Ian Melin-Jones

Ian Melin-Jones

Verso Corporation has just announced the launch of three new label papers, OptiLabel™ HB, OptiLitho™ C1S and OptiPrime™ Inkjet WS, further expanding its specialty label paper portfolio, the largest in North America.

"We are pleased to be launching three new innovative label products for pressure sensitive, label and converting, and inkjet food contact applications to satisfy the growing needs of our specialty paper customers," said Verso President of Graphic Papers Mike Weinhold. "We are very proud to be featuring these new products for the first time at Labelexpo Americas in Chicago next week."

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Verso's OptiLabel™ HB family of general purpose pressure sensitive face stock papers expands with the addition of a new 58 lb. (3300 ft2 / 86 gsm) basis weight offering that is optimized for laminating, label printing, die cutting and high speed label application processes. The OptiLabel™ HB family is also offered in a 53 lb. (3300 ft2 / 78 gsm) basis weight and is designed for high-end, pressure sensitive label applications requiring premium label appearance and high strength for matrix stripping and runnability. Ideal for flexographic printing, OptiLabel™ HB features premium brightness and an enhanced blue-white shade, combined with high opacity and a semi-gloss finish.

OptiLitho™ C1S is a new family of C1S glue-applied cut and stack label papers for label and converting applications. OptiLitho™ C1S is offered in 55 lb. (3300 ft2 / 81 gsm) and 60 lb. (3300 ft2 / 89 gsm) and features a smooth surface, excellent ink holdout for offset, flexographic and rotogravure printing, and is designed to perform in demanding and unique printing and converting applications.

OptiPrime™ Inkjet WS joins the OptiPrime™ family of specialty pressure sensitive label papers for emerging label printing technologies and is offered in 42 lb. (3300 ft2 / 62 gsm) and 38 lb. (3000 ft2 / 62 gsm). OptiPrime™ Inkjet WS is a wet strength label paper designed for premium aqueous inkjet and flexographic direct food contact pressure sensitive label applications requiring wet strength performance for better durability in higher moisture environments. OptiPrime™ Inkjet WS has high strength for fast die cutting, matrix stripping and runnability along with a high brightness, high opacity and premium blue-white shade.

"OptiLabel™ HB and OptiLitho™ C1S products are made on the No. 3 paper machine known for making high quality release liner and label papers at Verso's Escanaba Mill in Michigan, a fully integrated pulp and paper manufacturing facility," said Verso Vice President and General Manager of Specialty Papers Ed Buehler. "OptiPrime™ Inkjet WS is produced at Verso's Stevens Point Mill in Wisconsin, North America's largest state-of-the-art specialty paper mill."

These new offerings join Verso's label paper portfolio which includes Aspect®, Sterling®, OptiTherm™, UniTherm™, DuraPoint, ProPoint, OmniPoint, LithoPoint, EcoPoint and CraftPoint™ - the most comprehensive label paper portfolio produced in North America.

The Conference & Expo "Tissue 2018", organised by Tappi e Risi, has been scheduled again for this year.

It will be held at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center (FCEC) in Appleton (WI) - USA between the 2nd and 5th of October.

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The event brings together top-level speakers and professionals in the world of "Tissue", and the Product Manager for the Yankee Dryer at A.Celli Paper will be taking part this time. Mr Clive Butler has prepared a speech on the patented iDEAL® FORGED_YD: the possibility of making the shell of the Yankee dryer out of seamless steel.

In addition to the obvious advantages of steel over cast-iron, the seamless shell has: high manufacturing quality, greatly reduced mechanical issues and maintenance, an undisputed increase in reliability, lower consumption, and enhanced operational safety. All these aspects will be covered during the conference.

An overview of the production process involved in making these shells of the Yankee Dryer will also be presented.

Please send an e-mail to request any further information.

WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK), a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, has just provided an update following the landfall of Hurricane Florence.

2015 10 18 094836We are pleased that we have had no reported employee injuries and do not believe we have suffered any material physical damage to our facilities during the recent storm. We are working to restore normal operations at our facilities in the impacted region. We idled our kraft linerboard mill in Florence, South Carolina, in the middle of last week in advance of the landfall of Hurricane Florence. Yesterday, two of the three paper machines at the mill resumed operations, and we expect normal operations to resume after the transportation network in the region returns to normal.

