Weyerhaeuser Names CEO

Weyerhaeuser Board Names Doyle Simon CEO:
Weyerhaeuser Co. (WY), one of the world's largest lumber companies, said Sunday that its board has named Doyle Simon as its new CEO, effective Aug. 1.

The company, based in Federal Way, Wash., also said that it signed a deal to buy Longview Timber LLC. for $2.65 billion from Brookfield Asset Management (BAM). And in a separate release, Weyerhaeuser said it was exploring strategic alternatives for its real estate company that could include a merger, a sale or spin-off of the business.
Simon, 49. who has been a director of Weyerhaeuser since February 2012 and was most recently CEO and chairman of International Paper (IP) subsidiary Temple-Inland, will succeed Dan Fulton, who turns 65 this year and will retire as planned. Fulton, who had been at the helm since 2008, will serve as executive vice chairman of the Weyerhaeuser board of directors until his retirement in October.

Weyerhaeuser Buys Longview Timber for $2.64 Billion

http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/

Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) today announced it has a signed definitive stock purchase agreement to acquire Longview Timber LLC from affiliates of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. for $2.65 billion, which includes the assumption of debt. The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and is expected to close in July 2013.

The company is acquiring approximately 645,000 acres of unique, high-quality timberlands in Washington and Oregon that are highly complementary and contiguous with the company's existing acreage. This transaction will expand Weyerhaeuser's timber holdings in the Pacific Northwest by 33 percent to approximately 2.6 million acres and increase the total amount of U.S. timberlands it owns or controls to approximately 6.6 million acres. The company expects to reach annual synergies of approximately $20 million within two years of closing.

Norske Skog Sells Newsprint Mill, Brazil

http://www.norskeskog.com/Default.asp

Norske Skog has agreed to sell 51% of the shares in Norske Skog Pisa in Brazil to Papeles Bio Bio S.A., (former Norske Skog Bio Bio) which is controlled by Group BO/Pathfinder, a consortium of Chilean investors. The agreed purchase price for the 51 % stake is USD 41.3 million.

The Pisa mill has a total newsprint production of approximately 170 000 tons, and is one of total four newsprint mills in South-America. Papeles Bio Bio has agreed upon the terms of purchasing Norske Skog's remaining shares in the Brazilian operations within an expected time horizon of one to two years.

Magazine Industry Eyes Retail Partnerships

http://supermarketnews.com/nonfood/magazine-industry-eyes-retail-partnerships

The magazine industry aims to jumpstart sales at supermarkets by advocating for data-driven partnerships and focusing on innovative product launches, according to top publishing executives at a retail conference here.

These strategies are intended to lift a category impacted by the tough economy, new consumer behaviors, and changing dynamics at the retail front end.
"We need to coordinate our databases with databases of the retailer to promote directly to consumers to come into particular stores to buy magazines," said Efrem "Skip" Zimbalist 3d, chairman and chief executive officer, Active Interest Media.
He was part of a top executive panel at the 2013 MPA/PBAA Retail Marketplace Conference here.

Hearst Magazines’ One Million New Customers

http://www.niemanlab.org/2013/06/the-newsonomics-of-hearst-magazines-one-million-new-customers/

Most publishers are concentrating on milking more revenue out of existing customers. Hearst is focused on building a new native-to-digital audience. Take this quiz. The era of paying for digital access (a.k.a. digital circulation or paywalls) is about:

Getting more money out of core subscribers;
Getting new money out of new subscribers; or
Getting money any way you can.
Okay, 3 is a gimme. But 1 and 2 are very different strategies. While most newspaper publishers are leaning heavily on their long-time core bases by promising and delivering all-access, Hearst Magazines is taking a contrarian turn in the market. It’s a strategy that is largely at odds with peers Condé Nast, Time Inc., and Meredith, as well as most newspaper publishers. It’s betting almost wholly on new customers.

Getting Magazines to Market

http://www.pubexec.com/article/mpa-pbaa-retail-marketplace-2013-getting-magazines-market/1

The 2013 MPA/PBAA Retail Marketplace opened Monday and wraps up today in Philadelphia. Publishing Executive had the chance to sit in on some interesting presentations. (After all, they came to Philly — it’s the least we can do!)  
Mary Berner, President and CEO of The Association of Magazine Media (MPA) started the conference off with her usual energetic call to action and to “innovate, innovate, innovate.” Next up, PE’s own Dr. Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni led a panel discussion of magazine CEOs including David Carey of Hearst, Steve Lacy of Meredith, Bob Sauerberg of Condé Nast, and Efrem (Skip) Zimbalist of Active Interest Media.

