Mondi’s DNS color print and DNS for HP Indigo available via new channels.

Mondi, a leader in the packaging and paper industry, announces that it has new stockists for its papers in the UK with immediate effect. Mondi’s DNS color print – has now been listed with the AIMS group, while DNS for HP Indigo is available via Elliott Baxter.

“Extending our involvement with a world class paper manufacturer like Mondi is another positive step forward for AIMS and its 10 members across the UK and Ireland. DNS color print is a leading European digital paper brand with an unrivalled reputation for reliability and trouble free running on a vast array of digital printing devices,” said AIMS Chairman Mike Windett. “I am sure our customers will be delighted that they will soon be able to source this top quality uncoated digital grade from their local AIMS member,” concluded Mr. Windett, commenting on the imminent addition of Mondi’s DNS color print to AIMS’ burgeoning range of digital papers.Mr. Windett. Formed in 1982, AIMS is an association of 10 independent paper merchants located throughout the UK and Ireland.

Elliott Baxter also commented on their listing of DNS for HP Indigo, saying “We’re excited to take on such a known and valued brand as DNS for HP Indigo and Mondi is a strong and reliable partner to have on board. We’re expecting strong interest in the market,” said Sales and Marketing Director Chris Sandwell, from Elliott Baxter.

“Given all the changes on the market, we’re really happy that we can announce our new stockists for Mondi’s DNS brands in the region. It is our top priority at the moment to ensure continuous availability of the Mondi brands known and valued in the UK market. We’re looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with the AIMS group and Elliott Baxter,” said Johannes Klumpp, Sales & Marketing Director, Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper.

For more information please visit our online dealer locator under www.mondigroup.com/dealerlocator

www.aimsgroup.org.uk

www.ebbpaper.co.uk

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 located 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® 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.

First partnership of its kind in the fine paper industry
Two world-class paper manufacturers to share manufacturing facilities,
expertise and proprietary technologies

Mohawk, North America’s largest privately-owned manufacturer of fine papers, envelopes and specialty substrates for commercial and digital printing, and Arjowiggins Creative Papers, the world’s leading manufacturer of creative and technical papers with manufacturing facilities in Europe and Asia, have announced a unique and exclusive alliance, effective May 12, 2015. Through this exclusive arrangement, Mohawk and Arjowiggins Creative Papers will share best-in-class manufacturing capabilities, facilities, technologies, sales and marketing resources and expertise.

The alliance is unprecedented in the paper industry, especially for two brands which previously acted as competitors. Arjowiggins and Mohawk are like-minded fine paper manufacturers with legendary brands that have driven the premium paper segment for over a century. The companies share core values of heritage, innovation, operational excellence, craftsmanship, safety-focused manufacturing, environmental commitment and social responsibility.

A mutually beneficial exchange of expertise in manufacturing, sales and marketing

Under the terms of the agreement, Mohawk will have exclusive rights to manufacture Arjowiggins Creative Papers’ luxury packaging products, Delos and Butterfly, as well as rights to license, market and distribute these and other select Arjowiggins Creative Papers luxury packaging products to design, packaging and print professionals in North America. 

Delos is a recognized leader in its field in Europe and, together with Butterfly, it is used in the luxury packaging market by well-known global luxury brands where the highest standards of quality, cleanliness and foldability are demanded. The innovative and traditional characteristics of these Arjowiggins Creative Papers products attract these very demanding brands, which do not ever compromise on quality.

Likewise, Arjowiggins Creative Papers will have exclusive rights to manufacture Mohawk Superfine with iTone®, as well as rights to license, market and distribute the product through selected merchants.

Mohawk Superfine, developed in the late 1940s, has long been the fine paper of choice selected by the world’s leading brands, graphic designers, and fashion houses. World-renowned brands including Tiffany, Herman Miller, Aveda, Honda, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales and the world’s best graphic designers specify Mohawk Superfine for high-end communications, premium envelopes, fine stationery and luxury packaging.

Mohawk has, over the years, been a key player in the digital printing market with its proprietary i-Tone® technology. The specially formulated treatment has a unique affinity for both wet and dry toners resulting in consistent, high fidelity image quality and consistent tone for digital printing presses. Mohawk Superfine with iTone®has earned the reputation in the digital printing world for delivering superior print results and high performance.

