The US$236-million sale of White Birch Paper Company, which owns three newsprint mills in Canada, to BD White Birch Investment, LLC, has been approved by a Quebec court. The company has been in bankruptcy protection since February.

The sale of White Birch's assets also includes a mill in Virginia, and the deal still needs approval of the U.S. bankruptcy courts.
The majority owners of BD White Birch are funds managed by Black Diamond Capital Management, LLC and its affiliates, with Caspian Capital Advisors LLC also participating as equity owners.

White Birch indicated that operations will continue as normal during the sale process. The sale is expected to be completed in late November 2010, subject to certain regulatory approvals and other conditions.

White Birch Paper is the parent company of the F.F. Soucy mill in Rivière-du-Loup, the Stadacona mill in Quebec, and Papier Masson in Gatineau. The company's U.S. subsidiary, Bear Island Paper Company, is also included in the sale
.
According to a story in the Ottawa Citizen on Sept. 30, the deal is conditional on terminating benefit plans and negotiating new union contracts with employees.

While the Papier Masson workers could lose defined-benefit pensions and have production rules change, they appear safe for now from having the mill close, the Citizen notes.

The Communications, Energy and Paperworks Union said that any buyer should respect the collective agreement but declined further comment on the deal.

The Ottawa Citizen story pegs the value of the four mills at almost $700 million, but notes that the mills carry more than $650 million in debt and many creditors will only get a small slice of the sale price.

The complicated auction process that preceded BD White Birch's winning bid appears aimed at winning the support of various classes of creditors who still must vote in favour in order for White Birch to emerge from bankruptcy, states the Ottawa Citizen.

source: pulpandpapercanada

RISI has announced the finalists for the PPI Awards 2010 program. The PPI Awards are the only global awards dedicated to recognizing the achievements of companies, mills and individuals in the pulp and paper sector.

The winners will be presented with their trophies at the PPI Awards 2010 ceremony to be held on Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at Le Plaza Hotel in Brussels, Belgium. HP and ColorLok have signed on as the headline sponsor for this year's awards program, while other leading companies are sponsoring specific categories.

The PPI Awards 2010 are being held in conjunction with CEPI European Paper Week. For more information, please visit the CEPI website: www.cepi.org RISI will also be organizing a half-day seminar on the afternoon of November 16 at Le Plaza Hotel. Several RISI experts and industry figures have confirmed their participation on the seminar program. For more information, please visit: www.risiinfo.com/events/ppi_awards/seminar.html

Mark Rushton, Editor of PPI magazine and chairman of the jury for the PPI Awards 2010, commented, "This is the second year we have organized the PPI Awards and we're very pleased again with the quality and quantity of the entries. We've received more entries from all parts of the globe this year. Making the finalists list is a great achievement for all the companies involved, but we would also like to thank all the people who took the time to enter this year. I look forward to seeing the finalists in Brussels in November."

Industry renowned names such as Teresa Presas (CEPI), Duncan Pollard (WWF), Rod Young (RISI), Roger Warwick (Association of Print and Paper Technicians) and Jim Keller (ICCA) were involved in the judging, along with other experts in different fields. RISI will be publishing more information on the finalists in the October issue of PPI magazine as well as on the RISI and PPI Awards websites.

To book your tickets to the industry event of the year, please visit: http://www.risiinfo.com/events/ppi_awards/tickets.html or call Eleanor Spreckley on +44 207 955 3751.

For more information on sponsoring the PPI Awards, please visit: http://www.risiinfo.com/events/ppi_awards/sponsoropps.html.

