NewPage Rumford Looks for Tax Break

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/river-valley/2013/03/18/newpage-makes-case-lowering-property-taxes/1335623

The Rumford Paper Mill is paying $2 million more in property taxes than the next highest NewPage mill, according to recent statistics released by the mill.

The Rumford Paper Mill pays $4.4 million annually in property taxes, which is the highest annual property tax of all eight NewPage mills, and $2 million more than the Escanaba mill in Michigan, the mill with the next highest property tax, said mill spokesman Anthony Lyons.
"The Escanaba mill and the Wisconsin Rapids mill are much more modern and newer than our mill," Lyons said. "Yet somehow, their tax rates are much lower than ours in Rumford. Something has to be done."

WA Extends Biomass Tax Break to Mills, with Caveat

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/03/17/2518539/legislature-clamps-down-on-tax.html

Winning a tax break could become a lot harder to do at the Washington state Capitol soon.

In both the Democrat-run House and Republican-leaning Senate, bills have passed unanimously this year either to set a new standard for an existing tax break or to lay out expectations for new ones. The House is taking the stricter position, demanding specific goals for job creation or retention, proof that goals are being met, and an expiration date.
And in what House Finance Committee Chairman Reuven Carlyle says is an Evergreen State first, a bill extending a fuel-tax break for lumber and paper mills - mostly on the economically hard-hit Olympic Peninsula - will require a company to repay tax favors if it takes the money then pulls up stakes and leaves the state for China, Brazil or even Idaho.

Nippon Port Angeles/Labor Sign Contract

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130318/NEWS/303199999/nippon-union-at-odds-port-angeles-paper-mill-continues-operation

Nippon Paper Industries USA implemented a labor contract with about 130 members of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Local 155 without union approval, company and union officials said (Port Angeles, WA mill).

They said workers remained on the job Monday at the plant, which produces paper for telephone books and newspapers, including the Peninsula Daily News.
Plant manager Harold Norlund said the union was warned two months ago that if an agreement was not reached, Nippon would implement it on its own.

Shandong Tralin Converts Coated PM

http://sdtralin.en.alibaba.com/

China's Shandong Tralin Group has halted production on the sole 80,000 tonne/yr coated fine paper (CFP) machine at its Gaotang mill in Liaocheng city, Shandong province, aiming to overhaul it to produce food packaging.

According to the firm, the rebuild of the PM has almost wrapped up. The machine will now mainly produce coated ivory board grades such as cupstock at a rate of 100,000 tonnes/yr.

Holmen to Close 200M mtpy Newsprint PM

Holmen cuts 180 jobs
Holmen Paper intends to cease production on PM 51 at Braviken Paper Mill outside Norrköping, Sweden during the third quarter of 2013. The mill’s product mix will be improved when the proportion of newsprint shrinks by 200 000 tonnes. At the same time, staff will be cut by 180 persons.

Sale of MeadWestvaco's Headquarters Explored

NewMarket Corp. explores possible sale of Meadwestvacoa s corporate headquarters building:
The NewMarket Corp. is exploring the possible sale of one of Richmond’s newest corporate headquarters buildings.
Bruce Hazelgrove, a spokesman for the company, said it has retained HFF Inc. (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler), to check into the possibility of selling the 310,000-square-foot, Class A office tower on South Fifth Street that is home to Fortune 500 company MeadWestvaco Corp.
MeadWestvaco, a global packaging giant, moved its headquarters from Stanford, Conn., to Richmond in 2006 and moved into the building in late 2009.  Since then, Hazelgrove said the building’s owner, NewMarket Corp., has “had so many inquiries that we felt we owed it to our shareholders to look into it.”

Google Drops Tagline of Paperless Campaign

Michael Makin: Google Drops Tagline of Paperless 2013 Campaign: Printing Industries of America’s President and CEO Michael Makin thanked CEO Larry Page and Chairman Eric Schmidt for reconsidering the message of the Paperless 2013 campaign. The following message from Michael Makin has been sent to the Printing Industries of America membership:Dear members,
It may have taken months, but I am pleased to report that as a result of the protest by Printing Industries of America—along with other groups such as Two Sides—Google has corrected its misleading claims made as part of its ill-conceived Paperless 2013 campaign. While the campaign to reduce office paper use will continue, its offensive tag line “Save money. Save time. Save trees” has been eliminated!

Time Inc. CRO Steps Down

Paul Caine Steps Down as Time Inc. CRO:  Shortly after Time Warner announced the spinoff of Time Inc. one senior executive has already taken flight: after 23 years with the company, former chief revenue officer Paul Caine is leaving Time Inc. to become the CEO of Dial Global, Inc., an independent syndicator of audio content

Complex Media Acquires Sole Collector

Complex Media Acquires Men’s Apparel Media Company, Sole Collector:  Complex Media, a multimedia network of entertainment, sports and lifestyle properties, has acquired Sole Collector, a consumer sneaker website, iPad monthly and quarterly print magazine.

RRD Closes Second Ohio Plant

http://news.cincinnati.com/proart/?aid=/ab/20130314/biz/303140050/&pagerestricted=1

RR Donnelley & Sons Co. told the state of Ohio it expects to close its Sycamore Township facility and lay off 57 workers.

