September 15 we celebrated an important milestone at Savon Sellu; the production of the 8^th million ton of fluting on our board machine which was started in 1968. To commemorate the occasion we organized a party for invited customers from all over the world. Participants arrived from as far as Argentina, China and the Philippines but of course also many from our closer European and Middle Eastern markets. The day included an extended mill visit, presentations, e.g. the introduction of our new quality specifications, a cruise on Lake Kallavesi and a dinner at the Kuopio Club. The next day a few brave golfers set off to master the spectacular Tahko New Course in chase of the Dermot F. Smurfit Invitational Trophy.

The 8^th million ton celebratory roll was presented by Dr. Dermot F. Smurfit to International Paper, specifically the Gandia plant. The roll was signed by representatives of International Paper, by Powerflute’s Chairman and CEO, by representatives of Savon Sellu’s management and workers and by our sales agent in Spain. The roll travelled the usual route from Kuopio to Gandia, standing out also in the ports and in the vessel as a very special roll!

During the event we also showcased our latest major investment; our new fully automatic roll packaging line. This line allows us, as the first and only supplier of pure Nordic virgin fibre Semi-Chemical Fluting to fully serve the new generation of 3350 mm wide corrugators. The new line can handle rolls of up to 3600 mm and offers improved roll protection in the form of corrugated end-shields and tighter wrapping. In addition, we are introducing printed wrapping. We are convinced that tighter and printed wrapping will reduce roll damage along the transportation chain.

We are very grateful to all of you who gave your time to participate and to make this a special event. We at Powerflute Savon Sellu had a great time and sincerely believe that sentiment was shared by our valued guests!

Clearwater Paper Corporation (NYSE:CLW) has reported financial results for the third quarter of 2011.

The company reported net earnings of $8.6 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2011, compared to net earnings of $15.0 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2010. The third quarter 2011 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, was $46.2 million, compared to $40.3 million in the third quarter of 2010. Clearwater Paper acquired Cellu Tissue on December 27, 2010. The third quarter of 2011 includes Cellu Tissue's results, which is the primary reason for many of the variances between the 2011 and 2010 periods.

"We are pleased to surpass the $500 million milestone in quarterly net sales and are continuing our focus on managing expenses in this challenging cost environment," said Gordon Jones, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Both the integration of Cellu Tissue and the construction of our Shelby facility are on track, with meaningful contributions expected to begin in 2012."

"We believe our investment in these growth areas of the business are putting us in a strong strategic position for the future and early customer reception is very positive," added Jones.

As part of its previously announced share repurchase program, the company repurchased 291,600 shares of outstanding common stock at an average price of $34.30 per share during the third quarter of 2011. The company also effected a two-for-one stock split on August 26, 2011. All prior period share amounts have been adjusted to reflect the stock split.

THIRD QUARTER 2011 SEGMENT PERFORMANCE

Consumer Products

Net sales in the Consumer Products segment were $285.2 million for the third quarter of 2011, as compared to third quarter 2010 net sales of $143.9 million. The increase in net sales was primarily attributable to the inclusion of Cellu Tissue's operating results in the third quarter. Operating income for the third quarter of 2011 was $7.1 million, compared with operating income of $17.9 million for the third quarter of 2010. The decrease in operating income was primarily the result of higher operating costs.

• Tissue volume increased to 134,145 tons in the third quarter of 2011, as compared to 55,069 tons in the third quarter of 2010, with the increase primarily attributable to the addition of Cellu Tissue volumes. Including Cellu Tissue in our third quarter 2010 results would have resulted in pro forma volume of 135,102 tons. The decrease in 2011 tons versus 2010 pro forma tons sold by the combined company was primarily due to converting more parent rolls into finished cases, which results in a yield loss associated with the process of manufacturing finished cases.
• Net selling prices decreased to $2,126 per ton in the third quarter of 2011 versus $2,614 in the third quarter of 2010, due primarily to the inclusion of Cellu Tissue products in the total product mix for the 2011 period. On a pro forma basis, net selling prices were $2,051 in the third of quarter of 2010. Cellu Tissue's operations have a broader range of products and tissue grades than the legacy Clearwater Paper facilities.
• The decrease in operating income was primarily due to higher operating costs including transportation, wage and benefits, packaging materials and chemical costs.

Pulp and Paperboard

Net sales of $215.9 million in the Pulp and Paperboard segment for the third quarter of 2011 increased 3.3%, compared to third quarter 2010 net sales of $209.0 million. Operating income for the quarter rose 24.6% to $26.3 million, compared to $21.1 million for the third quarter of 2010. The increase was primarily due to higher net selling prices for paperboard and lower wood fiber costs, partially offset by higher chemical costs.

