Leading Stories

MeadWestvaco Corporation and Rock-Tenn Company have announced the executive leadership team for the combined company following the completion of the transaction. As previously announced, Steve Voorhees will serve as the new company's chief executive officer and John Luke will be non-executive chairman of the board.

Federal authorities say they are investigating a chemical leak and explosion at a Menasha paper mill that forced people out of their homes. No one was injured in the blast at SCA Tissue, but dozens of homes south of the plant were evacuated shortly after 8 a.m. Monday morning 16 March 2015.

Sappi to proceed with a pilot-scale plant for low-cost Cellulose NanoFibrils production.

Rock-Tenn Company and MeadWestvaco Corporation announced that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 with respect to the pending business combination transaction between RockTenn and MWV has expired.

U.S. trade officials have found reasonable evidence that the American paper industry is at risk from cheap imports of uncoated paper, including copy paper used in homes and offices across the country.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. says it will close a specialty paper machine at its mill in Alma, Quebec, in a move that will see the loss of about 85 jobs.

Deputies say 42-year-old David Scott Long was on the scaffolding crew when his harness became tangled in a machine and he fell in. It was the second death at the paper mill this year.

Environmental group Greenpeace said Monday, 2 March 2015, it had suspended cooperation with paper giant Asia Pulp and Paper after an Indonesian farmer was allegedly beaten to death by guards linked to the company.

Tradition/TFS is closing its pulp and paper risk management business effective today, 27 February 2015 after 18 years of service.

Harold "Terry" McGraw III has decided to step down as chairman of the board for McGraw Hill Financial after more than three decades with the company.

Andritz Oy has filed a summons application with the Stockholm District Court against Valmet AB, a subsidiary of Valmet Corporation, regarding patent infringement.

Catalyst Paper Corporation announced that Brian Baarda, Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, has decided to leave the company to advance his career in a more senior leadership role with another organization.

Quad/Graphics Inc. announced that it has purchased Marin's International, a French company known for its patented, pop-up displays for in-store advertising

The 44,000-square-foot facility would be built on land already owned by the company and will produce specialty filter papers using a proprietary system.

Solenis LLC announced this week that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Clearwater Specialties LLC, a privately-held specialty chemical company dedicated to the tissue and towel market. The deal includes all assets, intellectual property and business associated with Clearwater Specialties LLC and Clearwater Chemicals LLC.

Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) closed on the acquisition of certain assets of Caldwell, Idaho-based Rapid Wood Mfg., LLC, a supplier of lumber products to the region's manufactured housing and recreational vehicle industries.

Company is planning a reduction of approximately 1,000 jobs worldwide.

KapStone plans to modernize its facility and upgrade equipment. The new machinery will allow the company to increase production to satisfy customer demand and take on new contracts.

Taylor Pulp employs 106 people and has an annual production capacity of 220,000 metric tons of bleached chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp.

The $2.1 billion expansion of the Guaiba pulp mill will add 1.3 million tons of eucalyptus pulp capacity, bringing CMPC's total hardwood and softwood pulp capacity to 4.1 million tons per year.

Hadera Paper Ltd. announced that it is selling its 49.9% stake in the Hogla-Kimberly diaper company to its partner Kimberly-Clark Corp. for US $160 million. This sum includes US $10 million, for Hadera Paper not to compete in the diaper market, for at least four years. Hadera Paper said that the sale will yield a profit after tax of US $126 million.

An employee burned on the job Friday morning at the International Paper mill in Ticonderoga, New York, has died.

MeadWestvaco Corp. is selling its European-based tobacco folding carton business. The Richmond, Virginia-based company said Thursday it has signed a definitive agreement with Swedish company AR Packaging Group AB.

Four US papermakers--Domtar Corp., Packaging Corp. of America, Finch Paper LLC and P.H. Glatfelter Co.--are lodging petitions with the US Dept. of Commerce and the International Trade Commission to protest "dumping" in the US of uncoated, sheeted printing and copying papers. The protesting companies are seeking duties on these papers coming from China, Indonesia, Brazil, Portugal and Australia.

UPM announced that it will permanently close down paper machine 2 at UPM Kaukas and paper machine 5 at UPM Jämsänkoski in Finland, along with paper machine 1 at the UPM Shotton mill in the UK. UPM said that production will end by the end of March 2015 at the latest, adding that employee consultation processes