According to Thomas D. O’Connor, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Mohawk, “Today’s business climate requires successful companies to exhibit flexibility, agility and adaptability to remain competitive and profitable.  There’s been a considerable amount of consolidation in the North American and European paper industries, but there’s never been a collaborative effort like this on an international level.”

O’Connor added that, “Mohawk’s alliance with Arjowiggins Creative Papers is a groundbreaking move to grow our businesses through better utilization of our respective sales, operational, marketing and manufacturing assets, without requiring a lot of additional investment. Arjowiggins has long been a respected leader in the fine paper and luxury packaging markets, and this exciting collaboration will celebrate our companies’ unique strengths and allow sharing of best practices and technologies. Ultimately, this union creates the largest premium paper and luxury packaging manufacturing entity in the world.”

Arjowiggins Creative Papers will share unique capabilities and paper manufacturing equipment with Mohawk, including a twin wire machine capable of sophisticated processes resulting in ultra-heavy weight papers with variable finishes. Mohawk will provide manufacturing expertise and will grant Arjowiggins Creative Papers exclusive rights to manufacture the legendary Superfine grade and proprietary i-Tone® surface treatment.

For Jonathan Mitchell, Managing Director at Arjowiggins Creative Papers, “This unprecedented ‘transatlantic’ alliance is a real exchange of expertise in fine papermaking between two well established paper manufacturers. Mohawk’s i-Tone is arguably the world’s best technology for digital presses, so we are delighted to be able to offer this technology in our product portfolio, starting with Superfine. We are happy as well to develop our very strong packaging brands in the US market through this alliance with Mohawk. A worldwide collaboration on this scale will bring unique and far-reaching benefits, not only for our customers, but also for our companies.”

Innovative Technologies and Best-in-Class Manufacturing

Arjowiggins and Mohawk are committed to manufacturing excellence, the heritage of fine paper and a culture of innovation. Sharing best in class manufacturing practices and technologies will allow each company to expand into new markets with the most diverse offering of fine papers in the world.

A Shared Commitment to Environmental & Social Responsibility

In addition to a shared heritage of craftsmanship and fine papermaking, Mohawk and Arjowiggins also share a deep commitment to environmental and social causes. This commitment will only be reinforced with this very promising and groundbreaking strategic alliance.

ABOUT ARJOWIGGINS CREATIVE PAPERS

With a history of fine paper making dating back to the 18th century, Arjowiggins Creative Papers is a well-known and established name in the paper industry.

Today, Arjowiggins Creative Papers is one of the world’s leading fine and technical papers manufacturers, offering a very wide range of papers for various applications. Products in the Arjowiggins Creative Papers portfolio continually achieve best-in-category performance for paper capability and print performance. Some of its most prestigious brands include Conqueror, Opale and Inuit for brand communication; Curious Collection, Keaykolour, Pop’Set Rives for luxury applications; Guarro Casas and Delos, specially developed for binding and luxury packaging, and most recently, POWERCOAT®, specially adapted for Printed Electronics.

The company has sites in the UK, France, Spain and China. All mills are FSC certified and ISO14001 accredited. The AWCP portfolio of global brands is available in 116 countries worldwide giving them unrivalled international presence.  AWCP products are sold through the paper merchanting network to local printers. 90% of markets are serviced via AWCP's sister company Antalis - the world’s second largest merchant group and first in Europe, while a network of local, independent merchants supply printers in the remaining markets.

Clients, including distilleries in Scotland, exclusive international cosmetics brands, leading fashion houses from the catwalks of Milan and Paris, high-end French perfume brands, Swiss watchmakers, French Champagne houses and Europe’s leading purveyors of fine jewellery all choose these beautifully crafted papers to reflect the quality and tradition of their world famous brands.

Innovation and respect for people, for tradition and for nature are the main driving forces behind the company. Arjowiggins Creative Papers is known for some of the most innovative and unique creative papers in the market, for example it explores the use of alternative materials, such as fast-growing and renewable bamboo fibres or by-products from the food industry, to create the most interesting textures.

One of the company’s missions is to offer the highest-quality and most environmentally–friendly papers available. Since June 2008, the entire range of Creative Papers – including Conqueror, Keaykolour, Opale, Curious Collection, Inuit, Pop’Set, Rives and Sensation – has been FSC-certified.  Recycled versions of some Creative Papers products are also available. The range uses the whitest, cleanest FSC-certified de-inked pulp. Arjowiggins Creative Papers also intends to reduce the carbon footprint of its papers, and launched carbon-neutral versions of its Conqueror papers in the UK in 2007, and Germany in 2008.