• Higher net sales for the 2011 quarter were driven by a 2.4% increase in paperboard pricing to $971 per ton and a 0.3% increase in paperboard volumes to 184,870 tons, each as compared to the third quarter of 2010.
• The increase in net sales was partially offset by a 1.4% decline in external pulp pricing to $684 per ton.
• Major maintenance expense of $3.1 million was incurred in the third quarter of 2011, compared to $4.0 million in the third quarter of 2010.

Taxes

The actual income tax rate for the third quarter of 2011 was 40.7%, compared to an actual rate of 39.3% for the third quarter of 2010. The estimated annual effective tax rate for 2011, without discrete items, is expected to be approximately 34.2%.

Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release, the company presents its results for the third quarter of 2011 and 2010, including EBITDA. The EBITDA amounts are not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and accordingly a reconciliation of EBITDA to net earnings determined in accordance with GAAP is included at the end of this press release. The download is available below

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, has been rated the top packaging company and the top company in the Materials Sectors in Newsweek magazine's 2011 Green Rankings, which assess the United States' largest 500 public companies on their environmental footprint, environmental policies and reputation. Sonoco was also rated 202^nd overall, placing the Company in the Green Ranking's top 40 percent for the third consecutive year.

To create the 2011 Green Rankings, Newsweek collaborated with leading environmental research providers Trucost and Sustainalytics to evaluate each company's environmental footprint, management of that footprint and transparency. Trucost used publicly disclosed environmental data to evaluate company performance on more than 700 environmental impact metrics and determine each company's environmental impact score. Sustainalytics also evaluated the policies, programs, targets and certifications each company uses to manage its environmental performance. And, to benchmark each company's performance against its industry peers, Sustainalytics supplemented more than a dozen core environmental indicators with over 40 sector-specific indicators. The 500 companies included in the 2011 Green Rankings are the largest U.S. companies as measured by revenue, market capitalization and number of employees.

"We are extremely pleased to have our commitment to setting the standard for sustainability in the packaging industry recognized again this year and to be ranked the top company in the Materials Sector," said Harris E. DeLoach, Jr., Sonoco chairman and chief executive officer. "It is also very gratifying for our employees and other stakeholders to be rated so highly, given the extensive and detailed research involved in developing the Green Rankings."

More information about Sonoco's environmental commitment can be found at http://www.sonoco.com/sustainability.aspx.

The full list of Newsweek's 2011 Green Rankings can be found at http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/10/16/green-rankings-2011.html.

SOURCE: Sonoco

Temple-Inland Inc. has provided an update on the shutdown of its Bogalusa, Louisiana paper mill following an operational issue at the mill and its waste-water treatment facility.

Predictive testing for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) indicated that the Bogalusa mill would exceed its maximum daily permit levels for discharge to the Pearl River from the mill's waste-water treatment facility. The Company believes that this exceedance may have depleted the oxygen level in part of the river below that necessary to sustain a healthy fish population and resulted in a fish kill.

On Saturday, August 13, 2011, upon receiving the results of predictive testing, Temple-Inland immediately shut down the mill. The Company promptly informed the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) of the situation and began taking corrective actions to restore the water quality of the River.

Temple-Inland's Chairman and CEO Doyle R. Simons said, "The health of the Pearl River and surrounding communities are our utmost concerns. Temple-Inland has a strong environmental record and we sincerely regret this incident, which is contrary to our culture of good community stewardship as both an employer and a resident of Bogalusa and the State of Louisiana.

"We never lose sight that we are members and supporters of the Bogalusa area and apologize for the impact this issue at the mill has had on the Pearl River, its aqua culture and surrounding communities. We are working diligently and expeditiously to remove the fish kill and restore the quality of the River," Simons concluded.

Clearwater Paper Corporation has announced the company has entered into an agreement to sell its Lewiston, Idaho, sawmill to Idaho Forest Group of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

The transaction includes the sale of Clearwater Paper's sawmill, planer mill, dry kilns, and related assets along with log and finished goods inventories and timber under contract, in the aggregate amount of approximately $30 million. As part of the transaction, the two companies have entered into a long-term residual fiber supply agreement with the goal of delivering consistent supplies of chips and sawdust to Clearwater Paper's Lewiston pulp mill from Idaho Forest Group Mills.

"This has been a very careful and thoughtful decision for everyone at the company," said Tom Colgrove, president of pulp and paperboard at Clearwater Paper. "We believe that this is the best possible outcome for the mill and its continued operation in the region, our company and our shareholders."

Clearwater Paper is expected to ramp down production in the coming weeks in preparation for Idaho Forest Group to officially take possession in the fourth quarter of 2011. Clearwater Paper's approximately 250 affected employees will receive severance and all provisions subject to the WARN Act, which includes up to 60 days' worth of pay and benefits.

"We believe the tough times in the lumber industry will continue into the foreseeable future, and that the mill will be operated by a company whose core focus is lumber," said Colgrove. "We believe IFG has the people, resources and the business structure to make the Lewiston sawmill very successful."

