Mr. Juha Lappalainen (MSc. Eng., born 1962) has been appointed Senior Vice President, Strategy and Operational Development at Valmet as of January 4, 2016. Juha Lappalainen will succeed Kari Saarinen, who was appointed Valmet's CFO in November. In his new position as SVP, Strategy and Operational Development, Juha Lappalainen will be a member of Valmet's Executive Team and report to President and CEO Pasi Laine.

Juha Lappalainen has been employed by Valmet since 2013, and is currently working as Vice President, Procurement. He has a strong, international background in global telecommunications with versatile experience in sales, technology and business development, and in leading strategic projects including mergers and acquisitions.

"It is a pleasure to welcome Juha Lappalainen to our Executive Team to develop our operations forward. As company we have taken big leaps regarding strategy execution, procurement, quality, and health and safety results. I am convinced that under Juha's leadership we will continue to strengthen these areas further," says Pasi Laine, President and CEO of Valmet.

For further information, please contact:

Pasi Laine, President and CEO, Valmet, tel. +358 10 672 0001

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. Valmet's vision is to become the global champion in serving its customers.

Valmet's services cover everything from maintenance outsourcing to mill and plant improvements and spare parts. The strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bio-energy production. Valmet's advanced automation solutions range from single measurements to mill wide turnkey automation projects.

Valmet's net sales in 2014 were approximately EUR 2.5 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 OMX Helsinki Ltd.

Resolute Responds to Misleading Statements Regarding the U.S. Department of Commerce's Final Order for Countervailing Duties on Supercalendered Paper from Canada

Resolute Forest Products Inc. (NYSE: RFP) (TSX: RFP) responds to misleading media statements by third parties regarding the U.S. Department of Commerce's final order for countervailing duties on supercalendered paper from Canada.

Contrary to those misleading media statements, the Department of Commerce found countervailable subsidies during its investigation only at the Port Hawkesbury mill in Nova Scotia. The Department did not find countervailable subsidies to the manufacture, production or export of supercalendered paper by Resolute Forest Products.

As Resolute has previously disclosed, the Department imposed cash deposit requirements for estimated countervailing duties on Resolute based on a new interpretive rule applied to Resolute retroactively and imposed a punitive 17.87% rate not derived from any subsidy amount found to have been received by Resolute. Resolute believes that, through proceedings before NAFTA and WTO tribunals, the punitive actions will be found unlawful, confirming that the Department of Commerce did not find Resolute's exports to the United States to be subsidized.

About Resolute Forest Products

Resolute Forest Products is a global leader in the forest products industry with a diverse range of products, including newsprint, specialty papers, tissue, market pulp and wood products. The company owns or operates over 40 pulp, paper, tissue and wood products facilities in the United States, Canada and South Korea, as well as power generation assets in Canada. Marketing its products in close to 80 countries, Resolute has third-party certified 100% of its managed woodlands to internationally recognized sustainable forest management standards. The shares of Resolute Forest Products trade under the stock symbol RFP on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Resolute has received multiple national and international awards for its leadership in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, as well as for its business practices. Visit www.resolutefp.com for more information.

Mondi’s Color Copy contest platform reports 340 photos uploaded and over 100,000 page views

The international packaging and paper Group Mondi announces the winners of their latest photo contest, which called on all participants to ‘Capture nature’s brilliant colours’ and upload their wildlife photos to the Color Copy online platform. Between September 1st and November 15th 340 photos were uploaded to the platform, which had over 100,000 page views during the promotion period. First prize – a photo safari for two to South Africa - goes to Gabriela Klocháňová from Slovakia with her picture of an imposing frog entitled ‘I am the BOSS‘.

“We were really pleased with the success of the Color Copy photo competition and how well it was received by our merchants as well as end-users. The statistics speak for themselves with more than 100,000 page views. It was truly an integrated marketing campaign! We used various means of communications: the power of printed materials together with social media channels and an online platform. All this keeps Color Copy top of mind when it comes to unrivalled colour reproduction and sustainable paper production,” explained Johannes Klumpp Marketing and Sales Director for Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper, Europe and International.

