Week of 8 June 2020: Purchasing and Education

Last week we talked about the role of purchasing. I never once brought up negotiating a good price. I am not going to bring up negotiating a good price this week, either. This week, we will talk about educating the purchasing department. And we are not going to talk about contract writing as we talk about education.

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.] RMR Mechanical

(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.

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UFP Industries Reports Fire Damage at Ashburn, Georgia Facility

The fire is being investigated as arson.

Lotta Lyrå appointed new President and CEO of Södra

The Board of Södra has appointed Lotta Lyrå as new President and CEO. She will take office this year and thereby replace CFO Peter Karlsson, who has been Interim President since 20 February this year.

Kalmar and Klabin collaborate to build a smooth, safe and eco-efficient paper logistics process based on zero-emission RTG technology

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has concluded an agreement to supply Klabin, Brazil's largest producer and exporter of packaging paper, with three Kalmar Zero Emission rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs).

Stora Enso invests Euro 40 million to reduce environmental impact of Oulu mill in Finland

The conversion of Stora Enso's Oulu paper mill into a containerboard mill has received an environmental permit from the Regional State Administrative Agency of Northern Finland.

New boiler delivered to Georgia Pacific Green Bay, Wisconsin mill

The natural gas boiler was unloaded at the mill in Green Bay to replace the coal-fired one.

UPM Plywood is planning to scale down plywood production in Finland

UPM Jyväskylä plywood mill employs 167 people.

Mercer International Inc. announces 30 days downtime at its Celgar mill

Mercer International Inc. reports that its Celgar mill, in addition to regularly planned maintenance downtime of five days, will be taking approximately 30 days of additional downtime (aggregate 52,000 ADMTs) in July 2020.

Verso claims no viable offers for shuttered Luke mill

The Verso Corp., owner of the Luke Paper Mill, said no offers have been tendered on the property and it is preparing the site for sale to third parties for alternative uses.

Faced with less demand, Sappi Cloquet, Minn. mill temporarily laying off employees

Employees at Sappi's Cloquet paper mill are being temporarily laid off in rotations as demand for the mill's products wane amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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'.

Metsä Fibre starts excavation work at its Rauma sawmill in Finland

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, is constructing a new pine sawmill in Rauma, Finland. It will be the most modern and most extensively automated sawmill in the world. The project's domestic content will be 70%.

Safeture Signs Deal with International Paper for Enterprise Solution

Safeture AB said it signed an agreement with U.S.-based International Paper, one of the world's leading producers of fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper, for its full Enterprise platform. This is a key step for Safeture's expansion in the U.S market.

Indonesian court jails indigenous farmer in conflict with APP

A member of an indigenous community mired in a long-standing land conflict with a subsidiary of paper giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has been sentenced to a year in prison.

BRC certification for two Sofidel America sites

The Sofidel America facilities in Circleville, Ohio, and Haines City, Florida, obtained the BRC (British Retail Consortium) "Consumer Product Standard for Household & Personal Care Products" certification, a standard that certifies that business processes take into account product safety, legality and quality requirements and the company's ability to deliver safe and quality products to final consumers.

Canfor Completes Purchase of Elliott Sawmilling Company Inc.

Elliott adds over 210 million board feet of production capacity.

Evergreen Packaging Releases TruSpec Coated Inkjet Papers Featuring HP ColorPRO Technology

Evergreen Packaging® announced the release of TruSpec® Inkjet Book with ColorPRO Technology, a new digital coated matte paper developed in conjunction with HP.

BillerudKorsnäs has extended cooperation with UPM in Pietarsaari

Elliott adds over 210 million board feet of production capacity.

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.

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.

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March 2020

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February 2020

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