WestRock operates an extensive network of mill and converting facilities in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia that were in the storm’s potential path. We incurred incremental costs in preparing these facilities and moving inventory, finished product and critical supplies in advance of the storm.  With flooding expected across the region, we may have additional increased input and operational costs and issues in our supply chain, as well as experience negative impact from disruptions at our customers’ locations. We expect to provide an estimate as to the impact on our business and financial results later this month.

About WestRock
WestRock (NYSE: WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s 45,000 team members support customers around the world from more than 300 operating and business locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com

Thanks to energy management the company has already saved over 1,530t. CO2, equivalent to saving 729 hectares of forest.

Fabio Perini S.p.A has obtained the prestigious ISO 50001 certification for environmental sustainability. This milestone comes after a journey started in 2012 positioning Fabio Perini S.p.A. among the most cutting-edge companies in the converting sector and beyond.

2018 09 19 173647The company makes a formal statement of its focus on energy issue in the Energy Management System (EMS) document, where it officially commits itself to deploy human, financial and technologic resources to undertake a process of continuous improvement of its energy performances.

«In practice, what have we done? To start with – says Riccardo Signorini, Maintenance and Capex Manager of Fabio Perini S.p.A.– we deployed steps that can be defined “good housekeeping” such as switching off the overhead cranes at night and using our domotics to reduce waste of electric power and heating. Additionally, through the LSS methodology, we identified the best strategy for a more efficient energy management system, bringing Fabio Perini, as early as 2016, to be awarded the “Italia in Classe A”(Italy in A Class) prize by national Energy Agency ENEA».

Subsequently, Fabio Perini S.p.A. introduced led lights in the workshops, solar heating to obtain warm water in summer, solar films for the windows facing south and west and finally, one of the air compressors was replaced by a new generation model with inverter.

The results obtained are surprising: since 2015 the company has saved 12% power and 1,530t. CO2, equivalent to saving 729 hectares of forest.

The energy management systems in accordance to the ISO 50001 standards make Fabio Perini S.p.A. a key partner for customers who rank sustainability high among their priorities, helping them in connecting their core business with this perspective.

«The ISO 50001 certification process has been a hard task for us all – explains Riccardo Signorini – but among all our values we also count the pursuit of a sustainable, profitable development model. It’s an exciting challenge as well as a duty. For the next generations as well as for ourselves».

“Obtaining the ISO 50001 certification is surely a prestigious milestone, but at the same time it is the beginning of a virtuous journey for Fabio Perini. This journey we have taken brought us to developing technical devices to be applied to our company’s products, aimed at optimizing energy performances, which at present represent an interesting plus for customers sensitive to sustainability, and a cutting-edge feature for the companies in our sector”, Alessio Galeotti, DNV GL Enterprise Customer Manager, commented.

valmet logoValmet hosts a Capital Markets Day for institutional investors and analysts today, Tuesday, September 18, 2018 in Helsinki. The aim of the event is to provide information and an update on Valmet's progress in strategy execution and business outlook. Valmet's strategy and financial targets remain unchanged.

"We have made consistent progress in our strategic focus areas and financial performance. Valmet's market position is strong and our offering, which combines process technology, services and automation, is unique. We are continuously developing and improving our technology, processes and personnel, while keeping customers at the core of Valmet's operations. Our systematic work for building the future continues", says Pasi Laine, President and CEO of Valmet.

Presentation material and webcast

Live webcast of the Capital Markets Day will begin at 12:00 noon EET at www.valmet.com/cmd2018. The presentation material will be available at the same address at approximately 11:00 am EET. A recording of the webcast will be available on Wednesday, September 19, 2018. The language of the event and material is English.

Further information, please contact:

Calle Loikkanen, Director, Investor Relations, Valmet, tel. +358 10 672 0020

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.

