OMNOVA Solutions Inc. (NYSE: OMN) has announced income from continuing operations of $0.2 million, or breakeven per diluted share, for the first quarter ended February 28, 2013.  Net loss for the first quarter was $0.2 million, or breakeven per diluted share.  Included in the first quarter results were restructuring, severance, manufacturing transition costs and other items which totaled $1.9 million pre-tax.  These were primarily related to the closure of manufacturing operations at a plant, which had previously been disclosed.

"As we expected, operating results in our first quarter of 2013, which has been historically our weakest on a seasonal basis, were lower than last year.  These results are not reflective of what we anticipate for the rest of the year.  As previously disclosed, we lost significant volume in our coated paper chemicals markets late last year, which negatively impacted results in the first quarter.  However, we have won new commitments that are expected to offset much of the lost volume, with product shipments beginning to ramp up in the second quarter.  Additionally, weak volumes in both the European and Indian markets negatively impacted results," said Kevin McMullen, OMNOVA Solutions' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  "While we had a weak start to the quarter, we were encouraged by the profit trend as the quarter progressed, with February results significantly stronger than the prior two months.

"We have made a number of structural improvements that we expect will begin contributing to increased operating profit during the remainder of the year, including new global manufacturing capability coming online and the completion of the Columbus, Mississippi manufacturing consolidation.  In addition, we have recent new business commitments from customers and are seeing encouraging signs from key end markets in which we are well positioned such as housing, oil and gas exploration, personal hygiene and transportation.  As a result, we expect full-year 2013 Adjusted Income from Continuing Operations will exceed last year's performance," said McMullen.

Consolidated Results for the First Quarter Ending February 28, 2013

Net sales decreased $24.2 million, or 8.8%, to $251.7 million for the first quarter of 2013, compared to $275.9 million for the first quarter of 2012.  The sales decrease was driven by lower volume of $19.7 million, or 7.1%, and reduced pricing of $4.7 million, partially offset by favorable currency translation effects of $0.2 million. 

Gross profit in the first quarter of 2013 decreased to $49.0 million, compared to $60.9 million in the first quarter of 2012, due primarily to the lower volumes.  Raw material costs declined $3.1 million in the first quarter versus the same period last year.  Gross profit margins in the first quarter of 2013 were 19.5%, compared to margins of 22.1% in the first quarter of 2012. The decline was due to the lower volumes, reduced pricing and related manufacturing cost absorption.

Selling, general and administrative expense (SG&A) in the first quarter of 2013 was $30.5 million, or 12.1% of sales, compared to $29.5 million, or 10.7% of sales, in the first quarter of 2012.  The increase was due to higher outside services, health care and other employee costs.

Interest expense in the first quarter of 2013 was $8.6 million, a decrease of $0.9 million from the first quarter of 2012, due primarily to the completed amortization in 2012 of an interest rate swap agreement.

Income tax expense was $0.6 million, representing a 75.0% effective income tax rate, for the first quarter of 2013, compared to income tax expense of $3.5 million, or a 24.6% effective tax rate in the first quarter of 2012.  The lower rate in the first quarter of 2012 was due primarily to a foreign tax benefit of $1.0 million.  The higher rate in the first quarter of 2013 was primarily related to the low pre-tax income results.  While the first quarter effective tax rate appears high at 75%, the Company estimates its full-year 2013 effective rate will be approximately 30% to 33%.

Cash tax payments in the U.S. over the next few years are expected to be minimal as the Company has $116.8 million of U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards and $90.0 million of state and local tax net operating loss carryforwards with expiration dates between 2022 and 2032.

Net loss for the first quarter of 2013 was $0.2 million, or breakeven per diluted share, compared to net income of $13.5 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2012. This included a loss from discontinued operations of $0.4 million for the first quarter of 2013, compared to income from discontinued operations of $2.8 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2012.  Income from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2013 was $0.2 million, or breakeven per diluted share, compared to $10.7 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2012.  Adjusted Income From Continuing Operations was $1.5 million, or $0.03 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2013, compared to Adjusted Income From Continuing Operations of $10.0 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2012 (see Tables B and C).

As of February 28, 2013, the Company's debt of $454.0 million was comprised of $250.0 million of 7.875% Senior Notes maturing in 2018, a term loan of $195.5 million maturing in 2017 and $8.5 million of foreign operations borrowing.  The Company's liquidity position remained strong and totaled $200.1 million.  Liquidity was comprised of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $122.0 million and $78.1 million of available borrowing capacity under the Company's U.S. revolving asset-based credit facility.

