NS Subsidies Worry Maine Paper Industry

http://www.kjonline.com/news/possible-subsidized-canadian-paper-mill-worries-maine_2012-08-26.html

Plans by the government of Nova Scotia to spend $125 million to help reopen a failed paper mill in Cape Breton could threaten production and jobs in Maine's struggling paper industry, officials say.

The Canadian mill is a former NewPage Corp. facility in Port Hawkesbury. It makes grades of magazine and catalog paper similar to those of some of Maine's largest paper makers, including the Verso Paper Corp. facilities in Bucksport and Jay, the Sappi Fine Paper mill in Skowhegan, the UPM-Biofore Company mill in Madison and the NewPage mill in Rumford, which currently is operating under bankruptcy reorganization.

Maine's industry worries that provincial subsidies that include loans and discount electric rates would let the Canadian mill sell its products at lower prices, at a time when demand for magazine and catalog paper in North America is already down.

Pacific West's Port Hawkesbury Story Continues

Tax bill for idled N.S. paper mill can't be changed in court: lawyer:

A lawyer for Nova Scotia's Richmond County argues the prospective buyer of the idle NewPage paper mill can't change a tax agreement through court action. Bruce Clarke said in Nova Scotia Supreme Court today that only the provincial legislature has the right to amend a tax agreement set out in legislation.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/08/27/ns-newpage-court.html  

The prospective owners of the idle Port Hawkesbury paper mill say they have made three offers for a new tax deal with Richmond County and none have been accepted.

The impasse has reached the courts.

On Tuesday, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge will rule on whether the company has the right to break the existing tax agreement reached in 2006. 

http://foresttalk.com/index.php/2012/08/28/port-hawkesbury-paper-court-decisions-today/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foresttalk%2FZdAe+%28ForestTalk%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Creditor protection period has been extended for another month – until September 28, 2012.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court justice John Murphy refused to approve $2 million in spending requested to restart the idle mill.  The request was filed yesterday after business hours, which did not give time for other stakeholders to respond.  Pacific West Commerical Corp. was willing to put up $500,000 and was requesting $1.5 million from the provincial funds used to keep the mill operating.  Justice Murphy said, ”I’m not satisfied the circumstances justify the extent of the exemption (of required notice).”

Chinese July RCP Imports Up, Pulp Drops

China's total recovered paper (RCP) imports climbed 0.2% to nearly 2.352 million tonnes in July, up from some 2.346 million tonnes in June, according to data from China Customs.

July's figure was 9.6% higher than the 2.146 million tonnes recorded in the same month of 2011. 

China's total pulp imports dropped 11.7% in July compared to the previous month, to nearly 1.196 million tonnes, according to data from China Customs.

Poor demand drove down imports of both bleached softwood and hardwood kraft pulp, as it had in June, amid the country's economic downturn. The former fell 11.0% to 498,696 tonnnes and the latter plummeted 13.6% to 392,293 tonnes.

July's intake was nonetheless 24.0% higher than the 964,440 tonnes recorded in July 2011.

Catalyst Paper Names New Board

Catalyst Paper announces a new board of directors:
Catalyst Paper has announced that the following individuals have been selected by certain of the senior secured and unsecured noteholders in accordance with the terms of the Court-sanctioned second amended Plan of Arrangement to form the new Board of Directors on the company’s emergence from creditor protection.

Stora Enso Successfully Completes Bonds

Stora Enso Successfully Completes Tap of Two Five-year SEK Bonds: Stora Enso has today successfully tapped its two five-year bonds due in June 2017. Both bonds are issued under Stora Enso’s EMTN (Euro Medium Term Note) programme.
The SEK 1 350 million bond that pays a floating coupon of three-month Stibor plus 390 basis points was tapped with SEK 850 million of new notes issued with a yield of Stibor + 3.70% at a price of 100.866. The settlement date of the transaction is 3 September 2012. Following the tap, a total of SEK 2 200 million of the bond is outstanding.

Newspapers Seek Injunction Against USPS

http://postandparcel.info/50127/news/companies/us-newspapers-seek-injunction-against-usps-direct-mail-contract/

The US newspaper industry has taken to the law courts in an attempt to block a key US Postal Service direct mail contract, which was approved by regulators last week.

The Newspaper Association of America, representing around 2,000 local and community newspapers across the country, filed on Friday for an emergency injunction on the new USPS contract with Michigan-based direct marketing giant Valassis.

More Than Half of Online Ads Fail

 http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/more-half-online-ads-fail-viewability-standard-143149

The online ad industry’s Making Measurement Make Sense [1] (3MS) initiative calls for a new viewability metric that would only measure when 50 percent of an ad is in view for at least one second. The problem is, fewer than half of online ads meet that standard, according to a forthcoming study due out Tuesday.

Meredith Names Senior VP Digital

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/meredith-corp-makes-big-digital-hire-143135

Meredith Corp. has made a big bet on digital, and now it’s hired an industry vet to take advantage of it. Carolyn Bekkedahl was named senior vp of digital sales, a new position for Allrecipes.com, the giant food site that Meredith bought from Reader’s Digest Association [1] earlier in the year; and the rest of the Meredith Women’s Network.

Social Media Enhances Magazine Use for Millennials

Study Reveals Link Between Magazines and Social Among Millenials: In a new study produced by the MPA, the Association of Magazine Media, and research firm GfK MRI, data reveals that Millennial magazine media readers aged 18 to 34 believe that technology has improved their experience of accessing various media—including magazines.

Action Codes Gain Traction

Action Codes Continue to Gain Traction in Magazines: QR codes and their ilk continue to rise in usage by publishers, according to a study out today by mobile marketing and technology services company Nellymoser. In the second quarter, the top 100 magazines by circulation featured a variety of mobile action codes in 2,200 instances, a 61 percent jump over the first quarter this year.

BuzzMedia Adds Four Acquisitions

BuzzMedia Continues Expansion with Four Acquisitions:  BuzzMedia has added four more websites to its network of pop culture and music sites. Under the Gun Review, Alter the Press!, PropertyofZack and Punknews.org will be combined with existing property AbsolutePunk to create a new punk rock vertical called AbsoluteVoices.

Influence Graphics, One of Fastest Growing Private Companies

Influence Graphics is on Inc. Mag's List of Fastest Growing Private Companies in US: Influence Graphics, a leading digital printing company in the New York City area, has once again been named to the Inc. Magazine list of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in America.

EPA to Review Pulp Mill Clean Air Standard

EPA to Review Pulp Mill Clean Air Standard After 17-year Delay: After a 17-year delay, the Environmental Protection Agency will review Clean Air Act rules designed to reduce dangerous pollution from so-called “kraft” pulp mills under a proposed consent decree announced today by the agency and the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace and Port Townsend Airwatchers.
Kraft pulp mills use chemicals to dissolve wood chips into fibers used to make paper products. The EPA has not reviewed kraft pulp mill emission-control standards, called “New Source Performance Standards,” for more than 25 years. The Clean Air Act requires such reviews every eight years to ensure that the industry uses up-to-date pollution-control technology.

Going Green Two Sides: ecoEnvelopes Save Cost

Going Green Two Sides Fast Fact #21 (Going Green):
We have spoken of ecoEnvelopes (that is, a single envelope that can be used for two-directional mail) before—Sprint notably began developing and using them earlier this year—and now Florida Garden Magazine has been using them for subscription renewals. Via PrintMediaCentr, “Gale Ward of ecoEnvelopes says the simple switch from using two envelopes in a mailing to one can have huge cost savings for a business. Savings typically range from 15–50% over the cost of two envelopes.”