports from China are rising faster than those from any other country for this industry. In February 2010, the annualized growth rate of Chinese paper and paper-product imports into the United States approximated 22%.”
* “China has no inherent cost advantage in the capital-intensive paper industry. Indeed, labor makes up about 4% of the costs in this industry; in contrast, imported recycled paper and pulp comprise over 35% of the costs. Raw materials, which make up three-fourths of the costs of producing paper, as well as electricity, coal, and transportation, have nearly doubled in price over the last decade. Yet, Chinese paper sells at a substantial discount compared to U.S. or European paper.”

“This study shows that Chinese subsidies are pervasive and have fueled the development of their industry. Their policies have damaged production here in the U.S., and cost jobs. Our case seeks to address only a portion of their subsidies that have affected the coated paper sector. But, something must be done to address China’s overall subsidies so that other sectors, producers and workers do not become victims as well,” said Sandra Van Ert, president and chief executive officer of Appleton Coated LLC.

“EPI’s study strengthens our case and shows that China’s actions are part of a larger strategy to grow their industry regardless of the cost to others. China is a non-market economy that simply doesn’t play by the rules. All we’re seeking is the restoration of a level playing field where we’re allowed to compete and continue to invest in plant, equipment and people,” stated Mike Marziale, senior vice president, marketing, strategy and general management of NewPage Corporation.

Mark Gardner, president and chief executive officer of Sappi Fine Paper North America said, “This study clearly demonstrates the need for a competitive market in coated paper. Our trade case is meant to restore a level playing field. Until something is done about China’s overall predatory policies, we and other industries will continue to have to pursue such trade cases.”

The companies and the United Steelworkers filed unfair trade cases on September 23, 2009 with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the U.S. International Trade Commission alleging that certain coated paper from China and Indonesia had been dumped and subsidized resulting in injury to the domestic industry and its employees. The paper products covered by the petitions include coated paper in sheet form used in high-quality writing, printing and other graphic applications, with a GE brightness rating of 80 or higher and weighing up to 340 grams per square meter.

The domestic industry has experienced capacity reductions and under-utilization resulting in the loss of jobs in communities all across the country. The petitions show that unfairly traded imports from China and Indonesia are a significant contributor to that underutilization of capacity, mill closures and resultant job loss.

The three companies employ about 6,000 production workers represented by the USW at 20 paper mills operating in seven states.

About Appleton Coated
Appleton Coated, headquartered in Kimberly, Wisconsin, provides focused market leadership in premium coated and specialty paper products. The Appleton Coated product portfolio includes a range of commercial printing and book publishing papers marketed under the Utopia® brand as well as specialty and private label products. Known for their performance, aesthetics, and environmental attributes, Appleton Coated manufactures their products in a state-of-the-art facility in Combined Locks, Wisconsin, hosting the newest papermaking machine of its type in North America. For more information please visit our website at www.appletoncoated.com/.

About NewPage Corporation
Headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, NewPage Corporation is the largest coated paper manufacturer in North America, based on production capacity, with $3.1 billion in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2009. The company’s product portfolio is the broadest in North America and includes coated freesheet, coated groundwood, supercalendered, newsprint and specialty papers. These papers are used for corporate collateral, commercial printing, magazines, catalogs, books, coupons, inserts, newspapers, packaging applications and direct mail advertising.

NewPage owns paper mills in Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nova Scotia, Canada. These mills have a total annual production capacity of approximately 4.4 million tons of paper, including approximately 3.2 million tons of coated paper, approximately 1.0 million tons of uncoated paper and approximately 200,000 tons of specialty paper. For more information, visit www.NewPageCorp.com.

About Sappi Fine Paper North America
Sappi Fine Paper North America (SFPNA) is a leading North American producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Sappi Fine Paper North America is known for innovation and quality. Its brand names, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset and Flo, are some of the industry’s most widely recognized and specified. SFPNA is a division of Sappi Limited (NYSE, JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with manufacturing operations on four continents in 10 countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi Fine Paper North America at: www.sappi.com/na/.

Media Contacts:
Ann Whalen, Appleton Coated LLC, 920-968-3809, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Shawn Hall, NewPage Corporation, 937-242-9373, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amy Olson, Sappi Fine Paper North America, 617-423-5409, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Appleton Coated LLC, NewPage Corporation, and Sappi Fine Paper North America – together with the United Steelworkers commended the U.S. Department of Commerce for its preliminary countervailing duty determinations against subsidized coated paper imports from China and Indonesia.

As a result of these determinations, the Department of Commerce will impose tariffs on imports of coated paper to offset the unfair advantage provided by subsidization. The Department of Commerce found that Chinese coated paper was subsidized by an average rate of 8.38 percent.

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) producers Gold East, Gold Huasheng, Ningbo Zhonghua and Ningbo Asia Pulp and Paper received a subsidy margin of 12.83 percent, while Sun Paper received a rate of 3.92 percent. In Indonesia , APP/Sinar Mas producers Tjiwi Kimia and Indah Kiat received a subsidy margin of 17.48 percent. All other Indonesian producers/exporters will be subject to this same rate. The result of the Department's actions will be the immediate requirement that these importers of paper from the subject countries will have to post bond or cash deposits in an amount equal to the announced margins pending final resolution of the cases later this year.

The companies and the USW filed unfair trade cases on September 23, 2009 with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission ("ITC") alleging that certain coated paper from China and Indonesia had been dumped and subsidized resulting in injury to the domestic industry and its employees. The paper products covered by the petitions include coated paper used in high-quality writing, printing and other graphic applications, using sheet-fed presses with a GE brightness rating of 80 or higher and weighing up to 340 grams per square meter.

source: NewPage

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