The finalists for the PPI Awards 2010 are listed below in alphabetical order:

COMPANY AWARDS

Promotional Campaign of the Year - Sponsored by HP and ColorLok

• Finch Paper - Finch is in the House!
• Grupo Portucel Soporcel - Navigator iPhone Promotion
• Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper - Green Range
• Neenah Paper - Do You Love Linen?
• Papelera Nacional (Ecuador) - Banana Box Campaign
• SCA Containerboard - SCA Presentation Liners
• SCA Packaging - Design Challenge
• Sodra Cell – PulpLabs

Environmental Strategy of the Year - Sponsored by Metso

• Cascades Tissue Group, USA
• Celulose Irani, Brazil
• ITC, India
• JK Paper, India
• Mondi Group, Austria
• Suzano Papel e Celulose, Brazil

The Green Energy and Biofuels Award - Sponsored by Andritz

• Celuosa Arauco y Constitucion (ARAUCO), Chile
• Grupo Portucel Soporcel, Portugal
• Klingele Papierwerke, Germany
• Kruger Products, Canada
• Pratt Industries, USA

Innovative Product of the Year - Sponsored by BTG

• Arjowiggins Graphic - Cocoon
• Cascades Tissue Group - The intelligent™ antibacterial paper hand towel
• Neenah Paper - Think Ink: Color Unleashed Website
• Packages - Base Art Paper & Stiffener
• Propal - REPROGRAF Copy Paper
• Strathcona Paper - GreenChoice 100
• Sappi - Triple Green text
• Ziegler Papier - Z-Evolution

Managing Risk and Safety - Company of the Year - Sponsored by FM Global

• Ahlstrom
• Eska Graphic Board
• Finch Paper
• Klingele Papierwerke
• Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging

Business Strategy of the Year

• Celuosa Arauco y Constitucion (ARAUCO), Chile
• Domtar, Canada
• Empresas CMPC, Chile
• Sodra Cell, Sweden
• Suzano Papel e Celulose, Brazil

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Global CEO of the Year - Sponsored by StepChange Consulting

• Antonio Maciel Neto, CEO, Suzano
• Gary McGann, CEO, Smurfit Kappa
• John D. Williams, President and CEO, Domtar
• Jouko Karvinen, CEO, Stora Enso
• Li Hongxin, Chairman, Shandong Sun Paper

Mill Manager of the Year - Sponsored by ABB

• Dennis Askew, Domtar, Plymouth Mill, USA
• I.N. Guha, BILT Graphic Paper Products (Ballarpur), Bhigwan Unit, India
• Luis Henao, Pratt Industries, Shreveport Mill, USA
• Jonathan Hermanus, Sappi Cape Kraft Mill, South Africa
• Maciej Kunda, Mondi Swiecie Mill, Poland
• Randy Nebel, Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging, USA

Research Achievement of the Year - Sponsored by HP and ColorLok

• Kari Edelmann and Jussi Manninen, VTT
• Naila Yaqoob, Lahore College for Women University
• Andreas Kornherr, Mondi Uncoated Fine & Kraft Paper

MILL AWARDS

The Water Efficiency Award - Sponsored by Kemira

• ArjoWiggins Graphic, Dalum Papir, Denmark
• Bio-PAPPEL International, Prewitt Mill (formerly McKinley Paper), USA
• Cascades Fine Papers Group, Breakey Fibre Unit, Canada
• Holmen Paper Madrid, Spain
• Lwarcel Celulose, Lencois Paulista Mill, Brazil

Environmental Strategy of the Year - Sponsored by Cargill

• Holmen Paper Madrid, Spain
• Mondi SCP, Ruzomberok, Slovakia
• Smurfit Kappa Kraftliner, Pitea Mill, Sweden
• Sodra Cell, Varo Mill, Sweden
• Strathcona Paper, Napanee, Ontario, Canada

Efficiency Improvements of the Year

• BILT Graphic Paper Products (Ballarpur), Bhigwan Unit, India
• Domtar, Kingsport Mill, Tennessee, USA
• Klabin, Monte Alegre Mill, Brazil
• Middle East Paper Company - (MEPCO) - Jeddah Mill, Saudi Arabia
• Mondi, Syktyvkar Mill, Russia

The list is available online at: www.risiinfo.com/events/ppi_awards/2010_finalists.html

About the PPI Awards
Organized by RISI, the leading information provider to the global forest products industry, the PPI Awards program honors leadership, vision, innovation and strategic accomplishments within the pulp and paper industry. The PPI Awards are the only global awards dedicated to recognizing the achievements of companies, mills and individuals in the pulp and paper sector.