For more information, please visit www.arjowigginscreativepapers.com

ABOUT MOHAWK

Mohawk was founded in 1931 in upstate New York, where the Hudson and Mohawk rivers converge. The company began when George O’Connor acquired the Frank Gilbert Paper Company at the beginning of the Great Depression, and subsequent generations of papermakers have honed their craft manufacturing fine papers in the company’s two New York State paper mills.

Mohawk is a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated business based in Cohoes, New York, with global sales and operations located throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Today, the company is a thriving business with a global presence and expanding markets. Mohawk serves customers in over 60 countries worldwide, with international sales offices located in Europe and Asia.  With a culture of innovation, the company is well positioned to grow in an industry undergoing dramatic change by expanding into businesses and markets beyond paper manufacturing to seize new opportunities.

Mohawk is North America’s largest privately-owned manufacturer of fine papers and envelopes which are preferred for commercial and digital printing, photo specialties and high-end direct mail. Mohawk fine papers and envelopes include the signature brands Mohawk Superfine® and Strathmore®, as well as proprietary treatments Inxwell® and i-Tone®. With a culture of innovation, Mohawk’s business model now extends beyond paper manufacturing into major areas of growth, including digital substrates.

Environmental commitment, social responsibility and corporate stewardship are woven into the fabric of Mohawk’s culture and business practices. As a leader in environmentally and socially responsible business practices, Mohawk was the first U.S. manufacturer of commercial printing papers to match 100% of its electricity with wind power renewable energy credits and the first U.S. premium paper mill to shift toward carbon neutral production. Mohawk’s portfolio of recycled papers is certified by Green Seal and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Mohawk takes pride in the company’s numerous environmental partnerships and certifications, including longstanding alliances with: the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partnership, The EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership, Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Marketplace, Green Seal, andThe Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). 

For more information, please visit www.mohawkconnects.com.

With a continued sharp focus on operational excellence priorities, Catalyst Paper (TSX:CYT) today announced improved operating performance for the first quarter of 2015.

Adjusted earnings before tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were $14.0 million compared to $6.8 million in Q4 2014. Excluding specific items, our net loss was $12.6 million compared to a net loss of $10.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2014. In the first quarter, we incurred $1.4 million on transaction costs to complete the acquisition of the US mills and $5.5 million on integration of the mills. Free cash flow was negative $8.1 million, compared to negative $12.2 million in the previous quarter. We ended Q1 with total liquidity of $101.6 million.

Improved operating results were driven by Catalyst's Canadian operations, which delivered performance improvements, including significantly better paper productivity and strong cost control related to maintenance and labour spending. Results were buoyed by the declining Canadian dollar but challenged by lower paper transaction prices.

For the US operations, investments were targeted at accelerating the integration process, and establishing the structures and systems to support the company's expanded North American business. Results in the quarter were negatively impacted by exceptionally cold weather.

"The leadership changes and investments we made in the past 18 months are delivering step change performance improvements in Canada," said Joe Nemeth, President & Chief Executive Officer. "We're applying the same approach and sense of urgency in our US operations, and with the majority of strategic investments and integration costs behind us by the end of Q2, we believe we will have a strong second half."

Quarter Highlights

The Canadian operations had a strong first quarter. Paper productivity increased by 2.8% compared to Q1 2014, after adjusting for the indefinite curtailment of the No. 9 paper machine at Powell River. Performance improvements were led by the Powell River division, which reported a step change in safety performance, machine productivity and cost control, as the mill implemented a comprehensive revitalization initiative to support its long-term sustainability.

The Canadian operations also maintained a diligent focus on mitigating the ongoing challenge of increasing hydro-electricity rates in British Columbia. The Canadian mills' energy management program yielded a net benefit of $3.6 million in the first quarter.

A key focus in Q1 was the integration of the US mills and the establishment of a regional sales, marketing and order fulfilment office in Ohio. With the acquisition, the company has inherited strong specialty paper brands that will be strategically marketed given their high-profile marketplace presence and customer acceptance.

