Leading Stories

Workers at the Woodland Pulp mill say they are on the verge of a strike vote.

Firefighters put out a fire at an Ahlstrom facility in Windsor Locks on Thursday, Nov. 17.

The union which represents more than 450 pulp mill and woodlands employees at Domtar is asking for conciliation after stepping away from the bargaining table this week.

Sonoco, a global leader in diversified packaging, plans to further expand Sonopost® cornerpost manufacturing in Europe. A new protective packaging production facility is set to open in Bursa, Turkey in November, one year after Sonoco established the first Sonopost® operation in Sochaczew, Poland.

Pursuant to this transaction, the company's name has been changed and will operate as BiOrigin Specialty Products ("BSP" or the "Company").

The energy plant will be commissioned in September 2024 and will produce +200 GWh of electricity and +700 GWh of renewable heat, thus generating CO2 savings of 210,000 tonnes per year and providing electricity equivalent to the consumption of more than 13,000 homes.

Entire mill force of 400-plus laid off except for a handful.

Part of the new commitment is already taking shape in Henderson, KY, where the company is building its 6th, 100% recycled paper mill. An investment of $500 million, the mill is one of the biggest economic development achievements in Western Kentucky in the past 25 years.

Smurfit Kappa has signed an agreement to acquire Pusa Pack S.L., a bag-in-box packaging plant located in Onda, Spain. Pusa Pack will be integrated into Smurfit Kappa's Bag-in-Box operations in Spain.

Rengo Co., Ltd. announces that it completed renovation work on the biomass incineration plant at Amagasaki mill in Japan.

165 employees impacted

Lecta has decided to invest in a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) boiler for its Condat paper mill in France, which will be finished by mid-2024. This is a great energy transformation project that presents multiple environmental and economic advantages, in line with the Sustainability goals that Lecta is working on.

The new facility is expected to be operational by 2025, creating approximately 500 new jobs.

According to initial reports, smoke was seen coming from the converting warehouse at the facility.

Menasha Packaging, a retail-focused packaging design, manufacturing, and merchandising solutions provider, will expand operations in Pelahatchie, Mississippi. The $79 million project is expected to create 21 jobs.

Grateful for community support; enhanced safety procedures implemented

The Board has therefore approved a US$418 million investment at Somerset to convert PM2 from coated woodfree graphic paper to solid bleached sulphate board (SBS).

WestRock Company announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to wholly divest its ownership interest in RTS Packaging, LLC, to joint venture partner Sonoco Products Company for $330 million, subject to customary price adjustments. In addition, the Company has signed a definitive agreement to sell its uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) mills in Eaton, Indiana, and Aurora, Illinois, to Ox Industries for $50 million.

Crews battled a big fire Tuesday night at a waste paper plant on the property of Sonoco of Hartsville, according to an official.

All employees were safely evacuated and there were no firefighter injuries reported.

Greif, Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lee Container Corporation, Inc. ("Lee Container" or "Lee"), an industry-leading manufacturer of high-performance barrier and conventional blow molded containers, for a purchase price of $300 million before taking into consideration tax benefits with an estimated net present value of approximately $30 million.

The union said a strike at DS Smith could have "serious implications" across a range of household names such as Amazon which gets packaging from the company.

Residents claim the foul-smell being emitted from the plant has caused property damage.

A conveyor belt at the facility started the fire.

Amcor has announced its investment of US$3 million in PulPac, a Swedish company providing disruptive manufacturing technology for low-cost, high-performance fiber-based packaging.