Net Debt increased $26.9 million to $334.2 million during the quarter due primarily to an increase in working capital.  However, Net Debt was flat with the same period a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA (as defined in the Company's Term Loan Credit Agreement, see Table D) declined to $97.4 million at the end of the first quarter of 2013.  The Company was in compliance with all lender covenants.

In March, the Company amended and extended its $195.5 million term loan facility by one year, to May 2018.  Additionally, the floating-rate pricing of this debt declined by 1.25%, to 4.25%, or a savings of $2.4 million per year at prevailing LIBOR rates.

Discontinued Operations

As part of a strategy to focus on businesses with greater global growth potential, the Company divested its North American and U.K.-based commercial wallcovering businesses in fiscal 2012, receiving proceeds of $16.2 million in cash and notes, along with the potential for future royalty payments.  These businesses were classified as discontinued operations at the end of fiscal 2011.  As part of a manufacturing transition agreement with the buyer, the Company continued to operate a plant in Columbus, Mississippi, which made commercial wallcovering and coated fabric products until February 2013, when production ceased.

Performance Chemicals First Quarter 2013 Results

Net sales during the first quarter of 2013 decreased $27.2 million, to $191.2 million, compared to $218.4 million in the first quarter of 2012.  Sales decreased due to volume declines of $22.2 million or 10.2%, reduced pricing of $4.9 million and unfavorable foreign currency translation of $0.1 million.  For the first quarter of 2013, Performance Chemicals generated Adjusted Segment Operating Profit of $15.1 million, compared to Adjusted Segment Operating Profit of $25.7 million in the first quarter of 2012 (see Table A).  Adjusted Segment Operating Profit declined due primarily to the lower volumes.

Adjusted Segment Operating Profit margin was 7.9% for the first quarter of 2013, compared to Adjusted Segment Operating Profit margin of 11.8% in the first quarter of 2012.

Specialty chemical sales declined $8.0 million to $123.9 million for the first quarter of 2013, compared to $131.9 million for the first quarter of 2012, driven primarily by lower sales in tire cord, elastomeric modifiers, specialty rubbers and contract manufacturing.  This was partially offset by sales growth in key global product lines that enjoy solid market positions in Asia, including nonwovens, oil and gas drilling chemicals, antioxidants, tape/adhesive and floor care.   Regionally, specialty chemical sales were lower in Europe and India versus last year, but higher in Asia.  The oil and gas drilling chemical business generated initial sales for three new products during the quarter.  The Company also received commitments for additional volumes in roofing and construction applications.  Continued progress was made in obtaining customer approvals for specialty latex from OMNOVA's newest plant in Caojing, China, which ran at 50% utilization levels supplying tire cord products and was profitable throughout the quarter.  Additionally, the construction of new styrene butadiene latex capacity and capability on the Caojing site is nearing completion. Commissioning and customer qualifications are expected to occur during the second half of the year.     

Paper and carpet chemical sales were $67.3 million for the first quarter of 2013, compared to $86.5 million for the first quarter of 2012, driven primarily by lower year-over-year volumes in both markets.  The Company previously disclosed the loss of approximately 60 million pounds to competitive activity in the last half of 2012, but has won new commitments that are expected to significantly offset the volume loss with product shipments beginning to ramp up in the second quarter of 2013. Actions continue to be focused on higher performance and more sustainable product solutions, such as bio-based co-polymer hybrid chemistry as well as high strength technologies, to deliver greater customer value.  Commissioning and scale-up of the Company's new hollow plastic pigment product, which utilizes re-purposed styrene-butadiene latex reactors, is progressing with customer conversions and new account penetrations expected late in the second quarter.

Engineered Surfaces First Quarter 2013 Results

Net sales were $60.5 million during the first quarter of 2013, an increase of $3.0 million, or 5.2%, compared to the first quarter of 2012.  Sales improved by 2.5% for global coated fabrics and 7.8% for global laminates and performance films.  Adjusted Segment Operating Profit was $1.8 million in the first quarter of 2013, compared to Adjusted Segment Operating Profit of $3.0 million for the first quarter of 2012 (see Table A).  The decline in Adjusted Segment Operating Profit was the result of $0.8 million of lower LIFO and other inventory valuations compared to the first quarter of 2012, due to the transition of coated fabrics production and $0.4 million of higher raw material and manufacturing costs.

