For the second consecutive year, Fibria ranked first place in the Pulp and Paper industry in the survey "Most Admired Companies in Brazil", sponsored by CartaCapital magazine in partnership with Officina Sophia Consultants.

The survey was carried out with about 1,100 respondents, among stakeholders and business executives, and included more than 48 industries.

The awards ceremony was held last Monday, October 18, in São Paulo with the presence of the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other government authorities. Also present to the event were approximately 700 Brazilian entrepreneurs and executives. Fibria’s CEO, Carlos Aguiar, received the award on behalf of the company.

"Receiving an award like this further reinforces our ongoing efforts to benefit the lives of everyone and be admired for our value. It also reaffirms our commitment to sustainability and good governance," states Aguiar.

source: Fibria

A new, fully automatic packaging line has been commissioned at the Ortviken’s paper mill. The SEK 48 m investment will eliminate a bottleneck and ensure that higher productivity in the paper machines can be packaged, while simultaneously reducing staffing.

The new packaging line will replace two semi-automatic lines that required high maintenance. One of these will remain but the aim is to use it as little as possible.

“Paper production increases every year. With this SEK 48 m investment, we have removed an earlier bottleneck in paper-roll packaging as capacity is increased from 160 to 180 per hour,” says Katarina Kolar, Production Manager at the paper mill at SCA Ortviken.

The new, fully automatic packaging line will reduce staffing by one person per shift or a total of five individuals.

“Along with other projects, this investment is part of our previously announced programme to reduce the staff of the Ortviken paper mill”, says Katarina Kolar. Over a two-year period the number of employees will decrease by 90”.

The new packaging line was delivered by Metso. During the 12-month rebuilding period, production will continue as usual. In addition to Ortviken’s own staff, about 70 people will be involved in assembly and installation during the rebuilding.

“When the packaging line has been aligned, we will continue with the next project, to mechanise our loading. That investment will also be SEK 48 m and the new loading system is expected to be in operation by next autumn,” says Katarina Kolar.

For further information please contact
Katarina Kolar, Paper Mill Production Manager, SCA Ortviken, tel +46 60 19 40 81.
Anne-Sofie Cadeskog, Communications Manager, SCA Ortviken, tel +46 60 19 41 33.

Source: SCA ORTVIKEN

A new study conducted by Pira International – a worldwide authority on the packaging, paper and print industry supply chains – says the Internet and mobile computing-related technologies will have the strongest influence on the global pulp and paper industry until 2020.

Online news, tablet computing, e-commerce, e-books and digital archiving technologies are among the front-runners of the technologies most likely to impact the industry. Since people will be using less paper, the demand for bleached kraft pulp will decrease, the report says.

Keeping ahead of the curve in the pulp industry in light of these technologies is key to survival, says Pira’s senior Paper Consultant Graham Moore.

“The threat of declining demand means the opportunities offered by papermaking fibres beyond paper should be exploited,” he said. “Companies that choose to ignore such developments or are simply unable to muster the resources needed to explore them, have an uncertain future.”

One company who has recognized the need to adapt to a changing industry is Fortress Paper Ltd. The Vancouver-based specialty and security paper manufacturer purchased a shut down mill in Thurso, Quebec this spring and is in the process of converting the facilities to a specialized dissolving pulp plant.

Capitalizing on a struggling cotton industry and a global demand for alternatives, Fortress Paper’s new product is the key ingredient for the creation of rayon – a silk-like, breathable substance used by the textile industry for clothing.

This year alone, cotton output has faltered due to heavy rains in China, embargos in India and floods in Pakistan. Analysts report that the market for rayon in growing 10 per cent annually in some regions of Asia as a result.

Fortress Paper expects an output of nearly 200,000 tonnes of dissolving pulp per year.

SOURCE:Specialty Cellulose

With the goal to support the harmonization of guidelines for public procurement of wood-based products within the EU, Finland has launched its public procurement policy for wood-based products earlier this year. The policy, which is now available in English, specifies that forest certification systems such as PEFC and FSC are accepted for the verification of sustainably produced wood.

