Wednesday, February 27, 2013

EURO-GRAPH Reports January Coated & SC Ships

EURO-GRAPH has reported European shipments of coated mechanical paper declined -3.2% in January. Demand fell -1.1% and exports decreased -9.2%. Coated woodfree shipments rose by +1.1%, demand was down -2.7% and exports were up +14.6%. Shipments of Supercalendered paper increased +3.2% and demand rose +5.4%. Exports fell -8.9%.

More Mills Announce Pulp Price Increase

Tembec announced to customers in North America and China that it is increasing northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp prices, effective March 1.
Tembec said its NBSK list price would rise to $930/tonne, up $30/tonne on Mar. 1 in North America. 
Canfor Pulp announced to US customers today that it would increase northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp prices by $30/tonne, effective April 1, industry contacts told RISI. In addition, the firm set $20-30/tonne price increases in China and Europe for March business.

Harbor Paper Making Changes

Harbor Paper announced that they are cutting back production heavily while they adjust their management.
In a release they say that when the Elliott Rust Companies acquired Harbor Paper, the vision was clear. They wanted to build a highly successful provider and producer of recycled papers utilizing renewable energy. They say that "Harbor Paper remains dedicated to this vision-paper made from paper".

Catalyst Paper Reaches CGW Milestone, Announces Newsprint Strategy

Catalyst Paper’s Port Alberni, BC, mill reaches 10-year year milestone as coated mechanical paper supplier for Rolling Stone Magazine: Catalyst Paper's Port Alberni mill is marking 10 years as the supplier of coated mechanical paper for Rolling Stone Magazine, Wenner Media's flagship publication. As the only producer of coated mechanical paper in Western North America , Catalyst's Port Alberni mill also supplies paper for the popular Men's Journal, and the Westcoast edition of Us Weekly.
Catalyst Paper (TSX:CYT) is taking a major step forward in its Latin American market development strategy with the launch of Marathon Lite - a high-performing newsprint grade with an industry-leading basis weight of only 40 grams per square metre (gsm).
Growing Catalyst's long-standing presence in Latin America is a focus of its emerging markets strategy and leverages freight-logical proximity to serve this market from its Pacific coast manufacturing facilities.

More Details on NewPage Cuts

Thirteen employees at NewPage paper mill in West Duluth have been laid off, the result of the companywide reduction of 300 employees.
NewPage Corp., owner of the Duluth mill and seven other mills in the United States, is eliminating 300 of its 6,000 positions at its eight U.S. paper mills because of rising costs and declining demand for its paper products.

Boise Reports 2012, Q4 Results

Boise Inc. today reported net income of $13.5 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for fourth quarter 2012, compared with net income of $16.3 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, for fourth quarter 2011. Net income for the year ended 2012 was $52.2 million, or $0.52 per diluted share, compared with $75.2 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, for the year ended 2011. Net income excluding special items for the year ended 2012 was $71.6 million, compared with $79.9 million for the year ended 2011.
2012 Highlights
Record annual sales of $2.56 billion, a 6% increase over 2011

Lecta Raises Coated Woodfree Price

Lecta, the second largest European coated woodfree paper-manufacturing group, made up of Condat, Cartiere del Garda and Torraspapel, informs its customers that the company will continue implementing the announced price increase of 5 to 6% on its CWF paper in all the channels and markets justified by the high level prices of main raw materials, transport and energy.

AF&PA Reports January Paperboard Ships

The American Forest & Paper Association has released its January 2013 U.S. Paperboard Report.
Total boxboard production increased by 0.9 percent compared to January 2012 and increased 1.7 percent from last month. Unbleached Kraft Boxboard production increased over the same month last year and increased compared to last month.

US Kraft Shipments Up 19%

US Kraft paper shipments increased substantially
According to the American Forest & Paper Association newly released January 2013 Kraft Paper Report, total Kraft paper shipments were 140.5 thousand tons, an increase of 19 percent compared to the prior month.

U.S. Lumber Coalition Concerned with BC Policy

U.S. Lumber Coalition concerned by log export policy changes in British Columbia:
The U.S. Lumber Coalition has released the following press release:
The U.S. Lumber Coalition is seriously concerned by the recent announcement of log export policy changes in British Columbia (BC), particularly an increase in the “fee in lieu of domestic manufacturing” applied to many log exports that will take effect on March 1.
Log export restrictions have the effect of insulating BC lumber mills from world market prices for logs, which have increased significantly in recent years as China and other countries have increased their demand for North American logs. The recent announcement of measures to tighten log export restrictions on the BC Coast will allow BC lumber producers to pay even further below-market prices for their log inputs.

Quad/Graphics Reports Preliminary Q4, 2012 Results

Quad/Graphics Reports Preliminary Q4 and Full-Year 2012 Results: Quad/Graphics Inc. reported preliminary unaudited fourth quarter and full-year 2012 results in advance of management's attendance at the 2013 Baird Business Solutions Conference in New York City on February 27, 2013. For reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Recurring Free Cash flow to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) measures, please see the accompanying information.

Bloomberg Pursuits Redesigns, Increases Frequency

Bloomberg Pursuits Redesigns and Ups Frequency:
“We’re competing in an attention economy—building an audience has never been more difficult,” Paul Bascobert, president of Bloomberg Businessweek, said at the 2012 American Magazine Conference in San Francisco this past October.
Now, Bloomberg Markets spin-off and luxury magazine Bloomberg Pursuits is doubling its frequency to four times a year and has redesigned itself—all moves to better compete in the “attention economy."