Selected Financial Information

Market Conditions

Market conditions remained challenging as North American demand for the company's paper grades decreased from the previous quarter, leading to increased inventory levels compared to Q4 2014. The decline in demand was most significant for directory and newsprint, products which continued to be displaced by digital alternatives. Capacity closures, however, led to strengthening operating rates and improved pricing in the first quarter for coated groundwood paper. While NBSK shipments and benchmark prices for China declined in the first quarter, the weakening Canadian dollar more than offset any price decline in the quarter.

Outlook

Second quarter earnings are expected to be negatively impacted by higher power costs for our Canadian operations due to an announced hydro-electricity rate increase, maintenance spending related to a major maintenance shut at our Rumford mill in May, integration costs related to our US paper mills and market curtailments.

The curtailments at the Port Alberni and Powell River mills will remove production of more than 18,000 tonnes, while the curtailment at the Rumford mill will remove production of 25,000 tonnes. These curtailments are scheduled to be concurrent with planned maintenance outages to minimize the impact on costs and operations.

We expect that the investments made in the first half of the year in our US operations will benefit our results in the second half, as we improve margins from efforts to drive down operating costs, harmonize brands, improve product mix, and leverage synergies related to distribution and logistics.

Further Quarterly Results Materials

This release, along with the full Management Discussion & Analysis, Financial Statements and accompanying notes are available on our web site at www.catalystpaper.com/Investors. This material is also filed with SEDAR in Canada and EDGAR in the United States.

About Catalyst Paper

Catalyst Paper manufactures diverse printing papers such as coated freesheet, coated and uncoated groundwood, newsprint, directory, as well as market pulp. Customers include retailers, publishers and commercial printers in North America, Latin America, the Pacific Rim and Europe. With five mills across North America, Catalyst has annual production capacity of 2.3 million tonnes. Catalyst is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada and is ranked by Corporate Knights magazine as one of the 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada.

Forward-Looking Statement

Certain matters in this news release, including statements with respect to general economic and market conditions, demand for products, pricing expectations, anticipated cost savings and capital expenditures, are forward looking. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain assumptions including assumptions as to future economic conditions, demand for products, levels of advertising, product pricing, ability to achieve operating and labour cost reductions, currency fluctuations, production flexibility and related courses of action, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate. Such forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in these statements, including those risks and uncertainties identified under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Catalyst's Management's Discussion and Analysis contained in Catalyst's annual report for the year ended December 31, 2014 available on the company's website at www.catalystpaper.com/investors and at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE Catalyst Paper Corporation

A stark vision in red, set against the verdant greens of the Helvellyn peak in the Lake District, a bridge made entirely from paper takes its place in the British countryside to defy both belief and gravity.

20,000 sheets of poppy red paper and 4 tonnes of stone drawn from the river bed are all that environmental artist; Steve Messam is using to create PaperBridge, a stunning intervention into one of Britain’s most dramatic landscapes.  This remarkable, weight-bearing paper bridge, resplendent in red, will straddle a flowing waterway in the beautiful Lake District as part of Lakes Ignite from Friday 8 May 2015.

Using traditional stone bridge building methods, starting with stone-filled cages to root the structure to the ground at either side of the river, before using an innovative wooden form to shape the arc of the paper, Messam uses no adhesives or fixings to keep the paper in place. The design of the form comes courtesy of Peter Foskett, formerly of the renowned Pentagram design agency, who has designed it to be raised fractionally towards the end of the construction to ensure a smooth, compact arch as the final sheets of paper are inserted.

Supplied by one of Britain’s oldest and locally based paper manufacturers, James Cropper, the paper is more commonly found in packaging for luxury brands than in the construction of all-weather, rural bridges. The challenge of ensuring it stands up to all elements, from the weather to curious animals, has not been lost on the artist, who has been careful to ensure that the environmental impact of the installation is close to zero, by selecting colour-fast papers and using stone found only on or near to the site itself.

Steve Messam says: “PaperBridge relies on vernacular architectural principles as used in the drystone walls and the original pack-horse bridges that dot the Lake District, using gravity and the pressure between the sheets of paper to form a strong structure. These have stood, in many cases, for more than a century so the principles of its design ensure it is strong enough to take the weight of people and local livestock if they become curious. None of the red colour will run into the water or surrounding earth and the paper will comfortably stand up to expected weather conditions.”

Anticipated to confuse and delight walkers who encounter it for around ten days, the installation is one of a series of temporary cultural installations set to appear in the Lake District National Park through 2015, commissioned by Lakes Culture. Sited at a stream above Patterdale in Cumbria, the location is deliberately remote, ensuring that visitors can enjoy it in peace and consider the contrast of the construction to the unspoilt, natural setting.