Publisher Launches Three New Titles

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/202526/bauer-to-launch-3-new-titles-in-fall.html#axzz2WUQb4EQc

Amid declining ad pages and stagnant or declining circulation, you don’t hear much nowadays about big new consumer magazine launches -- but Bauer Publishing, the German company behind In Touch Weekly, is apparently unfazed, as it unveiled plans to launch not one but three new magazines.

The biggest new addition to the Bauer portfolio is Closer, a celebrity weekly targeting women in their mid-30s and 40s, which will launch in November.
Bauer is also planning to launch Girl’s World,targeting girls ages six to 10, debuting in October with a publication schedule of seven times per year.
Finally, the company plans to launch Celebrations, a Woman’s World spinoff, which will appear six times a year around holidays.

Amazon Adds Jobs, and Sales Tax, in FL

http://spacecoastdaily.com/2013/06/amazon-announces-proposal-to-create-3000-jobs-in-florida/

 Governor Scott reversed his initial decision to block Amazon’s expansion because Floridians would have to pay sales tax on Amazon purchases. According to the announcement yesterday, Amazon will “begin collecting Florida sales tax at such time as it is required under current Florida law.”
Any business that has a location in Florida collects sales tax through an online purchase. Once Amazon opens Florida facilities, Amazon will collect the standard 6% sales tax from Florida shoppers. With the groundwork for a return on taxpayer investment in place, Governor Scott explained how Amazon will work with Florida’s economic development team.

MPA Opposes Exigent Postal Rate Increase Option

http://www.pubexec.com/article/mpa-statement-opposing-possible-exigent-postal-rate-increase/1

The Association of Magazine Media, on behalf of its member publishers, strongly urges the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service not to seek an unlawful “exigent” postal rate increase.  The increase – possibly as high as 10 percent – would be a lose-lose proposition for both magazine publishers and the Postal Service.

MPA has long advocated for postal reform legislation that would restore the nation’s postal system to solvency, leading to stable, predictable and lawful rate increases going forward.  Attempting to address some of the Service’s inherent problems – notably an oversized and underutilized infrastructure – by imposing a rate increase on a product Postmaster Generals have called “the anchor of the mailbox” is both unwise and unlawful. In addition, MPA urges the Board of Governors to be mindful of the Postal Regulatory Commission’s position that attempting to resolve issues unrelated to exigent circumstances, such as the cost coverage of Periodicals mail, through an exigent filing conflicts with the law.

House Takes Up Postal Reform

House Takes up the Postal Service Debate Again:
Representative Darrell Issa of California and Senator Tom Carper of Delaware are overseeing efforts in the Senate and the House to come up with bipartisan postal legislation, an effort that failed in the 112th Congress.
Issa made a compromise last week in a draft version of a Postal Service overhaul bill, the Postal Reform Act of 2013.
The draft from the House Oversight Committee would greatly reduce a financially crippling annual requirement to prefund health costs for future retirees.

National Envelope Secures Financing

National Envelope Secures Financing, Sees Strong Support:  National Envelope, the nation’s largest, privately-held envelope manufacturer, secured over $65 million in DIP (Debtor In Possession) financing and saw a strong outpouring of support from business partners after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday and obtaining court approval of first day motions on Tuesday.

Stora Enso Plans Conversion of Woodfree PM to Board

Stora Enso to convert fine paper machine to containerboard

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/06_14_2013stora_enso_varkaus_containerboard.html

Stora Enso has decided to commence a feasibility study with the aim of converting the Varkaus Mill fine paper machine in Finland to produce virgin-fibre-based containerboard. The findings of a recently completed pre-feasibility study supported continuation of the process. The feasibility study, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2014, will evaluate the profitability of the project to manufacture containerboard at Varkaus Mill.
Varkaus Mill, which employs 260 people, has one paper machine with an annual capacity of 285 000 tonnes of uncoated fine paper. The potential capacity of the board machine would be about 350 000 tonnes per year.

Stora Enso Invests EUR 32 Million in Pulp Mill

http://www.storaenso.com/

Stora Enso is investing approximately EUR 32 million in Skoghall Mill in Sweden. The investment primarily pertains to rebuilding of a fibre line in the sulphate pulp mill and its chemical recovery operations, thereby increasing the mill's pulp production capacity by 45 000 tonnes per year.

The project will begin immediately and is expected to be completed in October 2014. This investment is additional to the recent investment of approximately EUR 90 million in a new woodroom and woodyard for improved wood handling at the mill. The investment will enable Skoghall Mill to increase production volumes and improve its cost position.

