Resolute
Forest Products (Resolute) announced to North American customers that it would
increase prices on bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) market pulp by $20/tonne,
effective May 1, industry contacts said today.
Resolute's
aspen grade northern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK) and southern bleached
hardwood kraft (SBHK) were both announced at $860/tonne in North America.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
UPM Closes Ettringen Mill
UPM
has permanently stopped production on the 175,000 tonne/yr supercalendered (SC)
paper unit PM 4 at its Ettringen mill in southern Germany. The machine was shut
down on April 30.
In
early April, UPM announced that it would stop PM 4 as well as the 245,000
tonne/yr SC unit PM 3 at its Rauma mill in Finland, by the end of April instead
of the end of June, as originally announced in January. The Rauma machine was closed on April 19.
The
closure at the Ettringen mill will lead to 150 jobs being cut. After the
shutdown, the mill will still operate the 280,000 tonne/yr newsprint and SC
paper PM 5.
Catalyst Selling Snowflake at Auction
For
sale: Complete recycled paper mill previously producing 337,000 tons per day of
recycled newsprint and uncoated specialty papers.
The
Catalyst Snowflake paper mill, once employer of more than 300 people in Navajo
County, is officially up for sale and the seller, a consortium led by Hackman
Capital, LLC, Capital Recovery Group and Rabin Worldwide, is selling it
"one piece at a time."
Russia: Pulp Production Down, One of World’s Largest Closes
One of world’s largest pulp producers to be closed in Russia
The Russian pulp and paper industry is experiencing a serious crisis, which is reflected by the recent announcement about the suspension of production of the Solombalsky Pulp and Paper Mill (SPPM), one of Russia’s largest pulp and paper mills, located in Arkhangelsk.
According to the company, the reason of suspension is financial and economic difficulties of the mill.
http://www.pulpapernews.com/2013/05/russian-pulp-and-paper-production-declined-this-year
The Russian pulp and paper industry is experiencing a serious crisis, which is reflected by the recent announcement about the suspension of production of the Solombalsky Pulp and Paper Mill (SPPM), one of Russia’s largest pulp and paper mills, located in Arkhangelsk.
According to the company, the reason of suspension is financial and economic difficulties of the mill.
http://www.pulpapernews.com/2013/05/russian-pulp-and-paper-production-declined-this-year
Pulp production in Russia fell by 9.1% to 1,7 million tonnes in the first quarter of the current year, according to data of the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat).
The production of paper declined by 9.5% to 1,06 million tonnes, including newsprint by 29.6% to 340,000 tons. At the same time the production of paper for printing and writing increased by 7.5% to 15,800 tonnes.
Cataloguers Boast the Highest Average Order Value.
http://www.internetretailer.com/2013/04/30/top-500-catalog-retailers-sell-high-priced- 500 catalog retailers sell high-priced items.
Age, it seems, may benefit catalog and call center retailers in the 2013 Internet Retailer Top 500 guide. This group of merchants enjoys the second-highest average ticket of $202.70, trailing consumer brand manufacturers with $230.88, but ahead of retail chains at $192.51 and web-only merchants at $187.78. Within the two largest product categories in the Top 500, catalogers outpace other merchant types. Of the 136 apparel and accessories retailers in the guide, catalogers have an average ticket of $167, compared with $142 for consumer brand manufacturers, $126 for retail chains and $125 for web-only retailers.
Age, it seems, may benefit catalog and call center retailers in the 2013 Internet Retailer Top 500 guide. This group of merchants enjoys the second-highest average ticket of $202.70, trailing consumer brand manufacturers with $230.88, but ahead of retail chains at $192.51 and web-only merchants at $187.78. Within the two largest product categories in the Top 500, catalogers outpace other merchant types. Of the 136 apparel and accessories retailers in the guide, catalogers have an average ticket of $167, compared with $142 for consumer brand manufacturers, $126 for retail chains and $125 for web-only retailers.
Gap Gets Personal With Big Data
In addition to The Gap's recent
inventory optimization and store-based fulfillment initiatives, the retailer is
also focusing on Big Data and personalization. According to The Gap, the issue
isn't having the data or having big data, it's turning the data into relevant
information that then feeds a personalized shopping experience. The technology
is there and the retailer is now starting to customize and test personalization
of its website landing experience.