About RISI
RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the pulp and paper, wood products, timber, biomass, tissue, nonwovens, printing and publishing industries to help them make better decisions.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, RISI operates additional offices throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. More information can be found at www.risi.com .

SOURCE RISI

Domtar Corporation has announced that it has sold its Woodland hardwood market pulp mill, hydro electric assets and related assets, located in Baileyville, Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, to International Grand Investment Corporation (IGIC). The purchase price is for an aggregate value of US$60 million plus net working capital of US$4 million. All customary closing conditions have been met.

"The sale of the Woodland mill is part of our strategy to reduce our exposure to hardwood pulp markets; the majority of our market pulp activities are in softwood and fluff pulp grades," said John D. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Woodland, an early adopter of FSC(R) certification as well as ISO 9000 and 14000, has been responsibly manufacturing quality pulp for several decades. We concluded that this transaction was in the best interest of the company, in terms of strategy, and for the mill as it continues the employment of its dedicated workforce."

Woodland was Domtar's only non-integrated hardwood market pulp mill. It has an annual production capacity of 395,000 metric tons and currently employs approximately 300 people.

International Grand Investment Corporation (IGIC) is a U.S.-based Delaware registered company that represents international, individual investors in pulp trade and imports. This is IGIC's second pulp mill acquisition in the United States this year. IGIC is committed to maintaining and enhancing the Woodland mill's PEFC and FSC(R) certifications, to ensure sustainable and responsible fiber sourcing.

For IGIC media relations please contact Bert Martin at 207-316-8778.

About Domtar

Domtar Corporation (NYSE/TSX:UFS) is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity, and is also a manufacturer of papergrade, fluff and specialty pulp. The Company designs, manufactures, markets and distributes a wide range of business, commercial printing and publishing as well as converting and specialty papers including recognized brands such as Cougar(R), Lynx(R) Opaque Ultra, Husky(R) Opaque Offset, First Choice(R) and Domtar EarthChoice(R) Office Paper, part of a family of environmentally and socially responsible papers. Domtar owns and operates Domtar Distribution Group, an extensive network of strategically located paper distribution facilities. The Company employs over 8,700 people. To learn more, visit www.domtar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that are not based on historical fact are "forward-looking statements." While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of our control that could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth under the captions "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" of the latest Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC as updated by the Company's latest Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Unless specifically required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances.

SOURCE DOMTAR CORPORATION

Mr. Zakhar Smushkin, Board Chairman of Ilim Group, spoke at a plenary session of the Baikal Economic Forum in Irkutsk. His presentation was dedicated to investments into the forest products industry and ways to improve efficiency in using forest resources.

According to Mr. Smushkin, Ilim Group has already invested more than USD 130 million in purchasing high-performance harvesting, wood hauling, road construction and auxiliary equipment in Siberia, as well as in the construction of forest roads. These investments resulted in doubled production per unit of equipment, a 20% reduction in wood costs, and an increased output of saw logs. Moreover, working conditions in the forest were brought in compliance with the modern-day requirements.

The Company is currently implementing an investment project to install a new fiber line in Bratsk with the total amount of investments being USD 670 million. Ilim Group’s aggregate investments in the Irkutsk Oblast will exceed USD 860 million.

The Chairman of the Board has also covered some of the major issues the Company encountered while implementing this project, including lack of sufficiently experienced construction and installation companies in the region, as well as the need to engage additional workforce, since the peak phase of the project will require up to 1,500 people.

