In order to assure high quality pulp from recovered fiber while minimizing fiber loss and consuming low energy, Grupak Hidalgo S.A. de C.V. has selected Voith Fiber & Environmental Solutions to supply a complete OCC recovered fiber system, designed for 600 BDMTPD, for their new mill site in the municipality of Emiliano Zapata in Mexico. The startup of the OCC system is scheduled for the first quarter of 2013.

Voith's scope of supply includes the new IntensaPulper R, which provides superior defibering capabilities while consuming less power than competitive pulpers. Also included is Voith's TwinPulp III detrashing system, complete coarse cleaning and screening systems, fine cleaning with EcoMizer Technology and fine slotted screening with C-bar slotted baskets and MF power-saving rotors. Voith-Meri will supply the pulper feed system including the Auto Wire Cutting machine plus the Compax reject press and other reject handling equipment.

Key to Grupak's supplier selection was the fact Voith's system is guaranteed to achieve high quality pulp with less fiber loss and lower energy consumption. Grupak verified the technology through mill visits in Spain where Voith has successful installations.

Grupo Unipak, S.A. de C.V. PT. is a large Mexican company producing a variety of food packaging products. The company currently produces liner and fluting grades for its own integrated use on two machines located in Cuernavaca,Mexico.

Suominen Corporation has on 4 August 2011 signed an agreement with Ahlstrom Corporation to buy its Home and Personal wipes fabrics business area. By the acquisition Suominen will grow significantly and will become a global market leader within nonwoven roll goods for wipes.

The acquired business develops and manufactures nonwoven roll goods for wipes for households and industry. The business has manufacturing plants in Spain, Italy, Brazil and the U.S. The completion of the transaction is subject to approval by competition authorities. Estimated closing of the transaction is by the end of October 2011.

The value of the transaction is approximately EUR 170 million. The transaction will be financed by share issue and debt. Debt capital arrangements have been agreed upon with financing institutions. Shareholders that represent a minimum of 64 percent of the shares and votes have committed to advocate a minimum of EUR 85 million and maximum of EUR 120 million share issue in the Extraordinary General Meeting. The directed share issue will be carried out as a public issue with a subscription price of EUR 0.45 per share. The subscription price is based on the volume weighted average share price of trading between 17 June and 2 August 2011. Ahlstrom has committed to subscribe for shares by totally EUR 30 million and subject to completion of the share issue Ahlstrom Corporation will become the largest shareholder of Suominen.

The largest current shareholders including Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company and Tapiola Mutual Pension Insurance Company and new shareholders Ahlstrom Corporation, Mandatum Life Insurance Company Ltd, Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company and Finnish Industry Investment Ltd have given their commitments to subscribe for new shares in the share issue. The commitments represent about EUR 80 million in total. In a potential oversubscription in the share issue shareholders precedent to the share issue will be favoured. The share issue is planned to be carried out in September-October 2011. The terms of the share issue will be proposed in the notice to the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Related to the transaction a new Board of Directors consisting of current and new board members for Suominen will be proposed to the Extraordinary General Meeting. As a new Chairman of the Board of Directors will be proposed h.c., M.Sc. (Tech) Jorma Eloranta (60) and as Vice Chairman the current Chairman of the Board Lic. (Tech.) Mikko Maijala (66), who have given their consents to the proposal. The Board of Directors of Suominen Corporation will propose to the same Extraordinary General Meeting the abolishment of the voting restriction and the redemption clause in the articles of association and to adopt a nomination board approved by the General Meeting. Shareholders representing at minimum 64 percent of the shares and votes have committed to vote for these decision proposals. The Extraordinary General Meeting is expected to be held in September 2011. The notice to the Extraordinary General Meeting will be published by a separate stock exchange release.

”The acquisition will create a Finnish listed company that is a global market leader in nonwoven roll goods for wiping, baby care, hygiene, household and industrial wiping. By expanding geographical coverage and by our strong market position we may respond to our customers’ needs by offering comprehensive sales and product development resources and a more extensive product and service range globally”, comments Petri Rolig, President and CEO of Suominen Corporation. ”Our target is the long-term development of the business, which is supported by complementing professional skills and by strengthening competencies in technology and R&D.”

