Monthly Archives: February 2017
KapStone Paper and Packaging Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2016 Results
(USA, Feb. 8, 2017) KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation (KS) today reported preliminary results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2016.
As compared to 2015’s fourth quarter, results for 2016’s fourth quarter:
• Net sales of $777 million, up $13 million, or 2 percent
• Net income of $18 million, up $7 million, or 55 percent
• Diluted EPS of $0.19, up $0.07 per share, or 58 percent
Matthew Kaplan, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “During 2016, we made substantial progress in our Read More...
Clearwater Paper announces second tissue machine and converting facility in North Carolina
(Shelby, USA, Feb. 9, 2017) Clearwater Paper today announced plans to build a new tissue machine and related converting equipment for producing premium and ultra-premium grades of private label tissue products at a site adjacent to the company’s existing facility in Shelby, North Carolina.
“Clearwater Paper’s customers are requiring more premium and ultra-premium products, which we are addressing with the new capacity. These high growth segments have increased 3.5 times faster than the overall tissue market, and we are committed Read More...
Mondi to launch heavy-duty corrugated cardboard production in Poland; expanded product range
(London, Jan. 14, 2017) Mondi Group has unveiled plans to launch production of heavy-duty corrugated cardboard at its factory in Piaski, in Poland’s western part.
To carry out its planned investment, Mondi has installed new machinery at the plant. The project will increase the factory’s output capacity to about 200 million square metres per year, reports local news site Rynekpapierniczy.pl.
Last year, the group took over the production facility which operates under the name of Mondi Simet S.A. The plant was Read More...
Andritz to supply fiberline upgrade to Altri Celbi
(Graz, Austria, Feb. 09, 2017) Andritz has been selected to upgrade the brown stock washing process in the fiberline at the Altri Group’s Celbi mill in Portugal. Start-up is scheduled for autumn 2017. The new DD-Washer and other fiberline equipment supplied by Andritz will substantially improve the washing efficiency and increase the capacity of the hardwood fiberline.
This is a repeat order for Andritz at the Celbi mill, thus demonstrating the very successful, long-term business relationship between the two companies. Read More...
Link: Microcellulose gains foothold in paperboard
(Sweden, January 24, 2017) Stora Enso and BillerudKorsnäs announce plans to phase in microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) in paperboard products. Lightweight milk cartons with Stora Enso MFC are already market tested.
Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is set to transform paperboard furnish according to the intentions of two major European paperboard producers. Stora Enso and BillerudKorsnäs are making plans to phase in MFC as part of their papermaking furnish. In fact, as an early market entrant, light weight milk cartons using Stora Enso Read More...
Swedish Processum to lead major nanocellulose project; will develop new applications on a large scale
(Stockholm, Sweden, Feb. 09, 2017) Processum announced the start of an SEK 8 million project that will focus on the development and production of crystalline nanocellulose (CNC). The project includes the development of the test bed TinyBTalented and new applications on a large scale. The project also intends to establish working methods for future application development.
Processum said there project takes place over four years and will end in November of 2020.
Processum will be acting as project leader for this Read More...
Brazil’s Export Volumes of Pulp, Paper and Wood Panels Increased in 2016
(Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb.8, 2017) The Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá) announced that combined export volumes of pulp, paper, and wood panels in 2016 increased over the previous year. In 2016, exports of pulp totaled 12.9 million tons (+12%); exports of paper totaled 2.1 million tons (flat); and exports of wood panels totaled 1 million m3 (+64%).
[Note: All amounts in US dollars]
Exports Revenues. In 2016, the industry achieved exports totaling $7.4 billion (-1.6%), pulp achieved $5.5 million (-0.5%), paper with Read More...
India’s domestic paper consumption at over 16 MTPA (with imports at over 2 MTPA); demand projected to grow to 23 – 36 MTPA by 2024-25
(New Delhi, January 2017) As in the past, the Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) released its Indian Paper Industry Pre-Budget Memorandum 2017-18 last month, on the eve of the finance minister of India presenting the Union Budget 2017-18. The memorandum, while essentially a “wish list”, also gives a bird’s eye view of the state of the industry.
