Official Board Markets articles from December 2008

Official Board Markets archives from December 2008

'Ecoflation' will impact box makers.(SUPPLY CHAIN STUDY)(consumer goods industry)
December 6, 2008... A new analysis of the consumer goods industry shows how implementing sustainable environmental strategies will affect the entire supply chain--corrugated boxes included. If some consumer goods sectors do not implement strategies for the...

Transacted containerboard prices.
December 6, 2008... 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...

Southeast Asia investments to stop.
December 6, 2008... The head of Helsinki-based Metso Oyi's paper and board machines unit expects the decline in consumer products exports to put a halt to packaging investments in southeast Asia, Bloomberg reports. Hannu Maelkiae notes that packaging makers...

Potlatch's spin-off will soon be complete.(SHARES AVAILABLE THIS MONTH)
December 6, 2008... The board of directors at Potlatch Corp., Spokane, Wash., has given final approval to the spin-off of its pulp and paperboard businesses, which will be completed through a special tax-free dividend of the common stock of Clearwater Paper Corp....

IPG meeting held in India.(HOSTED BY ITC)
December 6, 2008... International Packaging Group (IPG) had its most recent management meeting in Chennai, India, from Oct. 5-8, hosted by ITC. ITC presented to the group its recent aggressive investments, including a new Bobst Riviera, located in a brand new...

Greif to close two plants.(IN JANUARY)(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... Delaware, Ohio-based Greif Inc. plans to close its Culloden, W.Va., corrugated container plant and lay off 41 people early next year. The employees will be out of work by the end of January, the company says. It will also close a plant ha...

Impressions earns FSC and SFI certifications.(CHAIN OF CUSTODY)(Forest Stewardship Council )(Sustainable Forestry Initiative )(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... Impressions Inc., St. Paul, Minn., is now a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified printer. The new certifications support the company's continuous goal of promoting environmental sustainability in...

Sun Chemical to increase prices.(IN CANADA)(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... Sun Chemical, Parsippany, N.J., will increase prices for packaging, commercial sheetfed, and news inks ha Canada between 5-12 percent effective Jan. 1. "The price of oil has receded in recent weeks, but the costs of pigments, pigment...

Recession-proof your business: planning ahead will help you weather the storm.(SURVIVAL GUIDE)
December 6, 2008... One would think there wouldn't be a need for recession planning. We should see them coming. The constant sine wave of business cycles makes recessions as inevitable as surging booms. Of course, if you put 10 economists in one room, we'll get 11...

ASTM develops new RFID standard.(FOR PACKAGING)
December 6, 2008... A new standard, D7435, Test Method for Determining the Performance of Passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Transponders on Loaded Containers, has been developed by ASTM International Committee D10 on Packaging. "ASTM D7435 allows...

Cascades Container purchases Advantzware.(FROM ADVANCED SOFTWARE)(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... Cascades Container, located in the Seattle area, has purchased the Advantzware packaging software system from Advanced Software, Yardley, Pa. Advantzware is an advanced windows based software system that includes: estimating, order processing,...

PPC competition accepts entries.(THREE AWARD CATEGORIES)
December 6, 2008... Folding carton converters are invited to enter their best creations in the Paperboard Packaging Council's (PPC) 66th annual National Paperboard Packaging Competition. Each entry in this year's competition has the opportunity to compete in three...

Average sheet prices.(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... Average Sheet Prices Based upon a survey of sheet plants. Per 1000 sq. ft., 25,000 sq. ft. single item orders, including delivery charges. Southeast/ East ...

Total containerboard inventories jump.(AF&PA REPORTS)
December 6, 2008... It's not the news containerboard producers wanted to hear. Total containerboard inventories (mills and box plants combined) rose 1.8 percent between the end of September and the end of October, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA),...