For The Gap, personalization will, has, and is
forming the bridge between the online world and the brick-and-mortar
experience.
J.Crew CEO on E-Commerce
Mickey Drexler ,
chairman and CEO of J.Crew, talks with Willow Bay from the Milken Institute
Global Conference in Los Angeles about price pressure on brick-and-mortar
retailers from e-commerce sites offering better value on merchandise.
Reader's Digest Names Director of Digital Sales
The Reader's Digest Association hired
advertising industry veteran Tom Bosco as director of digital sales for the
company’s Home & Garden Group. In his new role, Bosco will oversee sales
and revenue strategy for the group’s digital division, Haven Home Media. Prior
to joining Reader’s Digest Association, Bosco worked with with industry
partners to conceive and build MSN Video. He also saw the launch of AOL
Video and then spearheaded the MySpaceTV launch. The Home & Garden Group
provides content to 49 million consumers through various multichannel brands,
which include The Family Handyman, Birds & Blooms,
Country, Country Woman, Farm & Ranch Living and Reminisce.
Condé Nast: Magazines Transform to Online Series
New Glamour
projects include “Single Life” -- the fashion magazine’s first scripted series,
which follows two single ladies and their adventures in online dating; “Glamour
Video Gift of the Week” -- a weekly series featuring hot guys in comical
vignettes; and “Style to Kill” -- a stylist competition series developed in
partnership with Magical Elves of “Project Runway” production fame.
For the guys, GQ debuted “Casualties of the Gridiron” -- a documentary series that looks at the physical and mental toll that the NFL takes on its players; “GQ How To,” which covers everything from tying a tie to making the perfect cocktail; and “The GQ Trend Report” -- a series that promises to keep viewers abreast of the latest fashion and grooming trends.
For the guys, GQ debuted “Casualties of the Gridiron” -- a documentary series that looks at the physical and mental toll that the NFL takes on its players; “GQ How To,” which covers everything from tying a tie to making the perfect cocktail; and “The GQ Trend Report” -- a series that promises to keep viewers abreast of the latest fashion and grooming trends.
New Science Magazine, New Publishing Model
New Science Magazine Shakes Up Publishing Model: Nautilus, a new science, philosophy and culture fusion publication that launched this week, is breaking all of the traditional publishing rules around content, distribution and sales.
“Every month we’ll take a single science topic and explore it from multiple disciplines, both within and outside of the sciences,” says John Steele, publisher of Nautilus. “Our first one is human uniqueness, so we’re exploring it from different scientific disciplines, as well as from the point of view of philosophy, psychology, sociology and theology."
“Every month we’ll take a single science topic and explore it from multiple disciplines, both within and outside of the sciences,” says John Steele, publisher of Nautilus. “Our first one is human uniqueness, so we’re exploring it from different scientific disciplines, as well as from the point of view of philosophy, psychology, sociology and theology."
FOLIO: B-to-B CEO Survey
2013 FOLIO: B-to-B CEO Survey: Print advertising revenue, still the breadwinner for this year’s survey respondents, has held steady in its overall share. Depending on whether a media company makes more or less than $5 million in annual revenue, print’s share has accounted for about half of the top line for at lest the last four years. In our 2009 survey, publishers making less than $5 million in annual revenue reported print contributed 54 percent of revenue. In this year’s survey that same publisher category reports 55 percent of revenues were from print in 2012. That is expected to decrease only slightly in 2013, to 53 percent.
Larger publishers making more than $5 million reported print revenues at 53 percent in 2009 and 48 percent in 2012.
Larger publishers making more than $5 million reported print revenues at 53 percent in 2009 and 48 percent in 2012.
Paper: Cost and Quality
Paper: Effectively Managing the Biggest Cost Center:
Paper has been at the heart of the publishing industry since Gutenberg introduced the printing press in 1450. Flash forward 560 years, and the ups and downs of the market still exist, leaving publishers with the task of wrangling costs without sacrificing quality.
“The industry is a mixed bag of stability,” says Phil Schlosser, National Geographic Society Production Services SVP. While Schlosser says the company has seen reductions in the cost of paper, he says these trends are usually short-lived.