The policy emphasizes that there are varying approaches to public procurement in EU Member States, which "present a number of challenges, and the need for harmonization is increasing as more and more countries implement their own steering mechanisms." Finland's goal is therefore to "support the harmonization of guidelines for the public procurement of wood-based products within the EU", and the Finnish public procurement recommendations have been drawn up to be compatible with the EU Public Procurement Directive.

"PEFC Finland welcomes the arrival of the Finnish public procurement policy as an important tool to encourage public authorities to take sustainability considerations into account in their tenders," said Auvo Kaivola, PEFC Finland Secretary General. "With Finnish public procurement estimated to be worth approximately 23 billion Euros, it has the potential to have a significant impact on the well-being of society."

Mr. Kaivola emphasized that "we especially appreciate the call for harmonization of public procurement policies across the EU. Private companies are already moving towards a more harmonized and inclusive approach concerning sustainable procurement, supporting the further uptake of forest certification and assisting organizations such as PEFC in promoting sustainable forest management in Finland and abroad."

The Finnish public procurement policy was drafted by a multi-stakeholder steering group consisting of Different Ministries (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Finance), expert organizations (Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners, Motiva, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Finnish Forest Industries Federation), public procurement representatives (Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Hansel Ltd, City of Espoo) and the WWF.

International technology Group ANDRITZ showed a favorable business development in the first three quarters of 2010. In particular, sales, earnings, and profitability rose
substantially in the third quarter of 2010, with order intake and order backlog also showing an increase compared to the previous year’s reference period.

Substantial rise in sales in the third quarter of 2010
Sales of the ANDRITZ GROUP rose in the third quarter of 2010 compared to last year’s reference period by around 19% to 896.6 MEUR (Q3 2009: 756.1 MEUR), with substantial increases in all business areas except METALS. In the first three quarters of 2010, Group sales amounted to 2,458.8 MEUR (+5.5% vs. Q1-Q3 2009: 2,330.2 MEUR).

Order intake up
The order intake of the ANDRITZ GROUP developed favorably in the third quarter of 2010: At 932.1 MEUR, it increased by some 11% compared to the third quarter of 2009 (842.2 MEUR). With the exception of the METALS business area, which continues to be impacted by the difficult project situation in the international steel industry, all business areas were able to increase their order intake in comparison with the reference figures of the previous year. As a result, the order intake of the Group rose to 3,235.8 MEUR in the first three quarters of 2010 and thus was over 25% higher than the figure for the previous year’s reference period (Q1-Q3 2009: 2,554.9 MEUR).

Order backlog of the Group as of September 30, 2010 amounted to 5,477.6 MEUR, thus increasing compared to the reference value as of September 30, 2009 (4,514.5 MEUR: +21.3%) and as of December 31, 2009 (4,434.5 MEUR: +23.5%).

Favorable development in earnings and profitability
Earnings (EBITA) of the ANDRITZ GROUP in the third quarter of 2010 amounted to 67.0 MEUR (+47% vs. Q3 2009: 45.5 MEUR) and thus increased substantially more than sales. As a result, profitability (EBITA margin) increased to 7.5% in the third quarter of 2010 (Q3 2009: 6.0%). The EBITA of the Group in the first three quarters of 2010 increased to 164.9 MEUR, a rise of around 62% compared to last year’s reference period, which was negatively impacted by restructuring measures in the second quarter (Q1-Q3 2009: 102.0 MEUR; 126.3 MEUR excluding restructuring measures). The EBITA margin increased to 6.7% (Q1- Q3 2009: 4.4%; 5.4% excluding restructuring expenses).

Net income of the Group (excluding non-controlling interests) amounted to 114.6 MEUR during the first three quarters of 2010, thus nearly doubling compared to the reference figure for the previous year (Q1-Q3 2009: 59.6 MEUR).

