Official Board Markets articles from December 2005

Official Board Markets archives from December 2005

Pratt buys Love Box.(LEWISBURG CONTAINER ALSO PART OF DEAL)
December 3, 2005... Pratt Industries, Atlanta, has purchased Love Box Co., Wichita, Kan., witch includes Lewisburg Container, Lewisburg, Ohio. Terms weren't disclosed. Love Box bought Lewisburg in 1955. This acquisition consolidates Pratt's position as the seventh...

Transacted containerboard prices.
December 3, 2005... Transacted containerboard prices Average transacted price levels are tabulated by obtaining paid prices from independent converters purchasing linerboard and medium. All prices are intended as a reference standard only. Transactions...

Integrateds plan board price increases.
December 3, 2005... Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wash., is telling its customers that effective January 1 it plans to raise its linerboard and corrugating medium prices by $40/ton. Weyerhaeuser is the largest box maker in the U.S., based on shipments. ...

MeadWestvaco to shut down bleached board machine.(IN EVADALE, TEXAS)
December 3, 2005... MeadWestvaco Corp., Stamford, Conn., plans to indefinitely idle the No. 1 paper machine at its Evadale, Texas, paperboard mill during the first quarter of 2006. The machine produces various bleached board products and is capable of producing...

Weyco to idle linerboard machine.(IN PLYMOUTH, N.C.)
December 3, 2005... Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wash., is indefinitely curtailing production on its 350,000-tons-per-year containerboard machine in Plymouth, N.C. The 48-year-old, No. 1 machine makes linerboard. The company says the decision was made to...

Kruger to upgrade box plant.(SPENDING $2 MILLION (CANADIAN))
December 3, 2005... Montreal-based Kruger's Containerboard Division will spend $2 million (Canadian) to modernize its corrugator at its LaSalle box plant. The facility produces 1.2 billion sq ft of corrugated containers a year. This upgrade includes replacing...

AICC members save with partnership.(Letter to the editor)
December 3, 2005... The subhead in Marisa Palmieri's story "Combat the Cost of Natural Gas" (November 26 issue, p. 6) says, "All it takes are some basic steps to achieve significant savings." How true that is for members of the Association of Independent...

Pkg may require allergen declaration.(FBA, AF&PA PETITION)
December 3, 2005... The Fibre Box Association (FBA) Environmental Committee has been in active recent discussions regarding food allergen labeling. FBA Vice President Brian O'Banion reported to the committee that under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer...

ICCA to hold 2007 confab in Australia.(WITH WCO)
December 3, 2005... The International Corrugated Case Foundation (ICCA) will hold the 18th ICCA Management Conference in March 2007 in Australia. The 2007 conference will be held in conjunction with the World Containerboard Organization (WCO). The conference will...

Nestle recall causes concern over packaging in Europe.(INK CHEMICAL)
December 3, 2005... Swedish packaging giant Tetra Pak AB will phase out a chemical used in milk and juice cartons after traces of it were found in baby milk recently recalled by Nestle SA, the Associated Press reports. Tetra Pak eliminated the use of the ITX...

JSG, Kappa sign merger.(IT'S OFFICIAL)
December 3, 2005... Jefferson Smurfit Group (JSG) and Kappa Packaging have formally signed a merger agreement to form Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG). The transaction is expected to close early this month. The merger will create a European packaging leader will revenue...

Trade associations to Join NAM at Capitol.(SAVE THE DATE)
December 3, 2005... Several corrugated container industry trade associations are cosponsoring the industry's participation in the National Association of Manufacturer's (NAM) Washington Fly-In. The Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC), TAPPI,...

DistriPakUSA gets endorsements.(NEW TRADE SHOW)
December 3, 2005... Women in Packaging, Inc. and Consolidated Distributors, Inc. (CDI) have issued endorsements for DistriPakUSA[TM], a new trade show dedicated to the industrial, shipping room supplies, and foodservice packaging distribution channels. The show...

