AF&PA Releases Annual Paper, Board & Pulp Survey

http://www.afandpa.org

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today released the 53rd Annual Survey of Paper, Paperboard and Pulp Capacity, reporting that U.S. paper and paperboard capacity declined 1.6 percent in 2012 but will hold essentially stable over the next three years (2013 through 2015).

Paper and paperboard capacity is slated to decline 0.4 percent in 2013 but then rise 0.6 percent in 2014 and 0.2 percent in 2015. For the entire three-year projection period, paper and paperboard capacity is expected to rise 0.4 percent at an average annual rate of 0.1 percent.

The survey reports U.S. industry capacity data for 2012 through 2015 for all major grades of paper, paperboard, and pulp, based on a comprehensive survey of all U.S. pulp and paper mills. Survey respondents represent about 90 percent of the U.S industry capacity.

Domtar Sells Shuttered Port Edwards

http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20130327/WRT01/303270386/Updated-Port-Edwards-official-mill-sale-s-certainly-an-exciting-day-?nclick_check=1

The new owner of the former Domtar Port Edwards paper mill property will work with village officials to identify potential uses for the site, a company spokeswoman said.

DMI Acquisitions of Columbus, Ohio, the real estate arm of Dimensional Metals Inc., also will seek tenants to fill the 192-acre site along the Wisconsin River, said Michelle Moore, a spokeswoman for DMI Acquisitions.
"We're identifying expansion opportunities for companies that are currently doing business in central Wisconsin, as well as exploring development of other warehousing and light manufacturing (opportunities)," Moore said Wednesday in a phone interview with Daily Tribune Media.

Norkse Skog Plans Additional Cost Reductions

http://www.norskeskog.com/

Norske Skog plans to reduce costs by NOK 500 million ($86 million) by the end of 2015 at its 550,000 tonne/yr Saugbrugs supercalendered (SC) paper mill in Halden, southern Norway.

The plant already achieved cost savings of some NOK 110 million in 2012 and has similar ambitions for the coming years, managing director Roy Vardheim said. Costs will be cut in areas including energy, pulp, chemicals and logistics. None of this will affect the mill's production capacity. 

Norske Skog may also raise the capacity of the biogas facility at its Saugbrugs mill in order to cut costs. The biogas plant uses sludge and residues from the wastewater treatment plant as raw material and the biogas is used in the mill's boiler.

Oji Raises Pricing on Graphic Papers

http://www.ojiholdings.co.jp/english/index.html

Japanese paper and board giant Oji Paper has announced its intention to raise domestic prices for its graphic paper range, joining a cohort of its competitors there.

While Daio Paper, Hokuetsu Paper, Mitsubishi Paper Mills and the Nippon Paper Group have all called for a hike of ¥15/kg (or roughly $159/tonne) on shipments from April 21, Oji is calling for a 20% hike from the beginning of May.
A spokesman from Oji did not comment on whether the increase was for deliveries or orders from that date.
They cited dropping paper prices consequent to the increased graphic paper imports that have been available in Japan since since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Some remarked on the cost of raw materials and fuel as well.

Sustainability Important to Loggers

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/2013/march/headline_news/New-forestry-industries-plan-moves-to-Louisiana.htm

The director of the Louisiana Forestry Association told foresters at a March 12 conference that several industries are planning to locate in Louisiana that would use wood to make biofuels and fertilizers. 

“If you are in the logging business, here’s great opportunity for you,” said Buck Vandersteen at the LSU AgCenter Forestry Forum attended by more than 150 foresters from across the state. 
He said the companies want to know if timber will be taken from sustainable forests, and they want assurances that lumber companies are harvesting wood in environmentally acceptable methods.
“If you are in a certified program, it will pay dividends for you,” Vandersteen said.