Unchanged solid net worth position and capital structure
Total assets of the ANDRITZ GROUP increased to 3,767.7 MEUR as of September 30, 2010 (December 31, 2009: 3.309,3 MEUR); the equity ratio amounted to 19.4% (December 31, 2009: 20.0%). Liquid funds (cash and cash equivalents plus marketable securities) amounted to 1,421.3 MEUR as of September 30, 2010 (December 31, 2009: 1,082.1 MEUR). The net liquidity (liquid funds plus fair value of interest rate swaps minus financial liabilities) increased to 1,002.3 MEUR, thus also substantially higher than at the end of last year (December 31, 2009: 677.9 MEUR).

Outlook for the full year of 2010
ANDRITZ expects solid project activity to continue for the remaining months of the 2010 business year. Based on the results for the first three quarters of 2010, the Group expects a slight rise in sales compared to the full year of 2009. Cost savings resulting from the restructuring measures initiated in 2009 should have a positive impact on the net income.

Global AC drive manufacturer Vacon will introduce a new product family of Vacon 100 Motor Mountable AC drives at the electric automation fair SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2010 in Nuremberg, Germany on 23 November 2010. Designed for extremely harsh environments, the new AC drives bring cost and space savings in installations as no additional enclosures are required. The Vacon 100 Motor Mountable AC drives are available at powers ranging from 1.1 to 30 kW - the widest power range in its class.

"The Vacon 100 Motor Mountable AC drives are our most robust AC drives, featuring a die-cast frame, and large and open cooling ribs. The enclosure is rated up to IP66 and designed to withstand severe vibrations so it's really made for a rough ride. These drives are not bound to a specific mounting location so it opens completely new ways of using AC drives," says Heikki Hiltunen, Executive Vice President at Vacon Plc.

"Unlike most of the competition, these AC drives are intelligent and flexible; they have built-in PLC programming capability to meet the special requirements of a machine or an application. The powers go up to 30 kW, which is highest in this class. All these features give an edge, for instance, for machine builders who want to offer their customers a complete, optimized solution with a minimized installation cost," continues Heikki Hiltunen.

The Vacon 100 Motor Mountable AC drives represent so-called decentralized AC drives, a new design philosophy in Vacon's product portfolio. Decentralized AC drives are located as close to the motor as possible, typically mounted on the motor itself, or on the machine they are driving. These drives allow engineers and machine builders make the most out of the available space in and around the machine. This allows considerable savings to be achieved as no separate electrical rooms, long shielded motor cables nor drive cabinets are required.

An electrically clean product, the Vacon 100 Motor Mountable AC drive incorporates a harmonics-filtering choke as standard. Therefore, the AC drive can be connected to public electrical networks without any extra precaution. Other environmental design values have been observed by complying with the RoHS directive and by using components that do not contain environmentally harmful substances, e.g. large electrolyte capacitors.

Vacon's stand number at SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2010 is 1-420.

Press conference

Vacon will host a press conference at the SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2010 in Nuremberg, Germany on 24 November 2010 at 11.30-12.00 CET (Room Kiew, CNN Ost, Ebene 2). Vacon Plc's Executive Vice President Heikki Hiltunen and Vacon GmbH's Managing Director Vladimir Kozak will share Vacon's latest news and showcase the brand new Vacon 100 Motor Mountable AC drive.

Please notify Corporate Communications Director Sebastian Linko (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) of your participation by 19 November 2010 at the latest.

For further information, please contact:

• Heikki Hiltunen, Executive Vice President, Vacon Plc, tel. +358 40 8371 609
• Sebastian Linko, Corporate Communications Director, Vacon Plc, tel. +358 40 8371 634

Vacon in brief

Vacon's operations are driven by a passion to develop, manufacture and sell the best AC drives in the world - and nothing else. AC drives are used to control electric motors and in renewable energy generation. Vacon has R&D and production units in Finland, the USA, China and Italy, and sales offices in 27 countries. In 2009 Vacon had revenues of EUR 272 million and globally employed 1200 people. The shares of Vacon Plc (VAC1V) are quoted on the main list of the Helsinki stock exchange.