Global coated fabric sales were $28.9 million, up $0.7 million or an increase of 2.5%.  Sales improved in Asia, but declined in North America.  The sales improvement in Thailand and China was due primarily to higher volumes in transportation markets as a result of new automotive wins.  North American sales declined primarily due to customer pre-buys in the fourth quarter of 2012 in anticipation of the Columbus, Mississippi manufacturing plant shutdown.  During the quarter, wallcovering and coated fabrics production ceased at the facility and the volume was moved to other OMNOVA facilities. Coated fabrics profitability is forecasted to improve over the remaining three quarters of 2013 versus the prior year as customer trials have been completed, and orders are expected to ramp up from current levels.   

Laminate and performance film sales were $31.6 million, an increase of $2.3 million or 7.8%, led by a strong demand in residential and commercial construction-related markets for products that go into kitchen and bath, flooring, store fixture and display applications.

For the full release with tables click here....

SOURCE OMNOVA Solutions Inc.

Swiss specialty chemicals group Clariant International AG acquired the nano-silver ink technology platform developed under the trademark Bayink® from Bayer Group (Germany). The transaction comprises all patents, know-how and materials related to Bayer's nano-silver ink technology. Clariant will continue to work closely with existing customers and cooperation partners to further develop nano-silver inks and its applications. "The acquisition will strengthen our portfolio of new materials for the electronics and energy markets", said Christian Kohlpaintner, Member of the Executive Committee. 

Nano silver inks are printable on various substrates like polymers, glas, or silicon. They are applicable in a wide variety of emerging applications for printed electronics, e.g., printed circuit boards, radio frequency identification devices (RFID) or photovoltaic panels. Nano-silver inks provide excellent conductivity by spending fewer amounts of precious metal using advanced printing technologies such as ink-jet or aerosol printing. 

“Nano silver inks are an important step to develop a sustainable innovation platform for functional inks in addition to our product portfolio for printing inks which will provide unique solutions to our customers using our core competencies in surfactants and formulation technology”, said Frank Küber, Head of New Business Development at Clariant.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "India Paper Industry Forecast & Opportunities, 2017" report to their offering.

India Paper and Paperboard Market Revenues to Surpass USD 11 Billion By 2017

The paper industry in India has become more promising as the domestic demand is on the rise. Increasing population and literacy rate, growth in GDP, improvement in manufacturing sector and lifestyle of individuals are expected to account for the growth in the paper industry of India. BILT and ITC are among the largest producers of paper and paperboard in India. Many of the existing players are increasing their capacity to meet the growing demand. The focus of paper industry is now shifting towards more eco-friendly products and technology. Government of India has established rules and regulations to control the population and degradation of forest. These measures taken by the government has brought the significant changes in the paper industry of India.

According to India Paper Industry Forecast & Opportunities, 2017 the paper industry in India is expected to grow at the CAGR of around 9.6% during 2012-2017, which will make the revenues of paper industry of India to reach up to USD 11.83 Billion by 2017. About 70% of the total installed capacity of paper production in India is accounted by Gujarat, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Kerala, Bihar and Assam together account for about 25% of the total paper production in India.

India Paper Industry Forecast & Opportunities, 2017, discusses the following aspects related to paper industry in India:

- Global Paper Industry Market Size, Share & Forecast

- India Paper Industry Market Size, Market Share & Forecast

- Market Trends & Opportunities

- Raw Material Analysis

- Competitive Landscape & Strategic Recommendations

Key Topics Covered:

1. Analyst Briefing

2. Global Paper Industry Overview

3. India Paper Industry Market Overview

4. Price Point Analysis

5. Raw Material Analysis

6. India Paper Industry Structure

7. Market Dynamics

8. Demand & Supply Analysis

9. PEST Analysis

10. Market Trends & Developments

11. India Economic Profile

12. Competitive landscape

12.1. Porters Five Forces Analysis

12.2. Company Profiles

- Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT)

- Century Pulp and Paper

- Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited

- ITC

- JK Paper Limited

- Rainbow Papers Limited

- Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited (SPB)

- Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL)

- The Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Limited (APPM)

- The West Coast Paper Mills Limited Hana Instruments

13. Strategic Recommendations

source: researchandmarkets.com

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE: PKG), will hold a conference call on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss first quarter 2013 results. First quarter 2013 earnings will be released after the market closes on April 22, 2013.

For access to the conference call on April 23rd, please dial (866) 818-1395 (U.S. and Canada) or (703) 639-1379 (International) by 9:45 a.m. (Eastern Time). The conference call leader will be Mark Kowlzan.