Osiris adds another supplier.(E-PROCUREMENT)
December 3, 2005... Osiris Innovations Group, Oxford, Mich., has added WorkPlace Integrators (WPI), Bingham Farms, Mich., to its supplier list. WPI, a minority business enterprise, is a provider of office furniture and solutions. For more information, visit...

VantagePoint to install in Italy.(SOFTWARE SALE)
December 3, 2005... VantagePoint Systems, Inc. will implement Accelerate[TM] at folding carton converter Cartografica Pusterla in Italy. The software optimizes and manages the production process and scheduling for folding carton companies. VantagePoint's Italian...

Brewing Company chooses 100 percent recycled paperboard.(ENVIRO-FRIENDLY)
December 3, 2005... Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the Chico, Calif.-based brewer of craft beers including Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, has selected 100 percent paperboard packaging for all of the company's six-pack beverage carriers, the 100% Recycled Paperboard Alliance...

MagnumT paste ink dispenser.(Product Update)
December 3, 2005... INX International offers the new MagnumT paste ink dispenser, ideal for spot color work on 8-, 10- and 12-color presses. The pint-size system (38 by 40 in. footprint) can save operator time while delivering right-on colors with computerized,...

Creating Lean Corporations--reengineering from the bottom up to eliminate waste.(Product Update)
December 3, 2005... Productivity Press has published a new book by Jeffrey Morgan, Creating Lean Corporations--Reengineering from the Bottom Up to Eliminate Waste. It provides a new methodology in which lean principles are integrated into business process...

Containerboard demand continues to fall.(PPPC REPORTS)
December 3, 2005... North American containerboard demand declined by 5 percent compared to the same month last year, Montreal-based Pulp and Paper Products Council (PPPC) reports. Linerboard demand was down 5.7 percent while medium demand was down 3.5 percent....

Koch gets Canadian OK.(ON GP DEAL)
December 3, 2005... Canadian antitrust regulators approved Koch Industries Inc.'s $13.2 billion offer for Georgia-Pacific Corp. The Canadian Competition Bureau issued an advance ruling certificate on the cash offer of $48 a share.

PPC's trends research is available.(Paperboard Packaging Council)(Brief article)
December 3, 2005... The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) released its annual Trends: Industry Outlook and Market Data Report. It contains analysis of the U.S. economy, the folding carton industry, and 17 key end-use segments. Each end-use market section...

Research projects box demand to rise.(2.1 PERCENT PER YEAR)
December 3, 2005... Demand for corrugated and paperboard boxes is projected to rise 23 percent per year to more than $34 billion in 2009, rebounding from weak growth during the 1999-2004 period, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., Cleveland....

Graphic Packaging Intn'l develops oil-absorbent sleeve.(FOR DUTCH COMPANY)
December 3, 2005... Graphic Packaging International, Atlanta, has developed new packaging for Dutch food manufacturer Beckers BV. "Beckers wanted to improve performance of the package for Vleeskroketten, a microwave home version of the meat-filled croquette...

M-real strikes deal with Maryland.(FOR DISTRIBUTION)
December 3, 2005... M-real USA Corp., Norwalk, Conn., signed a long-term contract with the state of Maryland and Baltimore Forest Products Terminals, Inc. that will enable M-real to consolidate and streamline its annual distribution of paper and paperboard in...

Packaging operation opens in Ohio.(SINGLEFACE SUPPLIER)
December 3, 2005... ProtecPac, a Montreal-based protective packaging supplier, opened its first U.S.-based facility in Sydney, Ohio. The new facility, the company's fourth manufacturing plant, produces singleface corrugated, polyethylene foam, air bubble...

Learn team selling at AICC webinar.(JAN. 10)
December 3, 2005... The Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC) will kick off the 2006 audio/web conference series with a sales session on Jan. 10 at 1:30 est. "Opportunities in Team Selling," will be presented by John Bacot, regional sales...

ADMTronics Unlimited, Inc.(Product Update)
December 3, 2005... ADMTronics Unlimited, Inc. offers a new, water-based repulpable coating, Aqualene[R] 1100. The product lends a smooth, glossy and durable surface to paper and boards while delivering flexibility for scoring folds. Aqualene 1100 exhibits...

