Metso has received an important automation order for Stora Enso Narew Sp.zo.o new containerboard production line at Ostroleka in Poland. The production line will produce 455.000 tonnes of light-weighted testliner per year. The EUR 285 million investment project is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2013.

Metso´s delivery scope includes MetsoDNA Automation System, Process Info Management System, latest Web Inspection technology integrated with high speed Web Break Analysis system, Control and On/off-valves as well as Consistency transmitters and Field Instruments. The main shipments will take place during the third quarter of 2012. 

"We are very pleased about this extensive automation order and privileged to continue working with Stora Enso Narew professional team after the successful power plant project implementation," says Ari Pinjamaa, Regional Vice President, Metso.

CellMark, the world’s leading marketer of pulp and paper, announced today that its acquisition of Alcan International Network (AIN) closed on December 30. AIN is a global supply chain services company that provides valuable business links between manufacturers and customers in Chemicals & Minerals as well as Raw Materials and Equipment for the foundry industry. The seller is Constellium, the global developer of value added aluminium products. Constellium is owned by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Rio Tinto and Fonds Stratégique d’Investissement, the French sovereign investment fund.

The move reflects CellMark’s longstanding plans to diversify its global supply chain capabilities, creative trade finance solutions and risk management to products outside of the pulp and paper industry.

“We are very pleased to partner with AIN, an excellent company of experienced professionals with in-depth understanding of international markets,” said CellMark Chief Executive Officer Hans Kling. “From an operational perspective, the organizations have a great deal in common and we will leverage these commonalities to ensure that employees from both companies can exploit the opportunities the merger presents.”

CellMark is actively looking for people and companies that can make use of the platform established by CellMark. "CellMark is in a unique position to expand its business activities and pursue new opportunities," said Sir Adrian Montague, CellMark Chairman.

The partnership will also benefit AIN and its business partners significantly. “We look forward to leveraging CellMark’s financial strength and willingness to invest in strategic opportunities,” said Hugo Galletta, head of AIN’s Chemical Division. “Our people expect to team very closely with their new CellMark colleagues to develop creative solutions that help to improve the service we give to all our partners, AIN’s, CellMark’s, and those we cultivate together.

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation (NYSE: KS) ("KapStone") announced that the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") has notified the company that the Joint Committee on Taxation approved KapStone's 2007-2009 examination reports as filed. As a result of the finalization of the IRS examination, KapStone will reverse in the fourth quarter $63.6 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits and accrued interest expense related to the company's position on alternative fuel mixture tax credits.

Upon reversal of this liability, KapStone's net income and diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2011 will reflect an increase of $63.6 million and $1.34, respectively.

SOURCE KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation

Metso will supply a complete Advantage tissue machine for Fabrica De Papel San Francisco S.A. de C.V., in Mexicali, Mexico. The tissue production line will start up in the second quarter of 2013. The value of the order will not be disclosed. This kind of production line is typically valued at EUR 10-15 million depending on capacity and scope of delivery.

Metso’s scope of delivery will comprise a complete 2.6-m-wide Advantage tissue machine equipped with an OptiFlo II TIS headbox, a Metso Yankee cylinder, an Advantage AirCap yankee hood, sheet control, tail threading equipment, an Advantage WetDust dust management system and an Advantage SoftReel reel.

The delivery is a repeat order from Fabrica De Papel San Francisco. They now successfully operate two Advantage tissue machines at their Mexicali facility, one started up in 2006 and the other in 2009. The company’s PM 4 set a world speed record of 2,160 m/min in 2009 and their PM 5 achieved a record-breaking rapid start-up in 2009 reaching a production speed of 2,100 m/min only 12 days after start-up.

The new tissue line will use 100 % recycled fiber as raw material and will add another 30,000 tonnes per year of bathroom tissue, napkin and towel grades to the company’s existing production.

The order is included in Pulp, Paper and Power’s fourth quarter 2011 orders received.

Fabrica De Papel San Francisco now operates four tissue production lines and converting facilities, delivering tissue products for the Mexican market.

AbitibiBowater Inc., doing business as Resolute Forest Products ("Resolute") (NYSE: ABH) (TSX: ABH), has announced that it would issue a notice of variation to the offer circular and other ancillary documentation in connection with its outstanding offer to acquire Fibrek Inc. (Fibrek, TSX: FBK). The notice of variation will describe certain changes to the offer documents, including the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), the sole purpose of which are to address comments from the SEC in its customary review process.  From the perspective of Fibrek's shareholders, the terms of the offer are substantially consistent with the original offer.

"We are committed to move forward and are addressing one of the regulatory steps in our offer to purchase Fibrek," said Richard Garneau, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We also acknowledge Fibrek's directors' circular filed on SEDAR on December 30. It does not change our firm belief that the offer we announced on November 28^th presents Fibrek's shareholders with a compelling opportunity. The fact that three of their largest individual shareholders, representing approximately 46% of the outstanding shares, have agreed to tender their shares to our offer supports that belief."

Fibrek shareholders should consider the following factors in making their decision to accept the offer:

• The offer represents a substantial premium to Fibrek's pre-announcement trading price;
• The offer is not subject to any financing condition;
• Fibrek shareholders have the opportunity to exchange their shares of Fibrek, which had been thinly traded through to the date the offer was announced;
• Resolute is uniquely positioned to integrate Fibrek into its existing operations;
• Fibrek shareholders who become Resolute shareholders will own shares in a company that:
  • is financially stronger;
  • has a diversified asset and product base;
  • is committed to continue improving its flexible, low-cost manufacturing position;
  • maintains a prudent capital structure, with a ratio of long-term debt to last twelve months adjusted EBITDA of 1.3x as of the end of the third quarter of 2011.