A replay of the call will also be available from 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on April 23, 2013 until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on May 7, 2013. To access the recording, please dial (888) 266-2081 (U.S. and Canada) or (703) 925-2533 (International). The passcode is 1610454.

This call will also be webcast and can be accessed at PCA’s website at: www.packagingcorp.com.

PCA is the fourth largest producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in the United States with sales of $2.8 billion in 2012. PCA operates four paper mills and 71 corrugated product plants in 26 states across the country.

There’s a local fight at the federal level in Kalamazoo, right now.  It surrounds the old Allied Paper Mill and the plans the Environmental Protection Agency has for it.

The paper mill closed in 1971 but it’s still polluting an 80-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River and parts of Portage Creek.   Concerns of the waste and PCB’s have the EPA hatching a plan to cover the old site, instead of a massive cleanup.  These concerns are nothing new in the area; there have been water tests, talks of cleanup and even protests for years.

The Kalamazoo River Cleanup Coalition held a meeting Tuesday where Fox 17 learned the EPA will issue a proposal for the site in mid April.  After that, there’s a 30-60 day period for public comment.  During that time the coalition can plead their case for a complete site cleanup versus just a cover up.

In September, the EPA will issue their ‘record of decision.’  Right now, there is $50-million in a cleanup fund from a bankruptcy settlement.  The EPA plans to use that money to cover the PCB contaminated waste.

The coalition says it would cost $120-million for a complete site cleanup while the EPA disagrees putting the estimate at $366-million.

The Kalamazoo River Cleanup coalition hopes to get committees and congressmen on board along with the community through social media, putting more pressure on the EPA to clean up the site properly.

source: fox17 news

During the Yaoshang holiday it took us to Kadamtala mount where the once flourishing but now defunct Bamboo Chipping Plant, which was later remaned as Manipur Pulp & Allied Products Ltd, still stands regally spreading over an area of 15 acres of land reminding the visitors of its former glory.

After the foundation stone was laid on August 31, 1987 by Rishang Keishing, the then Chief Minister of Manipur, the Plant had been inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of Manipur RK Ranbir on May 21, 1990 as a subsidiary unit of Manipur Industrial Development Co-operation Ltd.

(MANIDCO) with the main objective of utilizing the available Bamboo resources in the State and earning income by selling the product to the Hindustan Paper Mill, Silchar in Assam.

The plant was formally incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 on October 27, 1988 .

What the plant did at the height of its operation was for chipping the Bamboo and send them in bulk to the paper mills at Silchar and other parts of Assam where there are high demand for manufacturing papers.

For over 7 to 8 years, the plant was doing roaring business providing jobs to many people, not just the permanent and adhoc staff engaged in the operation of the factory and the machines installed there, but also to private contractors supplying bamboos collected directly from small farmers located in different parts of Jiribam sub-division.

Until then, the farmers themselves had to make arrangement for selling the bamboos to some middlemen, who in turned sell them to the paper mills at Assam.

But as luck would have it, debilitating financial position and changing Government policies led to shut down of the plant along with other so-called sick industrial units like the Cement Factory at Ukhrul, the Manipur Spinning Mills at Loitang Khunou, the Khandsary Sugar Factory at Khangabok, etc.

However, 64-year old Wahengbam Ibomcha, who worked as a chowkidar when the Bamboo Chipping Plant was at its heyday, had a different story to tell - more than any change in the Government policies or poor financial position, it was the mismanagement by the officials posted at the plant that ultimately resulted in its closure.

"There was no lack of raw materials or electricity supply when the plant was in operation.

Within 1 to 2 hours, one truckload of chipped bamboo could be produced easily and truckloads of chipped Bamboos were sent to the paper mills at Silchar every day.

Some of us were even provided training for converting the chipped Bamboo into pulp for easy transportation.

So there was no question of declaring the Bamboo Chipping Plant as sick at that time.

But what to do when all the income generated were pocketed by the officials without ever reaching the coffer of the State Government", Ibomcha reasoned.

For the past 15 years, the Bamboo Chipping Plant at Kadamtala has remained defunct, and along with that shattering the hopes of many people.

A closer inspection of the existing infrastructures of the plant revealed although the buildings are in still good condition, most of the costly machine parts have been either removed or stolen and the entire complex, which is now overgrown with vegetation, has become a safe haven for strayed animals and immoral activities.

Nonetheless, one question that crossed our mind during the inspection was why can't the Government think of privatizing the plant and hand it over to some individuals who are willing to revive and operate it? .

