UPM Closing Two Supercalendered Paper Machines

UPM to shut PM 3 at its Rauma mill, Finland and PM 4 at Ettringen mill in Germany by end of April; to reduce 87 employees in Finland and 150 workers in Germany: UPM will permanently close down the paper machine 3 at UPM Rauma mill in Finland and the paper machine 4 at Ettringen mill in Germany by the end of the April 2013. The number of employees is reduced by 87 in UPM Rauma mill and by 150 in UPM Ettringen mill.

PM 3's annual production capacity is 245,000 tonnes, and PM 4's annual capacity is 175,000 tonnes. Both machines produce of SC (supercalendered) paper.

On Jan. 4 of this year, UPM shut down its Stracel paper mill in France. The mill, which employed 250 people, had been producing 270,000 tonnes per year of coated magazine paper grades.
Currently, UPM is trying to sell its Docelles mill (France), which is producing 160,000 tonnes of uncoated woodfree papers annually.

UPM's Rauma mill manufacturers LWC and SC papers with annual capacity of 1,210,000 tonnes. Located in Western Finland the mill employs 670 people. The mill was founded in 1969. 
UPM's Ettringen paper mill manufactures uncoated magazine papers. Its two production lines have a combined annual capacity of 460,000 tonnes. Located in Bavaria, south Germany, the mill employs 391 people. The mill was founded in 1897.

Burgo Signs Financial Agreement

http://www.burgo.com/en

On March 22nd Burgo Group signed an agreement with Mediobanca, UniCredit, Gruppo Intesa San Paolo and Banco Popolare which confirmed the commitment of these financial institutions to sustain the long-term debt maturing on 31.12.2015, ensuring the stability of the short-term credit lines up to the same date, and guaranteeing fundamental financial support to allow the Group to undertake the activities outlined in its Industrial Plan.

Q4 Industry Pulse Report Released

Fourth Quarter Industry Pulse Report Reveals Soft Close to the Year: Quarterly survey results show industry confidence, wariness of the US economy.
SGIA has released its Fourth Quarter 2012 Industry Pulse Benchmarking Reports for the graphics and sign, garment decoration and industrial printing communities. The reports examine sales and production indexes, employment figures, equipment purchases and confidence in the specialty graphics industry, as well as in the US economy as a whole.

Direct Mail Valuable Tool in Automotive Sphere

http://www.dmnews.com/vws-direct-mail-campaign-is-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/article/287820/

When it comes to the automotive industry, there still isn't a trustier channel than direct mail, and that's why Volkswagen tapped creative agency Proximity London to create a dynamic direct mail piece to persuade potential buyers to sign up for test drives. 
The consideration period is much longer for a car purchase than if, say, “you're deciding to buy a new brand of toothpaste,” says Caitlin Ryan, executive creative director at Proximity London—which is why direct mail is the way to go. 
“Direct mail works incredibly well in the automotive space; we do a lot of email and CRM for VW, as well, but direct mail is still what people want because it provides a tactile experience—they actually want to keep the literature,” Ryan says. “When people are considering a new car, they go into collector mode and look at many different models and gather lots of information.”

Google Sells Frommer's to Founder

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/google-sells-frommers-brand-after-only-eight-months-to-arthur-frommer/

Well, that didn’t last long, did it. Less than a year after Google acquired travel book publisher Frommer’s from John Wiley & Sons for $22 million, it’s decided to sell it – to founder Arthur Frommer.
The Web giant bought the popular brand in August last year with the intention of using data from the travel guides to improve its own local listings and reviews used by a number of its Web services. It’s not known how much Arthur Frommer paid to buy back the rights to the brand he created way back in 1957. Travel news website Skift reported last month that Google had decided to stop printing the paper-based version of the famous range of guidebooks, but Frommer told the Associated Press this week that he intends to get the printing presses rolling again.

