International Paper Reports Q4 and 2011 Results

http://www.paperage.com/2012news/02_02_2012international_paper_earnings.html
International Paper reported preliminary full-year 2011 net earnings attributable to common shareholders totaling $1.3 billion compared with $644 million in full-year 2010. In the fourth quarter of 2011, the company reported net earnings of $257 million compared with $316 million in the fourth quarter of 2010. Amounts in all periods include special items.

More layoffs at Kruger's Corner Brook mill

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2012/02/01/nl-kruger-jobs-201.html

As previously announced, Corner Brook Pulp and Paper started implementing a rightsizing plan as part of its strategy to improve its competitiveness. Throughout the day yesterday, the Company met with union executives to announce the immediate layoff of nine employees, as well as a gradual reduction of 33 additional positions and four vacancies that will not be filled.

Investor Found for manroland’s Sheetfed Division

Langley Group Takes Over manroland’s Sheetfed Division: An investor solution has been found for the sheetfed business of manroland AG currently in insolvency proceedings.

Hearst, Fleishman-Hillard Publish Ad Study

Women Most Notice Price, Quality Info in Advertising: The top elements of advertising that make women "take notice" are an easily found price (45%) and proof or details of quality (43%) followed by relevant messaging (39%) and ads that are easy to remember (28%) according to a study conducted by integrated marketing and communications firm Fleishman-Hillard in partnership with Hearst Magazines.
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USPS Proposes Barcode Discount

 http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120202/DIRECT0202/302029994/usps-to-again-offer-qr-code-discount-offer&template=printart
Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Postal Service, which has been aggressively courting commercial mailers with a variety of promotions, will reprise its 2D barcode promotion first launched last summer.

GMG Names Marketing Director

Ikea's Farkas joins GMG to head up marketing: GMG has appointed Michael Farkas as marketing director after nearly a decade masterminding the production workflow behind the Ikea catalogue.

Marubeni Recognized as Sustainability Leader

http://www.marubeni.com/csr_env/topics/006217.html

As in the previous year, Marubeni Corporation has been awarded the SAM Sector Leader in the Support Services, the sector to which Marubeni Corporation belongs, by SAM, a global CSR research and rating company that analyzes candidate companies for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), an index of companies leading in the field of socially responsible investment (SRI). The SAM Sector Leader is awarded to the company with the highest sustainability performance in each industry sector. 

In addition, in the rating of the overall sustainability performance, Marubeni Corporation has been awarded the top "SAM Gold Class," which is higher than the SAM Silver Class awarded to Marubeni in the previous fiscal year, and has been included in SAM’s “The Sustainability Yearbook 2010” as a leader in sustainability.

No Word on Sale of St. Mary's

http://www.saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3455825

The sale of bankrupt St. Marys Paper Corp., underway for two weeks, has quietly entered the second phase of a quick-moving process.

Letters of intent from prospective bidders, according to sales protocol, were to have been filed with the court-appointed receiver, Ernst & Young, late Monday afternoon and upon review applicants advancing into the next phase of the process were to have been notified Tuesday.

UPM to Build EUR 85 Million CHP Plant at Schongau

http://www.paperage.com/2012news/02_01_2012upm_chp_germany.html
UPM said that it plans to invest EUR 85 million to build a new combined heat and power (CHP) plant at its Schongau mill in Germany.
The new power plant will generate process heat as well as electricity for the mill, while also providing sustainable and energy efficient district heating for roughly 750 households and public institutions such as local school and hospital in Schongau.

UPM Reports Fourth Quarter Results

http://www.upm.com/en/Pages/default.aspx

Sales for the fourth quarter of 2011 were EUR 2,686 million, 14% higher than the EUR 2,357 million in the fourth quarter of 2010. Sales increased mainly due to the inclusion of the acquired Myllykoski Corporation and Rhein Papier GmbH, as of 1 August 2011. In addition, sales prices increased, particularly in Paper.

EBITDA decreased to EUR 301 million, 11.2% of sales, from EUR 318 million, 13.5% of sales in the same period last year.

