Paper and Print Supply Chain News

Friday, March 30, 2012

PRC Approves USPS Discount

PRC Approves Sequel to USPS’s QR Code Promo: The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved the U.S. Postal Service’s request to offer a discount to merchants who use a QR code in their catalog mailings and other direct pieces this summer. The USPS will offer the 2-percent discount to mailers in July and August, and merchants who want to qualify for the discount can register beginning May 1.

Flint Raises Prices

Flint Raises Prices on Spot-Color Inks, Varnishes and Pressroom Chemistry: Flint Group North America has announced an 8-percent price increase on spot-color inks and overprint varnishes used in sheetfed and heatset applications. In addition, it is instituting price increases of $0.75 to $1.25 on press washes used in sheeted and offset web applications, effective April 1.

Possehl Purchases manroland UK

Possehl Purchases manroland Great Britain’s Web Business: On 8th March 2012, Possehl & Co. mbH, the owner of manroland web systems GmbH, purchased the business and assets of manroland Great Britain’s web division from MRGB Realisations Limited, formerly manroland Great Britain Limited.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Port Hawkesbury Mill Gets Extension

Port Hawkesbury mill gets 60 day extension to creditor protection period:
The NewPage Port Hawkesbury (Supercalendered paper) mill was granted another extension for its creditor protection period by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court today. This extension is for 60 days.

Resolute's Amos Union Votes No

Amos employees say ‘no’ to concessions, Resolute issues ultimatum:
The unionized employees at Resolute Forest Products‘ Amos Division in Quebec said ‘no’ to Resolute’s demand for concessions. The Amos division produces newsprint and employs about 160.

Verso Announces Exchange Offer

http://www.versopaper.com/newsarchive.aspx

Verso Paper Corp. announced today that two of its wholly owned subsidiaries, Verso Paper Holdings LLC and Verso Paper Inc. (collectively, the "Issuers"), have launched an offer to issue up to $180.2 million aggregate principal amount of a new series of 9.75% secured notes due 2019 (the "New Notes") in exchange for any and all of the Issuers' outstanding $180.2 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured floating-rate notes due 2014 (the "Old Notes").

M-real Changes Name

The Annual General Meeting of M-real Corporation held today 28 March 2012 decided to change the company's business name to Metsä Board Corporation, amended the field of business of the company to more accurately correspond to the current business operations.

Hearst Acquires 20% of Stylus

http://www.pubexec.com/Publishing Executive

Hearst Corporation today announced that it has acquired a 20 percent stake in Stylus Media Group, which provides business intelligence to consumer companies. The announcement was made jointly by Frank A. Bennack, Jr., CEO of Hearst Corporation, and Marc Worth, CEO and founder of Stylus. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Digital Circulation Grows

http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/magazines-digital-circulation-doubles/233771/

Digital circulation soared to an estimated 3.29 million in the second half of 2012 from 1.46 million in the year-earlier period, a 125% increase, according to publishers' reports with the Audit Bureau.

Despite all that growth, however, digital remains about 1% of magazines' total paid and verified circulation.

Sears Selling Cataloguer?

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/lands_end_game_5p3ePLWUD0sqSpTPERJGeM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business

As reported by The New York Post, Eddie Lampert, chairman of Sears Holdings, has quietly been shopping Dodgeville Wis. mail-order catalog Land's End to potential buyers.

2011-16 Local Media Ad Spending

2011-2016 Local Media Ad Spend: Digital Strong, Traditional Flat: Local media industry adviser BIA/Kelsey expects strong growth (12.7%) in the digital segment of local media advertising through 2016. The firm expects traditional local media to grow from $111.5 billion to $112.7 billion in 2016.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

European Woodfree Ships Fall

http://www.cepifine.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&Itemid=16

CEPIFINE reported February coated woodfree paper shipments declined -5.3% as compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date, shipments fell -5.8%. Demand was down -4.2% for the month and -5.1% for the year. Exports decreased -7.9% in February and -7.3% Y-t-D.

U.S. Paper Recovery Reaches 66.8%

http://www.afandpa.org/

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today announced the 2011 recovery rate of paper consumed in the U.S., which has reached a record-high 66.8%. The level of paper recovery for recycling achieved in 2011 is nearly double the industry benchmark of 33.5 percent set in 1990, the year the industry established its first recovery goal.

China's RCP and Pulp Imports Grow

China's total recovered paper (RCP) imports climbed 42.7% to around 2.531 million tonnes in February, up from some 1.774 million tonnes the previous month, China's total pulp imports jumped 32.5% in February from the previous month to nearly 1.554 million tonnes, Imports of BSK pulp are up 10.8% year-to-date, 2012/2011.

Battle for Fibrek Goes On

Battle for Fibrek: Quebec Court of Appeal sides with Resolute:
The Quebec Court of Appeal has sided with Resolute Forest Products and has overturned a lower court ruling that had helped its rival in its attempt to acquire control of Fibrek Inc.
The Court has reinstated the cease trade order on Fibrek Inc.’s private placement of 32,320,000 special warrants to Mercer International Inc. The court’s ruling could be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada.