Week of 1 June 2020: What is the role of purchasing?

Purchasing experiences in my career are legion and become cuter and cuter as time goes by. I have the whole month of June (5 columns) to explain this statement, so I'll not bother doing so now, but faithful readers will see it unfold as we go along. What is the first and most important job of purchasing?

Artificial Intelligence - the next logical step for procurement

What does this mean for us in the pulp and paper industry?

Patent Applications and Patents

Essity Leans on Digital Tools to Fortify Their Manufacturing Supply Chain While Improving Machine Health and Productivity

Augury, a leading AI-based Machine Health solution provider, announced that Essity, an innovative global leader in professional hygiene, consumer tissue and personal care products, has chosen Augury's machine health solutions to help drive the digital transformation of its supply chain.

ABB launches new Optical Consistency Transmitter sensors

ABB has launched its KPM KC9 Optical Consistency Transmitter family, a new range of sensors that provide accurate measurement of total and/or ash consistency for better wet end measurement and control in pulp and paper processes.

[Adv.] Pure Air Filtration

(Adv.) SAP offers you an easy direct link to their breaking developments

Paperitalo Announces 2021 Mill Directories

Paperitalo Publications, LLC announced today it is releasing "Paperitalo's Pretty Good Pulp and Paper Mill Directories 2021 Interactive." This revolutionary 6 volume set covers all the pulp and paper mills in the United States.

Celebrating Ten Years as Twin Rivers Paper Company

Ten years later, the hard work, strategic vision, and the diligence of our dedicated workforce paid off. We are a bigger, stronger, and more financially stable company with 1400+ employees in two countries and seven communities and the capacity to produce 550,000 TPY of specialty paper and 175,000 MMFBM of lumber.

Where is Jim this week?

As I travel, I am always looking for someone to go to dinner with, share a barbeque sandwich lunch and so forth.

Pratt Industries and Talo Analytic International celebrate 25 year relationship

Gary Byrd of Pratt Industries and Jim Thompson of Talo Analytic International recently celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the two companies' relationship. The relationship started in November of 1993.

For the occasion, Talo Analytic International commissioned a "tombstone" reminiscent of those typically prepared to celebrate a deal closing and presented it to Mr. Byrd.

Talo Analytic International began working with Pratt Industries when Pratt's Conyers, Georgia Mill was first financed. Talo Analytic International has been the principal technical adviser on the financing of every Pratt mill in the United States. Talo Analytic International was also a key adviser on the Visy Tumut Mill in Australia in the late 1990's.

Read the monthly Industree 4.0 newsletters here

Check out the monthly newsletters here or subscribe and have them emailed to you hot off the press!

Green Box fraud convict Van Den Heuvel loses bid for early release over COVID-19 worries

Van Den Heuvel was convicted in U.S. District Court in Green Bay of fraudulently soliciting loans and investments to pursue his business, Green Box, which he represented as an operation that would convert solid waste into consumer products and energy.

Maryland lawsuit against paper mill owner Verso raises to the federal level

Verso Corporation closed the Luke paper mill a little over one year ago due to profitability, the company said. Over 600 people lost their jobs from the closure. Then in December 2019, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Allegany County regarding the alleged pulping liquor pollution.

IT Tech Packaging, Inc. Signs Letter of Intent to Acquire Intelligent Healthcare IT Solution Provider

IT Tech Packaging, Inc. announced that its operating entity in China, Hebei Baoding Dongfang Paper Milling Company Limited, has entered into a letter of intent to acquire 60% equity interest in Baoding Huizhi Ruixing Information Technology Co., Ltd., a new high technology company with registered capital of RMB10 million focused on providing intelligent healthcare IT solutions to hospitals, medical institutions, government agencies, enterprises and public institutions in China.

Cascades Announces Closure of the Brown Sheet Plant Facility as Part of the Corporation's Planned Optimization of its Ontario Containerboard Platform

Cascades Inc. announces the closure of the Brown Containerboard Packaging facility located in Burlington, Ontario, as part of the Corporation's continuing optimization initiatives for its Containerboard Packaging business.

West Fraser substantially resumes lumber and plywood production in May

During May West Fraser have substantially resumed lumber and plywood production with only a few facilities operating at less than full schedules, the company announced.

Province expects Northern Pulp to follow latest order, despite company's concerns

Company says order is 'impractical' and shows 'a lack of understanding of the pulp and paper industry'.

Interfor laying off 130 workers at Gilchrist sawmill

B.C.-based corporation cites 'challenging' economy, COVID-19 difficulties.

No injuries following fire at Twin Rivers facility

There were no injuries to Twin Rivers employees resulting from the incident. The fire started in, and has been contained to, chip and bark piles.

Mondi to produce melt blown nonwoven fabric and one million surgical face masks a day with new production lines in Germany

The new lines will have a capacity to produce more than one million surgical face masks (EU Standard Type IIR) per day.

DS Smith launches Circular Design Principles to drive sustainability in packaging

Announcement comes as new research reveals confusion over recycling contributes to more than 46 million tonnes of rubbish going to landfill or incineration

Convicted Green Box fraudster thinks COVID-19 scare should get him out of prison early

A man accused of bilking investors in a recycling operation out of $9.8 million is now hoping COVID-19 will be his get-out-of-jail-free card.