The offer, which Resolute is making together with RFP Acquisition Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, is more fully described in the offer circular and other ancillary documentation the Company filed on December 15, 2011, on the Canadian Securities Administrators' website ("SEDAR"), as amended on January 9, 2012.  The offer will expire at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on January 20, 2012, unless it is extended or withdrawn by Resolute.

The offer is subject to certain conditions including, among others, a 66⅔% minimum tender condition, waiver or termination of all rights under the shareholder rights plan, receipt of all regulatory, governmental and third-party approvals, consents and waivers, Fibrek not having implemented or approved any issuance of shares or other securities or any other transaction, acquisition, disposition, capital expenditure or distribution to its shareholders outside the ordinary course of business, and the absence of occurrence or existence of any material adverse effect or material adverse change. Subject to applicable laws, Resolute reserves the right to withdraw or extend the offer and to not take up and pay for any Fibrek common shares deposited under the offer unless each of the conditions of the offer is satisfied or waived (at its sole discretion). The offer is not subject to any financing condition.

Questions and requests for assistance or further information on how to tender Fibrek common shares to the offer should be directed to, and copies of the above referenced documents may be obtained by contacting, Georgeson at 1-866-598-0048 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Buckeye Technologies Inc. has scheduled a conference call for Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Central (11:00 Eastern) to discuss second quarter 2012 results.

All interested parties are invited to listen to the call live or tape delayed via the website www.streetevents.com or via the Company’s website homepage at www.bkitech.com. Supplemental material for this call will be available on these websites. The replay will be archived on these websites through February 25, 2012.

In addition, persons interested in listening by telephone may dial in at (888) 287-5563 within the United States. International callers should dial (719) 325-2436. Participants should call no later than 9:50 a.m. CT.

To listen to the telephone replay of the call, dial (888) 203-1112 or (719) 457-0820. The passcode is 4455225. This replay will be available until 1:00 p.m. CT February 8, 2012.

A press release will be issued via Business Wire after the market closes on January 24. If you do not receive a copy of this release, please contact Shirley Spears at (901) 320-8125.

Source: Buckeye Technologies Inc.

Acquisition brings company new capabilities in food, personal care and home and garden packaging

MeadWestvaco Corporation has announced that it is expanding its capabilities in targeted packaging end-markets with the acquisition of Polytop Corporation, an innovative leader in the design and manufacturing of dispensing closures. The acquisition was completed on December 30. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“The acquisition of Polytop extends our participation in attractive packaging end-markets that we have targeted for profitable growth around the world,” said John A. Luke, Jr. MWV chairman and chief executive officer. “With Polytop, we are expanding the innovative capabilites that we can bring to the world’s leading brand owners to meet their global packaging needs.”

Luke added, “We have an aggressive growth strategy that targets more than $1 billion of additional revenue over the next three to five years through initiatives centered on commercial excellence, innovation and emerging markets that we will augment with bolt-on acquisitions that bring us new technologies or capabilities. Polytop exemplifies the high-return opportunities we will add to our packaging platform to deliver the best possible solutions to our targeted global customer base.”

Polytop is a leading designer and manufacturer of dispensing closures serving leaders in the food, home and garden, and beauty and personal care packaging markets. In addition to offering a broad range of standard dispensing closures including its Spouted (Turret Cap), Tube and Polycam® (flip tops, hinged) lines, Polytop also produces custom-designed dispensing closures that utilize the company’s innovative, unique orifice and dosing technologies. By bringing Polytop’s unique capabilities and technologies to MWV’s growth strategy, the company will be able to accelerate Polytop’s strong North American presence while expanding into new geographies where MWV has market expertise.

“We see this as an excellent opportunity for Polytop Corporation,” said William Masser, retiring Polytop chief executive officer. “Combining with MWV allows us to better serve the needs of our customers by broadening the range of dispensing products and expanding the technologies we can now offer, and doing so on a global basis.”

Polytop’s offices and manufacturing facilities, located in Slatersville, Rhode Island, will remain in full operation and become an important part of MWV’s primary plastic operations and global manufacturing platform. The Polytop management team will remain in place and all 180 Polytop employees will become MWV employees.

International Paper will release fourth-quarter and full-year 2011 earnings on Thursday, Feb. 2, before the opening of the New York Stock Exchange. The company will host a webcast to discuss earnings and current market conditions at 9 a.m. ET (8 a.m. CT) that day. All interested parties are invited to listen to the webcast via the company's Internet site at http://www.internationalpaper.com by clicking on the Investors tab and going to the Webcasts and Presentations page. A replay of the webcast will also be on the Web site beginning approximately two hours after the call.

Parties who wish to participate in the webcast via teleconference may dial +1 (706) 679-8242 or, within the U.S. only, (877) 316-2541, and ask to be connected to the International Paper Fourth-Quarter Earnings Call. The conference ID number is "40191658." Participants should call in no later than 8:45 a.m. ET (7:45 a.m. CT). An audio-only replay will be available for four weeks following the call. To access the replay, dial +1 (706) 645-9291 or, within the U.S. only, (800) 642-1687, and when prompted for the conference ID, enter "40191658."

The company has tentatively scheduled the following earnings release dates for 2012:

First Quarter 2012: Thursday, April 26
Second Quarter 2012: Thursday, July 26
Third Quarter 2012: Thursday, October 25

SOURCE International Paper