Appleton Coated Names New CEO

http://whattheythink.com/news/65446-douglas-osterberg-appleton-coateds-head-research-development-succeed-current-ceo/

Douglas Osterberg, Appleton Coated’s head of Research and Development, to succeed current CEO.

Sandra Van Ert, Appleton Coated president and chief executive officer, has resigned effective September 30th. Sandy began her career with the company over 25 years ago, eventually becoming the company’s chief financial officer in 2000 and then its president and chief executive in 2010.

“We sincerely thank Sandy for her many years of dedication and service to Appleton Coated and the group,” commented Sequana’s chairman and chief executive officer, Pascal Lebard.

“I have great confidence in Doug and the team and am very optimistic for the future of the company,” commented Van Ert. Osterberg has worked extensively throughout the company’s operations and with customers throughout his 34 years with the company."

Packaging Corp. Gets $2 Billion Financing for Boise Deal

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/09_18_2013packaging_corp_boise_finance_deal.html

Bloomberg reported that Packaging Corp. of America (PCA) got a $2 billion financing commitment for its purchase of Boise Inc.

PCA plans to replace a 364-day bridge loan being provided by Bank of America Corp. with longer-term debt that may include as much as $700 million of senior notes and $1.3 billion of term loans consisting of a seven-year portion and five-year piece, according to a regulatory filing yesterday.

PCA agreed to buy the Boise, Idaho-based maker of packaging and paper products for about $1.27 billion in cash. The deal is valued at about $2 billion including Boise’s $714 million outstanding debt.

Sappi Cutting Coated Woodfree Production

http://www.na.sappi.com/home

Sappi has temporarily swtiched from a five- to a four-shift system at its Maastricht mill in the south of the Netherlands. The move was made on September 1, and as a result 40 temporary positions have been cut.

The Maastricht mill has a capacity of 280,000 tonnes/yr of coated woodfree (CWF) paper on one machine. The shift change is due to decreasing demand for paper, a company spokesperson said, and it will reduce the mill's production by about 60,000 tonnes/yr.

Speculation about Lanaken Mill:

With rumors of impending capacity reductions by Sappi in Europe swirling, Belgian newspapers have zeroed in on the fate of the 470,000 tonne/yr Lanaken coated mechanical paper mill and rumors of its possible closure. Sappi Fine Paper Europe CEO Berry Wiersum has taken issue with those reports, however.

The rumors are fuelled by Sappi's recent statements about it preparing to cut some capacity in Europe. According to the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Sappi will probably announce news on the restructuring in late September. Rumor has it there is talk of closing the Lanaken facility, located in the northeast of Belgium, the paper said. Furthermore, Sappi's decision last year not to build a combined heat and power plant at the factory has only intensified the talk.

Hansol Raises Coated Prices 8-11%

http://www.hansolpaper.co.kr/eng/corporation/overview.asp

South Korea's largest paper and board producer, Hansol Paper, has tabled price increases of 5-7% from September 1 and is set to seek additional hikes of 3-4% from October 1 for coated fine paper and duplex board exports.

The proposed rises will be implemented on orders received from that date on the company's coated fine paper, including one-side coated products, and also on coated recycled board grades, such as grayback coated duplex board and whiteback coated duplex board.

Hansol attributed the hike to the rising costs of raw materials, including market pulp, chemicals and energy.

IP Plans to Modernize Containerboard Mill, GA

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/09_17_2013international_paper_rome_mill_upgrade.html

The Rome-Floyd County Development Authority (Georgia, USA) has approved a resolution whereby International Paper, after filing for taxable revenue bonds, indicated that it would like to expand and/or modernize its containerboard mill in Rome, Georgia.

According to the resolution, IP “has indicated that the Plant may be eligible for an expansion through the acquisition and installation of additional machinery, equipment and other personal property designed to modernize operations at the Plant which would occur in three different phases over the next three years and would require additional capital expenditures in the County of between $100,000,000 and $150,000,000.”

Time Names First Woman Managing Editor

http://www.foliomag.com/2013/nancy-gibbs-named-managing-editor-time#.UjoCUryYyKw

Time magazine appointed Nancy Gibbs to succeed Richard Stengel as the publication’s new managing editor, effective immediately.
Gibbs, the first female to hold the managing editor post in Time’s history, has been leading the publication since July 2013 when Stengel shifted to a more corporate role working with editor-in-chief Martha Nelson and Time Inc. to facilitate the publication’s spin-off in the fall.