The acquired business had net sales of EUR 291 million, operating profit of EUR 6.1 million and an EBITDA margin of 7.8 percent in 2010. About 480 persons will be transferred to Suominen by the transaction. As the head of the acquired business will continue the current head of the business area Jean-Marie Becker.

Ahlstrom will report the financial figures of the Home and Personal business area in the second quarter interim report of the current year. The Home and Personal business area will be classified as a non-current asset held for sale and reported separately as discontinued operations.

Subject to the transaction being completed by the end of October 2011, the net sales and profit figures for two months of the Home and Personal business and Suominen will be combined. The total balance sheet of Suominen is estimated to increase from about EUR 120 million to about EUR 330 million, of which the share of shareholders´ equity is estimated to be approximately one third. In the asset deal about EUR 40 million of goodwill will be transferred to Suominen, whereby the total goodwill in the balance sheet will be about EUR 60 million. An estimated EUR 2.5 million non-recurring costs from the asset deal will be booked in the income statement for the current year.

Subject to completing the asset deal by the end of October 2011, Suominen´s net sales in 2011 will increase significantly. Suominen has previously estimated in its interim report on 18 July 2011 that no major change from the previous year is anticipated in net sales for 2011. Taking into consideration the estimated result after taxes for two months of the Home and Personal business and the non-recurring costs arising from the asset deal, Suominen will not change its result estimate. Suominen has estimated in its interim report on 18 July 2011 that the result after taxes for all of 2011 will improve over 2010, but remain negative.

Information event
Suominen will hold a joint press and analyst event together with Ahlstrom in Helsinki today on 4 August 2011 at 12.00 p.m. Finnish time at Savoy, Eteläesplanadi 14. The event will be held in Finnish. Presentation material is available at Suominen´s website, www.suominen.fi.

NewPage, the largest coated paper manufacturer in North America, announced today that it has received a 2011 InterTech™ Technology Award from the Printing Industries of America for TrueJet™ Digital Coated Papers.

“NewPage is extremely honored to have TrueJet Digital Coated Papers selected for this prestigious award in recognition of our commitment to support our original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners and innovations within the print industry,” states Steven J. DeVoe, vice president, Marketing and Customer Service for NewPage.

TrueJet Digital Coated Papers enable high speed, short run and variable data printing on production color inkjet equipment or related hybrid applications with offset class or near-offset print quality and reduced total operating cost for the printer or publisher.

The functional chemistry needed to fix inkjet ink to the paper surface is built into TrueJet Digital Coated Papers coating and leaves supplemental bonding agents or pre-coats for imaging and durability enhancement as an option to the user. This can reduce the consumable cost to the printer while providing offset-like glossy coated paper for color inkjet production to meet the expectations of the market. TrueJet Digital Coated Papers technology enables effective fixing of various dye or pigment based inkjet ink systems at the paper surface to maximize reflection density, dot sharpness and clean printed solids and screens.

TrueJet Digital Coated Papers are based on U.S. Patent 7803224 recently granted to NewPage and additional patents pending-representing several years of research and development alongside our key industry partners. This technology enables glossy coated papers to be printed via multiple processes of inkjet, offset and laser never before offered in the marketplace.

Unlike conventional coated offset papers, TrueJet Digital Coated Papers are made with a combination of materials that result in improved inkjet ink dry times, improved inkjet print quality and productivity while maintaining the capability for offset printability in hybrid applications.

TrueJet Digital Coated Papers are used for commercial printing, direct mail, books, promotional materials and catalogs.

Now Offering More Products Manufactured With Certified Renewable Electricity

BOSTON –  As part of its commitment to operating sustainably, Sappi Fine Paper North America today announced that its Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, Maine, has been certified by Center for Resource Solutions' Green-e® Marketplace program. The Somerset Mill secured this qualification through new investments in renewable energy generation. Sappi invested $49 million this past fall to upgrade the Somerset pulp mill's recovery boiler and related equipment.

