Paper

Nine Dragons set to invest in US production capacity over the next two years

ND Paper, the Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois-based subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Ltd., says it will invest $300 million over the next two years in its Rumford, Maine, and Biron, Wisconsin, mills. ND Paper purchased those mills from Canada-based Catalyst Paper in June 2018.

The company says its strategic review of the new mills led it to “a multifaceted investment strategy that diversifies the United States mills’ product mix, increases their overall production capacity and fundamentally improves their viability for generations to come.”

The Rumford mill will see an anticipated $111 million investment to finance two projects, including the construction of a greenfield recycled-content pulp facility. The pulp line will add approximately 1,200 air-dried metric tons per day of manufacturing capacity to the site, ND Paper says.

The Rumford site also will install a shoe press on a paper machine to increase its production capacity by about 20 percent.

“I want to thank ND Paper for its continued investment in Maine,” says Gov. Paul R. LePage. “This $111 million investment will lead to the creation of 50 new jobs and is a great example of ND Paper’s commitment to improving the overall competitiveness and stability of the Rumford mill. The investment also is likely to help retain jobs for the Rumford mill’s 650 current employees.”

In Wisconsin, ND Paper’s Biron Division will commission several projects at a cost of $189 million. Those projects include converting a paper machine to containerboard products and constructing a two-line greenfield recycled-content pulp facility. The pulp lines will add approximately 1,900 air-dried metric tons per day of capacity to the site, according to the company.

Also being funded is the construction of a water treatment and fiber recovery plant, a package boiler to provide energy, storage facilities for raw materials and a finished goods warehouse.

“I want to commend ND Paper for making the decision to expand their operations in Wisconsin,” says State Sen. Patrick Testin of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. “These major projects will help retain 350 family supporting jobs and create another 27 new jobs right here in our area.”

“We invest for the long-term,” says Ken Liu, CEO of ND Paper. “While strongly supporting our global fiber strategy, this suite of projects also dramatically improves the sustainability of these historic mills.”

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Bio Pappel US paper mill to begin operations next year

McKinley Paper Co., a subsidiary of Mexico-based Bio Pappel, plans to begin production at its Port Angeles, Washington, mill by September 2019, according to an article by Peninsula Daily News. 

Earlier this year, McKinley Paper had pushed back its plans to reopen the paper mill that it originally purchased in March 2017.

According to Peninsula Daily News, McKinley Paper plans to produce 250,000 tons of containerboard at the mill, which doubles its domestic capacity and brings its total annual capacity to 2 million tons in Mexico and the U.S. The company says it plans to start production by September 2019.

McKinley bought the mill from Nippon Paper Industries USA for $20.6 million in March 2017 and is retooling it to manufacture containerboard from recycled cardboard. 

ISRI’s Paper Stock Industries Chapter rebrands

Paper Stock Industries (PSI), a national chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI), Washington, has launched a multimedia rebranding campaign. The campaign focuses on PSI’s four key strengths of providing its members with advocacy, standards, training and networking. The chapter is promoting those key messages through print ads in industry trade publications, digital ads on its websites, a signature email banner for PSI members and printed fliers distributed at industry events.

PSI will introduce the various parts of the campaign in stages over several months.

“PSI offers invaluable benefits to its members, and this campaign tells prospects how PSI can give them a competitive edge to help them achieve even greater success,” says PSI Communications Committee Chair Nancy Womack.

The rebranding campaign kicks off with a print ad that promotes PSI’s key strengths, along with a series of ads that explain each strength in detail. The ad on standards notes PSI’s leadership in developing and refining specifications for grades of recovered fiber, promoting safe bale-loading procedures and outlining contract standards. Similarly, the advocacy ad recognizes PSI’s role in promoting the paper recycling industry on the state, national and international levels.