Upon closing of the transaction, Idaho Forest Group plans to adjust production to meet its customer needs. At the same time, Idaho Forest Group will begin assessing employment needs and should initiate the hiring process soon after the close of the transaction. Longer term, Idaho Forest Group will assess the mill's capabilities and prepare an improvement plan for implementation.

"We are very excited about the prospects of updating and revitalizing the Lewiston sawmill," said Scott Atkison, president of Idaho Forest Group. "The mill and its location in the LC Valley and surrounding wood basket give us the ability to better supply our customers with the products they need, both now and into the future."

Clearwater Paper is working closely with the Idaho Department of Labor and the Governor's Dislocated Workers Task Force to assist employees.

DS Smith Plc, the international supplier of recycled packaging for consumer goods, today issues its pre-close statement for the half-year to 31 October 2011.

DS Smith Group

The encouraging overall trading reported in our IMS of 6 September 2011 has continued. Like-for-like volumes in corrugated packaging are up 3% for the financial year to date and are set against strong comparatives in the corresponding period. This is in line with the previously announced Group targets, reflecting our resilient fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) customer base. At the same time, we have continued to generate strong cashflow and to make progress on margins. As a consequence of this, and due to a strong contribution from Otor, we expect the half year to 31 October 2011 to show significant EPS growth compared to the comparable period last year.

We have recently completed a refinancing of our revolving credit facility with a new five year facility of £610 million.

Packaging

Our Corrugated Packaging businesses have continued to perform well. We are recovering our input cost increases progressively. Margins are improving due to our focus on offering customers a high standard of service and quality and innovative solutions that differentiate our packaging offering and add value to customers’ supply chains.

Our previously announced operating cost and capital savings programmes are making good progress. Specifically, we are well on track to reach the targeted £10 million run-rate savings from procurement by the end of this financial year, split between cost and capital savings. We now expect to see £9 million benefit from procurement savings in the current financial year (up from £6 million previously). The programme to save £10 million run-rate in operating expenditure in the UK by April 2014 is on course, as is the programme for €13 million of cost synergies from the Otor acquisition.

As part of the strategy to reduce non-integrated paper manufacturing, we have sold one paper mill in this period, Higher Kings Mill, which produced 34kt per annum of specialist paper. The previously announced process to close our paper mill at Hollins (95kt) is on track.
The performance of the Plastics business continues to develop, with strong volume growth, and good cost control.

Office Products Wholesaling

The trading performance at Spicers has been good. The process to dispose of the Spicers business is on track with a binding agreement in respect of the sale signed on 7 September 2011. Completion is expected before 31 December 2011. Accordingly, Spicers will be
treated as a discontinued item in the half year results, (to see appendix download link below)

Delivering against our strategic goals

Following the disposal of Spicers, DS Smith will be a focused, international supplier of recycled packaging for FMCG customers with improving operational performance, and the financial strength to invest in the organic growth of the business and to pursue acquisitions within a fragmented packaging sector. We shall maintain strict financial discipline, pursuing only acquisition opportunities that would result in returns to shareholders in line with our medium term financial targets, as we have done with Otor.

Outlook

We remain confident in our trading outlook for the year, despite the challenging macroeconomic environment and the recent turmoil in global markets. The Group expects to make further progress towards its previously announced medium term financial objectives in this financial year, in terms of margin improvement, return on capital and cash generation.

Forthcoming Dates

Results for the half-year to 31 October 2011 7 December 2011

Södra Timber will be limiting production at two sawmills for one week this autumn and at a number of sawmills over the Christmas and New Year break.

"Demand for timber products has fallen, and we have profitability problems. Production capacity must be adapted to fit in with this reduced demand so that we can create the conditions for a price level which will improve our margins," said Peter Nilsson, CEO of Södra Timber.

Södra Timber has decided to shut down production at Långasjö and Ramkvilla in week 44. Kinda, Unnefors, Ramkvilla, Orrefors, Torsås and Långasjö will also be stopping production between 23 December and 9 January. It is estimated that this will reduce production by a total of around 40,000 cubic metres of product. Staff will be offered holiday during these periods.

"These measures will allow us to start the year with balanced stocks, something we must have if we are to see a better market for timber products," said Peter Nilsson.

Kemira today celebrated the opening of a new water treatment chemicals plant in Tallinn, Estonia. The plant will operate as a Baltic region production hub for inorganic coagulants that are used in municipal and industrial water treatment. Kemira's manufacturing facilities were re-located to new premises due to the reconstruction of the Ülemiste traffic junction.

''Kemira's product selection has broadened and we are currently serving both municipal and industrial customers throughout the Baltic. The Tallinn plant uses the latest technology and logistically it has a very good location. We can offer fast and cost-efficient deliveries to our customers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania," says Tarmo Siir, the Managing Director of Kemira's subsidiary Kemivesi.

Kemira has operated in Estonia since 1994. Kemira's strengths include high-level application know-how and a comprehensive range of water treatment chemicals, which we deliver reliably to our customers.