The top 10 photos were chosen via public voting on the platform and a professional jury evaluated the finalists on a number of specific criteria, such as sharpness, contrast, perspective and colour brilliance. The jury was made up of the Klaus Ranger (professional photographer), Michael Seidl (Print & Publishing), David Gamage (Earth Island Publishing) as well as Susan Brunner, (Color Copy campaign manager), and Johannes Klumpp from Mondi. All photos were scored on the agreed criteria by each juror and then the results were tallied, with ‘The BOSS’ clearly taking first place.

Second prize, a Canon EOS 700D camera, was awarded to Renata Brlicová of the Czech Republic with her photo ‘Colors of Summer’. Third place went to a photo from Poland called ‘Paseika’ taken by Ewa Rogucka, who has won GoPro action camera Hero4. A special jury prize of a €150 gift certificate was also awarded to another photo from Belgium entitled ‘The painted lady’ as it had long been ranked among the top ten, clearly a favourite in the public voting, and it impressed the jury with its strong colour brilliance.

To view the final top 10 and the special jury prize winning photo, please go to the contest platform at www.colorcopy.mondigroup.com. More information about the Color Copy portfolio and local dealers is available at www.mondigroup.com/colorcopy.

We are Mondi. IN TOUCH EVERY DAY.

Mondi is an international packaging and paper Group, employing around 25,000 people across more than 30 countries. Our key operations are in central Europe, Russia, North America and South Africa. We offer over 100 packaging and paper products, customised into more than 100,000 different solutions for customers and end consumers. In 2014 Mondi had revenues of €6.4 billion and a return on capital employed of 17.2%.

The Mondi Group is fully integrated across the packaging and paper value chain – from managing forests and producing pulp, paper and compound plastics to developing effective and innovative industrial and consumer packaging solutions. Our innovative technologies and products can be found in a variety of applications including hygiene components, stand-up pouches, super-strong cement bags, clever retail boxes and office paper. Our key customers are in industries such as automotive; building and construction; chemicals; food and beverage; home and personal care; medical and pharmaceutical; packaging and paper converting; pet care; and office and professional printing.

Mondi has a dual-listed company structure, with a primary listing on the JSE Limited for Mondi Limited under the ticker code MND and a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange for Mondi plc under the ticker code MNDI.

For us, sustainable development makes good business sense. We don’t just talk about sustainability; we make it part of the way we work every day. We have been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series since 2008 and the JSE's Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index since 2007.

About Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper

Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper is a business unit of Mondi’s Europe & International Division. In 4 paper mills in Austria, Slovakia, and Russia Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper produces environmentally sound office and professional printing papers tailored to the latest professional digital print technology. The company complies with the strictest international certification standards to support sustainable production processes through the responsible management of forest, water and air resources. All Mondi uncoated fine papers belong to the Green Range of papers that are FSC^® or PEFC™ certified, 100% recycled or bleached entirely without chlorine.

Its renowned brands such as Color Copy, DNS^®, IQ, MAESTRO^®, NAUTILUS^®, BIO TOP 3^®, PERGRAPHICA^® or Snegurochka are used in office environments on laser or inkjet printers and by professional printers on digital or offset presses to create brochures, transactional material, folders, invitations, business cards, letterheads or other high-impact communication.

Bernd Eikens has been appointed Executive Vice President responsible for the UPM Paper Asia business area as of 1 February 2016. 

He has been with UPM since 1998 holding several senior leadership positions in the paper business. He is currently responsible for UPM Paper in Europe and North America.

He has two master's degrees, one in Paper Technology (Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany) and another in Industrial Engineering (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA).  Additionally, he holds a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from Colorado State University, United States.

He is a board member of EUROGRAPH (European Association of Graphic Paper Producers) and VDP (German Pulp and Paper Association). Also, he is a member of the board of directors of Johann Bunte Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG.

UPM Paper Asia produces fine papers to Asian markets and label and packaging materials to global markets. Its main customers are retailers, printers, publishers, distributors and paper converters. UPM Paper Asia is a leader in sustainable development. UPM Paper Asia's fine papers are manufactured at the UPM Changshu mill in China, and the labelling and packaging materials at the UPM Jämsänkoski and UPM Tervasaari mills in Finland. With headquarters in Shanghai, UPM Paper Asia employs approximately 1,700 people in China, Finland, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Australia. www.upmpaper.com

UPM

Through the renewing of the bio and forest industries, UPM is building a sustainable future across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Paper Asia, UPM Paper Europe and North America and UPM Plywood. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. We serve our customers worldwide. The group employs around 20,000 people and its annual sales are approximately EUR 10 billion. UPM shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM - The Biofore Company - www.upm.com

Voith has received an order from Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill (Segezha PPM) to supply a complete process line for sack paper. The Segezha Group aims to use the new line to further expand its position as a global market leader for sack paper.

