WestRock Company (NYSE:WRK) has just announced that it has named a board of directors for Ingevity, the company’s specialty chemicals business that is expected to become a publicly traded company as the result of a spin-off from WestRock. The Ingevity board includes seven members with extensive operations and corporate governance experience, including many in the chemical industry.

Richard B. Kelson will serve as the board’s chairman. Kelson is currently chairman, president and CEO of ServCo, LLC, a strategic sourcing and supply chain firm based in New York City. He was executive vice president and chief financial officer for Alcoa, Inc., for nearly a decade, retiring in 2006. He also served as a member of the board of directors of MeadWestvaco Corporation and its predecessor Westvaco from 2001 to 2015. Kelson is also on the boards of PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and Commercial Metals Company.

Jean S. Blackwell, is a former 16-year executive with Cummins Inc., a manufacturer of diesel and natural gas engines, power generation equipment and other power systems and supplies. She served as executive vice president of corporate responsibility and CEO of the Cummins Foundation; executive vice president and CFO; vice president, business services; vice president, human resources; and vice president and general counsel. Blackwell serves as a member of the board of directors of specialty materials company Celanese Corporation and business products distributor Essendant Inc.

Luis Fernandez-Moreno, is senior vice president of Ashland Inc., a specialty chemical company, and president of its Chemicals Group. During his career with Ashland, Fernandez-Moreno has served as president of Ashland Specialty Ingredients and as president of Ashland Water Technologies. Prior to joining Ashland, he was executive vice president of HTH Water Products & Wood Protection for Arch Chemicals, Inc., and before that spent approximately 25 years with chemical producer Rohm & Haas Company.

J. Michael Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., is former chairman and CEO of Citadel Plastics Holding, Inc., a global provider of thermoplastic and engineered composite compounds. Prior to joining Citadel, Fitzpatrick was a 30-year executive with Rohm & Haas Company, serving most recently as president and chief operating officer. He is a member of the board of directors of McCormick & Company, a manufacturer of spices, herbs and flavorings, and packaging company NOVOLEX.

Frederick J. Lynch is president, CEO and board member of Masonite International Corporation, a global manufacturer of interior doors and entry door systems. Prior to joining Masonite, Lynch was with Alpharma Inc., where he served as president, human generics division and senior vice president, global supply chain. Before that, Lynch spent nearly 18 years at Honeywell International Inc., most recently as vice president and general manager of its specialty chemical business.

Daniel F. Sansone, is a former 26-year executive with Vulcan Materials Company, a U.S. producer of construction aggregates, concrete, asphalt mix and cement. While with Vulcan, Sansone was executive vice president of strategy, executive vice president and CFO, and corporate controller. Prior to Vulcan, Sansone served in various roles with Monroe Auto Equipment, FMC Corporation and Kraft Incorporated. 

Michael Wilson, Ingevity’s president and CEO, will also serve on the board. “Our newly appointed board is comprised of senior executives with diverse functional strengths and outstanding leadership experience in specialty chemicals and industrial markets,” said Wilson. “I am looking forward to working with this distinguished group to establish Ingevity as a leader in specialty chemicals and high-performance carbon materials and technologies.”

About WestRock

WestRock Company (NYSE:WRK) aspires to be the premier partner and unrivaled provider of paper and packaging solutions in consumer and corrugated markets. WestRock’s 41,000 team members support customers around the world from more than 250 operating and business locations spanning North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Learn more at www.westrock.com.

Ingevity: Purify, Protect and Enhance

Ingevity provides specialty chemicals and high-performance carbon materials and technologies that help customers solve complex problems. These products are used in a variety of demanding applications, including asphalt paving, oil exploration and production, agrochemicals, adhesives, lubricants, publication inks and automotive components that reduce gasoline vapor emissions. Through a team of talented and experienced people, Ingevity develops, manufactures and brings to market products and processes that purify, protect and enhance the world around us. Headquartered in North Charleston, S.C., Ingevity operates from 25 locations around the world and employs approximately 1,500 people. Ingevity is the specialty chemicals business of WestRock which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:WRK). For more information, visit www.ingevity.com.

Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a global technology and specialty materials company and a global leader in vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) emulsions, has just announced that it will increase the price of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in Asia. VAE emulsions will increase by ¥ 200/MT for China and $25/MT for the rest of Asia effective March 10, 2016, or as contracts allow.

This price increase affects all applications including, but not limited to, adhesives, paints and coatings, waterproofing, building and construction, glass fiber, carpet and paper.

This increase is attributed to the continued pressures on raw materials, notably ethylene and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM).

Customers should contact their Celanese sales representative for more details.

About Celanese

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Our two complementary business cores, Acetyl Chain and Materials Solutions, use the full breadth of Celanese’s global chemistry, technology and business expertise to create value for our customers and the corporation. As we partner with our customers to solve their most critical business needs, we strive to make a positive impact on our communities and the world through The Celanese Foundation. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 7,000 employees worldwide and had 2015 net sales of $5.7 billion.

Valmet will supply an OptiConcept M containerboard production line and a mill-wide Valmet DNA automation system for Pro-Gest S.p.a. for the company's new Mantova site in Italy. The new production line is planned to produce high-quality lightweight recycled case material.

The order is included in Valmet's first quarter 2016 orders received. The value of an order of this type is typically EUR 60-80 million.

"At Pro-Gest we are continuously investing to improve our products and exceed quality standards, applying the latest technologies in our mills. Mantova's new machine will be setting new levels in terms of performance and efficiency, with Valmet's highest range of solutions for papermaking. The whole team is very excited to work with the best paper machine manufacturer in the world for this high capacity and high quality paper mill," says Francesco Zago, General Manager and shareholder of Pro-Gest.

"This delivery combines Valmet's unique competence both in process technologies and automation. Our OptiConcept M modular paper and board making line demonstrates fresh design and engineering innovations which improve energy efficiency, safety and usability. It has proved to be a success since its launch in 2011 and the delivery to Pro-Gest is already the eleventh OptiConcept M machine that we have supplied to our customers," says Jari Vähäpesola, President of Paper Business Line, Valmet.

Details about the delivery

Valmet's OptiConcept M boardmaking line delivery will comprise a complete board making line from headbox to reel and a high-capacity two-drum winder. The mill-wide Valmet DNA automation package includes quality measurement system, process control system, machine controls, runnability and condition monitoring and quality controls. An extensive machine clothing package for start-up is also included of the delivery.

The line features number of latest technologies e.g. layering headbox and horizontal gap forming with shoe and blade technology. These technologies enable high end product quality with wide basis weight range and significant energy saving potential compared to conventional Multi-Fourdrinier technology. Also compact design with innovative fabric insertion unit technology are noteworthy. The unit makes cantilevering unnecessary and shortens installation time.

The width of the high speed machine is 7.6 m (reel) with installed capacity of 550,000 tons of recycled paper.

Information about the customer Pro-Gest

Owned by the Zago family, Pro-Gest is Italy's leading integrated producer of packaging and corrugated board, active in all fields, from the collection of raw materials to packaging production. The Group also includes an integrated tissue manufacturing division, featuring the full range of high quality products.

Pro-Gest is active in 8 Italian regions with 22 production sites, employing over 1,000 people, generating a consolidated annual turnover of EUR 450 million in 2015.

Martin Oliw, nominated to Valmet's Nomination Board by Cevian Capital Partners Ltd., has resigned from the Nomination Board as Cevian Capital Partners Ltd. has sold down their shareholding in Valmet.

In accordance with the Charter of the Nomination Board of Valmet, the representative nominated by a shareholder is obliged to resign from the Nomination Board if the shareholder concerned later transfers more than half of the shares it held on the September 1, 2015 which entitled it to nominate a representative and as result is no longer among Valmet's ten largest shareholders.