Hearst Names Steven R. Swartz as CEO

Hearst Corporation Names Steven R. Swartz as New CEO:  After leading the Hearst Corporation for 28 years, Frank A. Bennack, Jr. (pictured right) will step down as CEO, passing the torch to COO Steven R. Swartz (below left), who will officially succeed him June 1. Other than William Randolph Hearst himself, Bennack is the company’s longest-serving chief executive and sixth in the company’s 126-year history.
Bennack will remain active in the affairs of the company, serving as executive vice chairman of the Board of Directors and chairman of the Executive Committee.  Swartz has been part of the Hearst Corporation for the past 20 years, first signing on as founding editor of SmartMoney, the company’s venture with Dow Jones which launched in 1991. In 2001 he became senior vice president of Hearst Newspapers and was tapped as president of Hearst Newspapers in 2009. He was appointed chief operating officer in 2011 and assumed his role as Hearst Corporation president last year. Swartz began his career as a reporter with the Wall Street Journal in 1984 after graduating from Harvard.

Enhanced iPad App from New York Magazine

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/new-york-magazine-launches-enhanced-ipad-app-148186

New York magazine is finally scrapping its digital replica app and launching a new interactive version of its weekly print magazine that was created with digital design agency The Wonderfactory and uses the Mag+ platform.

The app will be available for download from the Apple Newsstand—another first for New York's tablet edition—beginning on April 1. Non-subscribers can buy single copies or monthly or yearly digital subscriptions, while existing print subscribers will get full access to the digital version for free.

Some of the magazine’s special issues, like the current New York Weddings, will also be available as interactive tablet editions.

Berner Speaks at MPA Swipe 2.0 Conference

At MPA Swipe 2.0, App Model Begins to Grow Up:
MPA president and CEO Mary Berner once again took the opportunity in her opening address to defend and promote magazine media: "There's never been a better time to be in the business of magazine media," she said. "And if you ignore the pundits and the potshots you'll see why this statement is true."Berner touted the magazine platform as one on a growth trajectory, especially taking into account the various media a brand is represented by. "It is no longer accurate or even appropriate to talk about ourselves as a magazine. It does not begin to measure our reach," she said.

GAAmericas Names Quad/Graphics Company of the Year

Quad/Graphics Named Company of the Year - Publications in Inaugural ...:
Quad/Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: QUAD) (“Quad/Graphics”) has been named Company of the Year/Gravure Publications in the inaugural Gravure Management Excellence Awards sponsored by the Gravure Association of the Americas (GAAmericas). Quad/Graphics also won the Overall Company Growth Award. The awards were a feature of the GAAmerica’s Gravure Global Summit held in Miami earlier this month.
Quad/Graphics uses the gravure printing process to print leading consumer magazines, catalogs and retail advertising inserts.

RRD Announces Results of Tender Offers

RR Donnelley Announces the Expiration/Final Results of Its Tender Offers: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company today announced the expiration and final results of its offers (the "Tender Offers") to purchase for cash up to $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its notes, including up to $300,000,000 of its 6.125 percent Notes due January 15, 2017 (the "2017 Notes"), up to $150,000,000 of its 8.600 percent Notes due August 15, 2016 (the "2016 Notes") and up to $50,000,000 of its 7.25 percent Notes due May 15, 2018 (the "2018 Notes", together with the 2017 Notes and 2016 Notes, the "Securities").

Standard Register Invests $10 Million in Center

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130326005789/en/Standard-Register-Optimizes-Operations-Digital-Print-Distribution

Standard Register (NYSE: SR) has announced plans for a new national Center of Excellence for digital printing, kitting and distribution in Jeffersonville, Ind., which is in the greater Louisville, Ky. metropolitan area. This new 335,000 square foot center will provide Standard Register customers more flexible delivery options and improved speed-to-market for communications products, services and solutions.

“Standard Register’s $10 million investment in this new Center of Excellence allows us to operate more efficiently, advance our digital printing capabilities and leverage the deep capability of the local workforce to better serve our customers”