China's Pulp Imports Up 18.2%

The figure was 18.2% higher than the 1.109 million tonnes recorded in November last year. Pulp imports for the first eleven months of this year totaled some 13.058 million tonnes, a surge of 27.3% from the previous year.

Chinese Recovered Paper Imports Jump 22.5%

China's total recovered paper (RCP) imports rose 30.1% to around 2.487 million tonnes in November, up from some 1.911 million tonnes the previous month, according to data from China Customs. November's figure was 22.5% higher than the 2.030 million tonnes recorded in the same month of 2010.

Wausau Will Sell Brands, Close Brokaw in Q1

Wausau Paper Enters Agreement to Sell Premium Print & Color Brands: Thw Wausau Paper Board of Directors has approved the sale of its premium Print & Color brands - including Astrobrights(R), Astroparche(R) and the Royal family of products - and closure of its Brokaw, Wisconsin, paper mill. The sale, to Neenah Paper, Inc., is scheduled to close on January 31, 2012. The Brokaw mill will be permanently closed by March 31, 2012, marking the end of the Company's material participation in the Print and Color markets. The Brokaw shutdown will affect approximately 450 hourly and salaried jobs.

Sears, Kmart First Round Closings Cut ~4,700 Jobs

Estimated 4,700 Workers May Be Cut in First Round of Sears, Kmart Closures: Sears Holdings didn't provide an estimate of how many workers will be cut as a result of the 79 store closures. However, the retailer did say that a typical store on the closure list employs 40 to 80 people. At 60 employees per store (the middle point between 40 and 80), that would mean a loss of more than 4,700 jobs — assuming that no workers transfer to other stores.

CEPIPRINT Reports November Mechanical Paper Shipments

European coated mechanical paper shipments fell -2.9% in November as compared to the same month last year.  Demand declined -7.5%, but exports increased +22.3%.  Year-to-date, shipments were up slightly by 0.7%, demand decreased -3.1%, but exports jumped +16.4%.  Supercalendered paper shipments for November fell -7%, demand declined -6.9% and exports were down -7.5%.  Y-t-D, SC shipments decreased slightly by -0.6% and demand fell -3.1%.  Exports rose +10.9%.

PRC Opinion on USPS Planned Closings

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/postal-services-closure-review-process-was-flawed-panel-says/2011/12/28/gIQA5oHNNP_story.html

The Postal Regulatory Commission has issued an advisory opinion on the Postal Service plan, called the Postal Service Retail Access Optimization Initiative (RAOI), to close 3,600 post offices.  The PRC’s primary finding was that the RAOI was not designed to optimize the network, so the very process was flawed; it used questionable data to identify the post offices that might be closed and lacked sufficient data and analysis to make the best decisions.   For example, the program ignored whether an alternate post office was nearby and which closures would reduce costs.  The PRC recommended the use of modern optimization tools and techniques to maximize net retail revenues while fulfilling statutory obligations.

Baldwin Technology Bought by Forsyth

Baldwin to be Acquired by Forsyth: Baldwin Technology Company, Inc., a global leader in process automation technology for the print media industry, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Forsyth Baldwin, LLC, a company controlled by Forsyth Capital Investors, LLC.

Help from Minnesota for Verso Workers

$350,000 Available to Help Verso Workers Find New Jobs: Money that will help former Verso Paper workers retrain and find new jobs is available for those who were caught in layoffs. The Stearns-Benton Employment & Training Council has $350,000 from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for up to 100 workers, said Sally Brenden, deputy director of the Stearns-Benton Employment & Training Council. In October, Verso Paper in Sartell announced it was shutting down two of its three paper-making machines. This month, 175 people were laid off, about 41 percent of the workers at the century-old mill.

Mark Andy Names New CEO

Mark Andy Announces Top Management Change: ST. LOUIS, MO—Dec. 21, 2011—Mark Andy Companies announced it has named PJ Desai as its new CEO effective Jan. 1, 2012. Desai spent several years of his career in various engineering and manufacturing positions in business units of the positions in business units of the Monsanto Co., including an assignment in Europe to design, construct and manage a new plant.

