Leading Stories

Governor Laura Kelly joined officials from Pratt Industries as they opened their new state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing corrugated box plant in Park City. The plant represents a $200 million investment that will create high-paying, quality jobs in Sedgwick County over the next five years.

The purchase price is C$325 million, on a cash and debt free basis, which includes approximately C$31 million of net working capital.

Construction of the Rauma sawmill started in the spring of 2020, and the value of the investment is approximately EUR 260 million. This is the largest sawmill investment ever in Finland.

The Mayr-Melnhof Group (MM) has successfully completed the acquisition of Essentra Packaging, which was agreed in June 2022, following the approval of all relevant competition authorities.

More than 1,100 employees from 14 different locations in Washington and Oregon have been on strike since Sept. 13.

Metsä Tissue's, part of Metsä Group, renewed tissue paper machine at the Mänttä mill has moved from the trial run phase to continuous production. The renewed paper machine will be used to produce fresh fibre-based tissue paper products especially for the Finnish market. The upgrade will increase the production capacity of the tissue paper machine by 15 per cent, as well as improve product quality and energy and production efficiency.

Roseburg announces automation and modernization at Pembroke MDF Moulding. The two-line moulding operation is in the midst of a significant modernization project.

"We're honored to have Governor John Bel Edwards here with us today," said Anthony Pratt, Executive Chairman of Pratt Industries. "His economic leadership of Louisiana is characteristic of the reason that Pratt Industries has invested $250 million in the great state of Louisiana."

Packaging Corporation of America (PCA), headquartered in Illinois, has agreed to pay $2.5 million in civil penalties to resolve allegations that it violated the Clean Air Act's General Duty Clause and Risk Management Program Regulations at its containerboard production mill in DeRidder, Louisiana.

The carve-out transaction from Sappi's European business includes sites in Kirkniemi (Finland), Maastricht (The Netherlands), and Stockstadt (Germany), with over 1,400 full-time employees combined.

2 men died in 2021 accident after scaffolding fell

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter and Georgia-Pacific officials announced the company will invest at least $425 million to construct a state-of-the-art Dixie® manufacturing facility in Jackson.

Tolko's High Prairie team is continuing to work hard on the clean-up effort following the serious press fire that occurred at the mill on May 20, 2022. The damage to the press and press building was significant, and much of the equipment was a total loss.

Curtailment expected to affect 160 employees

Firefighters were on scene for around five hours before the blaze was under control. There was some damage to the field and a nearby fence. However, no one was hurt.

Administrators have now been appointed at the Arjowiggins Group mills at Stoneywood, as well as Chartham, Kent, with 368 of the group's 463 UK-based employees made redundant immediately.

Stora Enso's Jiashan site in China will be terminating operations due to an expiring land lease contract.

Emergency squads took the man to a local hospital but then flew him to Columbus because of the injuries. His ID was not released.

Dunn Paper will close its Port Huron location Nov. 18.

Weyerhaeuser lists four locations in Washington and Oregon on its website as major production hubs. The strike is having an impact at all four of the locations.

PotlatchDeltic Corporation issued its inaugural Carbon and Climate Report. The report quantifies the carbon removals, storage, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with our operations in 2021.

Cascades announces the temporary shutdown of one of its two tissue paper machines at its St. Helens, Oregon facility. The machine has an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons of tissue made from virgin fibre, and supplies the Company's converting plants, primarily the Scappoose, Oregon facility. Production of the second machine, located in a separate building, is not impacted.

The mill employs approximately 230 people who will be affected by the closure. The mill produces specialty label and release papers, as well as industrial and packaging solutions for eCommerce and food service. Its two paper machines have a capacity of 230,000 tons annually.

Michelle Ward, a spokesperson for Canfor, says, based on ongoing discussions with the company's transportation partners, the supply chain backlog is not expected to significantly improve before the end of the year. She adds that winter is generally a more challenging time for rail transportation.

State of Michigan environmental investigators have issued Graphic Packaging International multiple violations after an unannounced inspection in July, including one violation for releasing a chemical at a rate that exceeds the permitted emission limit.