Postmaster General Speaks to PCC

http://www.dmnews.com/news-byte-donahoe-tells-mailers-to-think-digital/article/312243/

In an address today to a meeting of the Postal Customer Council in Minneapolis, MN, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said that the power of direct mail will not waver if it's comingled with digital marketing appeals.
“Any company that needs to reach and retain customers should be using mail,” Donahoe told the group assembled for National PCC Week. “The more we can bring the mail and the digital experience together, the more opportunities we create for people to buy your product, or donate to your cause, or enhance your message.”

SpinMedia Revives Vibe as Quarterly

http://adage.com/article/media/spinmedia-continue-vibe-magazine-a-quarterly/244198/

Vibe magazine is celebrating its 20th birthday by announcing it plans to live to see 21.
Despite numerous reports this year that the magazine's new owner SpinMedia, the network of pop-culture blogs, had decided to shut down the print edition, executives now say they will keep printing the magazine on a regular basis. Frequency will be reduced to four times a year from six.
SpinMedia is also considering reviving Spin's print edition as a quarterly.

Hearst's General Counsel, SVP Joins AOL Board

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/aol-adds-burton-to-board-of-directors--967544

AOL has announced it has appointed Eve Burton, senior vice president and general counsel of Hearst, to its board of directors. Burton has leadership experience in the media industry spanning print and digital publishing, cable networks and broadcasting, and online media, as well as government affairs. 

CDS: Hearst's Wilkes on Digital Outreach

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

A panel discussion at the CDS Global’s annual client conference centered on the use of data to best benefit magazine publishers. Chris Wilkes of Hearst’s application laboratory talked in depth about the company’s efforts to improve digital offerings, including the launch of weekly tablet versions of Esquire and Elle magazines. He also talked about the tablet and smartphone markets, quickly growing venues for Hearst to reach as many people as possible. “This is worth putting things at risk for,” he said. “We are competing for people’s leisure time.”
Des Moines Register

Modern Farmer Capitalizes on a Trend

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

The quarterly, launched in April, is capitalizing on the farm-to-table food trend, attracting readers ranging from vegetable suppliers to Whole Foods to Americans starting their own and community gardens. Founder/editor Ann Marie Gardner, a journalist, got start-up funds from a billionaire, and is attracting significant advertising. The magazine’s print edition is being sold in Britain, Germany and Australia as well as the U.S. Traffic on the Web site, which went live in April, grew to 99,000 uniques in the U.S. in July, per comScore. 

NY Times

Wine Enthusiast Redesigns, Adds New App

http://www.winemag.com/Web-2013/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine-Introduces-Groundbreaking-Mobile-App-and-Web-Site-Redesign/

Wine Enthusiast Magazine has expanded its digital footprint, launching two new exciting projects: A comprehensive, free Tasting Guide app and a redesigned mobile-friendly magazine Web site.

The Tasting Guide, now available in Apple’s App Store now and on Google Play September 25, is the ultimate app for all-things wine, spirits and beer.

USA Today Expects Big Drop at Newsstands

http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/usa-today-forecasts-big-plunge-in.html

As its restructuring enters a second year, USA Today is bracing for a 35% drop in newsstand sales when it doubles the single-copy price to $2 on Sept. 30, according to internal company documents.

Retail Growth Expected in Holiday Season

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/17/us-usa-retail-shoppertrak-idUSBRE98G05E20130917

Sales at U.S. stores are expected to climb less this holiday season than in recent years as consumers remain cautious during a slow economic recovery, a forecast released Tuesday by research firm ShopperTrak showed.
Sales are forecast to rise only 2.4 percent in November and December compared with increases of 3 percent in 2012, 4 percent in 2011 and 3.8 percent in 2010.

Boom in Chinese Log Imports

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-17/smallest-ships-profitable-again-as-logs-feed-china-boom-freight.html

China is building the most property in at least a decade, expanding shipments of logs and adding to record commodity cargoes that are making the merchant fleet’s smallest ships profitable for the first time since 2011.
Global trade in logs will expand 10 percent to 127 million cubic meters (4.5 billion cubic feet) in 2013, according to Wood Resources International LLC, a research company in Bothell, Washington.