Lee & Man postpones Vietnam start-up.(LATE NEXT YEAR)
December 6, 2008... The economic slowdown is affecting Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd., Beijing. The company says it will postpone starting up a new board mill in Vietnam until the second half of 2009, reports ChinaPaperOnline.com. While manufacturing and...

Paperboard mill performance.
December 6, 2008... Paperboard Mill Performance U.S. paperboard production by furnish, current and cumulative totals in 1000 short tons, as reported by the American Forest & Paper Association. Unbleached ...

Producer price indexes--1982 = 100.(paper products industry)(Table)(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... Producer Price Indexes--1982 = 100 Year Aug Sept Oct 2006/2007 2008 2008 2008 Total Paperboard 192.0/201.7 226.3 228.9 230.0 Total...

Transacted paper stock prices--low grades.
December 6, 2008... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--Low Grades Mixed Boxboard Paper Cuttings News (1) (4) (6) Chicago $0-5 (-5) ...

Massive downtime pounds OCC prices.(OCC MARKET REPORT)
December 6, 2008... The amount of downtime currently being taken by U.S. containerboard mills (both last month and this month) has been mind-boggling to date and is only going to get worse in the weeks ahead. With the holiday approaching, some of these mills have...

Transacted paper stock prices--high grades.
December 6, 2008... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--High Grades For detailed chart explanation, see page 11 White Coated New DLK News Soft Wht. Cuttings ...

Sonoco will close paperboard mill.(IMPACTED IN ILLINOIS)
December 6, 2008... Sonoco, Hartsville, S.C., will permanently close its Rockton, Ill., uncoated recycled paperboard mill. The mill has the capacity to produce approximately 38,000 tons annually of paperboard used primarily to supply coreboard and edgeboard...

Peterson Packaging chooses business VantagePoint.(FOR FINLAND PLANTS)
December 6, 2008... Peterson Packaging has begun the next phase in its Business VantagePoint software roll-out with their packaging plants in Finland. Business VantagePoint, a business software solution for corrugated packaging manufacturers made by Solar-soft for...

Hitek sells BCM storage units.(MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC)(BCM Transtech of Denmark )(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... BCM Transtech of Denmark has signed a contract with Kenosha, Wis.-based Hitek Equipment to supply and support Hitek's innovative cutting die and printing plate storage systems. The storage units can be manual or fully automatic and keep tooling...

Alcan Packaging.(People Update)
December 6, 2008... Ilene Gordon, president and ceo of Alcan Packaging, is named best executive by the Stevie Awards for Women ha Business. This award recognizes individual women executives for their accomplishments during the year. She was named best executive in...

How do people respond to brands?(HEARD AT PPC MEETING)(influence of brand names)(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Brands exist only in the mind," says Daryl Travis, ceo, Brandtrust. His company has advised some of the world's largest and best-known brands. "You need to have deep insights and realities about brands. No insight,...

Disc Graphics named 'Best of the Best'.('SUPERIOR WORKPLACE')
December 6, 2008... Disc Graphics, Hauppauge, N.Y., has been named "Best of the Best Workplaces in the Americas" by the Printing Industries Of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation. The award recognizes companies that provide a superior workplace with a...

Transacted boxboard prices.
December 6, 2008... 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...

Edelmann waits on Chesapeake investments.(MARKET-BASED DECISION)
December 6, 2008... Carl Edelmann GmBH, Heidenheim, Germany, has put on hold any further investments in Richmond, Va.-based Chesapeake Corp. It already has a 13.5 percent stake in the company. Unstable financial markets have prompted the decision to wait....

Foster installs KBA press.(FOR EXPANSION)
December 6, 2008... The Foster Printing Co., Tustin, Calif., recently purchased a Rapida 162a 64-inch six-color plus UV coating sheetfed press from KBA North Aanerica, based in Williston, Vt., and Dallas. The press is currently being installed at Foster's newly...

Maxson receives recognition for machinery.(ELECTRICAL CERTIFICATION)
December 6, 2008... Maxson Automatic Machinery Co., Westerly R.I., recently received Underwriter Laboratory's official recognition for its machinery lines. The company received the UL 508A certification for electrical requirements that cover control devices...

