Displaying items by tag: NewPage Corporation

NewPage Corporation, the leading producer of printing and specialty papers in North America, announced that the release of its 2011-12 Sustainable Development Report, Making a Difference.

"Because our products come from the forest, NewPage has a unique opportunity to make a difference to the world around us by managing and using resources sustainably," said George Martin, president and chief executive officer for NewPage. "At NewPage sustainability means operating in a way that meets our company's need to thrive and grow without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. We know that we need to continuously improve to meet our sustainability goals, and we have a long history of doing this in all aspects of our business."

NewPage produces an annual sustainable development report to provide its stakeholders a look at the company's performance and activities designed to improve the way we manage human, natural and financial resources. The company focuses on five key areas of sustainability:

1. Healthy, Safe and Engaged Employees
2. Responsible Sourcing of Raw Materials
3. Efficient and Sustainable Manufacturing
4. Responsible and Safe Products
5. Strong, Viable Communities

Making a Difference provides an overview of the company's performance and latest actions in these five key areas. Highlights from the report include:

• Improved safety performance with a Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) of 2.14 in 2011 compared to 2.65 in 2010.
• Increased chain-of-custody certified product sales to 28 percent of total sales (up two percent from 2010).
• Procured 48 percent of its fiber from certified and recycled sources (down one percent from 2010), and all fiber was procured from North America and in compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Lacey Act and European Union Timber Regulation for legal fiber sources. All NewPage mills also have maintained chain-of-custody systems that are third-party certified to FSC^®, PEFC and SFI standards.
• Met 95% of the pulp needs for our paper products from internal pulp production.
• Fifty-four percent of the total energy used in NewPage operations was produced from biomass fuels, a renewable energy source primarily derived from the company's manufacturing byproducts (up one percent from 2010).
• Achieved a 12 percent reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels, bringing NewPage closer to the company's goal to cut total greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.
• Researched, developed and launched four new products: TrueJet^®, Sterling^® Premium, PointTrac^™ TT and OmniPoint^™ over the past two years.
• Continued to contribute time and financial resources to charitable organizations and strategic partners. Partnerships with nonprofit organizations like World Resources Institute and customers such as L.L.Bean and McGraw-Hill have been formed to help preserve and increased the amount of certified forestland and improve the recycling practices of paper products at the end of their useful life.

"Despite the challenges our company has faced, we made real progress on all fronts in 2011 and 2012. While we had to make many tough decisions, we kept our eyes on our business strategy and focus on our employees and customers.  We drove productivity using Lean Six Sigma and launched a number of important new products to position NewPage for sustainable success," said Martin.

To download a printable PDF of the report, or to learn more about NewPage Corporation, please visit www.NewPageCorp.com/sustainability.

SOURCE NewPage Corporation 

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.

NewPage Corporation (NewPage) has announced that it has increased its supply-chain preference for pulpwood procured from certified woodland owners, including those certified to the American Tree Farm System (ATFS).

NewPage, the leading producer of printing and specialty papers in North America, is the largest buyer of pulpwood in the Great Lakes States. In 2011, 48 percent of the fiber (wood and pulp) purchased by NewPage came from certified sources.

According to Gordy Mouw, NewPage Certification and Resource manager, the procurement preference reflects the company's commitment to forest stewardship as well as its efforts to meet the growing demand of its customers seeking paper sourced from certified timberlands. In addition to ATFS, NewPage has established preferences for wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

"Adding certified ATFS wood to our supply-chain addresses our customers' interests, our own commitment to sustainability, and helps family forest owners by expanding markets for their wood products," Mouw said. "This in turn helps them keep their forest land forested."

ATFS is a program of the American Forest Foundation (AFF) and Tom Martin, President and CEO of the American Forest Foundation, applauded the action by NewPage. "Buying preferences such as the one announced by NewPage contribute to the vitality of American woodlands by encouraging family forest owners to seek certification and manage their woodlands to higher environmental standards," Martin said. "Certification thereby promotes healthy forests and with that more sustainable pulpwood markets."

Mouw explained that the supply-chain preference will be imbedded in the company's continuing process of establishing and maintaining relationships with woodland owners and pulpwood suppliers.

The relationship between NewPage and ATFS has been a long and fruitful one. Through this partnership, thousands of woodland owners have had the market support to manage their land for optimal environmental and recreational use. NewPage has provided markets, assistance to landowners in conducting responsible management and volunteers to help ATFS operate their owner education and outreach programs to woodland owners.

ATFS is a network of 89,000 certified Tree Farmers sustainably managing 27 million acres of forestland. It is the largest and oldest sustainable woodland system in America, internationally recognized, and meeting strict third-party certification standards. Learn more at www.treefarmsystem.org. 

SOURCE NewPage Corporation

NewPage Corporation (the Company) announced today that the Disclosure Statement for its Fourth Amended Chapter 11 Plan (the Plan) has been approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The Court's approval of the Disclosure Statement allows the Company to begin the Plan voting process, leading to a confirmation hearing scheduled for mid-December and the Company's expected emergence from bankruptcy before the end of the year.

