US Postal Service Proposes Higher Prices for 2014

https://www.usps.com/

The United States Postal Service today announced proposed price changes, including an increase in the price of a First-Class Mail single-piece letter from 46 cents to 49 cents. The proposed changes, which would go into effect in January 2014, are intended to generate $2 billion in incremental annual revenue for the Postal Service.

Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 26, 2014 include:
Letters (1 oz.) - 3-cent increase to 49 cents
Letters additional ounces - 1-cent increase to 21 cents 

Pricing for Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services and Extra Services also will be adjusted as part of a filing to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) scheduled to take place Sept. 26.

The Governors of the Postal Service voted Sept. 24 to seek price increases above the typical annual increases associated with changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The PRC will review the prices before they become effective Jan. 26, 2014, and must agree the prices are consistent with applicable law. The new price proposals are scheduled to be filed Sept. 26 and will be available on the PRC website at www.prc.gov and also will be available at http://pe.usps.com.

American Eagle Marks 10 years

http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/575060/Bales-of-success.html?nav=725

Nearly two years ago, the first roll of paper rolled out of American Eagle Paper Mills in Tyrone.
Today the mill, reopened in 2003 with about 175 employees by a group of former mill managers and investors known as Team Ten LLC, is continuing to grow and prosper.
MeadWestvaco had shuttered the Tyrone mill in October 2001 and the facility was purchased by
Team Ten in September 2003. The first roll of recycled paper was produced Nov. 14.
Team Ten, actually comprised of 12 people, was led by John Ferner, who had worked at the mill for 28 years when it was shut down.
"We knew when it shut down it was a good viable operation," he said.
"We had been successful and could continue to keep it successful. We put together a group of very experienced people who had been there before, who could get it up and running," said Ferner, who retired as president of Team Ten in December.
"We knew the potential of the mill. We had confidence we could start it back up and create a lot of family-sustaining jobs for people in the area," said Team Ten secretary/treasurer Clark Adelman, who had worked at the mill for 18 years before it was closed."

China's RCP, Pulp Imports Up

China's recovered paper (RCP) imports edged up last month, increasing 4.7% from July to almost 2.496 million tonnes in August, according to data from China Customs.

Old corrugated container intake saw a big growth, soaring 15.2% from July to nearly 1.435 million tonnes.

Mixed paper imports, in contrast, dropped 15.9% to 392,110 tonnes.

The grade is the prime target of the Chinese government's strict customs inspections under the Green Fence policy.

August's total RCP imports figure was 5.7% lower than the 2.646 million tonnes recorded in August 2012.

Total imports in the first eight months of this year came in at 19.804 million tonnes, down 1.1% from the year-earlier period. 

China's total pulp imports climbed 4.7% in August from July, to 1.453 million tonnes, according to data from China Customs (see table below).

A surge in bleached hardwood kraft pulp imports contributed to the August rise. Tonnage arriving at Chinese ports totaled 579,384 tonnes in the month, up 20.2% from July and a jump of 49.2% from August 2012.

Intake of bleached softwood kraft pulp, however, dipped 4.4% month-on-month to 549,815 tonnes - still 22.1% higher than August last year.

August's total pulp import figure was 27.4% higher than the 1.141 million tonnes recorded in the same month of 2012.

Pulp imports for the first eight months of 2013 came to 11.092 million tonnes, up 1.3% from last year.

Boise Stakeholder Carlson Capital Opposes Takeover

http://www.boiseinc.com/boise.html

Asset management firm Carlson Capital revealed it owns a 6.6% stake in Boise and that it will not vote in favor of the $1.995 billion acquisition of the company by Packaging Corp of America, inclusive of $714 million of Boise debt, Reuters reported.

Carlson Capital believes Boise should spin off its graphic paper businesses which include uncoated freesheet, newsprint and specialty papers, Reuters said, based on a Carlson Capital SEC filing Tuesday. The Los Angeles-based firm said it valued Boise at $14-$17/share compared with PCA's bid of $12.55.

IP, Fish & Wildlife Join in Forest Restoration Project

http://www.internationalpaper.com/US/EN/index.html

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and International Paper today announced $250,000 in grants to support forestland restoration throughout the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee and Alabama. Three projects in the region have been selected to receive the grants through the Forestland Stewards Initiative, a partnership of NFWF and International Paper. In all, International Paper is committing $7.5 million over five years to restore native forests, strengthen important fish and wildlife populations and protect watersheds in eight states across the Southeastern U.S.

AF&PA Opposes USPS Postal Rate Increase Plan

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/09_25_2013afpa_opposes_postal_rate_hike.html

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman today issued the following statement on the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors’ directive for a proposed 5.9 percent across the board postal rate increase for 2014.