AICC plans Spring meeting.(THREE DAYS IN D.C.)(Association of Independent Corrugated Converters)
December 6, 2008... The AICC 2009 Spring meeting, April 1-3 at the J.W. Marriott in Washington, D.C., will feature a three-day series of eye openers, general sessions and networking and social events. The meeting will focus on ways you can diversify your company...

SSCC workers strike in Missouri.(THIRD OFFER REJECTED)
December 6, 2008... Employees at Smurfit-Stone Container Co.'s (SSCC) box plant in St. Joseph, Mo., went on strike Dec. 1 after union members rejected a third contract offer from the Chicago-based company, the St. Joseph News-Press reports. A total of 85 workers...

Fire evacuates IP plant.(REPORTED IN THE FLUE)
December 6, 2008... Fire crews were called to a fire at International Paper's (IP) Kansas City, Mo., corrugated container plant on the morning of Dec. 3 to put out a fire that was reported in the flue. No injuries were reported. The building was evacuated due to...

Nine Dragons will start two machines.(POSTPONES FOUR OTHERS)
December 6, 2008... Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited, Guangdong, China, will have paper machines no. 25 and 26 come on-stream in mid-2009. The two machines are located in Tiajin, China. This decision comes about as the company is modifying its original...

Shorewood to close carton plant.(IN ROANOKE, VA.)
December 6, 2008... Shorewood Packaging will shut its Roanoke, Va., folding carton plant after the first of the year. Forty-five people will be unemployed on Jan. 16.

North American Inks at Sun Chemical, Parsippany, N.J., has three new product managers within the company's newly reorganized North American business unit.(People Update)
December 6, 2008... North American Inks at Sun Chemical, Parsippany, N.J., has three new product managers within the company's newly reorganized North American business unit. Brian Breidigan has been named vice president of product management for commercial inks...

Longview restarts paper machines.(ONE MORE TO GO)
December 6, 2008... Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging, Longview, Wash., has restarted four of its five paper machines, The Daily News reports. The move follows rolling shutdowns the company ordered Oct. 29 to reduce inventory due to poor market conditions. The...

GP will close Oregon mill.(FOR ONE WEEK)
December 6, 2008... Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific's (GP) pulp, linerboard and corrugating medium mill in Toledo, Ore., will temporarily close from Dec. 23-30, the News Times reported. All non-salaried employees will be laid off during that period. The closure was...

GPI shuts down line at CUK mill.(IN LOUISIANA)(Graphic Packaging International )(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... Last week Marietta, Ga.-based Graphic Packaging International (GPI) shut down its No. 1 line at its CUK mill in West Monroe, La., for seven days because of current economic conditions and a drop in orders at the mill, The News-Star reports. The...

Explosion causes fire at Flint Group.(ONE INJURED)
December 6, 2008... An explosion occurred at Flint Group's manufacturing site in Slough, U.K. on Dec. 1, which sparked a fire. The site was evacuated and local fire crews quickly brought the fire under control. The only reported injury is one person who received...

Monadnock launches new website.(EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE)(Website overview)
December 6, 2008... Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., Bennington, N.H., has launched a new website designed to be a resource to printers and converters. Found at www.mpm.com, it includes educational resources in design, printing and finishing, and features information...

FSEA studies recylability and repulpability.(FOIL-DECORATED BOARD)(Foil Stamping & Embossing Association )(Report)(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... The Foil Stamping & Embossing Association (FSEA), Topeka, Kan., recently published a new study that confirms the recyclability and repulpability of foil-decorated paper and board. Pira International, Surrey, UK, a third party research firm, was...

Powerflute reduces production.(EARNINGS BELOW EXPECTATIONS)(Brief article)
December 6, 2008... Powerflute Oyj, Kuopio, Finland, says that its financial performance for the current year will be impacted by a decline in demand. The company has reduced its annual production by 5 percent in October and November. Further downtime will be...