“The industry is a mixed bag of stability,” says Phil Schlosser, National Geographic Society Production Services SVP. While Schlosser says the company has seen reductions in the cost of paper, he says these trends are usually short-lived.
What is the Future of Print?
What is the Future of Print and Design? Panel of Experts Weigh In.:
The heart of our hangout was an exploration of the myth that “print is dead.” Luckily, our magazine, Graphic Design USA, has been polling on this issue for half a century, and had just completed our 50th annual survey on just this topic.
The conclusion we reached during the Hangout is simple but profound: print is unique and powerful because you can touch and feel and hold it. Print creates a human connection missing from the ephemeral and desensitizing media world of digital communications. Designers value print for its classic strengths – tangibility, sensuality, permanence...
That said we collectively managed to mine several other nuggets about the strength and prospects of print. Among them:
Print is practical. It is portable, convenient, accessible, easy to read, unplugged, it goes anywhere.
Print is crucial to how designers make a living. 93 percent of designers work in print as part of their mix, and 75 percent of their time is spent on print-related work.
Print is a team player. Print may no longer be the superstar, but it is an excellent complement and collaborator, a vital component in the marketing mix. From print to inbound telephony, or online to direct mail, print drives and motivates consumers.
Print is getting smarter. New technologies to customize, personalize, sharpen, target, interact and integrate are wringing out the waste and infusing responsiveness.
Print is novel. As the digital deluge, the online onslaught builds; print will be even more effective because it is fresh, rare, different, and welcome.
Print is sustainable. I hate the canard that print is dirty and digital is clean. I ran out of time to harangue the Hangout audience on this point so let me do it now. Print and paper are becoming “greener” and more transparent up and down the supply chain; the online world should only be as honest about its energy use and other sustainability issues.
The heart of our hangout was an exploration of the myth that “print is dead.” Luckily, our magazine, Graphic Design USA, has been polling on this issue for half a century, and had just completed our 50th annual survey on just this topic.
The conclusion we reached during the Hangout is simple but profound: print is unique and powerful because you can touch and feel and hold it. Print creates a human connection missing from the ephemeral and desensitizing media world of digital communications. Designers value print for its classic strengths – tangibility, sensuality, permanence...
That said we collectively managed to mine several other nuggets about the strength and prospects of print. Among them:
Print is practical. It is portable, convenient, accessible, easy to read, unplugged, it goes anywhere.
Print is crucial to how designers make a living. 93 percent of designers work in print as part of their mix, and 75 percent of their time is spent on print-related work.
Print is a team player. Print may no longer be the superstar, but it is an excellent complement and collaborator, a vital component in the marketing mix. From print to inbound telephony, or online to direct mail, print drives and motivates consumers.
Print is getting smarter. New technologies to customize, personalize, sharpen, target, interact and integrate are wringing out the waste and infusing responsiveness.
Print is novel. As the digital deluge, the online onslaught builds; print will be even more effective because it is fresh, rare, different, and welcome.
Print is sustainable. I hate the canard that print is dirty and digital is clean. I ran out of time to harangue the Hangout audience on this point so let me do it now. Print and paper are becoming “greener” and more transparent up and down the supply chain; the online world should only be as honest about its energy use and other sustainability issues.
ABM: Bullish Outlook for B-to-B M&A
At the ABM Annual Conference: Bullish outlook for b-to-b media M&A:
A pair of media investment bankers who spoke at this week's American Business Media Annual Conference here see good times ahead for b-to-b media M&A activity.
“The business models have been validated, and lots and lots of deals will happen,” Dan McCarthy, partner at DeSilva+Phillips...
In a separate session, John Wickersham, partner at Atwood Capital Partners, said the industry is “definitely at a crossroads."...
Wickersham presented findings from research Atwood conducted with ABM that showed the following revenue breakdown for b-to-b media companies in 2012: print, 42%; events, 28%, digital, 25%; and other, 5%.
A pair of media investment bankers who spoke at this week's American Business Media Annual Conference here see good times ahead for b-to-b media M&A activity.
“The business models have been validated, and lots and lots of deals will happen,” Dan McCarthy, partner at DeSilva+Phillips...