How Catalogs Drive Your Business

http://www.retailonlineintegration.com/blog/how-catalogs-drive-business

The printed catalog is the main driver of traffic to the web. However, with all of the other touchpoints available to consumers today, how do we really know the impact of catalog mailings on web sales? And why do we give so much credit to the print catalog? There are a few reasons why:

The processes of matching back order files to mail tapes give companies the strongest sense of how catalogs drive web business.
When looking at your order curves, you will see that online sales spike every time a catalog hits in-home.  
Contact strategy testing: My company has done a great deal of testing using holdout panels in mail vs. no mail split tests. The mailed segments always perform better.
A reduction in catalog circulation always results in a reduction of sales from the web.
While the internet has become the preferred way to place an order, consumers still prefer to shop from a catalog. That's why it's important to understand the difference between sales through the web vs. sales from the web. Catalogers often say to me that 70 percent or more of their business is coming from the web. What they really mean is 70 percent of their orders are coming through the web, not from the web. Perhaps 15 percent to 20 percent of the orders are coming from the web, but the majority of the orders that came over the web where driven by a print catalog.

MediaPost Mag Bag

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/202433/mag-bag-magazine-publishers-oppose-postal-rate-hi.html#axzz2WDcXDJ29

Magazine Publishers Oppose Postal Rate Hike
Magazine publishers have joined forces with catalog mailers, direct marketers and newspaper publishers to reform the Affordable Mail Alliance. They oppose another proposed “exigent” rate hike from the U.S. Postal Service. The reconstituted AMA protested the proposed increase in a letter to the USPS Board of Governors, which is currently considering the request... NYT Magazine Gets Online Redesign
The New York Times Magazine’s online presence has been thoroughly revamped to make it more accessible to readers using a variety of devices, Journalism.co.uk reported this week...
Kremins To VP, General Manager, Epicurious Condé Nast has appointed Carolyn Kremins to the position of senior vice president and general manager of Epicurious. She previously served as vice president and publisher of Condé Nast Traveler... National Journal Ups Grossman To Exec Editor
National Journal is creating a new, more senior position for Global Security Newswire’s Elaine Grossman, who now holds the title of executive editor and senior correspondent.

Global Ad Market Forecast to Grow 3% in 2013

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/202434/global-tv-ad-growth-forecast-at-3-in-2013-6-nex.html#axzz2WDcXDJ29

The global advertising market will continue to grow modestly at low single-digit increases through the end of the year --  but will spike up to a 6% growth rate next year.
Magna Global’s latest advertising forecast will get to $486 billion with 3% growth for 2013 -- a slowdown from the 3.9% growth of a year ago. Still, the media agency group unit says the market will show double the growth levels next year -- 6.1%, to reach $515 billion. 

Retail Sales Up 4.8%

http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=1597

Improved consumer confidence and spending helped drive retail sales in May. According to the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, May retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted from April and increased a strong 4.8 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

Bauer Sees Value in Newsstands

http://adage.com/article/media/bauer-starts-a-celebrity-weekly-called-closer/242128/

Bauer Publishing, the owner of magazines including In Touch and Woman's World, plans to introduce Closer, a weekly celebrity magazine aimed at women in their mid-30s to late 40s, the company said. 
The rollout, reported Friday in The New York Post, is a surprising move amid an ongoing, years-long slump in newsstand sales. Magazines' single-copy sales in the second half of last year fell 8% from the second half a year earlier,  according to the Alliance for Audited Media, with double-digit declines at In Touch, sibling Life & Style, Time Inc.'s People and Wenner Media's Us Weekly.
But Bauer, which has always emphasized newsstands over the subscription business that comprises the focus at most U.S. publishers, remains committed to newsstands.

Digital Print Market at $187.7 Billion by 2018

https://www.smitherspira.com/news/printing/digital-offset-2018.aspx

The digital printing market will grow from $131.5 billion in 2013 to $187.7 billion in 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 7.4%, according to the latest research from Smithers Pira. 
Digital's share of the total print market will grow from 9.8% in 2008 to 20.6% in 2018, with inkjet growing faster than electrophotography. All the offset processes will see their value shares fall, particularly in web offset. 

A new study from Smithers Pira - The Future of Offset vs Digital Printing to 2018 - shows how the issue of direct competition between digital and offset printing is a daily occurrence for print service suppliers, in determining which process they should use for a particular job.

Coalition Fights Postal Rate Increases

http://www.magazine.org/mpa/affordable-mail-alliance-again-fight-major-postal-service-price-increases

The Affordable Mail Alliance, a coalition of Postal Service customers, has been reestablished to defeat an expected Postal Service proposal to raise postage rates by as much as five times the rate permissible by law.  The Postal Service Board of Governors, who must approve the Postal Service’s request, is set to decide on the matter imminently.  

The law permits the Postal Service to raise postage rates annually, consistent with the rate of inflation, a standard that should satisfy any well run organization in today’s economy.  But a combination of declining revenue and increasing costs has the Postal Service poised to inflict on its customers an “exigent” rate increase designed to subsidize an outdated infrastructure in need of change.  Most private sector companies have already made major structural and operational changes in recent years in order to survive.  The USPS needs to do the same.