The Company also was authorized to enter into a commitment letter and related fee letters for its exit financing, consisting of a $500 million term loan facility led by Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC and a $350 million revolving credit facility led by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.

"The approval of our Disclosure Statement represents a significant achievement and another important step for the Company and its stakeholders," said George Martin, president and chief executive officer of NewPage. "We look forward to implementing the Plan upon emergence later this year with the financing and liquidity needed to support our operations."

The Company filed the fourth amendment to its Plan and related Disclosure Statement on November 7, 2012. A copy of the Plan and Disclosure Statement is available at www.kccllc.net/NewPage.

Votes on the Plan must be received by the Company's voting agent, Kurtzman Carson Consultants, LLC, by December 10, 2012, unless the deadline is extended. Solicitation materials are expected to be mailed to all creditors entitled to vote on the Plan by November 15, 2012. A hearing to consider confirmation of the Plan is currently scheduled for December 13, 2012, at 12:00 noon Eastern Time.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation to accept or reject the Plan. The Disclosure Statement, along with ballots and other solicitation materials, will be distributed directly to those creditors of the Company who are entitled to vote to accept or reject the Plan pursuant to the Disclosure Statement.

NewPage Corporation (NewPage) announced today its support of the World Resources Institute (WRI) in releasing new groundbreaking web applications created to help ensure that palm oil production is pursued in a way that avoids deforestation. These two publicly available web tools–the Forest Cover Analyzer and the Suitability Mapper—are the first of their kind, designed to enable companies and governments to implement commitments to sustainable palm oil.

Since 2008, NewPage has supported WRI's Project POTICO, a project designed to divert oil palm development in Indonesia onto low-carbon, already-cleared lands and thereby avoid deforestation. Though NewPage sources fiber for its operations exclusively in North America under rigorous environmental and social criteria, NewPage believes strongly in supporting initiatives like Project POTICO that are working to improve forest product procurement practices across the globe.

Project POTICO's Forest Cover Analyzer tool allows users to identify and assess forest conditions in Indonesian Borneo, including the extent of forests, forest cover change, where oil palm and other concessions are located, and the suitability of land for sustainable palm oil development. Given the increased focus many corporations are placing on responsible procurement of forest and agricultural products, the Forest Cover Analyzer is designed to be an extremely valuable tool for corporate buyers, suppliers, and investors looking to avoid risks associated with deforestation concern and to locate plantations not associated with forest clearing.

The second tool, the Suitability Mapper, is an online mapping system designed for use by palm oil producers and spatial planners, allowing them to locate low-carbon degraded lands on Indonesian Borneo that are potentially suitable for sustainable palm oil production.

As Indonesia is one of the world's deforestation hotspots, developing tools that support responsible forest management, commodity production, and investment in this region is crucial. Now that these tools have been piloted and launched for Indonesian Borneo, WRI plans to apply this knowledge to developing similar web-based tools to inspire and enable responsible forest management on a global scale.

"These online systems bring the world another step closer to having its commodities and its forests too," stated Craig Hanson, director of WRI's People & Ecosystems Program. "And our long-term partnership with NewPage, the pioneer supporter of POTICO, helped make it happen."

"NewPage has always been committed to sustainability in its own operations, through responsible fiber sourcing, achievement of third-party certifications, running efficient manufacturing operations, and looking for ways to continually lower the environmental footprint of our products," stated David Bonistall, vice president, Environmental, Health and Safety for NewPage. "Since 2008, we have been proud to support WRI's work on global forestry issues, and congratulate them on the release of these groundbreaking forest monitoring tools. These tools will provide the necessary resources to improve sustainable oil palm production, reduce pressure on virgin rainforests and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from forest clearance and conversion."

By providing public access to up-to-date information on forestry activity in Indonesia, Project POTICO's new web tools mark a major step toward improving global forestry conditions. Information on Project POTICO, and links to access these two new web applications, are available at www.ProjectPOTICO.org.

SOURCE NewPage Corporation

NewPage Corporation (NewPage) has announced that it is strengthening its commitment to the uncoated freesheet market segment and broadening its reach for its Ideal^® products.

"NewPage continues to diversify into new market segments in order to meet the evolving needs of our customers, as well as position us as a long-term, sustainable supplier," stated Kris Morrow, commercial product manager for NewPage uncoated grades.

Ideal attributes include a 92 brightness, brilliant blue-white shade, excellent ink holdout and optimal opacity. Ideal meets the exacting needs of any print application while remaining within a tight budget. It is recommended for end use such as annual reports, brochures, catalogs, coupons, direct mail, financial documents, newsletters and manuals.

Ideal provides superior versatility and is a good choice for the most demanding printing applications. It is designed to perform in heatset web, coldset web and sheetfed printing applications.

Morrow added, "Ideal is known for its top tier properties that meet rigorous printing and finishing demands. Its smooth, even surface yields a high-quality look and feel for a printed piece, and its consistency and reliability allows printers and converters to feel confident in their ability to maximize operational efficiencies."

For samples, please call our sample department, NewPage ExSamples^®, at 800-638-3313. To learn more, please visit www.NewPageCorp.com 

SOURCE NewPage

The first roll came off the supercalendered paper machine at 1:11 a.m. Wednesday, a major milestone for the Point Tupper mill many once left for dead.