After the resignation of Martin Oliw, the members of the Nomination Board are Kari Järvinen, (Managing Director at Solidium Oy), Roger Hagborg (Investment Advisory Professional at Triton), Risto Murto (CEO at Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company) and Bo Risberg, Chairman of Valmet's Board of Directors, as the Nomination Board's expert member.

The Nomination Board has prepared proposals on members of the Board of Directors and their remuneration for the Annual General Meeting, which will be held on March 22, 2016. The proposals are presented in the notice convening Valmet's Annual General Meeting, published on February 9, 2016, which is available at www.valmet.com/agm.

Further information, please contact:

Rasmus Oksala, General Counsel, Valmet, tel. +358 10 672 0026

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 2015 were approximately EUR 2.9 billion. Our 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.

Rottneros’ Board of Directors has granted Rottneros Mill to invest SEK 98 million in a new energy and emission efficient biomass boiler. It will replace fossil oil as the energy source used to dry pulp in the mills flash dryers. The investment will also lead to large parts of the mill’s energy system being rebuilt, which will increase energy efficiency significantly. The detailed planning work has begun and the new biofuel boiler will be completed and put into use around mid-2017.

Rottneros Mill produces two different kinds of high yield pulp for paper producers, CTMP and groundwood pulp, and has for many years used oil to dry the pulp. When the new biomass boiler is completed, the biomass will replace all oil used today, and the mill's energy consumption will thus be entirely fossil-free. The new biomass boiler has an effect around 18MW and will replace an older biomass boiler. Supplier of the new boiler will be selected in the near future.

When we’re now investing in a new biofuel boiler, we will also optimize and rebuild our energy system at the mill. It will result in significant energy efficiency improvements and environmental benefits in terms of lower emission levels. The extents of the savings are at least SEK 25 million per year, says Olle Dahlin, CEO of Rottneros Mill.

The capacity-increasing investments Rottneros Mill has previously been granted, within the framework of the Group's strategic development and action plan Agenda 500, in combination with the new biofuel boiler will solidify Rottneros Mill’s position as a world class manufacturer of CTMP and groundwood, says Per Lundeen, President and CEO of Rottneros AB.

For further information, please contact:

Olle Dahlin, CEO of Rottneros Bruk AB, +46 703 66 73 00

BW Papersystems and its brands MarquipWardUnited, WillPemcoBielomatik, Kugler-Womako and BW Bielomatik will present its wide range of solutions for stationery and digital print converting as well as for folio sheeting at drupa 2016. The world’s largest printing trade fair, will take place May 31 to June 10, 2016 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Under the motto “We are Paper Converting. We are BW Papersystems.” and on 458 sqm, in hall 10 at booth D20, the companies for the first time will be exhibiting together as a group.

After the merger of MarquipWardUnited, E.C.H. Will, Pemco and Kugler-Womako in 2014 and the following acquisition of the paper processing business of Bielomatik in 2015, BW Papersystems now offers market leading technology for folio-size, cut-size and digital-size sheeting and packaging of paper, board and other materials, plus stationery, passport production and specialized paper converting applications. For the corrugating industry, full corrugators and finishing equipment such as flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters are available.

One highlight on BW Papersystems’ booth will be the live demonstration of an eCon sheeter. The eCon folio sheeter, that has been developed using advanced design methodologies, offers high-quality twin synchronous sheeting at a price level never previously available from a leading manufacturer. Since its launch 21 months ago, the eCon sheeter has recorded excellent results with 23 machines sold in North and Latin America and Europe. Its attractive price level assures a quick ROI for printers and folding carton manufacturers while they are able to reduce inventory, eliminate pile turning, lower material cost and increase press performance.