The Chicago-based commercial printing firm said the layoffs could start May 13 and be complete by the end of the month.

Cabela's Pursues Omnichannel Growth

http://risnews.edgl.com/retail-best-practices/Cabela-s-New-Chapter-of-Omnichannel-Growth85374?rssid=Article85374
Cabela's has set its focus on leveraging technology investments for 2013 and beyond. It will make three key technology enhancements including price optimization, SKU profitability and the many segments of omnichannel fulfillment.  

In the next 12 to 16 months, the retailer will deploy three different technology enhancements: the first being price optimization, second is around net SKU profitability, and third is omnichannel fulfillment.

44% Book Purchases from e-Tailers

http://www.bowker.com/en-US/aboutus/press_room/2013/pr_03182013.shtm
The rise in e-book reading in the U.S. and U.K. over the last three years has been a key driver in the market share gains of e-retailers, according to research being released this month by Bowker Market Research. In the U.S., e-retailers accounted for 44 percent of book purchases by volume in 2012, up from 25 percent in 2010. In the U.K. the rise has been somewhat less dramatic but still significant, up from 25 percent in January-November 2010, to 38 percent in the same period in 2012.

Plastic Bags: What a Difference a State Makes

http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20130301/NEWS/130309988/plastic-bags-remain-under-fire-in-california
While California legislators plan to once again consider a bill that would ban single-use plastic bags across the state, local communities are continuing to plow ahead with their own bag ordinances.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/03/14/4703384/legislator-wants-to-keep-cities.html
The Republican from Muenster recently filed "The Shopping Bag Freedom Act," a bill intended to block plastic-bag bans in Austin and other Texas cities.

Washington Examiner Relaunched as Weekly Magazine

Washington Examiner Daily to Relaunch as Weekly Magazine: Denver-based Clarity Media Group is announcing some changes to its Washington Group portfolio, which includes the Washington Examiner, conservative magazine The Weekly Standard and Red Alert Politics. The Examiner will transition from a daily news format to a weekly print magazine offering coverage and commentary on politics and policy.

DMA: Fairness Act Unfair

DMA: Fairness Act Unfair:
The Direct Marketing Association today declared its opposition to a proposed amendment to the 2014 Federal Budget endorsing the Marketplace Fairness Act. If passed, the Senate bill would require remote sellers to collect and remit sales taxes to states where consumers purchased their products via the Internet or catalogs.

USPS: $14B Loss or a $2B Profit?

USPS's Options: a $14B Annual Loss or a $2B Annual Profit: U.S. Postal Service (USPS) CFO and EVP Joseph Corbett laid out the harrowing financial stakes the agency faces now and in the coming years during the “Financial Update” panel at the National Postal Forum (NPF) in San Francisco. Essentially, he said, if the USPS is given by Congress the autonomy it needs to adapt its five-year financial plan in full, the agency will make a “modest profit” of $2 billion per year over the next five years, paying its debt down by 2017. If the status quo remains, the USPS will lose $14 billion per year over the next five years.

Postal Reform: Congressional Interest Revived

Postal Service Reform Finds New Life on Capitol Hill:
During an interview on In Depth with Francis Rose, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas), the new chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census, said the problems plaguing the Postal Service exist outside of core party values.
"We're going to work with the minority side to make sure their views are always heard," said Farenthold. "A lot of the postal issues and a lot of the federal workforce issues are not these core differences between the Republicans and Democrats that we see on things like taxing and spending."
Farenthold said Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), ranking member of the subcommittee, also is committed to the issues and willing to work on overcoming the hurdles standing in the way of major postal reform. However, progress may come a bit slower as Lynch is currently campaigning for a seat in the Senate.

Postmaster General: Technology is Making Mail More Powerful

Postmaster General Says Technology is Making Mail More Powerful:  Technology and changing consumer expectations are helping to transform mail into an even more powerful communications channel, Postmaster General and CEO Patrick R. Donahoe told the nation’s largest annual gathering of mailing industry leaders today.
“As the mailing industry, we must continue to work to drive innovation and leverage data and technology to improve the consumer experience and grow revenue," Donahoe said in his keynote address at the National

NPF: Four Challenges for Direct Mailers

National Postal Forum: Four Challenges for Direct Mail Marketers: There are four key challenges marketers must “embrace” to ensure the effectiveness of direct mail in a multichannel world, said Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) CEO, at the National Postal Forum (NPF) in San Francisco; Personalization, Actionable, Functional, Creactivity.

The Path to Personalized Mail

The Path to Personalized Mail:
Begin with Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), essentially a saturation service for small local businesses to blast certain geographies with their marketing messages. This of course isn't personalized yet. But through this program, mailers can send out an entire postal carrier route of around 400 households without needing a list. They can send pieces without a personalized name or a street address—and they can target specific geographies using an online tool.
The second step is to incorporate technology to get customers to interact digitally. Strapped for resources? The USPS offers discounts to marketers who incorporate technology into direct mail pieces.
“If you're a mailer and don't take advantage of these, I'm shocked,” Mitzel said. “The USPS is actually giving you money to fund the use of these technologies.”