Usha Mistry, Project Manager for Lakes Culture, says:‘’PaperBridge is a unique large-scale temporary installation made entirely from bright red paper traversing a flowing river in the iconic Lake District landscape as part of ‘Lakes Ignite’, Lakes Culture’s showcase spring arts programme. As part of the programme Lakes Culture, working alongside some of the region’s key arts organisations, has commissioned a number of unique art pieces: Harmonica Botanica, Point To Point, Take Me Back to Manchester film, as well as PaperBridge. This is part of a pro-active project that demonstrates how this unique area has resonated with artists in the past and continues to inspire makers and performers working across a vast array of art forms, firmly emphasising the Lake District’s important role within the UK’s rich cultural life.’’

The PaperBridge concept has been in development for a number of years, but the organisation of the paper sheets to form the bridge takes just a matter of hours once initial onsite preparations have been made. A short period of testing makes the bridge sound for intrepid visitors to take their first steps over a river on nothing but paper. Once the installation has come to its end, the paper will return to James Cropper Paper in nearby Burneside, Kendal for recycling.

Chris Brown, Commercial Director for James Cropper Paper comments: “Paper has so many surprising qualities and uses, but PaperBridge takes the sheer weight of our product and lets nature do the rest. It’s a brilliantly simple idea that takes real ingenuity to pull off, so all credit to the artist in achieving what appears to be the impossible. The choice of colour, a stark red that won’t run into the water beneath, is an inspired choice and we’re very pleased that the paper will return to us to be recycled to support inspirational projects for other artists or designers.”

To find out more about art and culture in the Lake District, Cumbria or about ‘Lakes Ignite’ please visit www.lakesculture.co.uk and https://twitter.com/LakesCulture

To find out more about the work of the environmental artist, Steve Messam, and to follow project updates please visit www.stevemessam.co.uk/paperbridge and www.twitter.com/rougeit

To find out more about James Cropper Paper and the art and design projects they support, please visit: www.jamescropper.com

ABOUT LAKES CULTURE/LAKES IGNITE

• Lakes Culture aims to bring together the area’s tourism and cultural sectors to better promote the wealth of cultural activities on offer reaffirming the area as the UK’s leading rural cultural destination.
• The Lake District is one of only ten locations in the country to benefit from Cultural Destinations initiative a focused programme set up by Arts Council England and VisitEngland. The aim of Cultural destinations is to enable arts and culture organisations working in partnership with destination organisations to increase their reach, engagement and resilience through working with the tourism sector. Closer working between the two sectors will contribute to the economic growth of the cultural and tourism visitor economies.
• Organisations involved in the project include Kendal Brewery Arts Centre (Lead Organisation), Lakeland Arts, Kendal Arts International, Wordsworth Trust, Theatre by the Lake, The Forestry Commission - Grizedale, Cumbria Tourism, The National Trust, Lake District National Park and South Lakeland District Council.
• The Lakes Culture project will also form a supporting strand of the World Heritage Status bid to be submitted by the Lake District National Park and partners.

 ABOUT JAMES CROPPER & TECHNICAL FIBRE PRODUCTS (TFP):

James Cropper is based in the Lake District, England’s first and foremost National Park, with a paper-making heritage that started in 1845. Since its inception the business has been carefully stewarded and nurtured by six generations of the Cropper family.

Today the business is renowned globally for its luxury packaging papers, which accompany many of the world’s most exclusive brands, while the world’s leading artists, galleries and museums use its framing and archival boards alongside its range of conventional artists materials.  As well as paper products, James Cropper also manufactures nonwovens from carbon, glass and polymer fibres, which play a key part in production of composites in the automotive, energy and aerospace sectors.

Technical Fibre Products (TFP) is a leading nonwoven manufacturer, offering a broad range of high quality, technically advanced nonwovens which can be customised to meet specific application requirements. Established nearly 30 years ago, TFP primarily operates within the automotive, and aerospace composite markets while also providing effective solutions in the defence, energy, consumer electronics, industrial, construction and healthcare markets. Utilising extensive materials knowledge within polymers, particulates & speciality fibres together with high specification lamination, metal fibre coating and converting capabilities, TFP provide a wide range of customised solutions.