In a separate session, John Wickersham, partner at Atwood Capital Partners, said the industry is “definitely at a crossroads."...
Wickersham presented findings from research Atwood conducted with ABM that showed the following revenue breakdown for b-to-b media companies in 2012: print, 42%; events, 28%, digital, 25%; and other, 5%.
ABM Conference: Print Still Popular
At the ABM Annual Conference: Print's popularity, mobile's potential: A new American Business Media study shows that print remains a popular medium in the b-to-b space. The study, “The Value of B-to-B: How Business-to-business Media Connect Buyers and Sellers,” also identified threats from marketers' own content marketing efforts and opportunities in the mobile space.
The findings were presented Tuesday at the ABM Annual Conference here. They were based on three online surveys that Readex Research fielded on behalf of ABM in March and April. Each survey polled a particular group: publishers, marketers and media users.
The survey of 6,682 users found that the same percentage—96%—turn to print magazines and media websites for industry-related content. It also found that 93% rely on product information from manufacturers. As marketers step up their own content marketing efforts, this latter finding “is something to watch,” said Michael Alterio, ABM research and content director.
The findings were presented Tuesday at the ABM Annual Conference here. They were based on three online surveys that Readex Research fielded on behalf of ABM in March and April. Each survey polled a particular group: publishers, marketers and media users.
The survey of 6,682 users found that the same percentage—96%—turn to print magazines and media websites for industry-related content. It also found that 93% rely on product information from manufacturers. As marketers step up their own content marketing efforts, this latter finding “is something to watch,” said Michael Alterio, ABM research and content director.
Consumers for Paper Options Contact Senate
Consumers for Paper Options Files Statement with Senate Finance Committee: Consumers for Paper Options, a coalition of individuals and organizations advocating for the right to paper-based communications, filed a statement today with the U.S. Senate to demonstrate that electronic tax-filing and direct-deposited refunds are insecure and are leading to rampant identity theft. The organization encourages policymakers to maintain the option for citizens to file taxes on paper, and it supports Congressional efforts—such as H. Res. 97
—to protect non-electronic access to government services and information for Americans who need or want it.
—to protect non-electronic access to government services and information for Americans who need or want it.
USPS Loss at $6B, Donahoe Asks Congressional Aid
Postal Loss Seen at $6B as Donahoe Asks U.S. Congress Aid:
The government agency that’s supposed to support itself through postage sales lost about $3 billion in the first half of its fiscal year, from Oct. 1 through March 31, Donahoe said in an interview airing this weekend on Bloomberg Television’s “Conversations With Judy Woodruff.” That decline is projected to double by the year’s end, which is Sept. 30, he said.
The Postal Service continued its money-losing streak by reporting a first-quarter loss of $1.3 billion. The service is scheduled to release second-quarter results May 10, when its board meets in Washington.
Donahoe said the agency has cut costs by $15 billion since 2006, and now it’s up to Congress to take the next step. If Congress doesn’t allow the service to alter its business model and reduce its benefits costs, a taxpayer bailout through 2017 would cost $58 billion, he said last month.
“Congress needs to move now on postal legislation,” Donahoe said in the interview.
The government agency that’s supposed to support itself through postage sales lost about $3 billion in the first half of its fiscal year, from Oct. 1 through March 31, Donahoe said in an interview airing this weekend on Bloomberg Television’s “Conversations With Judy Woodruff.” That decline is projected to double by the year’s end, which is Sept. 30, he said.
The Postal Service continued its money-losing streak by reporting a first-quarter loss of $1.3 billion. The service is scheduled to release second-quarter results May 10, when its board meets in Washington.
Donahoe said the agency has cut costs by $15 billion since 2006, and now it’s up to Congress to take the next step. If Congress doesn’t allow the service to alter its business model and reduce its benefits costs, a taxpayer bailout through 2017 would cost $58 billion, he said last month.
“Congress needs to move now on postal legislation,” Donahoe said in the interview.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
NewPage Raises Coated and SC Prices
NewPage has announced a price increase, effective with all new and existing orders with confirmed delivery dates of July 1 or later, on the following grades:
an increase of $2.00/cwt on coated mechanical papers
Capri® web and Consoweb® web
and an increase of $2.50/cwt on Supercalendered papers Voyager® web andSuperior Gloss® web.