“The eCon sheeter has really found its place in the market, delivering second-to-none cut quality and accuracy as well as ease of operation and maintenance,” says Steve Brimble, Senior VP Worldwide Sheeter Sales. “At printing and folding carton plants, the breakdown of a sheeter can quickly shut down production. The eCon makes no compromise on reliability and remote diagnostics and has the backing of the global BW Papersystems spares and service network. This has been a big factor in most orders.”

Also demonstrated on the stand will be a Wrapmatic GREC automatic folio ream wrapper. This mid-range model offers the perfect flexible solution to paper converters and small mills wishing to produce high-quality wrapped reams – wrapped in traditional poly-coated moisture barrier paper or Kraft paper. Quick size changes make the GREC ideal for handling small orders.

Visitors will also be able to discover the greatly enlarged portfolio for stationery, book binding, digital print and book converting and RFID applications from WillPemcoBielomatik, BW Bielomatik and Kugler-Womako. For the first time, the best technologies from former E.C.H. Will and the paper processing business of Bielomatik as well as from Kugler-Womako are combined. Customers can now select the ideal machinery for entry-level up to highly automated applications. A wide range of high-quality solutions is available for producing exercise books or glued, plastic, wire or even paper bound products. Solutions for the fast growing digital print market include flexible digital size sheeters, book-on-demand binding machines for ultra-low volume book production and an innovative single-sheet book converting line for high volumes. Specialized equipment for the converting of RFID technology as well as passport manufacturing lines complete the impressive technology lineup under one banner: BW Papersystems.

BW Papersystems, MarquipWardUnited, WillPemcoBielomatik, Kugler-Womako and BW Bielomatik look forward to welcoming you at drupa 2016 – see you in hall 10, booth D20. We are Paper Converting. We are BW Papersystems.

ABOUT BW PAPERSYSTEMS

BW Papersystems incorporates five of the strongest brands in the industry: WillPemcoBielomatik, MarquipWardUnited, SHM, Wrapmatic and Kugler-Womako.  Market leading technology is available for folio-size, cut-size and digital-size sheeting and packaging of paper, board and other materials, plus stationery, passport production and specialized paper converting applications.  For the corrugating industry, customers rely on the well-known brands MarquipWardUnited, Curioni and VortX

ABOUT BARRY-WEHMILLER

Barry-Wehmiller is a diversified global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting and paper converting industries. By blending people-centric leadership with disciplined operational strategies and purpose-driven growth, Barry-Wehmiller has become a $2.4 billion organization with 11,000 team members united by a common belief:  to use the power of business to build a better world. To see how, go to barry-wehmiller.com.

British master papermaker James Cropper recently teamed up with influential fashion designer Edeline Lee to deliver the paper for the set of her Autumn/Winter 2016 show at London Fashion Week.

The heritage paper manufacturer supplied beautiful and tactile papers for the scenography of the show, which took place on 19 February at The Vinyl Factory and marked the designer’s second collection to be exhibited at the prestigious event.

Canadian-born, London-based Edeline has gained international recognition for her dynamic fashion presentations, which have the immersive quality of film and live performance. She has apprenticed in the studios of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, and worked at Zac Posen in New York and Rodnik in London, where she was head designer. She counts celebrities Alicia Vikander, Taylor Swift and Solange Knowles among her fans.

Speaking of the collaboration with James Cropper, Edeline said: “Over the years, I’ve learnt how every detail counts when it comes to creating luxury, which is why I wanted the paper for this set to come from a like-minded brand for which quality is paramount. All my designs are made by hand in England, so James Cropper, as an innately British company with an impressive heritage, was a perfect match.”

A chequerboard pattern was created using paper from James Cropper’s ‘Black’ and ‘Ambassador’ ranges, while height was achieved with shaped mounds of predominantly white shredded paper interspersed with bright accents from ‘Vanguard’ colours. The colourful and playful abstract paper shapes created a landscape behind the models that was anchored by the powerful black and white base to the scheme.