Menasha Corp.(People Update)
December 3, 2005... Menasha Corp., Neenah, Wis., elects Robert Bohn, chairman, president and ceo of Oshkosh Truck Corp., to its board.

Transacted paper stock prices--low grades.
December 3, 2005... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--Low Grades Mixed Boxboard Paper Cuttings News News (1) (4) (6) (8) Chicago $35-40(-5)...

OCC tons continue to back up.(MARKET REPORT)(Brief article)
December 3, 2005... Board mills throughout the country came out of the Thanksgiving holiday with good inventories. However, it should be stressed that it is getting more and more difficult to talk about mill activity in any one region. What is happening more often...

Amtech sells to Elwood Packaging.(SOFTWARE UPDATE)
December 3, 2005... Bensalem, Pa.-based Amtech sold its Imaginera system to Elwood Packaging, Chicago. The Windows-based software covers customer service, production and sales. For more information, call 215-639-9540 or visit www.amtech software.net.

Paper calculator promotes recycling, conservation.(NEW WEB TOOL)
December 3, 2005... Environmental Defense launched a new web-based paper calculator that allows organizations to measure the impact of their paper use on the environment and determine how they can reduce that impact. "Using less paper and switching to recycled...

Transacted paper stock prices--high grades.
December 3, 2005... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--High Grades White Coated Hard New DLK News Soft Wht. White Cuttings Blanks Shavings ...

Nonprofit under fire for farming out no-bid federal box contracts.(IP, SSCC, GREEN BAY PACKAGING INVOLVED)
December 3, 2005... The El Paso, Texas-based National Center for the Employment of the Disabled (NCED), which manufactures millions of boxes and military apparel under no-bid federal contracts, was investigated this summer for allegedly violating its box making...

Transacted boxboard prices.
December 3, 2005... Transacted Boxboard Prices The prices tabulated here are intended only as a reference standard to the current levels commonly prevailing in a representative proportion of the U.S. contract transactions. The prices listed do not connote...

Are you up for a battle of wills?(CRUSHING PRICE OBJECTIONS)
December 3, 2005... Crushing price objections is a battle of wills. Will you cut your price or will you hold the line? It's always a choice you make. No one cuts your price. They may cut their price, but you cut your price. And cutting price is usually the last...

Register online for FBA Sheet Plant Workshop.(MARCH 5-8)
December 3, 2005... Registration for the Fibre Box Association (FBA) 2006 Independent Sheet Plant Operators Workshop is now open and available online. The workshop is scheduled for March 5-8 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla. This event is limited to 40...

Cascades offers corn-based plastic containers.(COMPETITION FOR MOLDED CARTONS?)
December 3, 2005... Cascades, Kingsey Falls, Quebec, offers a line of compostible plastic containers that may be competition for molded carton trays often used to package produce. Cascades Inopak is manufacturing mad commercializing the packaging made of...

TAPPI offers scholarships.(DEADLINE IS JAN. 31)
December 3, 2005... TAPPI awards scholarships for students interested in the paper, converting and related industries. The following scholarships are awarded annually: * Coating and Graphic Arts Division--up to four $1,000 scholarships; * Corrugated...

Visy to open new corrugated box plant.(IN AUSTRALIA)
December 3, 2005... Australia-based packaging giant Visy Industries will open a new $74 million corrugated board plant in Stapylton, Queensland, Australia, the Queensland Business Review reports. The facility is expected to employ 84 and be open by the end of...

Nefab creates new collapsible container.(FOR VALUABLE GOODS)
December 3, 2005... Swedish packaging company Nefab has developed a new collapsible transport package for valuable goods. The company says the product is a response to the market's need for a low-cost, low-weight, high-strength packaging solution that provides...

"Training within industry--The Foundation of Lean.".(Product Update)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 3, 2005... "Training Within Industry--The Foundation of Lean," is a new book by Donald Dinero that explores the history and application of the four modules that compose TWI: Job Instruction--in which employees are trained to perform their tasks as quickly...