In the area of forest management, apart from the poor road infrastructure, Mr. Smushkin has stressed the issue of low yield of wood from a unit of timberland as compared with the industrially developed countries. A possible solution to the issues mentioned above would be to provide major forest products companies with the right to organize special-purpose harvesting operations on the leased timberland plots. This would allow them to increase harvesting volumes without leasing additional timberland plots, reduce harvesting and hauling costs, and improve forest regeneration quality. In 2010, Ilim Group launched a pilot project to introduce this concept in one of the forestries of the Irkutsk Oblast.

About Ilim Group
Ilim Group was registered in St. Petersburg on September 27, 2006. In 2007, the Group was joined by Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill, Bratsk Pulp and Containerboard Mill and Ust-Ilimsk Pulp and Paper Mill as the mills were converted to a single share. On July 2 Ilim Group started its activities as a unified company.
Production assets of the Group are structured on the production and geographical basis and include the following business units: “Ilim West” (North-Western Pulp and Paper Production), “Ilim East” (Siberian Pulp and Paper Production) and Corrugated Box business.
Business unit Ilim West includes Koryazhma Branch of Ilim Group (Arkhangelsk region), as well as timber suppliers and regional service companies in Arkhangelsk region.
Business unit Ilim East includes Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk Branches of Ilim Group, as well as regional logging companies and service companies.
Corrugated Packaging business unit includes 2 corrugated plants in Leningrad Region.
The company also includes centralized service providers to the Group’s branches and subsidiaries.

As economic activity picked up and world consumption rebounded, the pulp and paper industry ended the first five months of the year posting 45.7% growth of export revenues, according to the Brazilian Pulp and Paper Association (Bracelpa).

Traditional markets such as Europe and North America have been highlights for sales revenues as they regained their pre-crisis levels of demand. Brazil's trade surplus for the sector has reached US$ 2.1 billion up until May of this year.

Domestic pulp output for these five months rose 10.7% on the volume produced in the same period last year (5.3 million tons) to reach 5.8 million tons. Exports were 12.8% up on the same period of 2009.

Paper output reached 4.1 million tons in the first five months of this year, which was 8.2% more than the 3.7 million tons produced through May in 2009. From January through May, domestic sales of 2.1 million tons were up 11% on the 1.9 million tons sold in the same period of 2009.

source ATBCP

SCA has received The New Economy Carbon Leadership Award 2010 for best carbon reporting in Sweden. The award is hosted for the first time by British World News Media magazine “The New Economy”.

Award criteria
The New Economy Carbon Leadership Awards 2010 - SCAThe New Economy Carbon Leadership Award recognizes 39 global companies from 20 countries who have reached highest levels of excellence in carbon reduction and carbon reporting. “The winners are those who have gone far beyond their formal requirement for regulatory and voluntary frameworks. They are fully transparent in their disclosures and have shown best practice when interacting with investors and stakeholders”, explains Nelson Black, Project director for the awards.

With regards to the awards criteria, each criteria was scored up to 100 points. SCA overall score was 470 out of 600 which was one of the highest scores in Scandinavia. The award criteria were:

    * Regulatory risks/opportunities
    * Climate change risks/opportunities
    * CO2 targets
    * GHG accounting methods
    * Level of transparency and good governance
    * Developing technologies or services with a large positive environmental impact

Efficient analysis of data
In an article, Patrik Isaksson, Vice President of Environmental Affairs at SCA, gets to explain the reasons behind the award. “The resource management system (RMS) of SCA plays a crucial role in the company’s ability to make continuous reductions of its CO2 emissions.”

The system is designed in-house and deals with the systematic collection, analysis and presentation of many different sustainability data from SCA’s operations worldwide. The system has been in place since the late 1990s and it is verified each year by a third party.
CO2 targets identified

In addition to that, SCA began a group-wide effort to reduce the CO2 emissions as early as 2001 and in 2008 a quantified CO2 target was formulated.

