Domtar Announces Nov. 1 Increase on Cut Size

http://www.domtar.com/

Domtar moved ahead with a cutsize paper price increase of $60/ton ($3/cwt), a contact said today, that raises all of the firm's business uncoated freesheet (UFS) papers, including Domtar mill brands, private label brands, and the Xerox brand. The increase is effective Nov. 1 in North America.

All standard differentials for support sizes and recycled products apply, according to Domtar.
International Paper also plans a $60/ton increase, effective Oct. 23, for its cutsize office papers, and Glatfelter and Cascades plan $60 increases for their cutsize papers on Oct. 24 and Oct. 25, respectively.

The $60 increase for Domtar's cutsize paper follows the company's recent price increase announced on all of its other UFS grades, for $60, effective Oct. 15.

More Mills AnnounceI Increases

American Eagles has announced a price increase of $3.00/cwt, effective with shipments on or after November 1, on the following grades: Eagle Offset, Eagle Envelope, Eagle Kraft Envelope, Eagle Reply Card 7PT, Eagle Select, and Eagle Index.
FutureMark has announced a price increase of $40/ton, effective with shipments on or after November 1, on the following grades: all75, 80 and 85 brightness recycled highbrights, including Future Book UC, Future Mystique and Future Office.
Norpac has announced an increase of $2.00/cwt ($40/ton) for its uncoated groundwood hi-brite papers, effective with shipments on or after Nov. 1.
The increase applies to the company's Norbrite grades including Norbrite 75, Norbrite Plus, Norbrite Offset, Norbrite 92, Norbrite Opaque, Norbrite Cream and Recycled Norbrite Book Cream, as well as book grades.

Sappi Confirms Delisting From NYSE

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130930-908265.html

Following its 9 September 2013 announcement of its intention to delist its American Depositary shares ("ADSs"), which are evidenced by American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), from the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"), Sappi Limited ("Sappi" or the "Company") (NYSE: SPP) confirms that the delisting of its ADSs from the NYSE became effective today, as scheduled. This follows the filing by Sappi of a Form 25 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on 19 September 2013.

PRC Closed, Mailers Contend With Exigency Threat

http://www.dmnews.com/prc-is-closed-but-mailers-contend-with-exigency-threat/article/314445/

Last week the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) was given 90 days to decide on the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) request for an 4.3% exigent rate increase, but the PRC stands closed today as part of the federal government shutdown. If the shutdown lingers, the PRC's deadline could be extended, but mailers are at work mulling contingencies surrounding the proposed increase.“If the shutdown is temporary, we're assuming that the PRC will try to keep within the original deadline, and if they decide to move forward we'll be quickly able to file some things,” says Jerry Cerasale, SVP of governmental affairs at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). For now, the DMA is busy crafting a written statement for the PRC's deliberations, but it is also girding for a more severe confrontation down the road.

Pitney Bowes Completes Sale to Apollo

http://whattheythink.com/news/65672-pitney-bowes-completes-sale-management-services-business-apollo-funds-400-million/

Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI) today announced the successful completion of the sale of Pitney Bowes Management Services for $400 million in cash to funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC (NYSE:APO) (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, “Apollo”). Proceeds from the sale of the business will be used principally to pay down debt. 
Pitney Bowes Management Services becomes a standalone company which will operate under a new name to be determined by Apollo.

'New York' Launches Pinterest

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/210472/new-york-launches-pinterest-account.html#axzz2gbDQur87

New York magazine has launched a Pinterest account to highlight the magazine’s visual content. Among the boards at launch are: TV Funnies (original artwork created for Vulture, based on television shows), Great Rooms (integrating the content from design editor Wendy Goodman’s Design Hunting franchise), a This Week’s Issue board, and Fried Things, “a celebration of all things crisp and beautiful.” New York’s Facebook following has nearly tripled over the last year, to over 200,000.

Hearst, AOL Partner on Subscription Service

http://www.foliomag.com/2013/publishers-aol-partner-subscription-service#.Ukx8MiSYyKw

Publishers have partnered with AOL on a new bundled-subscription offering the company rolled out Monday. 
The service, Gathr, packages subscriptions to a variety of products and services at a discount. Offerings—there are currently 24 separate options—range from Pandora to Redbox to Norton AntiVirus software, and include annual subscriptions to seven magazines like National Geographic, Maxim and Cosmo (Hearst is the biggest contributor right now with four titles offered). Bundles include four items and run $15 to $30 a month.