Valmet's net sales in 2017 were approximately EUR 3.1 billion. Our more than 12,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

Velvet CARE's Klucze mill in Poland has successfully started up a Valmet-supplied Advantage DCT 200HS tissue production line. As one of the largest and most modern tissue lines in Eastern Europe, it will help Velvet CARE to strengthen their position as a leader in tissue production in Poland, and Central and Eastern European markets.

"This is a most joyful milestone in Valmet's and Velvet CARE's 's joint effort to boost tissue quantity and quality of Velvet's production," says Hans Englund, Project Manager, Valmet.

"We want to ensure that our products meet the highest requirements in the homes of the Poles, every day. The reliable and efficient Advantage DCT technology from Valmet will help us accomplish that," says Artur Pielak, CEO, Velvet CARE.

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"Just like Valmet, Velvet has its focal point set on future development," Marek Sciazko, Director of Klucze Mill, adds. "The Advantage DCT tissue making technology empowers that vision by setting the table for quality tissue grades fit for the future. We have already started to improve the cost efficiency of the production by changing the settings of the process and machine".

Valmet's Advantage solutions are designed to meet tissue producers' challenges of today as well as of tomorrow. Valmet has until today delivered 80 Advantage DCT production lines. The concept is well-known for its high efficiency and ability to manufacture most types of conventional tissue with the highest quality - making it a popular choice for tissue professionals worldwide.

Technical information of the delivery

Valmet's scope of delivery includes a complete Advantage DCT 200HS tissue production line with a design speed of 2,200 m/min. The machine is 5.6 m wide, making it one of the largest machines in the Central Eastern European market.

Stock preparation systems and auxiliary equipment were also included, and the machine is equipped with an OptiFlo headbox and a cast alloy Yankee cylinder. Furthermore, it features an Advantage ViscoNip, AirCap hood with Air system, WetDust system and a SoftReel. Valmet has also delivered basic and detailed mill engineering. An automation package including DCS (distributed control) and QCS (quality control) systems, was also a part of the delivery.

About the customer Velvet CARE

Velvet CARE is one of the largest manufacturers of hygiene products in Poland. The company was founded in 2013, but its roots go back to 1897. For the last over 20 years the Velvet brand has been a leader in the paper industry in Poland and is present in the homes of millions of Poles.

“Unlocking the Potential” is the main theme of BillerudKorsnäs’ Capital Markets Webcast on 17 September 2018. During the webcast, BillerudKorsnäs will provide a strategy update including more insights into the Next Generation and Production Excellence programmes. The group’s long-term financial targets remain unchanged. In addition, new KPIs to measure the group’s progress over the next years will be presented.

BillerudKorsnäs estimates that global demand for sustainable packaging solutions will remain strong, with a growth rate in the packaging market of approximately 3% CAGR. Following a long period of large investments, driven principally by the new KM7 board machine, BillerudKorsnäs is ready to unlock its potential and strengthen its leading position.

billkorlogoNext Generation is close to completion and entails the construction of KM7 and renovations to the existing pulp mills. As well as adding new capacity, this will also contribute to more focused production facilities. The total investment for KM7 is expected to amount to SEK 7.6 billion, which is higher than the previous estimate due to increased costs for the civil and construction project as well as negative currency effects. The machine will be started in March-April 2019 and is expected to produce ~240 ktonnes in 2019 and 390 ktonnes in 2020. The group’s total capital expenditure is expected to amount to SEK 5.3 billion in 2018 and SEK 2.75 billion in 2019, and will level out at SEK 1.3 billion in 2020.

BillerudKorsnäs will continue to pursue its strategy for sustainable solutions and profitable growth, with focus on position, innovation, sustainability and effectiveness. To unlock its full potential over the next years, the group will follow an agenda of prioritised activities aimed at securing the successful ramp-up of KM7, safeguarding the wood supply, stabilising production, enhancing effectiveness, and accelerating innovation and solutions. BillerudKorsnäs has identified certain KPIs to monitor the progress of this work.

“Sustainable packaging has a bright future and BillerudKorsnäs is in a position to increase the pace of challenging the conventional with new solutions. I look forward to presenting our priorities for the next few years, with an agenda that reflects our strong potential”, says Petra Einarsson, BillerudKorsnäs President and CEO.