Operating profit was EUR 131 million, 4.9% of sales (207 million, 8.8% of sales). Operating profit includes net charges of EUR 16 million as special items, mainly related to restructuring measures in Paper.

The operating profit excluding special items was EUR 147 million, 5.5% of sales (212 million, 9.0% of sales).

UPM Sells Packaging Production to Billerud

UPM sells its packaging paper assets to the Swedish Billerud: UPM sells its packaging paper production to the Swedish packaging paper company Billerud. The transaction includes two packaging paper machines; one in Pietarsaari and one in Tervasaari, Finland. The enterprise value of the transaction is EUR 130 million. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval. The target is to close the transaction during the second quarter of 2012.

Catalyst Paper Secures $175 million

Catalyst Paper to receive $175 million in DIP financing from JP Morgan:
JP Morgan is providing Catalyst Paper with up to $175 million in debtor-in possession (DIP) financing to help fund its operations during its period of credit protection, under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA).

UPM Plans First Biorefinery for Wood-Based Biodiesel

UPM to build the world's first biorefinery producing wood-based biodiesel: UPM is to invest in a biorefinery producing biofuels from crude tall oil in Lappeenranta, Finland. The industrial scale investment is the first of its kind globally. The biorefinery will produce annually approximately 100,000 tonnes of advanced second generation biodiesel for transport. Construction of the biorefinery will begin in the summer of 2012 at UPM’s Kaukas mill site and be completed in 2014. UPM’s total investment will amount to approximately EUR 150 million.

Publish Post

Neenah Completes Purchase of Premium Brands from Wausau Paper

Neenah Completes Purchase of Premium Brands from Wausau Paper: Neenah Paper, Inc. (NYSE:NP) announced today completion of the previously announced purchase of certain premium paper brands and other assets from Wausau Paper Corp.

Hearst and Condé Nast Sell Comag

Exclusive: Hearst and Condé Nast Sell Comag to Jim Pattison Group: Comag Marketing Group, the Princeton, New Jersey-based national magazine distributor jointly owned by Hearst and Condé Nast, has been sold to the Jim Pattison Group. The deal signals the exit of the two publishers from the magazine distribution business and is being positioned as an effort to heal a newsstand supply chain that's long been fraught with competing interests and inefficiencies.

FOLIO Names Editor

FOLIO:, EXPO Magazines Tap Top Editors: Red 7 Media, a division of Access Intelligence, announces two changes to its editorial roster, effective immediately. Bill Mickey, who previously served as executive editor of EXPO Magazine, returns to FOLIO Magazine as editor.

Time Inc. Closing MAGHOUND

Time Inc.’s MAGHOUND Shuttering: Time Inc.’s print magazine venture MAGHOUND is closing. The service debuted in 2008, and is expected to fold early this year. Dubbed the “Netflix of the magazine industry” in the press, MAGHOUND hawked multiple titles for a discount price, without the commitment of a subscription.

PRC Will Not Expedite Decision

U.S. Regulators Refuse to Speed Up Review of USPS Network Cutbacks: The (Postal Regulatory) Commission said in a decision issued yesterday that its current schedule was “slightly more than one month longer” than a schedule that had been suggested by USPS than a schedule that had been suggested by USPS, and that no new information had been provided by USPS to persuade Commissioners that the change in schedule was warranted.

Xerox Global Names President

Jeffrey Jacobson Named Head of Xerox Global Graphic Communications: Xerox Corp. announced the appointment of Jeffrey Jacobson as president, Xerox Global Graphic Communications. Jacobson, 52, joins Xerox from Presstek where he served as the company’s president and CEO since 2007, adding the title of chairman in 2009.

Quad/Graphics Acquires Williamson Printing

Quad/Graphics Acquires Dallas-Based Williamson Printing: SUSSEX, WI—Feb. 1, 2012—Quad/Graphics Inc. has purchased Williamson Printing, a full-service commercial and specialty products printer specializing in short- to medium-runcatalogs, case-bound books, direct mail and other promotional products.