Some Titles See Digital Subscriptions Excel

For Some Titles, Digital Engagement Outweighs Print: 

Affinity’s American Magazine Study found that more subscribers access the digital versions than the printed for 15 magazines in their report.  (The digital category includes websites, social networks, smartphone and tablet apps, eReader apps and Zinio editions.)  At the top of the list, ranked by the number of digital subscriptions, were ESPN the Magazine, WebMD the magazine, Food Network Magazine, Money, Fortune and Forbes.  ESPN senior vice president and general manager for digital and print media John Kosner said “Unlike digital, print is constrained by the number of issues ESPN can print and circulate…” but he added, “There’s an ability with print to be authoritative, definitive, have a level of writing and editing and reflection that is hard to do…with the rapid fire website…[In print] the storytelling is better…There’s a way that photography can be revelatory in print.”  All of which left Mr. Kosner to conclude that despite the lower numbers, the print magazine “plays and invaluable role in the …product portfolio.” 

New York Times Co Sells Regional Papers

The New York Times Company Sells Regional Media Group: After The New York Times Company said it was in advanced talks to sell off its Regional Media Group, it announced late Tuesday that it has agreed to sell 16 local papers to Halifax Media Holdings for $143 million in cash.
The papers span 6 states, including 5 in Florida, 3 in California, 3 in North Carolina, 1 in South Carolina, 2 in Alabama and 2 in Louisiana.

Online Holiday Spending Up 15%

Final Christmas Push Propels US Online Holiday Spending to $35.3 Billion, Up 15%, comScore Finds: comScore has reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 56 days of the November - December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $35.3 billion has been spent online, marking a 15% increase versus the corresponding days last year.

NewPage Port Hawkesbury Gets $3.3 Million

http://www.capebretonpost.com/Business/2011-12-19/article-2841803/NewPage-given-$3.3M-tax-refund/1

Nova Scotia has given the NewPage Port Hawkesbury, a Supercalendered paper mill that has been under bankruptcy protection since September, a tax refund of $3.3 million.  The company is trying to sell the mill and this money will help to keep the facility from running out of money before that happens.  Monitor Ernst & Young has also reported that Nova Scotia could step in and provide debtor-in-possession financing to conclude a sale transaction should that prove necessary.

http://times-news.com/local/x1996143757/Judge-OKs-NewPage-executive-bonuses

Separately, a federal bankruptcy court in Delaware has approved a proposal for NewPage in the U.S.; the bonus plan provides $1.5 million for 15 executives.

Sears, Kmart to Close Over 100 Stores

Sears, Kmart to Close Over 100 Stores: A lackluster Christmas season has left the company no other choice but to shutter 100 to 120 stores. Between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores will be closing soon, according to the retailer on Tuesday.

M-real Closing Coated Mill

M-real shuts down its Äänekoski mill
Following the conclusion of the statutory negotiations, M-real has decided that the Äänekoski paper machine, with an annual capacity of approximately 200 000 tonnes of coated fine paper, will be closed by the end of 2011.

UPM Sells RFID Business

UPM sells its RFID business to Smartrac
UPM will become an indirect shareholder of Smartrac with a 10.6 percent economic interest through the company OEP Technologie B.V. The closing of the deal is expected to take place during the first quarter of 2012. The transaction is still subject to regulatory approvals.
Smartrac is registered in the Netherlands, and is one of the global market leaders in high-quality RFID inlays for electronic passports and contactless credit cards as well as for RFID transponders for public transport applications.

NYSE Notifies Verso

Verso Addresses NYSE Listing Standard: Verso Paper Corp. (NYSE:VRS) announced today that the New York Stock Exchange has notified the company that it has fallen below the NYSE's continued listing standard relating to market capitalization. The NYSE requires that Verso's average market capitalization over a consecutive 30 trading-day period be at least $75 million. As of December 21, 2011, the date of the NYSE notice, Verso's 30 trading-day average market capitalization was approximately $66.6 million.

The Atlantic has a Good Year

The Atlantic Has Second Profitable Year in a Row:
According to the company, digital ad revenue will be up 40 percent for the year and print ad revenue will edge up 2 percent. The events group, AtlanticLIVE, which includes the Aspen Ideas Festival, will post a 19 percent revenue increase over last year.

For the fourth quarter, which signals the thirteenth consecutive one for year-over-year growth, revenue will be up 20 percent compared to same period last year.