The changes apply to all basis weights and finishes.
UPM Reports Coated and SC Price Increases
UPM has announced price increases, effective with all orders delivering on or after July 1, for all basis weights and finishes, on the following grades:
an increase of $2.00/cwt on No. 5 coated mechanical UPM Cote and UPM Cote Plus,
an increase of $2.50/cwt on SC-A paper UPM Max, UPM Cat and UPM Smart and
an increase of $3.00/cwt on SC-B paper UPM Eco (excluding UPM Eco Lite and Eco X).
The announcement follows changes made by Irving, Port Hawkesbury and NewPage.
an increase of $2.00/cwt on No. 5 coated mechanical UPM Cote and UPM Cote Plus,
an increase of $2.50/cwt on SC-A paper UPM Max, UPM Cat and UPM Smart and
an increase of $3.00/cwt on SC-B paper UPM Eco (excluding UPM Eco Lite and Eco X).
The announcement follows changes made by Irving, Port Hawkesbury and NewPage.
Data Takes Center Stage at ABM Conference
Over the last three days, close to 200 b-to-b
media executives convened here for ABM's 2013
Annual Conference. After an 83-3
member vote in favor of the association's merger with the SIIA, the
conference kicked off featuring sessions that repeatedly hit on the growing
importance of customer data as a key to cross-platform media success.
The nature of what b-to-b media companies do now extends across multiple platforms—confounding any central defining characteristic.
The nature of what b-to-b media companies do now extends across multiple platforms—confounding any central defining characteristic.
Bonnier Sells Mountain Group
Bonnier
Corp. is taking another whack at its portfolio again, selling its Mountain
Group to enthusiast publisher Active Interest Media. CEO Dave Freygang said
that selling the group, consisting of snow sport titles Ski and Skiing and
Warren Miller Entertainment, would let Bonnier focus on its businesses in
California, New York and Florida.
RRD/Northern Tool, The Sportsman's Guide Agreement
RRD Awarded Multi-Year Multi-Million Dollar Agreement by Northern Tool, The Sportsman's Guide: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company today announced that it has been awarded a multi-year multi-million dollar agreement that extends and expands its relationship with Northern Tool + Equipment, The Sportsman's Guide and The Golf Warehouse. Northern Tool + Equipment acquired both The Sportsman's Guide and The Golf Warehouse in December 2012.
Quad/Graphics Invests in Pixability
Quad/Graphics Invests in Pixability to Tackle Online Video Market: Quad/Graphics Inc., a leading global printer and media channel integrator, has purchased a minority interest in Pixability, a YouTube-certified marketing and advertising company that works with brands, e-commerce firms and agencies to improve video marketing results. Leading brand marketers and publishers will have access to a powerful solution that allows them to easily and effectively incorporate online video with any of their marketing channels to engage prospects and customers—from awareness to action through to customer support.
Timeless Communications Buys Symphony Publishing
Timeless Communications Corp. Acquires Symphony Publishing:
Four new titles will be added to the portfolio of Timeless Communications Corp., a Nevada-based b-to-b publisher serving the international live event technology and theater markets, with the acquisition of Symphony Publishing, the company announced Tuesday.
The newly acquired titles, which include Musical Merchandise Review, JazzEd, Choral Director and School Band & Orchestra, serve the musical instrument and music education markets. The brands join the company’s existing assets, Projection Lights and Staging News, Front of House and Stage Directions.
Terms of the deal have not been released.
Four new titles will be added to the portfolio of Timeless Communications Corp., a Nevada-based b-to-b publisher serving the international live event technology and theater markets, with the acquisition of Symphony Publishing, the company announced Tuesday.
The newly acquired titles, which include Musical Merchandise Review, JazzEd, Choral Director and School Band & Orchestra, serve the musical instrument and music education markets. The brands join the company’s existing assets, Projection Lights and Staging News, Front of House and Stage Directions.
Terms of the deal have not been released.