Susan Wilson, luxury packaging director at James Cropper, said: “There is, of course, a potent link between paper and fashion design. Being involved in this beautiful project maintains our public support for initiatives that champion creativity and, more specifically, how integral paper is to artistic processes. Edeline Lee continues to push boundaries with her designs and presentations and we’re proud to have come together for London Fashion Week. The show was magnificent!”

The artist behind the scenography was Kyung Roh Bannwart, who Edeline previously worked with on her Spring/Summer 2016 collection. She employs various media, including sculpture, sound light and objects, to build structure and create an emotional and physical experience.

The paper used for the presentation is destined to be recycled, aligned with James Cropper’s dedication to sustainability within the paper sector. The company has invested significantly in its plant and technology, to both develop its range of recycled materials and to ensure its own production methods are as sustainable as possible.

James Cropper supplies distinct, custom-made paper products to many of the world’s leading art galleries, designers and luxury brands – providing the paper for Selfridges’ signature yellow bags –  and is a proud sponsor of other artists and exhibitions, including events at NYCxDesign, YSL at The Bowes and the fabulous ‘Paper Bar’ at London’s ICA for Thomas Pink’s Autumn/Winter 2015 collection.

For more information about James Cropper, visit www.jamescropper.com.

Uniform strength is an important property when producing multi-layered paper products. It can now be measured accurately across the entire reel width – 10 position measurements within six minutes with a fully automated test method.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, is helping paper manufacturers assess uniform strength across the entire reel width of a wide range of paper and board grades, quickly, accurately and simply via its L&W ZD Tensile Tester. The tester overcomes the time-consuming, complex and manual approach of the traditional Scott Bond method which takes fewer measurements leading to unreliable results. The tester’s accuracy means paper makers can now achieve a more consistent final product quality and reduce wastage.

The tester measures internal bond strength values – or Z-direction (ZDT) tensile forces - using a simple, automated method. The paper sample to be tested is placed on the device’s feeding table and the operator presses the start button. Tape is automatically applied on both sides of the sample. Steel platens are pressed against the taped paper/board sample. The platens then pull the paper apart and the force needed to split the sample is recorded. The sample is automatically fed to the next measurement position. The results are displayed in tabular form or as graphics and can be output using the built-in printer. Measurement of a 1.5 meter strip in 10 positions takes only six minutes. The system operates in accordance with ISO 15754, SCAN P 80 and TAPPI T 541 standards.

By testing the internal bond strength, paper makers can avoid low or unevenly distributed bonds which cause material splitting in an offset press with sticky printing ink.

The tester also ensures that, when creasing or scoring boxboard, the material delaminates to the right degree, thereby avoiding poor folding lines or cracks in the outer layer, leading to waste. Too high internal bond strength impedes the creasing of the boxboard which leads to material wastage and excessive energy use.

In heat-set web offset printing of highly coated paper, a good internal bond strength is critical to avoid blistering occurring as moisture escapes during the heating process. The tester can identify when this is likely to occur.

The tester comes with a colour touch screen with intuitive menus, large accessible buttons and a protective surface for easy cleaning. In addition to printing via the built-in printer, the system offers the functionality to export data via Ethernet or to print on a network device instead.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leading global technology company in power and automation that enables utility, industry, and transport & infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs about 135,000 people.

A World Economic Forum publication in collaboration with industry

The European paper industry was invited to collaborate with the World Economic Forum (the Forum), the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment on Circular Economy to produce a white paper with guidelines on design and management for circularity. The new publication provides essential guidance to all actors in the supply chain through simple ecodesign rules for paper products, without limiting innovation and the introduction of new techniques. This is a product of the three pilots under Project MainStream, launched during the 2014 summit in Davos.