In 2010, The Atlantic posted its first profit in decades, driven by strong double-digit gains across its three platforms, and will do so again this year. Last year, The New York Times reported The Atlantic made a profit of $1.8 million for 2010 and while a spokesperson would not confirm that number, she says they'll beat 2010's performance this year.

Exigent Rate Held Case in Abeyance

The PRC has ordered the USPS to submit additional information regarding its filed exigent rate case (requesting an increase above CPI).  Post Master General Patrick Donahoe, who had previously said he would not implement exigent postage increases, issued a statement that the USPS will not submit further information, effectively rendering the case in abeyance.  Nothing will be done unless the USPS restarts the case.

Shoppers Spend $32 Billion Online

http://chainstoreage.com/article/comscore-reports-busiest-week-ever-online-sales

This holiday season has seen a 15% increase in online spending, as reported by comScore, in the first 48 days of the holiday season.  In the week ending December 18, shoppers spent $6.4 billion, an increase of 14%; it was the busiest week ever recorded for online purchases.

Gorham Paper & Tissue Story of Persistence

http://www.nhpr.org/post/under-new-owners-gorham-mill-hopes-show-paper-manufacturing-isnt-dead-yet-north-country

The closed Gorham, NH paper was sold by Fraser Papers to an investment firm, Patriarch Partners, which, observing the high cost of production fueled by heating (No. 6) oil, installed a natural gas line.  The Gorham Paper & Tissue mill was restarted 6 months ago, with the paper machines now powered by steam from the line.  The company has now announced a commitment to purchase a tissue machine for $35 million that will be added to the facility.

International Paper and Steelworkers Sign Agreement

http://www.usw.org/.

Following a year of negotiations, IP and the USW reached a 4-year master economic and security agreement, which was ratified by the union membership on Monday.  The contract covers approximately 5,700 workers at 43 of International Paper’s corrugated boxes and container plants.

TIME’s Style & Design Returning

TIME to Relaunch Style & Design Supplement in March 2012: After shuttering the supplement 18 months ago, TIME is relaunching Style & Design in 2012. The revamped version, to be led by TIME managing editor Rick Stengel and edited/curated by TIME staff, will debut with the March 26th issue of TIME.

President of Great Northern Paper Resigns

http://www.nhpr.org/post/under-new-owners-gorham-mill-hopes-show-paper-manufacturing-isnt-dead-yet-north-country

Great Northern Paper announced that Peter Hanson has stepped down as the company’s president.  Vice president of operations and manufacturing Everett O’Neill will replace Mr. Hanson.  Last week Mr. Hanson made an ill-received remark that a proposed 70,000-acre national park in the area did not threaten the industry.  A company spokesperson said there was no connection between Mr. Hanson’s leave-taking and his statement, but that there were "philosophical differences.”

Resolute Forest Products Reports Down Time

http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/12/20/3613103/catawba-mill-to-temporarily-shutting.html

Resolute has announced it is shutting down PM 1 at its Catawba, South Carolina mill for two weeks because of market conditions.  The paper machine, which has capacity to produce ~155,000 short tons per year of coated mechanical (LWC) paper, is the oldest unit at the facility. 

November Coated & SC Paper Shipments Down

http://www.paperage.com/2011news/12_20_2011printing_writing_afpa.html

As reported by the Pulp and Paper Products Council, North American coated mechanical paper shipments for November fell -6.3% as compared to the same month of last year.  Demand was down -8.3% and imports declined -17.7%. 

Court Filing in eBook Price Fixing Case

Publishing Insider Tipped Law Firms About eBook Price Fixing Conspiracy: The decision by major publishers to strike a pricing deal with Apple has been the source of speculation and several antitrust investigations. Now, a new court filing suggests someone inside the industry was leaking the publishers’ pricing.

Midland’s Quad/Graphics to Add 25 Jobs

Midland’s Quad/Graphics to Add 25 Jobs: Quad/Graphics Inc. plans to invest nearly $1.77 million in its Midland (MI) facility and hire 25 new employees within two years. The new investment will be in incremental presses, finishing equipment, automation and building renovations.