Yankee Candle Attracts Offers

http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-buyout-firms-eye-yankee-candle-2-billion-131840305--sector.html

Yankee Candle Co Inc has attracted offers from several private equity firms in a sale process that could value the largest scented candle maker in the United States at about $2 billion, people familiar with the matter said.

Bain Capital LLC, Advent International Corp, CVC Capital Partners Ltd , Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC and Ares Management LLC have made it through the first round of bidding and are set to meet with Yankee Candle's management over the next few weeks, the sources said.

EC Approves Bertelsmann/Pearson Merger

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-305_en.htm

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed creation of Penguin Random House, combining parts of the publishing businesses of the media company Bertelsmann of Germany and the publishing company Pearson of the UK. The Commission found that the transaction would not raise competition concerns, in particular because the merged entity will continue to face several strong competitors.

Federal Fight Fierce Over Internet Sales Tax

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20130405/NEWS01/304050015/Federal-fight-fierce-over-Internet-sales-tax-bill

Congress is considering legislation to close that sales-tax loophole, arguing that the current system favors Internet companies over brick-and-mortar stores. 
State lawmakers have reached an impasse over the issue. State Sen. Luke Kenley, who is blocking a House-passed bill to force online retailer Amazon to collect sales tax on Indiana purchases this year, has said Congress needs to pass legislation that would apply to all online-only retailers.

NAA: Profile of American Newspaper Industry

NAA Releases Profile of American Newspaper Media Industry Revenue 2012: Overall, total revenue for U.S. newspapers declined by 2 percent in 2012 from a year earlier, according to new data compiled by the Newspaper Association of America. In total, the U.S. newspaper media industry took in $38.6 billion in 2012 compared with $39.5 billion in revenue in 2011, according to NAA’s projections.

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/209509/deeper-data-dive-finds-5-5-billion-in-uncounted-newspaper-industry-revenue/

Deeper data dive finds $5.5 billion in uncounted newspaper industry revenue Years of negative reports on ad revenue losses could leave the newspaper industry muttering, “I demand a recount.” The Newspaper Association of America has just completed such an exercise and found some solid gains that have been overlooked previously in its own measurements.

Wausau Brokaw Mill Auction Delayed

http://www.wausaupaper.com/

Brokaw Development will delay the well anticipated April 18, 2013 auction of papermaking, plant and support equipment at the former Wausau Paper Mill. "Within the next two weeks, we plan to announce a new auction date or a new owner of the site. We regret the delay but are in negotiations with buyers that could put the former Wausau property to productive commercial use. The ultimate goal is finding the right fit for the site while creating jobs for the community of Brokaw, Wisconsin", said Eric J Spirtas, President of NIAGARA Worldwide and Brokaw Development.

MeadWestvaco Chooses ATF

MeadWestvaco Chooses American Tree Farm System, Root: 1 Wine Partners with American Forests:
Packaging and packaging materials supplier MeadWestvaco Corporation has said it will give purchasing preference to certified wood supplies - specifically wood that is certified under the American Tree Farm System.

'Stay Bonuses' Option for Time Inc.

http://adage.com/article/media/stay-bonuses-time-spinoff-approaches/240710/

So far Time Inc. has been relying on little more than employees' confidence in the future, and perhaps their existing employment contracts, to keep them in place during an uncertain year. Last month it let Paul Caine, its chief revenue officer and a well-liked company veteran, leave to become CEO at the radio syndicator Dial Global. His exit was a defining moment, employees said, signaling that Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes wasn't going to tie the hands of the new, yet-to-be-identified Time Inc. CEO.

The Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy

The Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy: Randall Lane began his career as a reporter for Forbes’ “rich list.” Putting a dollar value on some of the world’s wealthiest individuals proved a difficult job—one his subjects largely viewed as prying. There were constant walls and deceit.

UK Cataloguer, Retailers Look to U.S.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-02/british-chic-tested-as-asos-to-topshop-seek-u-s-growth-retail.html

British retailers are banking on a love of all things English to expand their business in the world’s biggest apparel market.