Paper dealers to hold holiday party.(ON DEC. 15)
December 3, 2005... The New York Association of Dealers in Paper Mills' Supplies, Inc. will hold its annual holiday party on Dec. 15. It will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Taromina of Little Italy, 147 Mulberry St., New York, N.Y. For more information or to confirm...

Amtech upgrades drake container.(SOFTWARE UPDATE)
December 3, 2005... Bensalem, Pa.-based Amtech will upgrade Drake Container, Houston, to the SQL server version of Imaginera. The software is Amtech's core system, which provides estimating, scheduling, job costing, and accounting capabilities. For more...

Ink supplier sells in South Africa.(INKSPEC)
December 3, 2005... InkSpec, Boucherville, Quebec, has named Beswick Machinery of Johannesburg, South Africa, as a new system agent. The announcement follows an installation of the Intelligent In-Line Viscosity Control System at Mondi Packaging in Pinetown, South...

Longview Fibre Co.(People Update)
December 3, 2005... Longview Fibre Co., Longview, Wash., names Jason Ballard as manager of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, container plant. He has nine years in supervisory positions in the corrugated packaging industry.

Hycorr Machine Corp.(People Update)
December 3, 2005... Hycorr Machine Corp. hires Doug Holok as regional sales manager for the Midwest. Holok will be responsible for customers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Cut injuries from cutting dies: keeping dies in good repair contributes to safe use and product quality.(SAFETY UPDATE)
December 10, 2005... Cutting dies are used so routinely in a boxplant that we never give them a second thought. However, such tooling can present potential hazards throughout their life cycle. Understanding these hazards and educating the workforce can greatly...

Transacted containerboard prices.
December 10, 2005... Transacted Containerboard Prices Average transacted price levels are tabulated by obtaining paid prices from independent converters purchasing linerboard and medium. All prices are intended as a reference standard only. Transactions...

SSCC to lay Off 27 in Va.
December 10, 2005... Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC), Chicago, will lay off about 27 of the Roanoke, Va., corrugator/box plant's 107 hourly workers in coming months due to corporate restructuring, The Roanoke Times reports. On Dec. 1, three salaried...

Emba to move U.S. headquarters.(WELCOME TO CLEVELAND)(EMBA Machinery AB)(Brief article)
December 10, 2005... A few weeks ago, OBM reported that Scott McKinley, former president of McKinley Machinery, Cleveland, was joining the staff of Emba Machinery, the Swedish company that acquired McKinley. Now Emba says that in the first quarter of 2006 it will...

Tharco will keep growing.(INDEPENDENT THINKING)(dialogue with Bo Fears of Tharco Container)(Interview)(Brief article)
December 10, 2005... Earlier this year Tricor Pacific Capital, Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, acquired one of the few independent box making operations left in this country, Tharco Container, San Lorenzo, Calif. Mesirow Financial, Chicago, served as...

IP union workers hold out at Fort Wayne, Ind., Plant.(OFFER'S ON THE TABLE)
December 10, 2005... Union workers at International Paper's (IP) Fort Wayne, Ind., box plant have named down a contract proposal three times since a previous agreement expire July 31, the Journal Gazette reports. IP is based in Stamford, Conn. Ross Carolus,...

S&P cuts Smurfit-Stone's credit rating.(LOW EXPECTATIONS)
December 10, 2005... Standard & Poor's cut its rating on Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC), Chicago, deeper into junk territory on Nov. 30, saying it expects the company's debt to increase over the next two years, Reuters reports. S&P also says SSCC faces...

Clemson offers corrugated postprint course.(2006 DATES)
December 10, 2005... Clemson University offers a course called "Enhanced Graphics for Postprint Corrugated," for those in the corrugated market who would like formal training or a refresher course on flexographic printing. Instructional activities include...

IP mill changes maintenance provider.(FROM KBR TO ABB)
December 10, 2005... International Paper's (IP) Mansfield, La., mill has signed an agreement with ABB Inc., Norwalk, Conn., to manage maintenance operations, ending a 20-year contract with Kellogg Brown & Root, Houston, Texas, reports The Times, Shreveport, La. The...