Quad/Graphics’ Tempt In-Store Productions Expands

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111219006502/en/Tempt-Grand-Opening-Unveils-In-Store-Marketing-Powerhouse

Tempt In-Store Productions, a Quad/Graphics company that produces in-store marketing materials (signage and marketing displays) and programs, is opening a new facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin.  The facility triples the space of the previous location and the company has also purchased new presses and related equipment.  The multi-million dollar investment includes a large format digital UV press, the fastest of its kind in the world; a large format offset press, finishing equipment and fulfillment operations.

Resolute Forest Products Extends Fort Frances Shutdown

http://fftimes.com/node/247989 

Late last month, Resolute Forest Products announced it would close its two uncoated mechanical paper machines at its Fort Frances mill in Ontario for the rest of the year.  Yesterday, the company extended the shutdown to the end of January or “when market conditions improve.”  In addition to closing the ~244,000 short tons per year paper machines, the company reported that it is also now closing its kraft mill at the facility as well.

Scholastic to Publish Book Series

Scholastic to Publish Book Series with Companion Online Game: NEW YORK—Dec. 20, 2011—Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, is launching of “Infinity Ring,” a time travel book series for readers ages eight to 12. This new endeavor combines books, an interactive “Hystorian’s Guide” map feature and an immersive online game experience in which readers travel back in time to fix history.

Third Quarter Ad Spending 0.4%

U.S. ad spending growth slowing down: Ad spending in the U.S. increased 1.5% in the first nine months of the year compared with the year-earlier period, according to data released by Kantar Media. Growth in spending is slowing, the company said. “From +4.1% in the first quarter, to +2.8% in the second quarter and now a barely palpable +0.4% for the July to September period.”

Barclays on 2012 Ad Spending

Ad agency growth to decelerate: New York—Ad agency growth will slow to about 2.9% in 2012, according to a forecast from investment bank Barclays Capital. This is down sharply from a projection of 5.6% growth this year, according to the investment bank.

USPS Gets 8 More Months to Pay

NALC: Congress postpones USPS pre-funding payment for 8-months: Over the weekend, Congress approved an omnibus spending bill to keep the government operating through September that included a provision to again move the deadline for the Postal Service’s 2011 future retiree health benefits prfunding payment for another eight months, to August. The spending measure also included language to keep the Postal Service delivering mail six days a week, rather than slashing service when the Postal Service needs to grow.

IP & Temple-Inland Extend Merger Deadline

International Paper, Temple-Inland extend date for merger:
International Paper Co. and Temple-Inland Inc. have agreed with the U.S. Justice Department to extend the review period for a merger between the two companies until Jan. 27.
The original date for the companies to finalize the merger was Dec. 31. Memphis-based International Paper also extended the internal transition deadline of the merger from June 6 to June 28.

Sappi Reports Major NA Investment

Sappi Limited announces major investment in North American operations: Sappi Limited announced 11/10/2011 the approval of a US$170 million capital project to convert the kraft pulp mill in Cloquet, Minnesota to chemical cellulose used in textile and consumer goods markets and approved capital plans that call for a US$13 million project to upgrade coated paper manufacturing at the Sappi Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, Maine.

Fibrek’s Board Rejects Resolute Bid

Fibrek’s Board rejects unsolicited insider bid by AbitibiBowater:
Fibrek Inc. announced today that its Board of Directors has unanimously rejected the unsolicited insider bid of AbitibiBowater Inc. (carrying on business as Resolute Forest Products) for all issued and outstanding common shares of the company.

Resolute Forest Products Workers Unite

Canadian/American Resolute Forest Products workers unite:
American and Canadian union members who work for forest industry giant Resolute Forest Products (formerly AbitibiBowater) have joined forces to “speak with one voice” to the company.

About 100 union delegates from 10 Canadian Resolute mills in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia and 4 US mills in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama met this weekend in Montreal and adopted a solidarity pledge to work to coordinate activities and work together leading to 2014 pattern and master agreement negotiations with the company in both countries.

Stora Enso's Langerbrugge SC PM Rebuild

PMT Italia to upgrade PM3 press section at Stora Enso's Langerbrugge mill in Gent, Belgium: Stora Enso Langerbrugge Mill located in Gent, Belgium has selected PMT Italia S.p.A. as the supplier for the PM 3 Press Section Upgrade.The start-up is planned for March 2012. PM3, a 6,5 m wide machine producing SC paper, will be rebuilt by partly replacing the existing Press Section steel framework with a completely new stainless steel one, giving PM3 a longer life time and providing the necessary flexibility for future implementations as well as the development in press technology.