Some years back, there were talks about setting up a bamboo processing unit at the present site being occupied by the defunct Bamboo Chipping Plant with funding from North Eastern Council (NEC).

But today no one knows what has happened to the proposed project.

BillerudKorsnäs’ Annual Report for 2012, including the Sustainability Report for 2012, is now available at www.billerudkorsnas.com. The printed version of the Annual Report will be distributed to shareholders and other stakeholders that have requested this.

Nestled along the Wisconsin River within the town of Rothschild, Wis., sits Domtar’s paper mill. Built over 100 years ago it serves as one of the region’s largest employers. Considered an area landmark, its presence now is perhaps more marked than ever, with the gradual but seemingly overnight construction of a 50-MW biomass cogeneration plant.

Reaching a skyscraping 265 feet at its highest point, the facility is a new addition to the landscape that residents across the river have been able to watch grow over the past couple of years, a result of years of partnership, permitting and meticulous planning. The bustling construction site—active even through the harsh winter months—is described by Craig Timm, manager of Domtar’s public affairs, as “its own little city.” Having reached peak construction last fall, with around 500 workers on site any given time, the plant is now in the final stretch of construction.

Reflecting on the four-year development process, Domtar and We Energies are enthused—and proud—to share their experiences in working together toward a common goal, but at the same time having completely different backgrounds and objectives.

Project Pieces

Terry Carroll, asset manager for We Energies, says that the idea for the project emerged when the utility was exploring ways to meet the state renewable portfolio standard, which requires 10 percent of electric sales from renewables by 2015. “We had one major wind project at the time and were looking at others, but realized that we needed some diversity, so we started looking at biomass,” Carroll says. “Where would it make the most sense, and who would make a good partner? In terms of procuring biomass, papermaking or lumber product companies are already doing that.” 

After We Energies contacted the Pulp and Paper Products Council to gauge potential for a partnership and explain what the company was hoping to do, Domtar responded to the request. From that point on, the two businesses became dedicated partners and began the project, groundbreaking of which occurred in June 2011.

As Domtar already possessed expertise in feedstock procurement, one of the typical key project puzzle pieces was already in place. “We already do business [in sourcing wood fuel], had a small biomass boiler, and a pulping operation that utilizes logs,” says Jim Freiberg, Domtar project manager. “It made sense for us to partner as the fuel procurement agent, and in terms of our financial interests, this would give us the opportunity to manufacture our product at lower costs, utilizing steam from the plant.”

At the time, Domtar was utilizing three aging pieces of steam generating equipment that were destined for replacement in the near future, according to Freiberg, so the opportunity arose in perfect timing for the papermaker.

The power facility will use around 500,000 tons per year of woody biomass material, according to Carroll, which will come ready-to-burn from Domtar’s fuel yard, or will be shredded or chipped off site by suppliers. All fuel will arrive in trucks—about 75 loads per day—and be delivered to one of three receiving stations, where trucks will back into a covered truck tipper and be tilted to release fuel onto the conveyor system. Air in the unloading station is drawn under a vacuum to filter, minimize and suppress airborne dust, and then vented through a 110-foot chimney attached to the truck-unloading baghouse filter.  “We have a number of neighbors close by, residences across the street, so all of our biomass handling system is enclosed to keep noise and dust at a minimum,” says Carroll.

Enclosed conveyors transport the fuel to the storage building, also completely enclosed, where about five to seven days’ worth of fuel is stored, according to Carroll. There, an automatic loading system will scalp fuel off the pile, pull it up to another conveyor, and send it into the boiler building. “There we have a modest amount of storage, an hour or less, before it’s fired into the boiler,” he says.

The Metso circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler is housed in a 190-foot boiler building, replacing three old boilers—one biomass-fired, and two old gas boilers, and is accompanied by a natural gas auxiliary boiler. “Since the [biomass] boiler undergoes periodic outages a couple of times per year, Domtar needs a backup supply of steam,” Carroll explains. The CFB boiler, coupled with a state-of-the-art emissions control system, will reduce Domtar’s previous emissions by roughly 30 percent. Designed with the U.S. EPA’s Boiler MACT rules in mind, the project’s timing was ideal for planned compliance.

The two-section cooling tower was deployed to eliminate discharge of heated water into the Wisconsin River, and the one selected for the project possesses a plume abatement technology that minimizes water vapor, which is often mistaken for air pollution. At above freezing temperatures, the plume normally will not be visible—if it is, only as a fine mist and will usually dissipate within 30 feet of the top of the tower.

