Manistique Paper Sold

http://www.pioneertribune.com/news/2012-04-12/Front_Page/Seven_months_after_filing_bankruptcy_paper_mill_re.html

Manistique Papers Inc. had reached an agreement with The Watermill Group to sell the 91-year-old paper mill. According to MPI General Manager Jon Johnson, the agreement was signed Wednesday afternoon and was transmitted electronically to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., for approval.

Approval of the Watermill bid is anticipated to be April 17, with the close of the transaction to take place early May. Terms of the deal are undisclosed pending bankruptcy approval. In November 2009, Watermill purchased the FutureMark Paper Company in Alsip, Ill.

West Linn Latest to Raise Coated Prices

West Linn Paper became the fourth North American coated papermaker to announce a coated freesheet (CFS) price increase in the past week with a $30/ton ($1.50/cwt) hike on orders shipping on or after May 29. 

Separately, Verso, NewPage and Sappi also announced coated paper price increases. 

Resolute Takes 46.8% of Fibrek

http://resolutefp.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=28238&item=126821
AbitibiBowater Inc., doing business as Resolute Forest Products, today announced that all applicable conditions to its offer for Fibrek Inc. have been satisfied and that it has taken up and accepted for payment the 60,831,859 shares deposited as of 11:59 p.m. on April 11.  The tendered shares represent approximately 46.8% of the currently outstanding Fibrek shares. 

Brookfield to Sell Twin Rivers

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/04/11/business/brookfield-trying-to-sell-interest-in-madawaska-paper-mill/?ref=mostReadBoxBusiness 

Brookfield Asset Management confirmed Wednesday that it is looking for a buyer for its 51 percent share in Twin Rivers, which employs approximately 1,200 at its paper operations in Madawaska and Edmundston, New Brunswick, and at a sawmill in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick.

Communications Industry Spending Up

Communications Industry Spending to Beat GDP Growth in 2012:  The overall U.S. communications industry is projected to grow another 5.6 percent in 2012, reaching almost $1.2 trillion and beating GDP's 4.4 percent growth, says a new report from private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson.

Condé Nast Buys ZipList

Condé Nast Buys Digital Recipe and Shopping Service ZipList: Condé Nast has acquired the digital food shopping and recipe organizer service ZipList. While the deal is not sizeable, All Things D reports the sale price at around $14 million, the technology can easily integrate with Condé's food titles allowing deeper engagement with the content.

Quad/Graphics/Wired Produce NFC Ad

Quad/Graphics, Wired pioneer high-tech magazine ad:
Quad/Graphics Inc. and Wired magazine said they have collaborated to produce the first mass-produced, "near field communication" U.S. magazine ad. Wired’s April issue features an ad with a near field communication (NFC) tag that launches a mobile site when tapped by an NFC-enabled Android smartphone.

Email Deliverability Declines

Email Deliverability Experiences Historic Decline in Second Half of 2011: A recent analysis of inbox placement rates of marketing messages show sharp deliverability rates in the second half of 2011. According to Global Email Deliverability Benchmark report, for the first time in three years, there has been a major global decline of 6% in the second half of 2011 bringing inbox placement rates to a record low of 76.5% globally, compared to 81% in the first half of 2011.