Wausau Paper Sells Remaining Timberlands

Wausau Paper Selling Timberland Holdings:
Wausau Paper is selling its remaining timberland holdings. According to a news release from the company, it totals about 80,200 acres in Northern Wisconsin worth $42.9 million.

Editor-in-Chief Named for Everyday with Rachael Ray

Meredith Hires Lauren Purcell as EIC of Everyday with Rachael Ray: Meredith Corp. has found its editor-in-chief for Everyday with Rachael Ray. Lauren Purcell, who was most recently executive editor at Condé Nast's Self, will start January 9.

USPS, Two Postal Unions Extend Talks Again

USPS, Two Postal Unions Extend Contract Talks: The Postal Service and two of its major unions have agreed to extend separate labor contract negotiations until Jan. 20, 2012. Contracts with the National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union expired at midnight Sun., Nov. 20, 2011. The deadline for the talks has been extended twice before.

Magazine & Catalogue News Roundup

Magazine and Catalogue News Roundup

Reader’s Digest Association is cutting 150 positions, half of which are in the U.S., by the end of the year.  The company said the moves are part of its plan to focus on its core, or “master”, brands, Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home and The Family Handyman.

Source Interlink ‘s GrindMedia has acquired Baseball America, which is published 26 times a year and has an average circulation of 32,300.

Oriental Trading Co., the largest direct retailer of party supplies, arts and crafts, toys and novelties in the U.S., is introducing new digital catalogues accessible via iPads.

Hearst has purchased a Commander CL offset press from Koeing & Bauer AG for its Albany Times Union newspaper.  The press is scheduled to come online in 2013.

F+W Media acquired Script Magazine from Final Draft.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  The magazine will no longer be printed; subscribers will receive Writer’s Digest in its stead.

American Media announced a new printing schedule for its OK magazine, a move designed to cut costs; the title will be printed almost a week before it goes to newsstands, unlike other celebrity weeklies, which wait as long as possible before initiating the production process.

Immediate Media’s Top Gear and Aurasma have created “a fully augmented print magazine.”  After downloading a free app, readers can point their smart phones or tablets at the printed pages of the magazine and see highlights from the Top Gear television show.

Summit Business Media is closing its Florida Underwriter magazine after its December issue.  The title focused on the insurance industry.

New York Times CEO Janet Robinson is stepping down by the end of the year.  Chairman and publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. will assume the responsibilities of the position until a new CEO is found.

TIME has named Michael Duffy as Executive Editor.  Mr. Duffy is currently the Washington Bureau Chief.

The Virginia Quarterly Review has named Jon Parrish Peede as publisher.  Mr. Peede was the director of literature for the National Endowment of the Arts.

Vertis Closing Plant

The Vertis Communications plant in Saugerties, NY will close Jan. 7 because, they said, of economic conditions. The plant employs 150 people and produces advertising inserts.

Digital Production Print in 2011

The close of the year end is always a good time to look up from dayto-day business and review the important news that happened during the year. Overall 2011 proved to be a pretty decent year for digital production printing. Installations of digital production printing equipment were on the rise again, after recovering from a drop in 2009 in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

NRF Expects Sales to Rise 3.8%

The National Retail Federation has revised its holiday forecast upward, expecting holiday sales to rise 3.8% this year to a record $469.1 billion. NRF's initial forecast, announced on Oct. 6, called for anticipated sales growth of 2.8%. A 3.8% sales increase is considerably above the ten-year average sales increase of 2.6%.

$1.1 Billion Spent Online for Green Monday

comScore has reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 42 days of the November - December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date through December 12, $26.8 billion has been spent online, marking a 15% increase versus the corresponding days last year.

Commercial Printing Profits Up Eight Consecutive Quarters

US commercial printing industry profits were up in the third quarter of 2011, marking the eighth consecutive quarter of positive results. Though the industry has been going through hard times in terms of sales, rising profits have been a sign of the industry’s restructuring and the departure of its weakest establishments.