Evite Now Selling Paper Invitations

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/evite-now-selling-paper-invitations-time-20440899

Evite is going the paper route. The website, which pioneered digital invitations 15 years ago, is launching paper invites for the first time. 
Customers can now create invitations online, have them printed by Evite and sent directly to party guests. The cards cost $2 each, plus any postage fees. The company is calling its new line of paper cards Evite Ink.

The Value of Design Elements in Print Catalogs

http://www.retailonlineintegration.com/article/the-value-design-elements-print-catalogs/1

Q: "Our catalogs tend to be crammed with photos and descriptions. How do I demonstrate to upper management the value of design elements, white space and larger photos per spread?" — Angela Sanchez, creative director, NLC Products
A: Most C-level execs are primarily interested in increasing sales and decreasing costs. Therefore, whatever you present to them needs to speak to one or both of those interests. Try this two-step approach:
1. Mock up a couple of catalog spreads done the way you think they should look. Point out the advantages of your new look. For example: "Enlarging this best-seller's product image grabs attention, making viewers more likely to stop and look at the rest of products on the spread" or "See how this revised layout helps the eye to flow through the spread, seeing all the products, whereas in this old layout, product X and Y are getting visually lost.". And  more...

20 Newsweek/Beast Staff Lose Jobs

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

About 20 editorial and business-side Newsweek/Daily Beast employees were let go as Newsweek was formerly handed over to new owner IBT Media on Oct. 1. NY Post says Richard Just, former editor of The New Republic, and his deputy, Louise Roug, who had been producing the digital version for Newsweek, are among those not joining IBT. 

NY Post
Capital NY

Domino to Announce Relaunch Thursday

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

Condé Nast will unveil the title’s relaunch, focused on an e-commerce site, plus a print quarterly, in a story in NY Times on Thursday. Project Décor—a year-old e-commerce design site launched by, among others, Andy Appelbaum, one of the cofounders of Seamless Web, and Cliff Sirlin, an angel investor—is taking the lead in Domino’s revival and is handling the back-end of the sales.
WWD

The Washington Post Closes Sale to Jeff Bezos

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/washington-post-closes-sale-to-amazon-founder-jeff-bezos/2013/10/01/fca3b16a-2acf-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html

Amazon.com founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos formally took over as the owner of The Washington Post on Tuesday, officially ending 80 years of local control of the newspaper by the Graham family.
Bezos’s $250 million purchase was completed as expected with the signing of sale documents. The signing transfers the newspaper and other assets from The Washington Post Co. to Nash Holdings, Bezos’s private investment company.

Time Inc. Acquires American Express Publishing

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/time-inc-completes-transaction-to-acquire-american-express-publishing-from-american-express-2013-10-01?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Time Inc. and American Express today announced that Time Inc.'s acquisition of American Express Publishing Corporation has been completed. The company, with brands including Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine, is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Time Inc.

UFS Capacity Cuts Could Boost Op Rate to 96%

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/10_01_2013uncoated_free_sheet_operating_rate.html

Before next summer in North America, the uncoated freesheet (UFS) paper mill operating rate should range between 96.5% and 100% if nearly one million tons per year of capacity is shut down over the next six months, as recently proposed, according to market analysts at RISI.

The operating rate so far this year (year-to-date) is at 91%, RISI added.
RISI pointed to the announcement last month by International Paper (IP) that it would permanently close its Courtland, Alabama mill, including three UFS machines with 765,000 tons/of capacity. About half that capacity is to be eliminated by year-end and the other half by March 2014, RISI said.
RISI also noted that "next month and potentially in November or December, Boise Paper and Georgia-Pacific (G-P) plan shuts that would eliminate 210,000 tons/yr of UFS paper capacity on three PMs." Boise said it would shut two machines with almost 120,000 tons/yr of capacity at its International Falls, Minnesota, mill and G-P would shut about a 93,000 tons/yr paper machine at Crossett, Arkansas, RISI explained.