Are These Ads Worth the Paper They’re Not Printed On?

Are These Ads Worth the Paper They’re Not Printed On?:
A campaign to promote the value of using paper is turning to everyday situations to make its point after spending more than two years at the office.
The switch in subject matter began last week, when the Domtar Corporation and its agency, the Charlotte, N.C., office of Eric Mower & Associates, added four video clips-cum-commercials to the campaign, which carries the theme “Paper because.” The humorous videos are billed as entries in a series of “Really, Really Short Films” that started with the introduction of the campaign, which is aimed at so-called thought leaders in fields like business and education, in September 2010.
The first batch of videos, as well as the second, released in December 2011, offered viewers wacky vignettes that occurred at a workplace where a crusade to go “paperless” was carried to extremes. For instance, in one video, titled “Black Market,” an office worker begs her colleague for “more of that stuff you got me last week,” which turns out to be 20 sheets of paper.

Folio: People On The Move

People On The Move | 2.27.13: Everyday Health has promoted Paul Slavin as chief operating officer. Slavin was serving the publication as its senior vice president and general manager of global news.
Meredith has named Stan Pavlosky as senior vice president of Meredith National Media Group and president of AllRecipes.com. Pavlosky was previously vice president of ecommerce at Drugstore.com.
And more...

Everyday Food Shifts Focus

Everyday Food, a cooking specialty title under the Martha Stewart Living brand, announced it would shift its focus to digital late last year as part of an organizational restructuring that would help save the company up to $35 million. 
Now, four months later, the publication has released the first of what will be five themed supplements to accompany Martha Stewart Living. While the print product--a 36-page, digest-sized folio--has less content that it did as a standalone 10-issue-per-year book, the brand's emphasis has changed, says Sarah Carey, editor-in-chief of Everyday Food.

Transition of Forbes Ad Revenue Model

The reinvention of Forbes Media extends well beyond its content model. The business side of the house is in transition as well as the business publisher seeks to diversify its ad products and keep pace with the growth of the digital audience. 
Forbes is building out both its advertising products and its operations as it seeks to capitalize on a steady rise of website visitors. In a phone interview, Chief Revenue Officer Meredith Levien talked about the growth of Forbes’ digital business and the opportunities that lie ahead in areas such as native advertising and mobile.

Variety Shutters Daily Edition

Just a few months after being sold to Deadline.com owner Jay Penske, Variety is making some big changes. Beginning on March 18, the 108-year-old Hollywood trade publication will no longer publish is daily broadsheet, The Daily Variety. The Variety weekly magazine will stay in print, but with a new publishing schedule—Tuesdays rather than weekends—and a new look, debuting on March 26. Variety will also publish additional special editions.

In Thrifty Times for Publishers, Food Finds Success

DEMAND for magazines in retail outlets keeps weakening, and Wal-Mart Stores is worried because shoppers are holding a tight rein on spending. So a new magazine, available only at Walmart, should rank right up there among what Twitter users call #epicfails, yes?
Instead, the magazine, Delish, did well enough with its first issue in November, according to its publisher, Hearst Magazines, that it is being expanded this year to quarterly frequency. It will publish issues dated February, May, August and November.

Five Closed Quad/Graphics Plants Sold

http://thewritingfiendatlarge.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/new-mill-capital-llc-of-los-angeles-acquires-five-property-quad-graphics-portfolio-looking-to-reinvest-in-facilities-tenants-and-jobs-2-25-13-press-release.pdf 
The five-facility transaction closed Friday, Feb. 22, for an undisclosed price, with New Mill Capital (NMC) already selling off one piece on closing day: a former Quad/Graphics printing plant in Jonesboro, Ark., to a confidential buyer, a national brand in the packaging industry committed to creating new jobs via expanded packaging lines. The four remaining Quad/Graphics properties, including a spectacular printing plant in Virginia, are being recast in signature IRG/NMC mode of adaptive reuse, to maximize value for client(s), buyers, sellers and communities alike.

MSLO Reports 2012 Results

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) today announced its results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2012. The Company reported revenue for the fourth quarter and full year of $56.4 million and $197.6 million, respectively.

Abercrombie & Fitch to Close More Stores

Teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch said Friday it plans to close 40 to 50 of its U.S. stores this year as the company’s shares took a nosedive following lukewarm sales over the holiday shopping season, a crucial time for retail chains.
Comparable store sales at Abercrombie’s U.S. stores fell 1 per cent in the fourth quarter, furthering previous declines in the company’s selling power.

Tribune Takes Next Step for Newspaper Sales

Tribune Co. has taken another step closer to selling its newspapers with the retention of Evercore Partners and JPMorgan Chase to oversee the auction, according to the company’s flagship Chicago Tribune. 
The sale of Tribune’s newspaper properties -- including the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun, and five other daily newspapers -- was widely expected as a follow-up to the company’s bankruptcy reorganization plan. Ownership passed to creditors, including Oaktree Capital Management, Angelo, Gordon & Co. and JPMorgan at the end of last year.

Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Up

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Rebounds in February: The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in January, rebounded in February. The Index now stands at 69.6 (1985=100), up from 58.4 in January. The Present Situation Index increased to 63.3 from 56.2. The Expectations Index improved to 73.8 from 59.9 last month.