Graymills Corp.(People Update)
December 6, 2008... Graymills Corp., Chicago, hires William Morrissey as director of sales. A veteran of sixteen years at Sun Chemical, Borden Chemical, and Bingham Flexo Services, he brings an extensive knowledge of the flexo market to the company.

Board makers succumb to discounting.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
December 13, 2008... Integrated board makers are trying to keep a lid on the news. But over the past couple of weeks it has slowly leaked out: they're willing to deal. Downward adjustments in kraft linerboard and semi-chemical medium prices have been made on the...

Transacted containerboard prices.
December 13, 2008... 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...

Caraustar closes Richmond URB mill.
December 13, 2008... Caraustar Industries, Inc., Austell, Ga., has permanently closed its Richmond paperboard mill in Richmond, Va., as of Dec. 11. The Richmond mill is an uncoated recycled boxboard (URB) manufacturing facility with annual capacity of 49,000 tons....

Pastoor joins OBM as columnist.(ON PAGE 6)(Dirk Pastoor has been appointed at Official Board Markets )(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... Packaging industry veteran Dirk Pastoor, president, DJP Consulting Group, LLC, Cincinnati, joins Official Board Markets as a new monthly columnist. The columns will focus on a variety of topics, including marketing and properly dealing with...

Sonoco makes plans for 15 plant closings.(WORK FORCE REDUCED BY 700)(cost reduction)(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... In order to align its manufacturing capacity and fixed cost structure to match market conditions, Sonoco, Hartsville, S.C., is implementing further cost reduction measures which are expected to achieve approximately $28 million in annualized...

Spotlight your company's value.(BUILD THE FOUNDATION)
December 13, 2008... If anything, the "leadership" lessons we've all received during these bailout days are too numerous to mention. Government appears to be in the business of passing wealth from the productive sector to hugely ineffectively run companies....

TAPPI and Clemson partner for education.(COURSES PLANNED FOR 2009)
December 13, 2008... TAPPI and Clemson University's Printing and Converting Research have begun a partnership in education meant to address the needs of TAPPI's Corrugated Packaging Division (CPD) and basic printing needs for all industry areas. TAPPI CPD members...

FBA warns of outdated logo.(USE WEB ADDRESS SYMBOL)(Fibre Box Association)(container industry)(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... The Fibre Box Association (FBA) is asking box makers to discontinue the printing of all "Corrugated Recycles" logos on the bottom of their boxes that contain the 800-number. In December of 2006 the FBA advised all industry box plants that this...

Food industry cuts back on packaging.(GROCERY BILLS GOING UP)
December 13, 2008... U.S. food manufacturers have downsized packages during the past year in response to rising raw material prices. This has enabled them to keep prices the same while passing on higher food costs to consumers, the Star Tribune, Minneapolis,...

Author and entrepreneur to address AICC.(DURING SPRING MEETING)
December 13, 2008... Best-selling author, entrepreneur, and MIT professor Michael Treacy is slated to give an in-depth two-hour presentation on April 3 during the general session of The Association of Independent Corrugated Converters' (AICC) Spring Meeting, April...

Port Townsend will shut down mill.(FOR TEN DAYS)
December 13, 2008... Port Townsend Paper Corp., Port Townsend, Wash., will close its containerboard mill on Dec. 19 for at least 10 days, affecting about 275 employees. Mill Manager Roger Loney says if sales don't improve, another shutdown could happen in the next...

Shorewood closes Oregon plant.(REGIONAL OFFICE REMAINS)(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... Shorewood Packaging, New York City, will close its folding carton plant in Springfield, Ore., by Feb. 1 to cut costs and to better meet customers' needs, according to company officials. The plant produces packaging for home entertainment...