Newspaper Circ Down, WSJ, NYT Top Two
U.S.
newspapers continue to shed circulation, even as they grow their digital
audiences. According to the new Snapshot report from the Alliance for Audited
Media (AAM) covering the six months ended March 31, daily circ (including
print, digital and, in some cases, branded editions) decreased 0.7 percent year
over year, while Sunday circulation declined 1.4 percent.
Among
the top dailies, The Wall Street Journal kept its No. 1 position with a total
average circ of 2.4 million, up 12.3 percent over March 2012. The New York
Times jumped 17.6 percent to 1.9 million in total circulation, overtaking USA
Today for second place. (Growth at the Times was mostly digital.
Last year, its
print and digital circulation were about equal, but this past year, digital
circ increased 40 percent to 1.1 million while print circ declined 6 percent to
731,395.)
USA
Today's total average circulation declined 7.9 percent year over year to 1.7
million, knocking it from second to third place. The Los Angeles Times (up 6
percent) and New York Daily News (down 11 percent) rounded out the top five.The Times remained the biggest daily newspaper in terms of digital circulation, followed by The Wall Street Journal (digital circ rose 62 percent to 898,102), USA Today (up 116 percent to 249,900), the New York Post (up 37 percent to 200,571) and the Denver Post (up 28 percent to 192,805).
Macmillan Settles Suit
The agreement requires Macmillan to pay not only a $20 million fine, but
legal fees and a small award as well to the individual plaintiffs for their
participation.
Four of the five publishers named in the suits, including Pearson Plc's
Penguin Group, News Corp'sHarperCollins Publishers Inc and CBS Corp-owned Simon & Schuster Inc, have now settled.
Apple is the only remaining defendant in the Justice Department's lawsuit, which was filed in April 2012 in U.S. District Court in New York.
Kodak Plans to Emerge from Bankruptcy
Kodak files reorganization plan to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy:
According to the company, the plan and a disclosure statement, which includes a historical profile of the company, details how Kodak plans to maintain and extend its leadership image in the commercial printing industry.
According to the company, the plan and a disclosure statement, which includes a historical profile of the company, details how Kodak plans to maintain and extend its leadership image in the commercial printing industry.
Eastman Kodak has reported $283 million in consolidated net earnings in the first quarter of 2013, compared to a $366 million loss in the prior-year quarter. The profitable quarter reflects improved results of the Commercial Imaging segments and includes a $535 million gain recorded on the sale of Kodak’s digital imaging patent portfolio, partially offset by a $77 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge related to the patent sale
USPS: The Next Amtrak?
USPS: The Next Amtrak?:
Rate hike on the horizon?
USPS defaulted on its $6 billion pre-payment for employee pension benefits and is losing an estimated $25 million a day. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has been dogged in slashing costs by closing processing facilities and post offices and proposing the end of Saturday mail delivery—a measure rejected this past March by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
These and other operational measures, which the USPS estimates will total roughly $9 billion of annual savings, won't be enough. The Postal Service has used up its $15 billion statutory borrowing capacity, and little hope exists for a stalled Congress to renew its funding with new legislation. The USPS has pricing latitude, but it has for years stayed with scheduled rate increases in line with the Consumer Price Index. That may soon change. “Maybe mailers will be asked to pay a little more money,” Sharfman predicted...
One way or another, direct mailers will have to get used to the notion of a scaled down Postal Service. “It is going to shrink, it has to shrink,” Sharfman concluded. “As a model, what comes to mind is passenger rail service. It's preserved by Congress, important to some, but certainly not as important as it used to be.”
Rate hike on the horizon?
USPS defaulted on its $6 billion pre-payment for employee pension benefits and is losing an estimated $25 million a day. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has been dogged in slashing costs by closing processing facilities and post offices and proposing the end of Saturday mail delivery—a measure rejected this past March by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
These and other operational measures, which the USPS estimates will total roughly $9 billion of annual savings, won't be enough. The Postal Service has used up its $15 billion statutory borrowing capacity, and little hope exists for a stalled Congress to renew its funding with new legislation. The USPS has pricing latitude, but it has for years stayed with scheduled rate increases in line with the Consumer Price Index. That may soon change. “Maybe mailers will be asked to pay a little more money,” Sharfman predicted...