The Rottneros Board has decided to make the first investments of 180 MSEK to increase production capacity at both the Group mills, Vallvik Mill and Rottneros Mill, to ensure continuous progress and growth.

This means that the new plan prepared by management, Agenda 500, starts immediately. Agenda 500 is a long-term industrial plan to increase the capacity of the Group through successive investments. Investments are made in renewed production equipment and organization to increase capacity and eliminate bottlenecks in the two mills.

The long-term objective is to expand Rottneros’ total capacity to reach a business volume of at least 460,000 tons of pulp annually, compared to the 345,000 tonnes produced last year. The rate of the investments will be determined by Rottneros’ ability to allocate the increased volumes in the market.

The total framework amounts to around SEK 800 million for the whole Agenda 500 divided into SEK 400 million medium-term and SEK 400 million in the longer term.

“We are very pleased with the positive development within Rottneros and the implementation of Fokus 15. Agenda 500 builds on our successful focus on high-quality pulp and we look to the future with great confidence”, says Chairman Rune Ingvarsson.

Rottneros’ CEO Per Lundeen, who together with the management teams at the two mills has developed Agenda 500, is convinced that the operations will gain significantly from continued investment and development of the niche strategy.

"The Vallvik Mill and Rottneros Mill produce high quality and specialized pulp and they have been very successful with their market positioning towards more and more specialty products. The success of our specialty products has created resources and given us the courage to take this step and thus secure the future of the Rottneros Group and the two mills." says Per Lundeen.

For further information, please contact: Per Lundeen, CEO Rottneros AB, +46705183347

The first quarter was strong for the Rottneros Group due to a number of positive factors. Profit after net financial items was SEK 103 million, an improvement of SEK 83 million compared with the same quarter in 2014. Currencies and the pulp market were the main drivers of the favourable earnings trend compared with the first quarter last year, but our internal improvement programme continued to deliver results to produce a substantial boost to earnings. A large portion of the improvement in earnings is attributable to increased sales and production in particular. We are also extremely pleased to see that both plants are delivering good profitability and substantial improvements in earnings.

• Profit after net financial items amounted to SEK 103 (20) million for the first quarter of 2015, our best quarterly performance in the current structure.
• Net turnover for the first quarter is SEK 454 (380) million, a 19% increase.
• Production volumes increased by 10% compared with the first quarter of 2014.
• The PIX price in USD declined during the first quarter and amounted to an average of USD 907. In Swedish kronor the price rose nine per cent compared with the fourth quarter in 2014 due to the favourable trend for the USD. Compared with the first quarter of 2014, the price increase in SEK is about 28%.
• Cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK 64 (9) million for the first quarter of 2015 and SEK 159 million on a rolling 12-month basis, compared with SEK 104 million for the full year 2014. Interest-bearing receivables as of 31 March were SEK 116 (-25) million.

Customer demand for our grades of pulp is stable. However, we have seen some pressure on prices during the quarter, mainly driven by an increased supply. Translated into SEK, prices continue to be high thanks to the appreciation of the USD.

Several planned measures to improve availability were carried out during the autumn maintenance shutdown at our mills were carried out during the autumn maintenance shutdown at our mills, resulting in higher production volumes during the first quarter. Compared with the corresponding quarter last year, production increased by 10 per cent for the Group. Rottneros Mill was the strongest performer here, with an impressive 19 per cent increase in volume.

I am glad that the Board of Directors of Rottneros has decided to approve the first investments of approximately SEK 180 million to launch Agenda 500, which is a long-term industrial plan to increase the capacity of the Group through gradual investments. We are investing in renewing production equipment and the organisation to increase capacity and building out to ease the bottlenecks in the two mills. The total plan is about SEK 800 million for Agenda 500 in full, divided into about SEK 400 million in the medium term and SEK 400 million in the longer term. The pace of the investments will be determined by Rottneros’ ability to allocate the increased volumes in the market.

We have a strong starting position for the rest of 2015. A weakly negative price trend has been offset by the continued strong USD. Our dedicated employees are working hard to run and develop the business in order to gradually increase volumes and achieve more efficient production. I look forward to the coming year and the strategically important development steps that we have now begun to implement.

Per Lundeen

(For complete interim report see attached file)

International technology Group ANDRITZ recorded a solid business development in the first quarter of 2015.