Paper week luncheon features political discussion.(FROM AF&PA)
December 10, 2005... Attendees at the American Forest & Paper Association's (AF&PA) 129th Annual Paper Week luncheon will be treated to a bipartisan discussion from two prominent political strategists. Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National...

Sheboygan Paper Box to upgrade software.(FROM AMTECH)
December 10, 2005... Bensalem, Pa.-based Amtech will upgrade Sheboygan Paper Box, Sheboygan, Wis., to the SQL Server version of Imaginera. The software is Amtech's core system, which provides estimating, scheduling, job costing, and accounting capabilities. ...

VantagePoint to buy HRMS.(SOFTWARE DEAL)
December 10, 2005... VantagePoint Systems, Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, has entered into an agreement to acquire the majority interest in privately held HRMS, Inc., Elmhurst, Ill. Terms were not disclosed. VantagePoint will run HRMS as a subsidiary and...

Freedonia predicts drug pkg growth.(6.3 PERCENT ANNUALLY)
December 10, 2005... World pharmaceutical packaging demand is projected to increase 6.3 percent annually to more than $30 billion in 2009, according to new research completed by The Freedonia Group, Inc., Cleveland. The study, World Pharmaceutical Packaging," is...

EMBA's Century Club Changes Criteria.(CUSTOMER APPRECIATION)
December 10, 2005... Sweden-based EMBA has raised the bar for its Century Club customer members. It has instituted two different levels, the Century Club and the Platinum Century Club. To qualify for the Century Club, crews must accomplish one of the following...

Federal agency under further scrutiny for box contracts.(CASE OPEN)
December 10, 2005... The federal agency that oversees the National Center for Employment of the Disabled (NCED), El Paso, Texas, has opened a new investigation into allegations that the company hired other firms to make millions of boxes that are supposed to be...

Sonoco outlines '06 growth strategy.(AT ANNUAL MEETING)(Brief article)
December 10, 2005... Sonoco, Hartsville, S.C., recently provided an overview of the company's growth strategy and financial expectations at its annual meeting with the investment community in New York City. Chairman, President and CEO Harris DeLoach said Sonoco...

China's OCC appetite isn't fading.(RECOVERED PAPER)
December 10, 2005... Prices for old corrugated containers (OCC) continue to soften throughout the U.S. Nevertheless, the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) reveal that if it weren't for China, prices would be even lower than they are today....

Transacted paper stock prices--low grades.
December 10, 2005... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--Low Grades Mixed Boxboard Paper Cuttings News News (1) (4) (6) (8) Chicago ...

Transacted paper stock prices--high grades.
December 10, 2005... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--High Grades White Coated Hard New DLK News Soft Wht. White Cuttings Blanks Shavings Shavings...

Corporate restructuring to persist in 2006.(BUSINESS WEEK SAYS)
December 10, 2005... Business Week reports that the paper and forest products industry should expect a lively 2006 in terms of M&A activity. Although most U.S.-based forest-products companies have stable outlooks, the prospects for credit quality are beginning...

State gives grant to mill for upgrades.(43,000)
December 10, 2005... A 100 percent recycled paperboard manufacturer will weather some company changes a little easier with help from the state of Wisconsin, the Beloit Daily News reports. As Joe Chamberlain, president of Beloit Box Board, Beloit, Wis.,...

Greif has record sales.($2.4 BILLION)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 10, 2005... Greif, Inc., Delaware, Ohio, reports record net sales of $2.4 billion in fiscal 2005--a 10 percent increase over $2.2 billion in net sales in fiscal 2004. The company also has record net income of $96 million. For the fourth quarter 2005,...

Bobst opens West Coast demonstration facility.(IN CALIFORNIA)(Bobst Group Inc.)(Brief article)
December 10, 2005... The Bobst Group, Roseland, N.J. and Advanced Die Supplies hosted the grand opening of Bobst Group's West Coast Demo and Training Center in the fall. The center is located at the Advanced Die Supplies' Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and houses a...