One way or another, direct mailers will have to get used to the notion of a scaled down Postal Service. “It is going to shrink, it has to shrink,” Sharfman concluded. “As a model, what comes to mind is passenger rail service. It's preserved by Congress, important to some, but certainly not as important as it used to be.”
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Resolute Reports Preliminary Q1 Results
Resolute Reports Preliminary First Quarter 2013 Results: Resolute Forest Products today reported a net loss of $5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2013, or $0.05 per share, on sales of $1.074 billion. This compares to net income of $23 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, on sales of $1.054 billion in the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.
Excluding $33 million of special items, net income for the quarter was $28 million, or $0.30 per share. Excluding special items of $16 million, net income in the first quarter of 2012 was $7 million, or $0.07 per diluted share.
Excluding $33 million of special items, net income for the quarter was $28 million, or $0.30 per share. Excluding special items of $16 million, net income in the first quarter of 2012 was $7 million, or $0.07 per diluted share.
Chinese RCP Imports Up 26.3%, Pulp Up 36.6%
China's
recovered paper (RCP) imports rose 26.3% to around 2.609 million tonnes in
March, up from some 2.066 million tonnes in the previous month, according to
data from China Customs.
The
big increase in March intake is ascribed to the long Chinese Lunar New Year
holiday in February. March's figure was nonetheless 10.9% lower than the 2.928 million tonnes recorded in March 2012.
Total RCP imports in the first three months came in at 7.193 million tonnes, slipping 0.5% from the year-earlier period.
The March spike was due to the week-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday in February, as pulp cargoes had been arranged to avoid arriving in the country during the long vacation period. Large quantities were therefore delivered to the country in March.
But March's total pulp import figure was 8.7% lower than the 1.631 million tonnes recorded in the same month of 2012.
Pulp imports for the first quarter totaled some 3.944 million tonnes, a decrease of 9.5% from the preceding year.
Wausau Reports Q1 Results
Excluding special items, the Company reported a net
loss for the first-quarter of $1.7 million, or $0.04 per share compared
with first-quarter 2012 net earnings, excluding discontinued operations
and special items, of $4.8 million, or $0.10 per share.
Glatfelter Reports Q1 Results
Glatfelter
(GLT) today reported first quarter 2013 net income of $15.6 million, or $0.36
per diluted share, and adjusted earnings of $17.4 million, or $0.40 per diluted
share. These results compare with first quarter 2012 net income and adjusted
earnings of $18.9 million, or $0.43 per diluted share.
Consolidated
net sales for the first quarter of 2013 totaled $405.2 million, a 2.0 percent
increase compared with $397.4 million in the first quarter of 2012.
MeadWestvaco Reports Q1 Results
MeadWestvaco's 1Q profit falls on charges:
MeadWestvaco Corp. said Tuesday restructuring charges dragged first-quarter profits down more than 77 percent at the packaging company, despite rising sales.
MeadWestvaco Corp. said Tuesday restructuring charges dragged first-quarter profits down more than 77 percent at the packaging company, despite rising sales.
Meredith Expands Ad Sales Guarantee Program
Meredith Expands Ad Sales Guarantee Program:
On the heels of a strong third quarter, Meredith Corp. announced that it is expanding its Sales Guarantee program following a successful inaugural year...
The Meredith Sales Guarantee program pledges an increase in sales performance for brands that advertise in the company’s portfolio of women-focused magazines. Brands participating in the first year of the Meredith Sales Guarantee experienced an average return on investment of $7.81 for every $1 invested in advertising in Meredith magazines, a statement from the company says.
On the heels of a strong third quarter, Meredith Corp. announced that it is expanding its Sales Guarantee program following a successful inaugural year...
The Meredith Sales Guarantee program pledges an increase in sales performance for brands that advertise in the company’s portfolio of women-focused magazines. Brands participating in the first year of the Meredith Sales Guarantee experienced an average return on investment of $7.81 for every $1 invested in advertising in Meredith magazines, a statement from the company says.
Meredith Corp., the publisher of magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal and Better Homes and Gardens, is expanding its program for large advertisers to encompass more product categories, such as pharmaceuticals, and the number of clients it will work with. "We're a multimedia company," said Tom Harty, president of Meredith's National Media Group, which sells digital media as well as magazine ad pages. "We just feel like print gets bashed a little too much."
