Incoming Catalyst CEO Visits BC Mill

http://www.avtimes.net/catalyst-incoming-ceo-impressed-by-alberni-1.614418

Although he is not yet officially the CEO of Catalyst Paper, Joe Nemeth was in Port Alberni on Wednesday to see how the local operation works.

Last month, Nemeth was the new president and chief executive officer, but the position does not come into effect until Oct. 1. With a strong interest in the pulp and paper industry from a hands-on perspective, Nemeth said it was important to him to tour the operations and see how they run.
Nemeth is originally from Victoria. Although he has visited the Alberni Valley, he never toured the local mill until this week.He left the tour impressed by both the operation and its employees.

Sappi Intends to Voluntarily Delist from NYSE

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/09_09_2013sappi_delisting_nyse.html

Sappi Limited ("Sappi" or the "Company") (SPP) announces its intention to voluntarily delist its American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), which are evidenced by American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), from the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"). Sappi will convert its current ADR programme into a Level I ADR programme to give current ADR holders the option to continue to hold ADRs. Level I ADRs are traded in the United States over-the-counter market as opposed to on a U S national securities exchange.

The Company's decision to delist from the NYSE is based on the low trading volume of its ADSs on the NYSE as well as the high costs and administrative complexity associated with maintaining its listing and registration in the U S. As of today, less than 1% of Sappi's shares are held through its ADR programme, and for the twelve months ended 28 August 2013, less than 1% of Sappi's average daily trading volume occurred on the NYSE, where the Company has been listed since 1998.

Natural Gas Conversions to Benefit ME P&P Mills

http://www.mainebiz.biz/article/20130902/CURRENTEDITION/308299998?template=mobileart

When natural gas from a pipeline starts flowing into UPM Madison's heating furnaces late this year, it will be a fuel conversion several decades in the making and a move General Manager Russ Drechsel expects will boost the paper mill's competitiveness.

"We first looked at this 30 years ago, and today it has become a reality," says Drechsel of the switch from oil to compressed to liquefied and now to pipeline natural gas. While he would not reveal the savings the magazine-grade paper mill expects from the changeover, he says even a savings of 10% would have been more than enough to make the investment. But by his estimates, the mill could see a much better return than that. Drechsel says natural gas will cost about one-third less than oil on a per ton basis. Still, he's opted for a dual-burner system, with the memories of oil price fluctuations and natural gas shortages last winter still fresh in his mind.

Nippon Nears Biomass Startup in Washington

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130901/NEWS/309019985/testing-to-begin-before-nippon-biomass-facility-goes-online-next-month

After more than two years of construction and controversy, Nippon Paper Industries USA's expanded biomass cogeneration plant is stirring to life in preparation for going online in October.

"We're doing checkouts of various pieces of equipment," mill manager Harold Norlund said last week from his Ediz Hook office.
He sat in front of a picture window dominated by the cogeneration plant's conical biomass-fuel silo and related buildings.

Eldorado Seeks Funds for 2 Million MTPY Pulp Line

http://www.eldoradobrasil.com.br/En/index.html

Brazilian pulp producer Eldorado Brasil has applied to the Brazilian middle west dvelopment fund (FDCO) to raise Real 1.4 billion for the expansion of its 1.3 million tonnes/yr bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) pulp mill in Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul. The funds would be used for the construction of a new 2 million tonnes/yr BEK pulp line, estimated at Real 7 billion and scheduled to start operating in 2017. 
Grubisich first announced the company's intentions of building a 2 million tonnes/yr line - instead of the previously planned 1.7 million tonnes/yr line - last August, in the CEO/Executive Panel Discussion at RISI's Latin American Pulp and Paper Outlook Conference, in São Paulo, Brazil.

Demolition Begins on Verso's Sartell Mill

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/06/3610363/demolition-of-former-minn-paper.html

Crews have started demolishing the former Verso Paper mill in Sartell.
Jeff McGlin of AIM Development, which now owns the mill, says workers have started removing buildings on the north side of the site.
McGlin tells the St. Cloud Times (http://on.sctimes.com/18zAbcD) that over the next month, demolition will move toward the utility plant.
Part of the paper mill was destroyed in an explosion and fire last year. The plant's former owner decided to shut it down and sold the property.

Direct Mail, Book Publishing Gaining Momentum

http://digitalprinting.blogs.xerox.com/2013/09/direct-mail-book-publishing-and-transpromo-gaining-momentum-as-growth-applications/#.Ui4bxbyYyKw

Direct mail, book publishing and transpromo are gaining momentum as the most promising sources of growth for graphic communications providers, who continue to find digital printing helps them expand their businesses.
These are among the results of the annual survey of  the Xerox Premier Partners Global Network consisting of leading graphic communications providers. The survey was conducted online in six languages during August 2013 by GMC Analytics Software among more than 400 Xerox Premier Partners.

Q2 U.S. Ad Spending +3.5%

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

After flat Q1 spending, ad spending in measured U.S. media rose 3.5% in Q2 vs. Q2 2012, reports Kantar Media. However, last year’s Q2 spending was depressed by marketers reserving budgets for the Summer Olympics, and Q2 2013 got an extra lift from more NBA playoff games. Without those factors, spending in Q2 2013 would have been down by a full percentage point. Consumer magazines’ Q2 ad dollars rose 1.9% based on their rate card prices, but their number of ad pages fell 2.1%, according to Kantar.  

Ad Age

Bloomberg Businessweek to Release Documentary

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

The magazine sold the documentary, which focuses on the 2008 financial crisis and the role of former Treasury Secretary Henry “Hank” Paulson Jr. in trying to contain it, to Netflix for exclusive distribution. The film will premiere at an event Thursday that will include a panel featuring Paulson and NYC Mayor/BB owner Michael Bloomberg. “I think that we have done a good job at the magazine of building up credibility, but we wanted to stretch that credibility into other forms of media,” said editor Josh Tyrangiel.

NY Times

Time to End CnnMoney Partnership

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

Last week, Time’s News Group president Todd Larsen told staff that the CNN Money joint venture between Time Inc. and Turner, the cable parent of CNN, will be dissolved on May 30. The site, which had nearly 12 million unique monthly visitors in July, will be kept alive by Turner, but Fortune and Money magazines will no longer contribute Web content. Instead, they will develop their own Web sites. 
NY Post