Resolute Looks at Options for Baie Comeau

http://www.resolutefp.com/en/?langtype=4105

Resolute Forest Products seeks to cut 90 workers or a quarter of the 360 workforce at its Baie Comeau, QC, newsprint mill in a move to cut costs in the face of declining exports. The company told employees they have a week to accept the jobs cuts or lengthen the work day to 12 hours from eight, or face closing one of the mill's three machines and eliminate 150 jobs, the Canadian Press reported.

Resolute wants to maintain the mill's 462,000 tonnes/yr of capacity from the three machines, an official told CP. Shutting one machine would mean trimming more than 40% of the workforce.
The union, Unifor, told CP it would meet with the company Tuesday to get more details of the proposals before consulting with members.
Resolute also is concerned about woodfiber costs that have increased by 10-20% after the Quebec government reduced wood access by more than 30% this year.

Resolute, IP Increase Pulp Prices

Resolute Forest Products informed North American customers today that it will increase paper grade softwood kraft and fluff pulp prices $20/tonne, effective October 1, as reported by RISI.
Resolute slated its NBS northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp at $970/tonne, up $20/tonne.

International Paper (IP) announced to customers in key markets that its fluff and southern bleached softwood kraft (SBSK) pulp prices would increase $20/tonne, effective October 1, as reported by RISI.  That's the same list various major producers announced, including Canfor Pulp, Domtar, Mercer International, and West Fraser.

Memphis-headquartered IP's fluff price increase is effective in the USA and Europe. It wasn't immediately clear if IP was also increasing fluff prices in emerging markets.
IP's move on fluff comes after Domtar and Weyerhaeuser separately informed customers in key regions they would increase fluff prices $20/tonne, effective Oct. 1. As RISI first reported, both firms announced new fluff list price levels at $960/tonne in the USA and Europe.

Catalyst Paper Finalizes Wastewater Agreement

http://www.catalystpaper.com/

The City of Alberni's purchase of Catalyst's wastewater treatment facility and additional lands completed as scheduled on September 30 th, 2013 in accordance with the formal agreements endorsed by Council for the City and Catalyst. To mark the successful close of the transaction the presentation of a cheque representing the initial payment of $5 million will be presented by Mayor John Douglas to Catalyst CEO Joe Nemeth , at Port Alberni's Catalyst mill site on October 2 nd, 2013. The remaining $750,000 will be payable on the first anniversary of the closing date.

Argentina Again Warns Uruguay Re UPM Mill

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/141821/gov%E2%80%99t-warns-uruguay-on-pulp-mill-production

The foreign ministry threatened yesterday it could once again take the fight with Uruguay over the UPM-Botnia paper mill plant to the International Court in The Hague if the neighbouring country permits the controversial plant to increase production.
The warning came a day before President José Mujica is scheduled to meet with President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner today in Buenos Aires City to discuss the company’s proposed production increase.

IP Settles 401(k) Fee Suit

http://blogs.marketwatch.com/encore/2013/10/01/international-paper-settles-401k-fee-suit/

International Paper Co. IP +0.82%  has filed a settlement agreement that will end seven years of litigation over the company’s 401(k) plan. The company agreed to pay $30 million to the retirement accounts of current and former employees who had claimed that the plan violated federal pension law by charging high fees and offering poor investment choices, among other things. Kelly Greene of The Wall Street Journal broke the news of the settlement earlier today.
The settlement isn’t huge by the standards of corporate litigation, and International Paper did not admit to any liability.

USPS Defaults Again

http://www.dmnews.com/usps-defaults-once-again-on-56-billion-payment/article/314126/

It's the third time the payment has been missed.

As if providing punctuation to last week's Senate hearing at which it begged for legislative relief from cash-draining pre-funding obligations, the United States Postal Service yesterday defaulted on its mandated annual $5.6 billion payment into the retiree healthcare fund. It marked the third time the Postal Service was unable to write the check.
“Today's default is another stark reminder of the Postal Service's dire financial situation,” said Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) in a statement issued last night.  Carper, along with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), is the sponsor of the Postal Reform Act, which, among other things, seeks to lighten the Postal Service's pre-funding burden. “We have sat around for too long, watching as the financial challenges facing the Postal Service grow more difficult and the potential solutions become more expensive. It has been clear to me and to others for some time that we must act to save this $1 trillion mailing industry and the over eight million jobs that depend on it.”