The key financial figures developed as follows:

• Sales amounted to 1,404.3 million euros (MEUR) and were thus significantly higher than the reference figure for the previous year (+15.2% versus Q1 2014: 1,219.5 MEUR). All business areas, particularly PULP & PAPER, recorded a significant increase in sales.
• The order intake, at 1,430.6 MEUR, reached a satisfactory level. However, it was 17.9% below the extraordinary high reference figure of the previous year, which had included large orders in the HYDRO and PULP & PAPER business areas (Q1 2014: 1,742.2 MEUR).
• The order backlog as of March 31, 2015 slightly increased to 7,785.6 MEUR (December 31, 2014: 7,510.6 MEUR).
• The EBITA amounted to 73.4 MEUR (Q1 2014: 48.6 MEUR). Earnings were thus 51.0% above the low reference figure of last year, but still failed to reach a satisfactory level, as did the EBITA margin at 5.2% (Q1 2014: 4.0%). This is mainly attributable to temporary exchange rate differences from negative market values from project-related currency hedges that will balance out by the time the orders are completed/paid. Excluding these market values, the EBITA margin of the Group would have amounted to 6.1%.
• Net income amounted to 44.0 MEUR (+112.6% versus Q1 2014: 20.7 MEUR).

On the basis of the current order backlog, ANDRITZ expects a slight increase in sales and net income in 2015 compared to the previous year.

Full report can be downloaded below

For further information, please contact:
Michael Buchbauer
Head of Group Treasury, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Phone: +43 (316) 6902 2979
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The ANDRITZ GROUP
ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors. The publicly listed technology Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, and has a staff of almost 25,000 employees. ANDRITZ operates over 250 sites worldwide.

Annual and financial reports
The annual reports and financial reports of the ANDRITZ GROUP are available as PDF for download at www.andritz.com. Printed copies can be requested by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Disclaimer
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements”. These statements, which contain the words “believe”, “intend”, “expect”, and words of a similar meaning, reflect the Executive Board’s beliefs and expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

The company disclaims any obligation to publicly announce the result of any revisions to the forward-looking statements made herein, except where it would be required to do so under applicable law.

Log arrivals to China surged in March with an increase of 76% over the previous month. This came after almost a year of declining log imports, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. New Zealand and Australia increased their volumes the most, together accounting for a record-high share of over 50% of the total import volume. Log import prices have trended downward since early 2014 and were in March 15% below the price a year ago.

Log import volumes to China typically increase in the month of March every year and 2015 was no exception with a 76 percent jump from the previous month. The softwood log imports reached 2.9 million m3. This is the highest monthly volume since early in 2014, and incidentally, is also higher than the monthly average over the past two years, as reported in the upcoming issue of the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ).

With the Russian ruble falling in value by over 50% over the past six months, there were expectations by some market observers that Russian exporters would increase their export volumes substantially in 2015, but that has not yet happened. In the first quarter of 2015, Russia actually exported fewer softwood logs to China than in the previous quarter, and comparitively, shipments were almost 15% below the 1Q/2014.

As indicated in the latest issue of the WRQ, there are numerous obstacles to Russian log exporters increasing export volumes in the short-term. These include inadequate ability to promptly increase timber harvests when opportunities arise, limited access to logging equipment, insufficient infrastructure, lack of loggers and truckers, and logistical bottle necks in the entire supply chain from the forests to the ports. As a consequence, many logging companies and sawmills have had difficulty taking advantage of the improved export market opportunities so far.

Rather than a surge in softwood logs from Russia entering the Chinese market, log exporters in New Zealand and Australia increased their shipments by 250% and 165%, respectively from February to March. Combined, the two countries supplied over 50% of Chinese log imports in March, a record high share for the Oceanian log exporters.

While log import volumes to China surged in March, prices did not. The average import price was actually at the lowest level since 2010. Prices for imported softwood logs have trended downward for almost a year and were in March of this year 15% lower than in March of 2014. North American logs have the highest costs, while Australia and New Zealand are on the lower end of the cost scale.

Global lumber, sawlog and pulpwood market reporting is included in the 52-page quarterly publication Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). The report, which was established in 1988 and has subscribers in over 30 countries, tracks sawlog, pulpwood, lumber and pellet prices, trade and market developments in most key regions around the world. To subscribe to the WRQ, please go to www.woodprices.com

Contact Information
Wood Resources International LLC
Hakan Ekstrom
Seattle, USA
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www.woodprices.com 

PT Suparma Tbk's new tissue line came on stream in Surabaya, Indonesia two days ahead of the schedule, on April 8. The Advantage DCT 100 tissue machine, supplied by Valmet, increases the company's production of bathroom tissue, towel and diaper tissue for the Indonesian market, by 25,000 tonnes per year. The new tissue line fulfills the company's ambition to produce sustainable products of high quality in a cost-efficient way.

