Leading Stories

The Saica Group has unveiled its Research, Development & Innovation (R&D&I) Centre at its El Burgo de Ebro plant in Zaragoza, Spain. The centre will service Saica's four divisions globally: Saica Natur, Saica Paper, Saica Pack and Saica Flex.

Potential layoffs would last a maximum of 90 days and could be implemented in several installments during 2024. A total of 1,100 people were involved in the change negotiations at Metsä Board's seven mill locations in Joutseno, Kaskinen, Kemi, Kyröskoski, Tampere, Simpele and Äänekoski.

It's back to business as usual at the Kruger paper mill in Corner Brook after a week-long shutdown.

UPM invests nearly Euro 10 million in the modernization of the Korkeakoski sawmill. A new split saw supplied by USNR will start operating at the sawmill in 2025.

Felix Schoeller North America is using a new silicone-coating operation at its Pulaski facility, having publicly introduced it for the first time on Nov. 15.

Opinion follows skeptical previous ruling from last year.

Boise Cascade announced an indefinite curtailment of its lumber production in Chapman, AL. The curtailment will affect approximately 80 positions. The plywood operations at the Chapman location are not part of the curtailment.

The workers had hoped to be back on the job Dec. 1, but the company says international paper markets have not recovered as anticipated.

Union workers at the Woodland Pulp mill in Baileyville have voted to accept an offer from the company, ending a strike that began October 14.

The mill will have an annual production capacity of about 160,000 cubic metres of Kerto LVL and is expected to start production in the second half of 2026.

Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) of Fernandina Beach has submitted an application to the state for a bioethanol production plant that would be located at its current cellulose production complex.

UPM Pulp, UPM Timber, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Biofuels will start change negotiations on possible temporary layoffs. The negotiations are conducted to prepare for possible temporary adjustment of production in the Finnish units should the uncertainty in the operating environment continue.

Details of the incident remain unknown as the investigations are under way.

The project to expand folding boxboard production capacity has been completed at the Husum integrated pulp and paperboard mill in Sweden.

Smurfit Kappa, a paper-based packaging company, has announced it will make a $68 million investment and create 200 new jobs in Anderson County.

Due to uncompetitive wood prices from the Polish State Forests' monopoly and low market demand across paper and board products, the company decided to significantly reduce the planned multiannual strategic investment project at MM Kwidzyn relating to energy, further pulp integration and the product range, which was announced end of April 2023. Instead, MM Kwidzyn will focus its investments on increasing its already high share of renewable energy of currently 69 % even further.

Striking workers at the Woodland Pulp mill in Baileyville say that five picketers were arrested on Monday.

DS Smith unveiled a major investment to transform the paper mill's energy supply at its site in Normandy, near Rouen. The project includes replacing the coal-fired boiler with a new biomass boiler that will reduce the site's emissions by 99,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

As required by the Takeovers Code in Hong Kong, Essity has today confirmed that discussions are ongoing with a number of interested parties in respect of a potential transaction regarding Essity owned shares in Vinda. No decisions relating to the future ownership of Essity's Vinda shares have been made. Vinda has made a public announcement as required by local laws.

With its new production line in the Oulu Mill in northern Finland, Stora Enso will increase its capacity and produce 1.2 million tonnes of sustainable packaging materials in one site starting from 2025.

The company cited "the difficult business environment in the newsprint sector" as the reason.

Canfor Corporation will curtail operations at its Polar Sawmill located in Bear Lake British Columbia, north of Prince George, following an orderly wind-down. The curtailment is the result of a shortage of economically available fibre in the region and is expected to be in place for a period of approximately six months.

Kronospan has executed an asset purchase agreement with Roseburg Forest Products to acquire Roseburg's Simsboro, Louisiana, particleboard facility. Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals.

U.S. cities, towns and water districts have challenged proposed class action settlements worth more than $11 billion with 3M, DuPont de Nemours and others, arguing the deals are too generous to the chemical companies accused of contaminating U.S. water with toxic "forever chemicals."

A move by RGE could add a new dimension to the bidding for Essity AB's 52% stake in Vinda, which has drawn bidders such as Suzano SA, the world's largest producer of hardwood pulp from Brazil. Buyout firms Bain Capital, CVC Capital Partners and DCP Capital also advanced in the process, it was reported in August.