“We trust helping circular thinking in all steps of the complex value chain will help reach higher in what is already a high recycling performance”, said CEPI Sustainability Director Jori Ringman, one of the draftsmen of the guidance, in a panel discussion on the feasibility of higher recycling rates at the Packaging and Sustainability event in Brussels on Wednesday. “In circular economy, your downstream is your upstream and what you pass on into the loop will have an impact on your own business.”

Although highly recyclable, paper is usually converted by industries that add chemicals to it through printing inks and other auxiliary materials. This can lead to problems in subsequent circular chains, as these chemicals cannot easily be removed from the paper before re-entering the mill. Furthermore, the already highly-optimised recycling process cannot follow the speed of the evolution of inks and toners.

The publication summarises the key choices to be made by direct (printers, papermakers, collectors) and indirect (such as local authorities, ink producers, equipment manufacturers) stakeholders. More specifically, it identifies the choices that can influence businesses ordering a fibre-based product - printed paper, packaging or other.

“Businesses will have many priorities topping their agendas, such as meeting customer requirements, creating functionalities that meet both the purpose and profitability, and respecting environmental considerations”, says Ringman. “This document is meant to make decision-making in companies easier when balancing these priorities.”

You can view the publication at: http://bit.ly/1T7vLVb and download it at: http://bit.ly/1QqTqdt.

For more information, please contact Jori Ringman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., mobile: +32 478 25 50 70.

Project MainStream is a collaboration between the World Economic Forum, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, seeking to remove bottlenecks in the large-scale transitioning to the circular economy.

CEPI aisbl - The Confederation of European Paper Industries

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is a Brussels-based non-profit organisation regrouping the European pulp and paper industry and championing industry’s achievements and the benefits of its products. Through its 18 member countries (17 European Union members plus Norway) CEPI represents some 505 pulp, paper and board producing companies across Europe, ranging from small and medium sized companies to multi-nationals, and 920 paper mills. Together they represent 23% of world production.

Smithers Pira, the worldwide authority on the packaging, paper and print industry supply chains, has announced that two of its industry experts are to present at Drupa 2016.

Dominic Cakebread, renowned expert in global packaging, will explore prospects for printing within the packaging market. Driven on the one hand by brand owners’ increasing demands for greater differentiation, personalisation and a more engaging relationship with consumers, and on the other hand by the increasing availability of new and disruptive technologies, the printing requirements for the global packaging industry are expected to undergo major change over the next decade, with ever higher quality and faster digital printing expected to take share from traditional printing methods. Dominic will examine the main opportunities and barriers to growth and how the printing industry can best meet the future demands of the global packaging sector.

Sean Smyth, who has spent over 25 years as a consultant in the print industry, will analyse disruptive trends in functional and industrial printing in a talk that focuses on the rapidly emerging use of printing-for-profit in novel areas outside the traditional graphics and packaging arenas. Inkjet is being adopted strongly in many areas of functional printing – promotional items, glass, electronics, décor, and 3D. Additive manufacturing is being studied in pure and applied research labs in universities, and at large companies, with new fluids and techniques being brought to market. Sean will outline the findings of Smithers Pira research into the sector, presenting highlights from the recently published market report The Future of Functional and Industrial Print to 2020. 

About Smithers Pira

Smithers Pira is the worldwide authority on the packaging, paper and print industry supply chains. Providing world-leading expertise and market intelligence, the company offers a range of testing services supported by comprehensive facilities in the UK and US.

The company’s market reports provide an independent and expert view of emerging markets, technologies and factors which will affect the packaging, paper and print industries. Each report contains a qualitative and quantitative five-year market forecast, including a comprehensive analysis of customers and providers to each market.

Smithers Pira also provides bespoke consultancy services, helping companies to solve a specific business need. Its specialist research team can assist with market sizing and forecasting, market segmentation, market entry studies, and surveys, enabling businesses to identify new profitable opportunities and niche markets, understand unmet needs, and benchmark against competitors.

Meet Smithers Pira on Stand 5B03, May 31–June 10, 2016