For the last four quarters, inflation-adjusted profits were $3.96 billion, and finally exceeded the low level of 2005. These were the best four-quarter profits level since the four-quarter period ending in 2007, when profits were $4.3 billion, and inflation adjusted sales were $112 billion, about $27 billion more than the $85 billion that has been estimated for 2011.

Reader's Digest Makes Job Cuts

Reader's Digest has eliminated 150 positions across all of its business groups worldwide, with half the cuts affecting jobs in the U.S. and the other half international.
The cuts are aligned with an effort to focus on the company’s “master brands,” including Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home and The Family Handyman, “that have the greatest potential to grow across multiple platforms and through new revenue streams, such as partnerships and licensing in markets around the world,” a Reader’s Digest spokesperson writes in an email to FOLIO.

Resolute Forest Products Moves Forward in Fibrek Acquisition

Resolute Forest Products (formerly AbitibiBowater) has formally commenced its offer to buy all issued and outstanding shares of Fibrek Inc., a producer of market pulp.  Based on Fibrek’s most recent publicly disclosed number of shares, the maximum amount of cash available under the offer is C$71,541,556. 

Catalyst Paper Reviewing Debt Structure, Defers Interest Payment

Catalyst Paper reported that while it continues its review of alternatives to address its capital structure, it will defer the ~$21 million interest payment on its outstanding 11% Senior Secured Notes due 2016 and Class B 11% Senior Secured Notes also due 2016.  The payment is due today.  The company said operations are expected to continue as usual and obligations to customers, suppliers and employees will be met in ordinary course.  Catalyst has 30 days within which to make the interest payment before triggering default.  Failure to do so would allow 2016 Note holders to declare the $390 million principal and accrued interest immediately due and payable.  If that demand were not satisfied in thirty days, it would constitute a default under the indenture relating to the company’s $250 million outstanding 7.375% Senior Notes due 2014.

Hearst’s Popular Mechanics Tries Personalized Ads

Though magazines have had the ability to publish customized editions for some time, the technology is evolving, allowing for less expensive production of individualized copies with, importantly, accountability measures to track results, always a key for advertisers.

300,000 subscribers to Popular Mechanics received customized content with their November issues; the magazine was bundled with an outsert from Hewlett-Packard that featured the recipient’s name and a scene of their hometown.  A 16-page insert in the magazine informed the reader of specific locations for HP products.  The promotion also contained URLs directing subscribers to an online contest, providing some indication (and measurement) of interest in the ads; 3% entered the contest, but 85% of the contestants clicked on QR codes in the insert that linked to more information on HP printers.

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/can-personalized-ads-save-magazines-137134

Source Interlink’s Buys Baseball America

In a move to expand its traditional sports portfolio, Source Interlink's GrindMedia bought Baseball America magazine and accompanying properties. Baseball America’s original staff will remain in the magazine’s Durham, North Carolina-based offices.

Heidelberg to Launch Digital Printing Portfolio

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is on the final stretch with the international market launch of its digital printing portfolio and is due to complete this by drupa 2012. The portfolio comprises the Ricoh Pro C901 Graphic Arts Edition digital printing system and the new Pro C751 series, which is available in the Pro C751, Pro C751 EX, and Pro C651 EX versions.

CEPIPRINT and CEPIFINE Merge into Euro-Graph

CEPIPRINT, the Association of European publication paper producers and CEPIFINE, the Confederation of European fine paper industries announced recently that on the 1st of January 2012 they will join forces to create a new Association based in Brussels. The Association, to be known as Euro-Graph, will represent over 30 companies, operating well over 100 paper mills in Europe, with an annual capacity of approximately 45 million tonnes of graphic papers.

RR Donnelley Gets New Contract with IMG

R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company today announced that it has been awarded a new multi-year multi-million dollar agreement by IMG, a global sports, fashion and media business with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. Under the terms of the agreement IMG will draw on the resources of RR Donnelley's domestic and international platform for digital and interactive initiatives and other content production and distribution including magazines, direct response, event marketing materials and more.

2011 Magazine Launches Up 23.8%

Mediafinder.com reported that 2011 magazine launches jumped 23.8% over 2010, while closures declined by 13.6%.  There were 239 new titles published in this year and 152 shuttered.  Food magazine has the highest growth with 25 new titles.  There were 20 new regional magazines.  In the business-to-business sector, there were 62 new titles, as compared to 34 last year.  There were 38 closures; in 2010, there were 47.