Prior to this recent investment, Sappi Fine Paper North America has led the industry in the use of renewable energy and already has the lowest reported carbon footprint among domestic coated paper suppliers, with more than 85% of the total energy being derived from renewable resources at its coated fine paper mills.

Under the Green-e certification, 100% percent of the electricity used to manufacture Opus web paper at the Somerset Mill is Green-e certified renewable energy that is generated onsite by Sappi. Opus web now joins the line-up of Sappi Fine Paper North America's current Green-e certified product offerings: Sappi's McCoy web, sheets and digital; Opus sheets and digital; Opus 30 web; and Flo sheets and digital; all of which have been Green-e certified via renewable energy generated at the Cloquet Mill in Minnesota.

Green-e is the nation's leading, independent, third-party certification and verification program for renewable energy, ensuring that strict environmental and consumer protection standards are met.

Customers who choose one of Sappi Fine Paper North America's Green-e certified products and one of the Green-e Marketplace re:print certified printers for their print job can further leverage that they are minimizing their environmental footprint through the Green-e Marketplace re:print program.

"Green-e certification is a testament to Sappi Fine Paper North America's commitment to sustainability, which is fundamental to our business strategy," said Jennifer Miller, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Sappi Fine Paper North America. "As companies are increasingly seeking to minimize their impact on the environment, we are pleased that we can now offer our customers additional assurance through the added value of Green-e- a recognizable and credible labelling program, for many of our coated fine paper products," added Miller.

Based on the audit conducted for this certification, initial estimates indicate the amount of Green-e certified renewable electricity generated from renewable resources at Sappi's Somerset Mill is approximately 260 million kilowatt hours (kWh) annually, which is comparable to the yearly electrical usage of approximately 24,000 homes consuming nearly 11,000 kWh per year.

In addition to obtaining Green-e certification through the recovery cycle upgrade project, Sappi's Somerset Mill has also implemented several other major projects to improve energy efficiency and reduce the site's carbon footprint over the past year. This includes work underway to improve the efficiency of the pumping systems of Paper Machine Number 3 for which Sappi received an Efficiency Maine grant. Through these projects and others, the Somerset Mill continues to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

In 2008, already operating significantly better than industry average, Sappi established a five-year goal of reducing emissions from fossil fuels by 40% over its 2007 baseline. The metric for this goal includes both direct emissions from Sappi Fine Paper North America's mills, as well as emissions associated with purchased electricity. In terms of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, this is known as Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. At the end of the company's 2010 fiscal year, Sappi had already achieved more than a 40% reduction in just three years, outpacing targets proposed by climate change legislation.

"Sappi Fine Paper North America's performance data and third-party certifications such as Green-e, demonstrate that we are leading the industry when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions and the use of renewable energy. We will continue to implement projects like these that demonstrate environmental responsibility," said Laura Thompson, Ph.D., Director of Sustainability and Technical Marketing, Sappi Fine Paper North America.

For more information about Sappi's sustainability initiatives and specifying environmentally preferable paper, visit: www.sappi.com/eQ and www.sappi.com/eQTool.

IDCON, Inc and Metso announces the date of March 12-15, 2012 for the 24th Pulp and Paper Reliability & Maintenance Conference. The conference will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The PPRM conference brings together industry leaders and maintenance professionals in a “How-To” environment with workshops and keynote addresses.

Christer Idhammar, founder and CEO of IDCON, Inc. stated “The Pulp and Paper Reliability & Maintenance conference is specifically tailored to the pulp and paper operations and maintenance professionals seeking practical, easy to apply advice and solutions to quickly improve the bottom line.”

“The Pulp and Paper Reliability and Maintenance event draws a very high quality attendance of mill operations and maintenance management. Metso has always been impressed by the presentations and hands on approach of this conference. Needless to say we are quite pleased to be closely associated to this event. ” Eric Tetreault, VP of Marketing and Communications with Metso affirmed.

“We are making the conference even more personalized by inviting pulp and paper maintenance and operations professionals to participate in a “What You Want” online survey which will have a direct impact on the conference” says Idhammar.