Driven by Drives, www.vacon.com

Dow Corning Corporation will showcase its proven silicone softeners for premium tissue and innovative solutions for tissue release at Tissue World Asia in Shanghai, China this November.

At Booth 1J15, the company will feature Dow Corning® TM series emulsions designed to give tissues a premium, lotion-like feel, improve tissue softness and smoothness and maintain the water absorbency of the tissue substrate. The emulsions are appropriate for use on tissue products made from virgin pulp or recycled fibers, including facial, handkerchief and roll (toilette) tissue.

“Dow Corning TM series emulsions have demonstrated their premium softening performance in some of the fastest-growing tissue markets in the world, helping manufacturers enter the premium tissue market with confidence,” said Michael Gu, Dow Corning China Pulp & Paper Marketing Manager.

Since different applications, substrates and markets require different solutions, Dow Corning offers a range of TM series emulsions to help manufacturers balance their needs for performance and economy.

“We are continually investing in tissue-related research and development,” Gu said. “The Dow Corning Pulp & Paper Solutions team has a unique understanding of silicon-based chemicals and their effect on tissue processing.”

To learn more about Dow Corning’s solutions for tissue manufacturers, go to dowcorning.com/tissue.

Tissue World Asia, a tradeshow for tissuemakers and converters from Asia and around the world, will take place Nov. 17 through 19 at the Shanghai International Exhibition Center in Shanghai, China. Attendees will have the opportunity to check out the latest developments in machinery, markets and technology.

About Dow Corning Pulp & Paper Solutions
Dow Corning offers a wide array of silicon-based solutions for pulp and paper manufacturing, as well as surface treatments and process aids for tissue products. Local technical support, customer service and products are available worldwide. The company also provides unique material and service solutions designed to help customers expand into new markets, grow their business and succeed. For more information, visit dowcorning.com/pulp.

About Dow Corning
Dow Corning (www.dowcorning.com) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services through the Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® brands. Dow Corning is a joint venture equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning’s annual sales are outside the United States.

Sonoco will increase prices for all uncoated recycled paperboard grades in the United States and Canada by $30 per ton effective with shipments on Nov. 29, 2010. In addition, the Company announced that it will increase prices on all paperboard tubes and cores in the United States and Canada by 5 percent effective with shipments on Nov. 29, 2010.

"Prices for old corrugated containers in the Southeast have increased by one-third in the past three months, which is unprecedented during what is normally the highest material generation time of the year," said Harris DeLoach, Sonoco chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Strong domestic and export demand is causing an imbalance in the supply of recovered paper, which is our primary raw material. It is essential that we begin recovering these higher input costs."

The Nov. 29 price increase for the Company's uncoated recycled paperboard grades is in addition to a $35 per ton increase which went into effect on Oct. 11, 2010.

Stora Enso will exercise its right to redeem all of the USD 421 million bond maturing in May 2011 through a make whole process. The bond will be redeemed on 9 December 2010.                                                

“The reason for the make whole is to manage cash efficiently and proactively. Because of our strong liquidity, we are able to exercise our right to redeem the entire bond five months prior the date on which it was due for repayment,” says Stora Enso CFO Markus Rauramo.                                                  

For further information, please contact:                                        
Jyrki Tammivuori, SVP, Group Treasurer, tel. +358 2046 21043                    
Ulla Paajanen-Sainio, Head of Investor Relations, tel. +358 2046 21242          

Company Info:
Stora Enso is a global paper, packaging and wood products company producing newsprint and book paper, magazine paper, fine paper, consumer board, industrial packaging and wood products. The Group is the world leader in forest industry sustainability. We offer our customers solutions based on renewable raw materials.

Our products provide a climate-friendly alternative to many non-renewable materials, and have a smaller carbon footprint. Stora Enso is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Index.

Stora Enso employs some 27 000 people worldwide, and our sales in 2009 amounted to EUR 8.9 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Stockholm (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY) in the International OTCQX over-the-counter market.