USPS Announces Moratorium On Closures

The Postal Service has announced a five-month moratorium on the closure of post offices and mail processing facilities, in response to a request from 22 senators. The delay until May 15, 2012, is intended to give Congress more time to adopt legislation that would address the USPS financial crisis without drastic cuts in service.

Investlesprom Starts LWC Machine in Russia

A LWC paper machine was successfully started at the Investlesprom Kama mill in Krasnokamsk city (Perm region) in Russia.  PM 7 (PM No7 (Vaahto Paper Technology) )produced the first coated paper on November 3, 2011.  The estimated capacity is 86 thousand tons per year. The wire width of the machine is 3700 mm and design speed 1050 m/min.  

UPM to Build New Headquarters

UPM is planning a new headquarters in the Helsinki city center.  The proposed move will lower the company’s operating costs by ~2 million Euros.  The building will be owned by a real estate company, but UPM will rent for the long-term.  The lease for their current headquarters expires in 2013.

Separately, it was reported that UPM CEO Jussi Pesonen has been appointed chairman of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), effective in January.

PIB Reports Q2 Ad Spend Up 5.7%

The Publishers’ Information Bureau announced that, based on rate card estimates, advertising expenditures for the second quarter were $5.2 billion, a 5.7% jump as compared to the same period last year.  Ads featured in the titles tracked by PIB grew 0.8% to 43,000.  130 magazines reported increases.  Ad spending by automakers rose 28%; ad pages jumped 41%.  Food Network magazine gained the most, with ad sales up over 800% and ad pages more than doubling.

Verso Closing Two Sartell PMs This Week

As announced in October, Verso is shutting down paper machines 1 and 2 at its Sartell, Minnesota mill by the end of the week.  The machines produced ~104,000 short tons per year of Supercalendered paper.

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20111213/BUSINESS/112120053/Verso-nears-first-layoffs-175-employees-total-will-let-go?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Umbrella

Green Monday Online Sales Grow 19% Percent

ChannelAdvisor, a global e-commerce software provider, has announced that its customers experienced 19% growth in online same-store sales on Green Monday, traditionally the last day to purchase gifts online in order for items to arrive with standard shipping before Christmas.

Verso, Sappi & Publishers Partners in Forest Certification

Paper producers Verso and Sappi partnered with publishers Time, Inc. Hearst Enterprises and the National Geographic Society in a pilot project to secure environmental certification for more of Maine’s forestlands.  The first phase of the plan created a way to simplify the SFI certification process for medium size landowners, making it easier for them to develop, implement and coordinate land management to the third-party forest certification standard.  The second phase included additional landowners.  An additional 1.4 million acres/570,000 hectares have been SFI certified through the project.

Hearst to Launch Biannual Cosmopolitan Latina in 2012

Hearst’s Cosmopolitan [0] brand is looking to make headway into the strong and growing Hispanic market through the launch of the new English-language Cosmopolitan Latina. The standalone magazine, set to launch in May 2012, will be published in both print and digital format twice a year, starting with a distribution of 545,000 and with plans for an increase in frequency and distribution in 2013, according to Cosmopolitan publisher Donna Kalajian Lagani. The brand will have a “content hub” on Cosmopolitan.com for now, adds Lagani, but may eventually move to its own site. Former managing editor of Studio One Networks’ LasFabulosas.com [1]. Michelle Herrera Mulligan will edit the product, along with a freelance and internal staff.

Print Week News Roundup

This week: Pureprint installs third Indigo; H'berg boss claims print volumes to stabilise; Stewarts of Edinburgh closes; Newspaper consolidation gets backing; Antalis McNaughton launches waste scheme.

Top 5 Magazines YTD 9/2011

Moving into the last weeks of 2011, min takes a look at magazine group publishers' boxscore data for January - September 2011 versus 2010. Of the 23 consumer groups listed, 10 showed gains in ad pages. Biggest performer was Wenner Media (totaling 290.37 additional ad pages) with their three mags all showing growth in 2011: Men's Journal (+9.36%), Rolling Stone (8.42%) and US Weekly (+15.55%). The other four top group performers were Source Interlink, American Express Publishing, Condé Nast and Hachette Filipacchi.