More than half of the respondents to the latest Printing Outlook survey, published by the BPIF this week, have reported no change in trading conditions during the summer months. However the survey also revealed that a third of firms saw an improvement, with just 11% stating that the market had deteriorated in that period. The latest survey was carried out online during the period 1-13 September 2010 and consisted of 90 companies employing 10,197 people with a turnover of £1.2 billion

This positive balance of +22 is ahead of the good performance registered three months earlier and compares very favourably with the situation at the same time last year, when a negative balance of -12 reflected the market’s weakness. Trading conditions lived up to printers’ expectations this summer. Although the market is still in recovery mode, the majority of survey respondents forecast a stable autumn. Printing capacity utilisation has improved, with lead times beginning to lengthen. Even though two-thirds of firms are still working within a four-week time slot, this compares with 85% three months ago.

Both order levels and production have both responded to gradual market improvement, with almost two-fifths (39%) of print firms reporting an increase in domestic order levels during the summer. Although just 18% of print firms expect general trading conditions to improve, no less than 70% predict a rise in domestic order levels through the autumn months. A knock-on effect for output is predicted, with three-quarters believing production will rise.

There has been an unexpected cut in employment levels this quarter, with a third of printers shedding jobs. While the number of firms taking on more staff was close to that predicted, at19% compared with 18%, close to a third of firms cut the size of their workforce when only 12% had expected to do so. This negative balance was the worst reading for a year and is somewhat surprising given the recent recovery within the market place.

Some firms were able to raise prices, although others were forced to cut rates in order to compete for business. However there is positive balance between the two this quarter. Although this balance is a marginal one, it is first that the survey has seen for two years. The expectation of rising demand and the need to offset rising raw material costs has led to 31% of firms anticipating raising output prices during the autumn. At the same time though, 8% believe that they will have to reduce levels in the period.

Fewer firms reported narrower margins. Here the summer result once again ran close to forecast, with a balance of +1 versus a projection of –5 last time. This brought to an end nine consecutive surveys in which the numbers that saw margins narrow outweighed those that recorded improvement. Unfortunately though, profit levels are not benefiting from this: the number of firms making a loss this time actually grew, with 15% failing to make a profit compared with 3% at the time of the last survey.

Further paper and board price hikes are expected during the autumn months, whilst only a third of UK printers have been able to pass the full impact of rising paper prices on to their customers. Printers’ expectations that costs for their prime raw material would continue to rise during the summer were borne out, with no less than 89% having to accept increases. Further price pressure is expected over the coming three months by 81% of survey respondents, the remainder believing that prices will stabilise at existing levels. A further 57% managed to offset part of the additional charge by raising prices to some degree, while 10% swallowed the entire cost burden. More than half of firms revealed that print volumes have been unaffected by paper and board price increases. A further 36% were unsure whether print runs had suffered, which left 13% stating that volumes had been adversely affected.
Two-fifths of printers surveyed said that they had experienced a problem with supply shortages this year.

The survey reports mixed feelings among respondents regarding prospects for exports, as concerns regarding currency rates loom large. Conditions for exporting are set to deteriorate over the next three months according to the 44% of printers that export in sufficient quantities, with currency exchanges movements, price levels, delivery dates, and economic conditions in key overseas markets all cited as causal factors. At the same time, over a third of firms believe that conditions for exporting will actually improve.

The vast majority (91%) of firms surveyed are investing in plant and machinery, with 36% expecting to spend more over the coming 12 months. A further 62% of printers are looking to make alterations to existing buildings, with a balance of +11 set to spend more.

Print and packaging insolvencies are now below their equivalent 2009 level. Latest data from the Begbies Traynor Red Flag Alert statistics reveals that 70 print and packaging companies became insolvent in the second quarter of 2010, down from 111 in the preceding quarter. It seems likely that insolvencies will rise slightly in the third quarter of 2010 but it is perhaps more significant they should remain below corresponding figures for 2009 and 2008. Meanwhile the level of bad debt remains a cause for concern for many printers. Although some is evidence of an increase in the availability of credit lines with suppliers and bank lending, the financing environment remains poor and the cost of bank lending facilities continues to climb for those that have access to them.