The former NewPage Port Hawkesbury paper mill, rechristened Port Hawkesbury Paper LLC by new owners Pacific West Commercial Corp., an affiliate of Stern Partners Inc. of Vancouver, had been buzzing with activity over the last two weeks to prepare for this moment.

“We’re very, very happy we did because we have customers with orders that want to run that paper on Monday,” Marc Dube, the mill’s restructuring manager, said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

“So we needed to get production started, and obviously we had some small items that stopped us, but once production started, we ran the first 12 hours without a paper break.”

A substantial $124.5-million aid package extended by the Nova Scotia government to Pacific West was nearly derailed last month before being resuscitated less than 24 hours later, much to the relief of many on Cape Breton Island left in limbo since the mill was shuttered by its former owners,NewPage Corp., last year.

The $33-million sale of the mill to Pacific West was officially finalized Friday, much to the delight of many across the Strait of Canso also dependent on the region’s largest employer.

Dube said that after nearly a year of negotiations, the company was happy to be producing paper, noting that there is a “real team atmosphere and a real determination that we’re going to make sure that the mill can be a success.”

The provincial government spent millions over the last year keeping the mill resale ready in a “hot-idle” state, but that didn’t mean that the supercalendered machine, which makes paper used for magazines, catalogues and newspaper inserts, was ready at the flick of a switch.

“There’s so many different parts and pieces to a mill like this that all have to flow together for it to be successful, so we had some motor failures, pump failures, we had some plugged lines, we had a steam outage because of a power bump at the steam plant,” Dube said.

The equipment is now working well and workers will “continue to fine-tune and continue to speed things up until we’re back to full production,” he said.

About 550 unionized employees worked at the mill under its former operator, but less than half that — 229 workers — will be called back, with several more positions being contractual and management.

Dube said he expects to be at a full complement of employees by December, at the latest.

“Not everyone’s back that we’ve called back. Some people will be coming in during the month of October. Some people have decided not to come back. We’ve offered those jobs to others, and so they’ll be reporting as quickly as they can.”

The mill will be at full production in the next week, producing as much as 1,000 tonnes of paper a day.

Dube said the company has been fielding orders from across Canada, the United States and overseas since last month, with the first order shipping today.

That order is expected to be put to press by the customer Monday.

“So we’ve got a strong interest, and we’re very happy that the reputation of the paper and the employees here have allowed us to get back into the marketplace in a very positive way.”

NewPage Corporation (NewPage) has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with all of its major creditor groups concerning the terms of its chapter 11 plan.  A brief summary of the agreement in principle has been posted to the KCC restructuring website, www.kccllc.net/NewPage 

"This is a very important step for NewPage, and assuming satisfaction of certain conditions, this agreement should allow us to emerge from chapter 11 in the near term," said George F. Martin, President and CEO of NewPage. 

The agreement was reached as part of court ordered mediation conducted by the court-appointed mediator, Bankruptcy Judge Robert D. Drain.  At the request of certain parties participating in the mediation, the mediator did not provide any of the term sheets proposed by the parties to the mediation (or any of their material terms) to certain other parties participating in the mediation.  Rather, the mediator served as an intermediary, facilitating discussion among the parties and encouraging the parties to make concessions in an effort to reach agreement upon a consensual chapter 11 plan.

NewPage wishes to acknowledge the outstanding result achieved by Judge Drain in facilitating a consensual chapter 11 plan, and wishes to thank all the mediation participants for their efforts throughout this process.

NewPage also announced today that it contemplates signing in the near term an exit financing facility in the form of a $500 million secured term debt facility and $400 million asset-based revolving credit facility.

SOURCE NewPage Corporation

NewPageCorporation (NewPage) has announced the introduction of OmniPoint™, a new 60 lb. (89 gsm) heavyweight wet strength label paper designed for large glass and plastic containers used in food, beverage and condiment applications. 

With specific expertise and technological capabilities in manufacturing wet strength label papers for the food and beverage market, the product development team at NewPage set its sights on developing a new heavyweight label paper that maintains a premium appearance, and consistently performs well in all aspects of production; from label printing, to die cutting and high speed label application.

"We worked closely with our customers to develop a heavyweight label paper solution that meets their needs for consistent quality, durability and label converting performance, while allowing them to deliver the best possible label graphics for their food and beverage brand owner customers," said David Diekelman, executive director of Sales and Marketing for specialty papers. "OmniPoint achieves these critical objectives."

OmniPoint is available with third-party chain-of-custody certifications to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC^®) (BV-COC-953662), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™).

OmniPoint joins the broader range of label papers from NewPage which includes DuraPoint™, ProPoint™, LithoPoint™ and EcoPoint™ product brands. In addition, NewPage manufactures specialty papers used in flexible packaging, technical and pressure-sensitive labeling applications.

For more information or product samples, visit the NewPage booth #1539 at Labelexpo Americas in Chicago, Illinois, September 11 – 13, 2012, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 888-557-3565.

SOURCE NewPage Corporation