The Economist Targets College Students
The Economist magazine is headed to campuses around the country to encourage
students, teachers, professors and others in the academic community to become
readers.
An effort that is to begin on Monday will carry the theme “Dare 2 Go Deep With The Economist” – the numeral, presumably, echoing how so many members of the intended audience use shorthand when they communicate online and on mobile devices.
An effort that is to begin on Monday will carry the theme “Dare 2 Go Deep With The Economist” – the numeral, presumably, echoing how so many members of the intended audience use shorthand when they communicate online and on mobile devices.
U.S. News & World Report Profitable Again
He saw a similar occurrence in Washington, where he presided over Regardie’s monthly business magazine from its inch-thick heyday in the 1980s to its famous flame-out during the early-1990s real estate bust.
So after Kelly — a former editor at The Washington Post — ascended to the top spot at money-losing weekly news magazine U.S. News & World Report in April 2007, he had one thought:
Not on my watch.
Hearst Launches Harper's BAZARR in Germany
Premiering with a Fall 2013 issue, the magazine will publish monthly starting in Spring 2014.
McGraw-Hill Renamed McGraw Hill Financial
This
morning (April 30), McGraw-Hill Cos. chairman/president/CEO (since 1998) Harold
("Terry") McGraw III announced the corporate name change to McGraw
Hill Financial (no hyphen). The news followed the March 22 closing of MH's $2.4
billion sale of college-textbook publisher McGraw-Hill Education to a group of investment funds affiliated with
Apollo Global Management.
Online Tax Too Late for Small Businesses?
The Senate is poised to pass a bill to require all but the smallest online sellers
to collect the tax. The House appears likely to follow suit. Although Amazon’s
desire to avoid the tax played a fundamental role in its founding and growth,
it is a supporter of the legislation.
As it builds new warehouses and extends its already considerable reach, Amazon is relying less on price than speedy delivery, free shipping and a selection that encompasses just about everything. Small retailers say Amazon was always a significant opponent, and is now a fearsome one.
“It’s beyond frustrating that Congress waited until Amazon became so
dominant that having a massive tax advantage is no longer essential to its
strategy,” said Stacy Mitchell, a senior researcher with the Institute for
Local Self-Reliance. “The right time to fix this was a decade ago, when it
could have saved many local businesses."
As it builds new warehouses and extends its already considerable reach, Amazon is relying less on price than speedy delivery, free shipping and a selection that encompasses just about everything. Small retailers say Amazon was always a significant opponent, and is now a fearsome one.
Coupon Use Still Strong
A majority of respondents (74%) state that economic factors contributed to their increase in coupon usage over the last five years, either because their personal finances declined (43%) or because the recession made them more conscious about the importance of saving (31%). Additionally, 23 percent of respondents indicate that they use coupons more now because technology makes it easier to find and use them.
Overall, the perception of couponing is positive, as indicated by nearly 6 in 10 respondents considering people who use coupons to be "savvy" (59%) versus "cheap" (9%).
CPI, Green Groups Lobby Gov. to Limit Support for Biomass
Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) has joined forces with a number of environmental groups and fibre-based trade associations to lobby Government to limit support for energy-only biomass.
Organisations supporting the campaign include the RSPB, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the
Wood Panel Industries Federation, the UK Forest Products Association and international wood product businesses Egger, Kronospan and Norbord. They have jointly written to Government warning that the pursuit of generating electricity from wood threatens to backfire, both in terms of the environment and industry.
The campaign raises concerns over Government plans to subsidise biomass electricity which could see the sector consuming the equivalent of up to six times the UK's annual forestry harvest by 2017, with catastrophic results. The group highlights that this huge new demand for wood will put up prices, risking the survival of existing industries - in wood, wood panels, packaging, construction, furniture and paper - and many of the 40,000 jobs that rely on them. Wood Panel Industries Federation, the UK Forest Products Association and international wood product businesses Egger, Kronospan and Norbord. They have jointly written to Government warning that the pursuit of generating electricity from wood threatens to backfire, both in terms of the environment and industry.
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