Prospects for the autumn look reasonably good. The balance between those companies expecting an improvement in market conditions, as compared to those expecting deterioration, stood at +15. That said, almost four-fifths believe that the trading environment will be little changed. Reflecting a better overall situation this year compared to last, 56% of survey respondents believe that the coming three months will show an improvement on the same period in 2009.

Corporate Affairs Director Andrew Brown says “With the majority of respondents reporting stable or improved conditions over the summer, this quarter’s Printing Outlook results are very encouraging, as is the prospect of a further period of stability over the autumn. However the industry is still trading well below pre-recession levels and there are continuing uncertainties with regard to whether the improved UK economic conditions will hold up in the period ahead. Paper price increases, public sector cutbacks in print spend, and over-capacity leading to sub-cost pricing in the market all remain common causes for concern for our members, and profit levels remain weak.”

The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF)
The BPIF is the principal business support organisation representing the UK print, printed packaging and graphic communication industry. It is one of the country's leading trade associations. The federation strive to ensure their members’ requirements come first. Through listening to their needs they have developed an unrivalled range of products and services that go well beyond those provided by a traditional trade association.

They provide the highest standard of support for printers to grow and develop healthy, sustainable and profitable businesses, aiming to provide an environment geared towards their businesses success. The BPIF offer practical, value-adding solutions for all areas of a print organisation, ranging from Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality issues; with the implementation of HR requirements; provide resolutions of technical or legal issues; as well as advice and support on marketing, sales and finance. This is all delivered by individuals and teams of highly skilled and experienced print industry specialists.

New services recently launched include BPIF Insurance Service and the BPIF Financial Alliance to add to a wide range of business support services including healthcare and pensions. They also offer a wide range of opportunities for networking both regionally and nationally, including prestigious events, special interest groups and popular short courses on a wide range of topics.
For more information on the BPIF, visit: www.britishprint.com.

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is continuing its outreach programme to the publishing community by exhibiting at this year’s MediaPro 10 (Stand 42b) in order to promote the PEFC programme more widely to the creative community and the corporate print buying sector. Experts will be on hand to provide information on PEFC-certified and papers and the assurances that they can provide to discerning consumers and businesses who are demanding greener products.

With the majority of the UK’s leading paper merchants now able to offer a range of PEFC certified papers, it is no wonder that now almost 500 printers have been awarded PEFC chain of custody certification. PEFC recently re-launched its UK website and it now includes a database of certified printers and the range of service they offer – www.pefc.co.uk. This has proved to be very popular with visitors to the site demonstrating increasing print buyer interest in providing assurances to their customers of sustainable sourcing.

As a result, more and more publishers and brand owners are now opting to use the PEFC logo on their publications as an assurance of responsible paper sourcing.
Demand for the PEFC logo continues to grow, and this year alone has seen the PEFC becoming ever more visible, as trusted household names such as Argos, Boden, British Airways, First Choice, Matalan, National Westminster, John Lewis, Debenhams, Tesco, Asda, Nectar, Airmiles, Lakeland and most recently The Economist and The Big Issue have both used the PEFC logo on their customer-facing publications.

PEFC is a framework for the mutual recognition of credible national or regional forest certification schemes that have been developed based on internationally recognised requirements for sustainable forest management. Since its launch in 1999, PEFC has become the largest forest certification umbrella organisation covering national schemes from all over the world, delivering hundreds of millions of tonnes of certified material onto the global marketplace to meet the ever increasing demand for certified wood-based products.

PEFC now endorses twenty eight national certification schemes across the globe. The 220 million certified hectares managed by these member schemes are now delivering millions of tonnes of certified material into the global marketplace to meet the ever increasing demand for certified wood-based products.