Voith will supply the complete turnkey production line to the customer at its Segezha facility in the Russian republic of Karelia. Segezha PPM will produce sack papers from unbleached sulfate pulp on the new PM 11, which has a wire width of 4,950 mm and design speed of 800 m/min. The machine’s annual capacity is 110,000 metric tons, which will allow Segezha PPM to increase its production output at this site by 40 percent. During signing of the contract, Segezha Group President Sergey Pomelov said that "following the startup of the PM 11, the Segezha Group intends to move up the ranks to become the world's second largest producer of sack papers. We are confident that we can achieve this goal in collaboration with Voith.” The company currently ranks fourth on the international market and second on the European market.

Nikolay Naumov, General Manager of Segezha PPM, who was extremely satisfied with the discussions ahead of the contract signing, added: “I hope that the cooperation between Segezha PPM and Voith during implementation of the project will be just as impressive and exemplary.”

Voith’s scope of supply includes the complete production line with stock preparation, a MasterJet headbox, a single NipcoFlex press, a MasterReel reeler, a VariFlex winder and the entire process know-how. Voith will also supply the complete automation, electrical installations and initial clothing package for the production line.

Segezha PPM was founded in 1939 and currently has an annual production capacity of 280,000 metric tons of pulp and 265,000 metric tons of sack paper. The company is a market leader for sack paper and has been part of the Paper and Packaging Division of the Segezha Group JSF Systema since 2014.

Further information is available on the Voith website at www.voith.com/paper. Voith Paper is also on Twitter and YouTube.

Voith Paper is a corporate division of Voith and is one of the leading partners and pioneers in the paper industry. Through constant innovations, Voith Paper is optimizing the paper manufacturing process, focusing on developing resource-conserving products to reduce the use of energy, water and fibers. Furthermore, Voith Paper offers a broad service portfolio for all sections of the paper manufacturing process.

Voith sets standards in the markets for energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials, transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith employs more than 20,000 people, generates €4.3 billion in sales, operates in over 60 countries around the world and is one of the biggest family owned companies in Europe.*
* Excluding the discontinued Group Division Voith Industrial Services.

In May 2015, we announced that Mondi Group had approached Walki Group, in order to acquire two of Walki’s extrusion coatings sites: Pietarsaari in Finland and Wroclaw in Poland. The deal was subject to competition clearance. The commission raised concerns about the impact on the competition environment, and a considerable time was spent on discussing ways to alleviate these.

However, a workable solution suitable for all parties was not found and therefore Mondi has decided to withdraw the application from the Commission and terminate the acquisition agreement.

The Industrial Packaging business, including the Pietarsaari and Wroclaw sites, will remain an integral part of Walki’s strategy. Walki is committed to develop all of its sites in Finland, Poland, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Russia and China.

For more information, please contact:
Leif Frilund, President and CEO, tel. +358 (0)403543330

Walki in brief
Walki Group is a leading producer of technical laminates and protective packaging materials, specializing in the production of fiber based, intelligent, multi- layer laminate products for markets as diverse as energy saving construction facings to barrier packaging applications. Walki Group is present in eleven countries with operations in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the UK and China with a workforce of about 900 people. Annual net sales of the Group are more than 300 million Euros.

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation (NYSE: KS) ("the Company") is announcing that due to seasonally softer market conditions, it will temporarily curtail operations at its Longview Mill beginning Monday, Dec. 21 at 7:00 a.m. The curtailment is expected to last seven days for the entire mill and will be extended an additional two days for certain product grades and paper machines. No other KapStone mill location will be taking market-related downtime during this period. This measure will not affect customer orders and service.