Pratt to implement containerboard increase.($40 A TON)
December 10, 2005... Pratt Industries reports a price increase on containerboard products manufactured at its two paper mills located in Staten Island, N.Y., and Conyers, Ga. The increases of $40 a ton on liner and medium will be implemented on orders for...

EU regulator criticizes companies for calling packaging chemical 'safe'.(CHEMICAL IN QUESTION)
December 10, 2005... The European Union's food regulator has chided Nestle and Tetra Pak for what it says are their misinterpretations of its preliminary advice about the safety of using the chemical ITX (isopropylthioxanthone) in food packaging, Food Production...

KBA.(People Update)
December 10, 2005... KBA names Chris Travis as technology manager and Crystal Flutur as product specialist with an emphasis on KBA's Logotronic, Densitronic, and Qualitronic systems. Travis is in charge of the newly expanded 8,000-sq-ft KBA customer demonstration...

AccuWeb.(People Update)
December 10, 2005... AccuWeb, Madison, Wis., appoints Richard Gallimore as the mid-South territory manager, coveting Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, and Nebraska. He has been with AccuWeb for four years.

Abrasion resistant coating.(Product Update)
December 10, 2005... Michelman's Nomar[TM] series abrasion resistant coating meets market requirements for non-scuff performance of corrugated shipping containers. The coating eliminates the common abrasion that occurs between the inside of the shipping containers...

FlexosealPR0 MCP-12.(Product Update)
December 10, 2005... Valco's new FlexosealPR0 MCP-12 with OT-2 touch-screen interface control system upgrade is designed to allow users to easily program and control adhesive application systems. Features include industry-specific software and component packages...

Santel[R] Toridex NZ-3.(Product Update)
December 10, 2005... ADM Tronics Unlimited, Inc.'s glossy and heat-resistive aqueous resin and coating product, Santel[R] Toridex NZ-3, can lower processing costs by eliminating use of zinc compounds or any other metal modifiers or catalysts. The product is a...

MeadWestvaco acquires design studio.(ALSO OPENS INNOVATION CENTER)
December 17, 2005... MeadWestvaco Corp., Stamford, Conn., has acquired DZN, The Design Group, a full-service design and marketing company. MeadWestvaco says the acquisition of the Los Angeles-based studio will enhance the company's package design capabilities,...

Transacted containerboard prices.
December 17, 2005... Transacted containerboard prices Average transacted price levels are tabulated by obtaining paid prices from independent converters purchasing linerboard and medium. All prices are intended as a reference standard only. Transactions may...

November box shipments rise.
December 17, 2005... November industry shipments of corrugated products rose 2.8 percent on both an actual and an average week basis, the Fibre Box Association reports. This is the third month in a row that box volume has been positive, with each month bringing a...

Madison Dearborn cutting its PCA stake.(20 MILLION SHARES FOR SALE)
December 17, 2005... On Dec. 9, Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, Chicago, said it would sell nearly half of its 41 percent stake in Lake Forest, Ill.-based Packaging Corp. of America (PCA). News of the sale didn't sit well with other investors: In New York Stock...

Weyerhaeuser Co.'s.(People Update)
December 17, 2005... Weyerhaeuser Co.'s Albany, N.Y., containerboard mill will have a new chief after the first of the year. Fred Reed, who has worked at the mill for 26 years, will retire at the end of this month. His successor is Jeff Yoder, vice president and...

Chesapeake Corp.(People Update)
December 17, 2005... Keith Gilchrist, executive vice president and coo of Chesapeake Corp., Richmond, Va., has resigned. Gilchrist's resignation as a director is concurrent with his previously-announced retirement as an officer and employee, the company says. He...

Year-end budgeting: more green than red.(Carlisle Container Co.)
December 17, 2005... It has to be more than an accident that Christmas colors are red and green. While some box plants in the Northeast will finish slightly in the red, a number of companies have found a way to keep the green rolling in. Many are definitely...