Following are some extracts:
The domestic market / consumption of paper is over 16 million tonnes per annum (TPA), with over 2 Read More...
Europe: stats show small drop in 2016 paper & board production over 2015; packaging grades to continue to grow
(Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 07, 2017) Paper and board production in CEPI countries shows a small decline from 2015. CEPI member countries paper and board production has decreased by 0.1% in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to preliminary figures. Total production in 2016 was around 91 million tonnes. Machine closures in Europe in 2016 were compensated by new capacities or upgrading of existing ones.
United States and Canadian production are expected to be down by 1.0% and 1.8% respectively. Read More...
Sappi reports strong first quarter results; to reduce European graphic paper capacity by 200,000 tpa by 2020
(Johannesburg, S Africa, Feb. 08, 2017) Sappi Limited reported results for its fiscal first quarter 2017. Highlights included:
• EBITDA excluding special items US$201 million (Q1 2016 US$175 million)
• Profit for the period US$90 million (Q1 2016 US$75 million)
• EPS excluding special items 16 US cents (Q1 2016 13 US cents)
• Net debt US$1,338 million, down US$396 million year-on-year
• Investments to enhance competitive advantage and increase speciality packaging capacity
• Increased capability to produce paper-based packaging at Somerset Mill in the USA
• Lightweight packaging and speciality paper capacity Read More...
Resolute Reports Preliminary Fourth Quarter and 2016 Results; Q4 net loss of $45 million
(Montréal, Canada, Feb. 2, 2017) Resolute Forest Products Inc. today reported a net loss for the quarter ended December 31, 2016, of $45 million, or $0.50 per share, compared to a GAAP net loss of $214 million, or $2.39 per share, in the same period in 2015. Sales were $889 million in the quarter, essentially unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2015. Excluding special items, the company reported a net loss of $3 million, or $0.03 per share, compared Read More...
Glatfelter Reports Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2016 Earnings
(USA, Feb. 7, 2017) Glatfelter today reported net income of $21.6 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with $64.6 million, or $1.47 per diluted share, in the year ended December 31, 2015. Adjusted earnings in 2016, totaled $60.7 million, or $1.38 per diluted share compared with $58.9 million or $1.34 per diluted share, in 2015.
For the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company reported a loss of $16.2 million, or $0.37 per Read More...
Graphic Packaging Holding Company reports fourth quarter and full year 2016 results
(USA, Feb. 7, 2017) Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK), a leading provider of packaging solutions to food, beverage and consumer product companies, today reported Net Income for fourth quarter 2016 of $34.9 million, or $0.11 per share, based upon 317.9 million weighted average diluted shares. This compares to fourth quarter 2015 Net Income of $57.2 million, or $0.17 per share, based on 329.6 million weighted average diluted shares.
Fourth quarter 2016 Net Income was negatively impacted by $9.8 million (net Read More...
Link: UPM 4Q results — “cautious outlook and dividend caution”
(Helsinki, Jan. 31, 2017) A cautious outlook and dividend disappointment knocked shares in Finnish pulp and paper maker UPM-Kymmene on Tuesday, despite it notching up record profits for 2016.
UPM has so far protected its profitability with cost cuts as well as its focus on pulp, a product with a brighter outlook than paper. Pulp is also used to make tissue and packaging board, which are seeing growing demand, particularly from China.
For this year, UPM said it expected profitability to Read More...
Sappi Europe to Increase Prices for its European Coated and Uncoated Fine Papers
(Brussels, Feb. 7, 2017) Sappi Europe announced that it will increase prices for all European coated and uncoated fine paper business by 8% for both sheets and reels, effective March 15.
For fine paper grades exported outside of Europe, Sappi said it will selectively apply a price increase based on specific local circumstances.
In a press release Sappi explained, “The sudden and continuing sharp rise in input costs and the consequently squeezed profit margins make corrective pricing measures inevitable as Sappi Read More...