About the Company

Headquartered in Northbrook, IL, KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation is the fifth largest producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products and is the largest kraft paper producer in the United States. The Company has four paper mills, 22 converting plants and 65 distribution centers. The business has approximately 6,200 employees.

SOURCE KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation

Andrea K. Tarbox, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, 847.239.8812

Metso will supply hundreds of valves for Kotkamills Oy's mill in Kotka, Finland, where the current printing paper machine will be rebuilt to produce high-quality and environmentally friendly consumer board grades. The new production line will be commissioned in the second quarter of 2016.

"Metso has unique knowledge and expertise in pulp and paper industry valves. Our requirements for the valves used in the machine conversion specifically target the reliability of the valves and the efficiency of the production process. The production line conversion timetable is short, so proven project know-how and good experiences were important criteria for us when we selected the valve supplier," notes Jari Mäkelä, who is in charge of the machine conversion automation and electrification at Kotkamills.

The valve order includes Metso's Neles^® ball control valves, segment valves, and Neldisc^® disc valves for shut-off and control applications. The control valves are equipped with Metso's ND9000 series intelligent valve controllers, which can monitor valve performance and enable the planning of preventive maintenance.

"Metso will supply a comprehensive range of valve solutions for the machine rebuild, solutions that meet the customer's needs in the best possible way. The valve solutions we have chosen for the customer's machine rebuild are easy to service and will increase the mill's competitiveness," emphasizes Janne Viljamaa, Sales Manager, Metso Flow Control Solutions.

Kotkamills Oy and Metso share a long history of collaboration, and Metso's reliable valve solutions are utilized in the production process also in the mill's current paper machine production lines.

The order was included in Metso's fourth quarter 2015 orders received. The value of the order is not disclosed. Metso's valve deliveries will start in early 2016.

Correctly-timed maintenance services will benefit the customer

Metso continuously improves its service capability and scope of offering to help customers ensure long-term performance excellence, reliability and safety of their processes.The services for the valves and spare parts will improve the mill's availability, process performance, and risk management.

Metso's goal is also to ensure the correct timing of future maintenance needs of the valves to be installed at the mill by utilizing digital documentation of the valves and product data management.Metso can test and repair valves from a service center located close to the customer, and thus meet the customer's repair and maintenance needs during the planned mill shutdowns.

Leading flow control and service solutions for the pulp and paper industry

Metso has a long track record of increasing the pulp and paper industry's performance and reliability. The company is the global market leader in control and on-off valves for the pulp and paper industry - about 75 percent of the world's pulp flows through its valves. Metso is also one of the leading suppliers of smart valve controllers.

Metso has strong pulp and paper industry expertise, and its comprehensive value-added services improve the efficiency of customer processes. Metso's flow control offering and services for the pulp and paper industry focus on three main areas: solving technical or process issues for customers, improving business performance, and overall responsibility for an agreed area of business operations. Metso has more than 40 valve and field equipment centers around the world.

The company's valve technology centers and factories are located in Finland, the United States, Germany, China, South Korea, India and Brazil.

Kotkamills in brief

Kotkamills is a responsible partner that delivers product innovations created from wood, a renewable raw material. Our key brands include the high-quality specialized laminating papers Absorbex^® and Imprex^®, the high-bulk printing paper Solaris®, and ecological wood products. In 2016, we will start the production of fully recyclable consumer board grades in Kotka. Our products are environmentally friendly, recyclable and safe to use. www.kotkamills.com

Metso is the world's leading industrial company in the mining and aggregates industries and in the flow control business. Our knowledge, people and solutions help drive sustainable improvements in performance and profitability in our customers' businesses.

Metso has an uncompromising attitude towards safety. Our products range from mining and construction equipment and systems to industrial valves and controls. Our solutions are delivered and supported by decades of process knowledge and a broad scope of services backed by a global footprint of over 90 service centers, thousands of service employees, and an extensive logistics network.

Metso is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland. In 2014, Metso's net sales totaled EUR 3.7 billion. Metso employs approximately 13,000 industry experts in more than 50 countries. Expect results.

A new Tissue Machine by A.Celli Paper up & running in the Americas.

The start-up successfully completed on 6th November is the result of a fruitful collaboration with Fábricas de Papel Potosí and clear proof of A.Celli’s increasing presence in the Americas.