Mondi adds RFID labels to boxes.(USING HIGH-SPEED SYSTEM)
December 13, 2008... Mondi Corrugated Packaging, Addlestone, U.K., has developed a high-speed manufacturing system that adds radio frequency identification (RFID) labels to corrugated boxes in large volumes, website packagingnews.co.uk reports. The new application...

Mohawk starts board production.(LAUNCHES FOLDING BOARD)
December 13, 2008... Mohawk Fine Papers Inc., Cohoes, N.Y., has launched Renewal Folding Board 80% PC White, which is FSC-certified and has the highest postconsumer waste content available. Mohawk Renewal's initial product launch will be 18-pt board. This can be...

Bobst sells PG Wood Imports' dieboards.(100 PERCENT BIRCH VENEER)
December 13, 2008... Bobst Group North America, Roseland, N.J., has begun selling the complete line of dieboards from PG Wood Imports. Available in a large variety of sizes and thicknesses, the PG Wood Imports' dieboards are 100 percent birch veneer throughout with...

Northstar recycling makes a move.(IN DAYTON, OHIO)
December 13, 2008... Northstar Recycling Group, a five-generation recycling firm, has relocated its Dayton, Ohio, facility to a larger, +more efficient building. It purchased the original facility about seven years ago. The company, headquartered in...

AF&PA accepts entries for Recycling Awards.(TRIP TO NYC AND PRIZES)
December 13, 2008... The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), Washington, D.C., invites businesses, communities, schools, and college/university paper recycling programs to tell their stories for the 2009 Recycling Awards. The 2009 Recycling Award winners...

AF&PA supports truck capacity increase.(OUTDATED REGULATIONS)(American Forest and Paper Association )(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) joined the nation's leading manufacturers and shippers last week in calling on Congress to improve the nation's transportation efficiency and reduce fuel consumption by increasing the carrying...

Equipment interest rate index.
December 13, 2008... Current monthly payment for 100 percent financing for 84 months on $1.0 million range from $14,150 to 15,175 depending on credit strength and equipment being purchased. [GRAPHIC OMITTED]

Transacted paper stock prices--low grades.
December 13, 2008... Prices are per short ton. They change the first issue of each month. Unless otherwise noted, they're effective for the calendar month. Grades and preparation requirements are as defined in the current ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular (now...

Advantra[R].(Product Update)
December 13, 2008... Advantra[R] packaging hot melts, from H.B. Fuller, St. Paul, Minn., provide quality performance at low overall adhesive cost. Converters can save on adhesive costs as much as 15 percent to 30 percent, depending on application. There are no...

Obituary.(Russell Joyce, president of Flint Group Narrow Web)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... Russell Joyce, president of Flint Group Narrow Web, Luxembourg, died in a hospital on Dec. 6 after collapsing earlier in the day. He was 39. The cause of his death is not yet known. He began his ink industry career in 1991 with Coates Lorilleux...

Transacted paper stock prices--high grades.
December 13, 2008... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--High Grades Prices are per short ton. They change the first issue of each month. Unless otherwise noted, they're effective for the calendar month. Grades and preparation requirements are as defined...

Pretrial hearing held in Pratt case.(ACCC DRAINED RESOURCES)(Australian Competition and Consumer Commission )(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) delayed its prosecution of Richard Pratt because its resources were drained by a civil case against his company, Visy Industries, a Australian Federal Court was told during Pratt's...

Greif improves profits in fourth quarter.(RECORD-LEVEL SALES)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... Greif Inc., Delaware, Ohio, reports profits rose in the fiscal fourth quarter due to higher sales in all regions, particularly emerging markets, helped by price increases in containerboard products. Profit for the three months ended Oct. 31 was...

Unisource launches paper procurement solution.(PARTNERED WITH CIRQIT)
December 13, 2008... Unisource Worldwide, Inc., Norcross, Ga., launches uADVANTAGE[TM] solution, targeted primarily at the corporate end user market. The uADVANTAGE client-managed procurement solution provides corporations with the capabilities to organize and...