Unchanged long-term financial targets
BillerudKorsnäs will continue to pursue the following long-term financial targets:

- Organic growth of 3-4% per year
- The EBITDA margin should exceed 17%
- Return on capital employed should exceed 13%
- Interest-bearing net debt in relation to EBITDA should be below 2.5
- The dividend should amount to 50% of net profit

For the new divisions, average annual growth (CAGR 2017-2023) is expected to amount to 0-2% for Paper, 4-5% for Board, and 15-25% for Solutions.

KM7 financial impact

- Expected total impact on EBITDA from KM7 ramp-up:

  • 2019 SEK -500 million
  • 2020 SEK -200 million
  • 2021 EBITDA positive

KPIs
BillerudKorsnäs has set the following KPIs to simplify measurement of the group’s progress over the next years:

- An improvement of 4 percentage points in overall equipment efficiency (OEE) over the next 2 years, equivalent to an EBITDA improvement of SEK 100 million for each percentage point
- A reduction in lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) from 7.7 in 2017 to less than 1.5 in 2023
- An increase in new product ratio (NPR) from 7% in 2017 to 15% in 2023

Market outlook Q3
In the Capital Markets Webcast, BillerudKorsnäs will also provide an update on the market outlook for the third quarter of 2018:

- Demand and order situation are expected to continue to be strong, with normal seasonal variations for all business areas
- Possibilities of selected sales price increases remain
- Demand-driven wood cost increases are expected to continue
- The financial impact on Q3 2018 from the wood shortage is estimated to be SEK -40 million

Participation details
BillerudKorsnäs will present its view of the potential and targets for the next years during the Capital Markets Webcast on 17 September 2018 between 10.00-12.00 CEST. A link to the webcast is provided at https://www.billerudkorsnas.com/CMD2018. To participate by phone and in the Q&A session, please use the following dial-ins:

Sweden: +46 8 566 42 651
UK: +44 3333 000 804
US: +1 631 9131 422

PIN: 49760855#

BillerudKorsnäs leads the containers and packaging industry in Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) based on its total sustainability score in 2018.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) and RobecoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) is an annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices. Each year over 3 400 listed companies around the world are analyzed, the top 10 percent are included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. This year BillerudKorsnäs is the industry leader in the category Containers & Packaging and is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. BillerudKorsnäs achieves industry top scores for its climate strategy, customer relationship management, supply chain management and talent attraction & retention.

billkorlogo"Being named the most sustainable packaging company and, for the second consecutive year, one of the most sustainable companies in the world, is a great honor for us. Sustainability is an integral part of everything we do and with this position in the Dow Jones Index, we strengthen our position as a global driving challenger of conventional packaging solutions as well as working methods. This industry leadership is an excellent platform for our further pursuit of contributing positively to a sustainable future," says Petra Einarsson, President and CEO of BillerudKorsnäs.

BillerudKorsnäs sustainability work focuses on three areas: increasing customer value, responsibility throughout the value chain and contributing to a sustainable and bio-based society. In practice, that means to strengthen the customers sustainability work and competitiveness by developing smart packaging solutions based on renewable materials; to speed up the transition towards a sustainable and bio-based society by combating climate change throughout the entire value chain locally and globally; as well as to promote responsibility from raw material supply and production to recycling and provide engaging workplaces where safety, diversity and human rights are a priority.

From the RobecoSAM/Dow Jones report:

Containers and packaging companies are critical to the global economy and supply virtually every sector with tools to effectively protect, transport, market, and preserve their products for sale and use. Sustainable packaging continues to be a major industry trend driving innovation and differentiation. BillerudKorsnäs AB leads the Containers & Packaging industry in RobecoSAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment based on its Total Sustainability Score in 2018.