Right now, all major components of the project are in place, so it’s just a matter of connecting and testing them. According to Boldt Construction Project Manager Myron Wagner, getting some of the massive equipment pieces in place required a lot more planning than one might suspect.

Construction Perspective

For jobs requiring movement of extremely heavy equipment, which Wagner says are referred to as “large or major picks,” Boldt uses precision lifting, a complex engineering method used to map out a lift from beginning to end. “The major picks are all engineered, meaning we bring an engineer out with special software, enter in heights and angles and everything is predetermined, right down to the size of chokers and shackles we have to have,” Wagner explains. “One of these picks could be as many as 50 pages of engineering.”

There isn’t room for error with these kinds of lifts, Wagner adds, as some of this equipment is 50 or 100 tons. “You have to get it right the first time; you don’t get a second chance. And on this particular job, we had a couple of interesting picks. For instance, for the steam drum, we had to use two 350-ton cranes at one time.”

Wagner says this specific project has been unique in that it’s essentially been many smaller projects put together. “At any time, we’re working in probably seven or eight different major areas.  At the same time, that’s been a little challenging, because we’ve been building a powerhouse on a paper mill site, which are [paper mill sites] generally very tight areas, and this one is no exception.”

Domtar has to ship its product out, typically having 50 to 80 trucks coming in and out each day, and that has to happen without disturbances. “That’s been tough for us,” Wagner admits. “When we start working in a new area, we have to find a new spot for them to park 50 or 80 trailers. So far though, we’ve managed to do that, and we’re proud we haven’t disrupted their business.”

On where the project is currently, hydro testing of the boiler was recently completed, one of the project milestones. “We put water in it and pressurized it to 1.5 times its operating pressure, which in this case was 2,800 psi, and we held that for a length of time to prove there were no leaks, and that was successful,” says Wagner. “The next milestone will be to complete the gas pass—the flu gas that moves through the stacks goes through a number of gyrations to get there—so we can fire this thing up, put fuel through it. Hopefully that’ll happen in early June.”

 Initially the plant will be fueled on gas until any kinks are worked out, then biomass will be added. Wagner estimates the entire testing period could last up to two and a half months.

On what the big priority has been as general contractor of the project, Wagner says safety has been No. 1, followed closely by schedule and budget. “We always want everyone here to go home the same way they came,” he adds.

And being a good neighbor has also been important, an aspect that Freiberg and Carroll also highlight.

Good Neighbor

About 90 percent of the labor on site has been hired locally by Boldt, which is based in Appleton, Wis., either within the county or the state. “That’s always a goal of ours, but this local community has been exceptional,” Wagner says. “We have been very fortunate having our craft laborers being very knowledgeable about what they’re doing. “

He adds that We Energies spared no expense to cut down on sound or dust, making sure neither reaches nearby residents or businesses, and that Boldt also tries to source as many building materials locally as possible.

And, of course, on top of job creation, in a town of just under 5,300 people, a big construction project means money in the pockets of local goods and services business owners.

In turn, the good neighbor attitude has been returned by the community. “Members [of the community] have been great,” Timm adds. They, and elected officials on all levels, labor unions, chambers of commerce…they’ve been right along with us during this whole process.”

source: biomassmagazine.com

Alfa Laval – a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – has won an order to supply plate heat exchangers for cooling applications in Canada. The order, booked in the Energy and Environment segment late March, has a value of approximately SEK 60 million and delivery is scheduled to start in 2013 and  be finalized in 2014.

The Alfa Laval heat exchangers will be used to recover energy and cool process water in an oil processing facility in Canada. The project, which is a capacity expansion, duplicates an existing facility, for which Alfa Laval also supplied all the plate heat exchangers. 

“This order confirms our strong position in the oil and gas industry. It also proves the quality and reliability of our plate heat exchangers, as the customer once again chooses our equipment”, says Lars Renström, President and CEO of the Alfa Laval Group.  

Did you know that… Alfa Laval has been present in Canada since 1899? 

The Cham Paper Group is conducting talks with Delfort Group envisaging apossible cooperation in the field of speciality papers.

The management ofthe two companies is currently examining all the strategic options thatcould further strengthen the market position of the complementarymanufacturers of speciality papers. The Cham Paper Group will issue astatement on the outcome of this project by the end of June 2013 at the latest.

Based in Traun, Austria, Delfort Group produces and distributes specialitypapers and has around 1,750 employees at five factories in Austria,Hungary, the Czech Republic and Finland. Similarly to the Cham Paper Group,the family-run company has a widely recognised market position in a rangeof areas within the speciality papers market.