Leading the British invasion are online specialist Asos Plc, fashion chain TopShop, catalog retailer Boden, youth- focused Jack Wills Ltd., and SuperGroup Plc’s Superdry stores. Their strategies vary -- some trade on British cool, others emphasize local knowhow -- yet all focus on what they do best rather than buying an existing imprint or starting an entirely new brand that Americans have never heard of.

Strange Bedfellows: Paperless Post & Crane Paper

http://www.newser.com/article/da5eavv02/startup-paperless-post-goes-more-traditional-with-crane-wedding-invitation-partnership.html

Paperless Post has defied its original digital business model successfully once. Now the online invitation and greeting card startup is taking that defiance a step further.

The New York company launched Paper by Paperless Post in October after customers requested a way to get its electronic greeting cards and invitations in a more old-fashioned way: On actual paper. Starting Wednesday, Paperless Post is teaming up with stationery and card maker Crane & Co. to print wedding invitations. Users will be able to choose from 35 wedding invitation designs that they can customize and then print on Crane paper.

It sounds like an unlikely match: Crane has been printing cards and stationery on paper made of 100 percent cotton since 1801 in Dalton, Mass., while Paperless Post was launched in 2009 by 20-something siblings with no plans to ever print cards.

HarperCollins Canada to Buy Titles from Wiley Canada

http://www.financialpost.com/markets/news/HarperCollins+Canada+Acquire+Select+Titles+from+Wiley+Canada/8194836/story.html

HarperCollins Canada today announced that it has acquired a select number of Wiley Canada’s non-fiction backlist titles. The acquisition is effective immediately. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. 

Among the titles purchased are such Canadian classics as the bestselling Mother of All series by Ann Douglas, Ken Dryden’s The Game, recognized as the best book ever written on hockey and one of Sports Illustrated’s best sports books of all time, Hockey Dad, by Bob McKenzie and several cookbooks by Anne Lindsay including Smart Cooking,Lighthearted Everyday Cooking, and her most recent Lighthearted at Home: The Very Best of Anne Lindsay.

MediaPost Mag Bag

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/197388/mag-bag-nature-conservancy-accepts-advertising.html#axzz2Pc48g34
Magzter Gets Hearst Titles Digital magazine newsstand     
Magzter has signed up another big publishing partner, Hearst Corp., which agreed to make all of its U.S. titles -- as well as some international publications -- available via Magzter’s platform. Hearst joins a total of 600 other publishers that have made around 1,500 titles available via Magzter. 
Forbes Names More Execs
Jack Laschever has been named president for Forbes Conferences, a promotion from his previous role as CMO.
Cona To President, CRO Of Condé Nast Media Group
Lou Cona has been named president and chief revenue officer for the Condé Nast Media Group, the high-end publisher said.
And more...

Survey Shows Rise in Content Marketing Budgets

http://www.pubexec.com/article/at-nearly-44-billion-new-survey-shows-rise-content-marketing-budgets/1 
Custom content spending on production and distribution rose to 43.9 billion, the second highest amount to be recorded. All forms—print, electronic and other—experienced growth; a 9.2% rise over last year’s 40.2 billion, with print still claiming the lion’s share of dollars spent in content marketing.
Of the average overall marketing, advertising and communications budget, 39% of the funds were dedicated to content marketing.

Diversified Communications Names CEO

Wirth to succeed Hasselback as Diversified Communications CEO: Diversified Communications has named Ted Wirth president-CEO, effective at the end of June, when current President-CEO Nancy Hasselback retires.
Wirth, currently Diversified's VP-business development, has played a critical role in the company's entrance into the Hong Kong and India markets, and its investment in the primary care and medical specialty industries.

U.S. Paper Capacity Stable Through 2015

American paper capacity to hold steady through 2015
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) recently 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.
Tissue paper and containerboard grades are slated to add capacity during the next three years, while capacities for newsprint and printing-writing paper grades are expected to decline.  The survey findings indicate that boxboard capacity will hold essentially stable.