Read the full report: http://www.robecosam.com/images/IndustryLeader_DJSI2018_BillerudKorsnas_AB.pdf

About Dow Jones Sustainability Index
Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), launched in September 1999, is the first global index on how companies perform within economically relevant environmental, social and economic governance factors (ESG, Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance). Annually, over 3,400 of the world's largest companies from developed and emerging markets are analyzed by RobecoSAM in cooperation with Dow Jones. www.sustainability-indices.com

Valmet has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the fifth consecutive year and thus maintains its position among the world's sustainability leaders. Valmet was listed both in the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Europe indices.

valmet logoThe annual evaluation conducted by a Swiss investment specialist RobecoSAM comprehensively reviews the companies' performance with regard to social, environmental and financial factors. This year in total 317 companies are included in the DJSI World for 2018-2019.

"Maintaining our position in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index is an excellent achievement for Valmet. It proofs that our systematic work to integrate sustainability into our business processes has been successful and we have improved our performance year by year. We will now continue this work by implementing our updated sustainability action plans for the next three years emphasizing amongst other things sustainable supply chain and our R&D work," says Pasi Laine, President and CEO of Valmet.

Valmet defined its sustainability agenda named Sustainability360º in early 2014. The agenda focuses on five core areas: sustainable supply chain; health, safety and environment; people and performance; sustainable solutions, and corporate citizenship.

About the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

The DJSI is a sustainability index family which includes the global sustainability leaders across industries. The company inclusion is based on a best-in-class approach, which means that the indices only include the top ranked companies within each industry. The index serves as a benchmark for investors who are committed to ethical investing and review companies' sustainability performance as part of their analyses.

Neenah announces the release of The Design Collection, a newly refreshed portfolio of high-end, specialty papers for print communication and luxe packaging. The Design Collection now includes new brands, new colors and has been re-imagined as a three-part portfolio, curated by paper attribute.

The Design Collection is an international portfolio of 22 brands, 100+ colors and 15+ textures, inspired by Italy’s top fashion houses and America’s leading designers. “With so many items now in The Design Collection, it became necessary to completely reimagine the way the papers were presented to the market,” said Auburne Gahlman, Brand Manager. "We brought Design Army on board to help us think through possibilities. Their charge was to create a pathway to enable designers to more quickly and intuitively experience this growing range of papers." 

Design Army started the process by reimaging how designers specify paper. “We broke the portfolio down then built it back up, exploring different ways to 'create sensation' with paper,” said Pum Lefebure, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Design Army. Ultimately, three paths were selected: 1) the visual sensation of pearlized, shimmery papers; 2) the subtle sensation created by a super-soft touch material; 3) and, the textural sensation created through a highly tactile surface. The Design Collection is now re-presented in three-parts, organized by optics and touch. “Curating the papers in this new way will make it easier for designers to start with the feeling they wish to elicit in each of their designs,” said Lefebure. 

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The Design Collection: Pearlized
These are the papers and substrates that shimmer. “In this collection, designers get a full spectrum of iridescent papers including translucent and velvety glows,” said Gahlman. 

  • New STARDREAM 2.0 Papers introduces five sparkling new colors into the Pearlized portfolio: Eris, Pluto, Neptune, Saturn and Venus.

The Design Collection: Soft Touch
These are the papers with an extraordinary, high touch factor. “When you touch these papers, they feel like something you already know, something that’s instantly familiar to you like a rose petal, a leather jacket or a smooth plastic. Soft touch papers are ideal for high end collateral and packaging,” said Gahlman.

  • New LEATHERLIKE® Papers are inspired by the fashion industry. Gahlman said, “These papers are just like their namesake, soft, rich, velvety. Think leather handbag or custom Italian shoes.” This new line is available in a natural-looking White, a chocolaty Brown, and a deep Black.

The Design Collection: Tactile
If texture is the first thing that comes to mind, take a look at this collection. “There’s nothing delicate about these papers. They’re strong, organic…almost masculine. These are the papers that command attention through touch,” said Gahlman.

  • New REEF® Papers are a unique brand that feels like the touch of fine sand. This highly tactile, yet refined new surface is available in a beachy White and midnight sky Black.

“When you design something that’s three-dimensional, you’re designing it to be touched,” said Lefebure. “As with fashion or interior design, where the material is often the first source of inspiration, the papers in The Design Collection are meant to create sensation, to infuse feeling into the printed piece.”

Contact your local Neenah sales representative to get The Design Collection swatchbook set.