"Working together with Valmet has been a priceless experience, and we learned a lot during the project. Valmet is known to be the leader in paper machinery and we are proud to own one of their machines. It is undeniable that Valmet managed to deliver a state of the art machine. During the initial run we managed to produce commercial grade tissue on the second day. It was a pleasure to work together with Valmet's team and we are pleased with the result," says Edward Sopanan, Director, PT Suparma Tbk.

Valmet's and PT Suparma's start-up team

"It is a pleasure to work with PT Suparma. The PT Suparma's team is skilled and determined, and they take pride in what they accomplish. The good interaction between our teams, from project start to installation and start-up, was the key to success," says Stefan Ziegel, Project Manager, Valmet Tissue Mills business unit.

Technical information of the new line

Valmet's delivery included a complete high-speed tissue production line featuring an Advantage DCT 100 tissue machine equipped with an OptiFlo headbox, a cast iron Yankee cylinder and an Advantage AirCap Yankee hood. Valmet has also supplied part of the stock preparation equipment as well as basic engineering, installation services and start-up of the machine. 

The new line has a width of 2.75 m and an operating speed of 1,600 m/min. Raw material for the new production line is virgin fiber and recycled fiber.

Information about the customer PT Suparma Tbk

PT SuparmaTbk was founded as a paper and board producer in1976. The company established its first tissue machine in 2007 and is today a well-known supplier of high-quality board, laminated wrapping kraft and tissue paper for the Indonesian market as well as the Asian, Australian and African markets. The company employs 1,800 people and produces over 200,000 tonnes of paper per year. PT Suparma Tbk is registered on the Indonesian Stock Exchange.

For further information, please contact:

Ingmar Andersson, Sales Manager, Tissue Mills business unit, Valmet, tel. +46 705 17 13 90

Stefan Ziegel, Project Manager, Tissue Mills business unit, Valmet, tel. +46 705 17 12 31

Valmet Corporation 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.

Xerium to Participate at ANEX 2015 Nonwovens Exhibition and Conference in Shanghai, China and AFCP Jornadas Celulosico Papeleras 2015 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Xerium Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:XRM), a leading global provider of industrial consumable products and services, is participating at two upcoming industry trade shows.

• ANEX 2015 Nonwovens Exhibition and Conference in Shanghai, China May 13-15. Xerium will showcase its latest machine clothing and rolls technology at Booth W11 in Hall 1 at the Shanghai World EXPO Exhibition and Convention Center. In addition to the exhibit, Mr. James Taylor, Global Director Sales & Marketing for Specialty Products & Services, will present a technical paper titled “Xerium Engineered Fabrics, Belts, and Roll Products for Enhanced Web Production.” Mr. Taylor will also review the company’s newly developed SMART^®Technology now operational for nonwoven converting applications. With over 560 SMART Technology installations worldwide on paper, packaging, and other industrial machines, Xerium has now successfully applied the real-time dynamic nip monitoring technology on nonwoven fabric machines. Mr. Taylor will deliver the presentation on May 13, 2015 from 2:10 – 2:40 PM at the Technical Conference.
• AFCP Jornadas Celulosico Papeleras 2015 in Buenos Aires, Argentina May 13-15. Mr. Leandro Antonio Raimundo, Sales Manager – Export, will present a paper titled “New Technologies in Roll Covers – Polyurethane and SMART Roll” from 5:00 – 5:30 PM on May 13, 2015. The conference is located at Parque Norte – Golden Center // Av. Cantilo y Av. Guiraldes in Buenos Aires.

ABOUT XERIUM

Xerium Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:XRM) is a leading global provider of industrial consumable products and services. Xerium utilizes a broad portfolio of patented and proprietary technologies to provide customers with tailored solutions and products integral to production, all designed to optimize performance and reduce operational costs. Xerium has 26 manufacturing facilities in 12 countries, two new plants under construction in 2 countries and employs approximately 3,100 employees.

Source: Xerium Technologies, Inc.

Xerium Technologies, Inc.
Steve Cole, 336-260-4672
Director – Global Marketing
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