GoldmanSachs cuts price targets.(WEAKNESS CONTINUES)
December 13, 2008... Last week Goldman Sachs cut its price targets on American paper producers, saying their production cuts to match falling demand weren't enough to prevent a further drop in prices. Analyst Richard Skidmore says that industry fundamentals are...

Chesapeake redesigns chocolate egg package.(BAG-SHAPED CARTON)
December 13, 2008... Chesapeake Corp., Richmond, Va., recently teamed up with U.K. confectionery company Green & Black's to reduce the packaging for its organic chocolate Easter egg by more than 60 percent compared to the previous pack. A team from Chesapeake's...

PCA slows board production.(LOWER EARNINGS)
December 13, 2008... Packaging Corporation of America (PCA), Lake Forest, Ill., expects that approximately 90,000 tons of market related mill downtime or slowbacks will be required in the fourth quarter due to lower than expected demand for containerboard and...

Costco selects Paxonix software.(FOR PACKAGING AND MARKETING)
December 13, 2008... Costco Wholesale Corp., Stamford Conn., has chosen Paxonix's PaxPro software to automate the information management processes of its packaging graphics and marketing communication efforts. Paxonix is part of MeadWestvaco (MWV), Glen Allen, Va....

ABI will conduct sustainability workshop.(DURING PACKAGING CONFERENCE)
December 13, 2008... ABI, New York City, will conduct a workshop at PIRA 2009 Sustainability in Packaging Conference, to be held at the Rosen Plaza hotel in Orlando, Fla., March 2-4, on avoiding pitfalls and creating business opportunities through green...

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA).(People Update)(Donna Harman has been named to the board of directors)(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman is named to the board of directors for the Council of Manufacturing Associations, a group sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers that brings together the...

MeadWestvaco (MWV).(People Update)(Thomas Jonas has been appointed)(Brief article)
December 13, 2008... Thomas Jonas joins MeadWestvaco (MWV), Richmond, Va., to lead the company's personal & beauty care business. In his role, he will focus on driving strategic growth strategies for the MWV personal & beauty care business through product...

European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO).(People Update)
December 13, 2008... The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) appoints Bob McLellan as the new president. He has been with DS Smith PLC for the past 14 years, where he currently serves as chief executive of the packaging division in the...

Corrugated boxes face more scrutiny.(END USER INSIGHT)
December 20, 2008... Purchasing managers are always looking for ways to get the biggest bang for their buck. In the continual pursuit of finding ways to operate more efficiently to get their products where they need to be, you can bet corrugated boxes are under the...

Transacted containerboard prices.
December 20, 2008... 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 be concluded at any time at any price...

Box shipments tumble in Nov.
December 20, 2008... Last month was a disaster for corrugated box makers. Industry shipments of corrugated boxes in November fell 14.4 percent on an actual basis and 4.9 percent on an average week basis, reports the Fibre Box Association, Chicago. Note that last...

Fitch is negative on paper packaging.(EXPORT FACTOR GONE)
December 20, 2008... Fitch Ratings, Chicago, has a negative outlook for the paper and forest products industry. It anticipates declining credit metrics and possibly some business failures. Revenues, earnings and cash flow will all be tested next year and cost...

IP shuts down Vicksburg kraft linerboard mill.(ONLY A MONTH AFTER RESTART)
December 20, 2008... A downturn in orders will shut down International Paper's (IP) Vicksburg, Miss., kraft linerboard mill for 17 days starting Dec. 21, The Vicksburg Post reports. The temporary closing will affect about 240 of the mill's 305 employees. Employees...

Dopaco expands paperboard plant.(123 JOBS OVER THREE YEARS)
December 20, 2008... Dopaco Inc., Easton, Pa., is expanding its plant in Kinston, N.C., where it produces paperboard packaging for the fast food industry. Plans call for the creation of 123 jobs over the next three years. The company intends to invest more than $25...