Verso Corp. laying off 59 workers at headquarters

Verso Corp. is laying off 59 workers at its Miami Twp. headquarters, the papermaker reported to Ohio government.

Have you tried the Paperitalo Supplier Directory lately?

If you are looking for goods and services in the pulp and paper industry, you need to check out the Paperitalo Directory!

More production cuts for Canfor

Canfor Pulp Products Inc. is announcing the curtailment of Prince George Pulp and Paper and Intercontinental Pulp for approximately four weeks starting July 6, 2020. Canfor Corporation also announced it will be closing its Isle Pierre sawmill, which is located near Prince George, British Columbia.

Georgia-Pacific plans to idle Cedar Springs, Ga. #3 machine two weeks

Georgia-Pacific's Cedar Springs operations will temporarily idle one of its three paper machines for two separate week-long periods in late May and late June due to lack of demand, according to Public Affairs Manager Peggy Jaye.

Pixelle Expands Its Portfolio of Natural Kraft Papers With Introduction of GlazeStar NK for Insulation Facing and Industrial Converting Applications

Pixelle Specialty Solutions announced the introduction of GlazeStar ® NK, a Natural Kraft facing paper designed for Foil/Scrim/Kraft or FSK building and construction insulation - one of the most widely used insulations in the industry today.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö further increases face mask supply in Finland

Ahlstrom-Munksjö supplies face mask material from its plant in Tampere to Teho Filter for the assembly of the masks.

Verso Corporation Introduces Velocity

Verso Corporation introduced Velocity®, a No. 3 coated value web paper ideal for a variety of commercial web offset printing applications, including magazines, catalogs, high-end retail inserts, direct mail and lightweight mailings.

Södra ends furlough scheme at Hamina sawmill in Finland

Södra has now ended the furlough scheme introduced at the sawmill in Hamina, Finland, in April due to reduced demand from the UK, in particular, related to the ongoing pandemic. All of Södra's sawmills have therefore resumed their normal production rates.

BillerudKorsnäs introduces a new life cycle assessment tool for packaging

Many brands and retailers could reduce the climate impact of their packaging up to 50 percent and avoid thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted to air. The results is based on a large number of life cycle assessments performed by BillerudKorsnäs in a new tool that evaluates the environmental impact of different packaging solutions. The digital tool has received a warm welcome by customers and brand owners in their pursuit of reducing carbon emissions.

Roseburg publishes environmental product declaration for Medford, Oregon, MDF products

Roseburg Forest Products has published its eighth certified Environmental Product Declaration, providing standardized and objective information about the lifecycle environmental impacts of the company's wood products, and now including Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF).

UPM Raflatac expands Forest Film product range with the industry's first wood-based polyethylene label film

The new PE film label takes UPM Raflatac forward in its quest for a smarter future beyond fossils, decreasing the use of fossil-based virgin raw materials in home and personal care labeling applications.

Huhtamaki and WasteAid announce global partnership

Global sustainable food packaging leader Huhtamaki and international charity WasteAid have announced a €900,000 (£800,000) partnership to drive community-level circular economy innovation in Vietnam, India and South Africa for a two-year period.

International Paper Commits 2 Million Boxes for COVID-19 Relief

Food banks around the world are experiencing dramatic increases in demand for food assistance driven by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than ever, food banks need support. International Paper is responding with one of its essential products - corrugated boxes. The company has committed to donating two million corrugated boxes to hunger-relief organizations.

Sodra's pine seedling sales increased in four years

In four years, the number of pine seedlings from Södra that are sold has risen from just over 3 million to just over 6 million.

Student Spotlight: Geordin Craun of Western Michigan

Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with Geordin Craun, a senior in the program. We asked her a few questions about her experiences at Western Michigan.

NC State Names New Dean of College of Natural Resources

Myron Floyd has been named dean of the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University after a nationwide search. His appointment becomes effective April 1.

As Paper Days approaches, we catch up with University of Maine Senior Eliza Hosford

Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with Eliza Hosford, a senior in the program. Miss Hosford is from Bucksport, Maine and graduated in 2016 from Bucksport High School as valedictorian. We asked her a few questions about her experiences at UMaine.

The Light Green Machine Institute

Ideas you can use now.

Saving energy

Saving energy was a topic Jim Thompson discussed a few weeks back. With fuel prices at record lows, it seems a weird time to discuss saving energy. But back in the day, when Union Camp was an entity in the 70s and 80s, the company leadership were geniuses at forecasting the paper industry fortunes six months to a year in advance. It seemed when everyone else was doing one thing we were doing another. And some time later, our approach was usually proven the best.

Capital Arguments for May 2020

Check out TALOtech groups on LinkedIn

The purpose of the TALOtech groups on LinkedIn is to provide a convenient forum for people working within the manufacturing part of this industry to share technical and operating related dialog to promote safe and competitive operations.

Energy & the Environment News

Your contributions are welcome in this department, regardless of point of view. A few criteria--if you send us a copyrighted piece, also provide a permission to publish statement from the owner. We will not publish overtly political pieces or anonymous pieces.

Pulp & Paper Radio International Program Schedule and Archives

Click here to listen to our latest episodes!

Check out the Paperitalo Library

Items just for you

March 2020

Download Audio File of the March 2020 Nip Impressions columns.

February 2020

Download Audio File of the February 2020 Nip Impressions columns.