More Using Smartphone to Get Magazines

There is increasing evidence of smartphone use in the U.S. overall and specifically for access to publications.  Recently, Affinity released the American Magazine Study, which said; ESPN the Magazine has more than 5 million smartphone visitors; People has almost 4 million; Sports Illustrated, WebMD the Magazine and TV Guide all have more than 3 million; TIME, Us Weekly and Entertainment Weekly have over 2 million; and Rolling Stone has over 1 million.

Google, with more than 150 publishing partners signed up, is launching an app for Android and Apple mobile devises.   Bonnier has four titles available through the venue, including Saveur, Popular Science, Transworld and Parenting.  CNET, AllThingsD, Forbes, Huffington Post and Fast Company are also “on board.” 

Separately, Zite, which is a free personalized news app for the iPad, is moving into the mobile market.

UPM Closing Ettringen PM 3

UPM is closing PM 3, a newsprint paper machine, at its Ettringen, Germany paper mill on December 14.

Online Holiday Spending Up 15%

comScore has reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 39 days of the November - December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $24.6 billion has been spent online, marking a 15% increase versus the corresponding days last year.

Quad/Graphics Expands Service Footprint with Bluestem Brands

Quad/Graphics, Inc. has signed a multi-year agreement with Minneapolis-based Bluestem Brands, Inc., best known for its growing Fingerhut and Gettington.com brands.

Google Launches Currents App

Google makes another move into the content space, debuting its Google Currents app for Android and Apple mobile devices. The company launches its app with a long list of publishing partners (over 150 of them) on board, including CNET, AllThingsD, Forbes, Huffington Post and Fast Company, according to a Google blog post [1].

White Birch Closes Stradacona

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) believed the closure of the White Birch Paper Stradacona newsprint mill in Quebec City is a lockout in disguise because the union was in the midst of negotiating a new contract.
However the judge sided with White Birch Paper and ruled that the temporary closure of the mill is for economic reasons. White Birch Paper followed through with their plan and the Stradacona mill closed on Friday, leaving 600 people out of work.

Finish Forest Industries Federation Signs Agreement with Unions

The FFIF has signed a collective bargaining contract with three Finnish unions representing 94% of forest workers in the country.  Paperiliitto, Pro and the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff have agreed to a wage increase of 4.3% over the 25-month length of the contract.  The white-collar workers of Pro had held several strikes last spring during negotiations. 

Transcontinental Inc. Reports 2011 Earnings

Transcontinental announced FY 2011 revenues of $2.044 billion, up 1% over last year.  Earnings were driven by its Printing sector as a result of new contracts and increased volume.  Adjusted operating income was $252.7 million, also up 1%.  Revenues for the fourth quarter were $537.5 million, down -3% as compared to the same quarter last year.  Adjusted operating income was $86.3 million, a decrease of -3%.

Magazines Feature More QR Codes

GfK MRI Starch released a report showing that QR codes, or snap tags, appeared in 5% of magazine ads from January through August this year, as compared to 1.3% last year.  Still unproven is the effectiveness of the QR codes; there isn’t evidence as yet that they bring additional consumer attention.

Magazine Roudup

Source Link Media has named Jim Adolph as publisher of its American Motorcycle Group.  Mr. Adolph was formerly publisher of Car Craft and Dog Racing magazines.  The Group includes Hot Bike, Hot Bike Baggers and Street Choppers magazines.

McGraw-Hill, which announced in September that the company was splitting into McGraw-Hill Financial and McGraw-Hill Education, has reported that it is cutting 10% of its workers, 550 employees, at the latter.  The move is part of a plan to decrease annual costs by $100 million.

Bonnier Corp. has acquired four hunting expos from Target Communications. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Bonnier publishes Field & Stream and Outdoor Life.

Publisher Get Married Media is shutting down its Get Married magazine and website this month.

Hoffman Media will no longer publish Semi-Homemade magazine, with Food Network celebrity chef Sandra Lee, after the January/February edition. A Sandra Lee spokesperson said the magazine would be restarted as part of a “multiplatform brand reorganization.”

Future Publishing is merging its UK and U.S. operations and creating a single global product line.  The company produces gamer, music and technology enthusiast brands.  Rachelle Considine has been promoted to chief operating officer.