Hearst’s Carey Bullish on Launches

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

In a 1-minute video interview, Hearst Magazines president David Carey says Hearst continues to launch new magazines because of their proven power to quickly build consumer and advertiser support. Examples: Food Network Magazine, which regularly sells 550,000 copies on the newsstand, and HGTV Magazine, which “in its first full year, is just a juggernaut.”   

MrMagazine 

Time Inc. CEO Open to More Acquisitions

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

On an Advertising Week panel, oe Ripp said that Time Inc. has suffered from living in Time Warner’s shadow for years. Time Inc. is rich in profits, cash flow, database and audience, and his job now is to invest that cashflow in creative ideas for the publishing company, he said. He’s not ruling out acquisitions of digital or print properties, he said, noting that Time Inc. just bought American Express Publishing’s titles. 
NY Post

Adweek 

Affluents’ Print Readership Strong

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

Affluents’ growing digital media use tends to supplement, rather than replace, their traditional media use, and the result is real growth in their engagement with media as a whole, according to 2013 Ipsos Affluent Survey USA. As in 2012, 81% of Affluents (defined as adults 18+ in households with incomes of $100K or more) read at least one of the 142 reported print publications (135 magazines and 7 national newspapers).

NetNewsLedger

Examination of the USPS Study of Postal Price Elasticities

http://www.retailonlineintegration.com/article/a-critical-examination-usps-study-postal-price-elasticities/1

There are problems with the U.S. Postal Service's analysis of postal price elasticities. The study lumps all types of mail together and concludes that raising postal rates will result in a net increase in revenue. The study downplays the nearly 10 to one difference in price elasticity between First Class mail and Carrier Route mail.

2013 Magazine Manufacturing and Production Technology Survey

http://www.foliomag.com/2013/2013-magazine-manufacturing-and-production-technology-survey#.UkH2ZbyG4oY?utm_source=MV_Folio%3a&utm_medium=email&utm_content=HTMLLinkID%3a+19&utm_campaign=Slate+Rolls+Out+Responsive+Design+Website...The+2013+Magazine+Manufacturing+and+Production+Technology+Survey...+FOLIO+Alert+|+9.24.13

Investment in new production technology jumps way up.  
After a four-year decline, new technology investment has suddenly jumped up significantly, according to FOLIO:’s 2013 manufacturing and production technology survey. This drastic spike brings new tech investment above 2008 spending levels. All of this is coming at a time when respondents are indicating slightly higher satisfaction levels with the technology used to produce print and digital content.

The more positive outlook and loosening of spending constraints on new technology are emerging as the mobile publishing market is exploding, necessitating increased investment as reader engagement is sourced more and more from this platform. While print is still the dominant platform for revenue, not to mention readers, publishers are making significant investments in increasing numbers to overhaul their digital platforms to accommodate and facilitate mobile use.

Print, Print Covers Still Key

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/ew-editor-says-print-covers-will-always-be-most-important-thing-152714

This morning at the Times Center, a trio of top Time Inc. entertainment editors—People’s Larry Hackett, Entertainment Weekly’s Jess Cagle and People En Español’s Armando Correa—gathered for a panel discussion about the “evolution of digital celebrity reporting.”

“The print product is still the most profitable thing we do, but in 10 to 15 years, even if everything changes, the cover is still going to be the most important thing in this industry,” Cagle said. Eventually, he added, the print product could even become the loss leader that feeds all of the magazine’s other revenue streams.

Profits Data Show Resilience of Leading Print Firms

http://blogs.whattheythink.com/economics/2013/09/profits-data-show-resilience-of-leading-firms-in-tough-economic-times/

The PIA Financial Ratios have been published for decades, and may be the most recognized of the association’s publications. There are, of course, problems with all kinds of research gathering efforts, but the positives of the Ratios reports outweigh the negatives from a methodological standpoint. Sure, the Ratios are not based on a carefully selected sample of printers, but are of the voluntary participants who pay to participate. Different firms participate each year, so it’s not a longitudinal study of the same groups of printers, but enough do to make it interesting. There is no effective way to understand tax planning issues and their effects on the ratios (such as businesses that purposely have near zero profits to minimize the double taxation of some corporate structures by taking salaries and bonuses). Once can basically hurl all kinds of statistical suspicions at the reports, but they remain the longest running report of printing business performance with a consistently applied methodology.

US Shouldn’t Privatize Post Office Just Yet

http://baylorlariat.com/2013/09/24/viewpoint-us-shouldnt-privatize-post-office-just-yet/

This week, Britain announced that it would soon be privatizing its postal service, the Royal Mail.

Estimated to be worth nearly 3 billion pounds ($4.8 billion dollars), the Royal Mail will begin selling shares of stock to potential investors sometime in the next few weeks. 
While it remains to be seen whether or not this is a smart move for Britain, the United States should think twice before following its lead.