The new A.Celli Tissue Machine represents a strategically interesting project through which the Italian technology supplier once again underscores its role as leading-edge partner in the field of Tissue Machines, the company’s core business. The long-standing competence, dependable reliability and technological excellence that have always distinguished the Group make A.Celli Paper the ideal supplier for every customer, whether Italian, European, Asian, large, medium or small, or international group.

This machine has a 2850-mm web width, a working speed of 1500 m/min and a production capacity of 80 tpd. It is equipped with a 12-ft steel Yankee and latest generation hood. It was designed to answer all the customer’s requests and demands in order to guarantee an enhancement in production level, assured by optimal performance and paper quality, with consequent improvement in the finished product.

With this new Tissue Machine, A.Celli Paper offers the customer a leap forward in quality, aiming for important and ambitious production milestones in its quest to conquer an extremely particular territory such as Mexico.

Fábricas de Papel Potosí
Mexican company with over 30 years’ experience in the manufacture and converting of tissue and paper, mainly toilet rolls, white table napkins, printed table napkins (used for advertising & promotion), stationery and spunlace. Fábricas de Papel Potosí is dedicated to the production of FMCG for the medium segment of the Mexican market. Furthermore, the company produces printed table napkins specifically designed for promotional purposes and advert launches of the clientele in the HORECA industry, for airlines and sports clubs, among other fields

PMP Group (PMP) – a global provider of tissue, paper and board technologies for Pulp & Paper industry partners as well as solutions for other heavy industries has refreshed its branding, implementing a new logo and visual identity. PMP’s image modernization is a response to the significant metamorphosis that the company has gone through within the last couple of years and is an element of PMP’s new strategy for the years 2016-2018.   

Through successful execution of capital projects for esteemed partners worldwide, PMP has become a more mature and conscientious organization with revenue of 51 mln EURO (FY 2015). Today PMP’s products and solutions can be found in 28 countries on six continents, including key references in a diverse array of pulp and paper corporations. PMP has opened new facilities in the United States, China, and Italy to facilitate service to its customers. Over the years, PMP’s strategy has evolved from a Low Cost Solutions philosophy (price based competitive advantage) into Optimum Cost Solutions (technology based competitive advantage). PMP’s defined Code of Values focused on partnership and an ethical business approach has been the best indication of its endeavors.
 
Going forward, PMP’s strategic goal is to increase its focus on being a customer driven supplier of investment goods that create opportunities and add value. PMP wants to be perceived as a technological integrator, strong and agile. PMP’s target is to increase its market share by 20% within the next 3 years, with a specific focus on the Americas.
 
Recently PMP has embarked on a fundamental evaluation of who they are, what they do, and how they do it.  As they have evolved over the past several years from a “best price” to an “best technological solution” philosophy they have found that in every area of the world  they are being referred to simply as “PMP”.

PMP’s new logo was developed after consultation with its clients, partners and employees and is designed  to better correspond with how the world perceives the company. This PMP logo evokes technology and passion. The black and green palette is inspired by over 160 years of company history. The round elements are associated with the rotating parts of machinery and symbolize continued growth. A green arrow indicates further company development and upward progress while a modern font underlines the significance of state-of-the-art technology driven by proven solutions.

A new tagline “Passion Comes First” sums up PMP’s vision of its unique approach to company performance and teamwork. PMP believes that the real engine for success is people who drive business forward. This approach appreciates the human side of activity and emotions that shape uniqueness of individuals. One of PMP’s ideas is to make its employees proud of their personal and team achievements, empower their undiscovered abilities and strengthen their loyalty.

Please note: “PMP” is the brand under which member companies of the PMP Group (including PMPoland S.A., PMP Fast Service Sp. z o.o., PMPKonmet Sp. z o.o. PMP Americas Inc., PMP IB (Changzhou), PMPower S.r.l.)  operate and provide products and services for customers from the Pulp and Paper and Build-to-Print industries.

PMP’s new visual identity as well as their new promo campaign “Passion Comes First” underlining PMP’s refreshed and proactive approach to cooperation with its partners around the globe has been officially launched on December 14th, 2015.

For further information please contact:
Maja Mejsner, Director Business Development & Marketing  tel: +48 606 776 887 e-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.