Wood Weekly

Global Trade of Wood Chips Down 26% in 2009 as Pulpmills Reduce Production

Wood Weekly — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:51:32 +0000

Forest products market update – a news brief from Wood Resources International LLC The international financial crisis has put a damper on global trade of wood chips used for pulp manufacturing in 2009, reports Wood Resources International. The biggest decline has been in shipments from Australia, South Africa and Uruguay to Japan. Global trade of wood chips has increased on average four percent per year from 2004 to 2008 reaching a record 32 million tons last year. This upward trend was broken in 2009 with trade being down 26% during the first half of

Countervailing Duty Causing Border War

Wood Weekly — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:14:49 +0000

The heart of the dispute is the claim the Canadian lumber industry is unfairly subsidized by the federal and provincial governments. Specifically, most timber in Canada is owned by provincial governments. The price charged to harvest the timber (the “stumpage fee”) is set administratively rather than through a competitive auction,

O-I Opens New Mould Plant in Tianjin, China

Wood Weekly — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:44:43 +0000

Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) has officially opened a new mould plant in Tianjin, China, to supply moulds to O-I plants throughout the world. Located approximately 120 kilometers southeast of the Chinese capital Beijing, the O-I Tianjin Mould Co. Ltd. is one of the largest glass mould

Greycon Joins Industry Value Network Group for Forest and Paper

Wood Weekly — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:47:11 +0000

Leading Software Vendor Brings Expertise of Its Production Planning and Scheduling System to the Industry Value Network Group for Forest and Paper Greycon, a leading developer of optimization-based solutions for production planning, scheduling and execution in the paper, film and converting industries, today announced it has joined the prestigious Industry Value Network group for forest and paper. The group brings SAP customers together with leading-edge software vendors, technology

Orient Paper, Inc. Approved to List on NYSE AMEX and to Begin Trading on Thursday, December 17, 2009

Wood Weekly — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:36:58 +0000

Orient Paper, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ORPN) (“Orient Paper” or the “Company”), which controls and operates Hebei Baoding Orient Paper Milling Co., Ltd. (“HBOP”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of diversified paper products in Hebei, China, today announced that it has received authorization to list its common stock on the

Wood Pallets Harbor Deadly Food Poisoning Bacteria

Wood Weekly — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:27:31 +0000

In a random sampling of wood pallets used to ship food in Portland, ME, and Philadelphia, PA, numerous pallets tested positive for Listeria and abnormally high counts of bacteria that could potentially create health hazards for consumers. The new data bolster the findings of previous wood pallet testing conducted in

International Paper and Fibria Agree to Paper Machine Option Extension

Wood Weekly — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:26:38 +0000

International Paper (NYSE: IP) and Fibria (formerly Votorantim Celulose e Papel) have agreed to extend IP’s option to build a second uncoated freesheet paper machine at the Tres Lagoas mill site. This option, which would have expired on Jan. 31, 2010, has been extended until Jan. 31, 2013.

National Wood Flooring Association Aligns With Environmental Groups

Wood Weekly — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:18:11 +0000

The National Wood Flooring Association has announced that it has joined forces with several prominent environmental groups in an effort to create a program that recognizes the environmental attributes of wood flooring. Working with the Forest Stewardship Council-US and the FSC Family Forests Alliance, the NWFA created

Paper and Packaging Sector Struggles to Develop Talent Amid Drop in Demand and Global Competition

Wood Weekly — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:31:43 +0000

A recent survey from executive search and leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSII) shows that talent tops the list of concerns for executives in the North American paper and packaging sector, with only 4% believing strongly that their talent management is prepared for current challenges facing the industry.

“The talent crisis is occurring at precisely the time when the industry needs leadership the most,” says Jonathan Graham, the leader of Heidrick & Struggles’ Paper and Packaging Practice, which conducted the survey. The global paper and packaging industry is roughly $600 billion.

“As we head into 2010, paper and packaging companies are facing severe challenges on all sides. On top of reduced demand and skyrocketing costs is a global movement to develop more sustainable materials, spurred by events such as the Copenhagen climate conference. And these pressures are compounded by a hypercompetitive global environment as supply chains further expand into Asia,” says Mr. Graham.

Key survey findings include:

Talent and costs share top spot as primary concerns among executives: While materials cost has been a widely known drag on industry profits, the survey found that executives shared as great a concern about talent – ranging

Smurfit-Stone to Close Missoula, MT, and Ontonagon, MI, Mills

Wood Weekly — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:27:31 +0000

Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation today announced plans to permanently close its Ontonagon, MI, and Missoula, MT, mills, effective December 31. The Ontonagon mill ceased operations in September when it began taking market-related downtime. The Missoula mill will continue operating until December 31. The Ontonagon mill has 182 employees