For more information about the conference and to take the survey visit the Pulp and Paper Reliability & Maintenance Conference website at www.pprm.net .

Caraustar Industries, Inc. announced today that it will increase Tube & Core prices by 3 to 5 percent effective with shipments on or after June 27, 2011. The increase is due to higher raw material and adhesive costs, along with significant escalation in transportation costs.

About Caraustar

Caraustar Industries, Inc. is one of North America’s largest integrated manufacturers of 100% recycled paperboard and converted paperboard products. The company is a socially responsible corporation, is committed to environmentally sound practices and is dedicated to providing customers with outstanding value through innovative products and services. Caraustar has developed its leadership position in the industry through diversification and integration from raw materials to finished products. Caraustar serves the four principal recycled boxboard product end-use markets: tubes and cores; folding cartons; gypsum facing paper and specialty paperboard products. For additional information on Caraustar, please visit the company’s website at www.caraustar.com .

Metso will supply a major board machine rebuild for the Kemsley mill of DS SmithPaper in the United Kingdom. The start-up of the rebuilt BM 3 board machine is scheduled for the second quarter of 2012. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

Metso's delivery will include rebuilds of the forming, press and dryer sections. Additionally, Metso’s delivery will comprise a new ValSizer film sizer and a new ValSoft softnip calender. Metso’s scope also includes all installation work related to the rebuild. The rebuild will help the Kemsley mill ensure their top-quality board production. The BM 3 board machine produces high-quality testliners, and some specialty board grades in the basis weight range of 120 to 220 g/m².

DS SmithPaper is an international supplier of recycled packaging and Europe’s leading office products wholesaler with a turnover of about EUR 2.4 billion per annum and over 12,000 employees. DS SmithPaper operates in a number of countries in Europe, and also in the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

source: metso pulp and paper

Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (President: Yoshio Haga) fires the heavy fuel oil Boiler 6 at its Ishinomaki Mill (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture), which was badly damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake.

At Ishinomaki Mill, with the commencement of the operation of Boiler 6, it will be confirmed that all the steam piping in each of the processes has returned to an appropriately maintained state. In addition, the continuous operation of biomass Boiler 1 is scheduled to commence in late August, and the turbine generator installed in parallel will be operated and power will be supplied to the premises.

Once the privately owned power generation has resumed as scheduled above, Paper Machine 8 will commence operations by mid-September, and the production of printing paper will resume.

Plant will produce plastic containers and closures for new personal care contract

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, will be developing a new rigid plastic container operation in the new Beauty and Home Care campus in New Albany, Ohio. The new plant is expected to be operational by the end of the second quarter of 2012.

According to Rodger Fuller, vice president of Rigid Paper and Plastics, Sonoco will build a 120,000-plus square-foot plant and install several PET injection stretch blow-molding and injection molding lines to produce packaging and components for personal care products. Total cost of the plant building and equipment is projected to be approximately $15 million and the operation will employ approximately 60 new workers. Sonoco Plastics also operates a food-grade, blow-molding and injection molding plant in Columbus, Ohio, which was expanded in 2011.

Steve Gendreau, Sonoco Plastic's division vice president and general manager, blowmolding, said the new plant is being developed to produce containers and components for personal care products for Mast Global, the sourcing and logistics division of Limited Brands. Limited Brands represents some of the Beauty and Home Care industries most recognizable premium brands with Victoria's Secret, Bath and Body Works, Pink, LaSenza, and Henri Bendel. Initially, Sonoco's new plant will produce products for Limited Brands' Bath and Body Works stores.

"Limited Brands has been an important customer of Sonoco for several years and we are pleased to continue this important relationship with the development of a new facility in the New Albany/Columbus area," said Gendreau.

"Sonoco Plastics is a leader in designing and producing innovative, customized rigid plastic packaging for some of the largest personal care brands in North America. We look forward to expanding our offering through this new state-of-the-art facility and hope to further grow this operation in the future."

Sonoco Plastics is a leading manufacturer of monolayer and multilayer blow-molded bottles and jars, thermoformed cups and trays and engineered molded and extruded containers, spools and trays. The Company has 28 plastics operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany.