POLAND
Jack-Pol starts up tissue PM in Olawa

Jack-Pol has brought on line a second-hand tissue machine at its converting facility in Olawa, southwestern Poland. The unit, which has a trim width of 2.45 m, can produce 50 tons/day of tissue from 100% recovered fibre. The firm hopes to reach the planned capacity by mid-year.

The PM's output will be further converted into commercial away-from-home tissue products, such as toilet rolls and towels. Some 60% of the total output will be sold to the local market, the rest will be exported to neighbouring countries. The cost of the investment is about €5 million.

Jack-Pol also owns an 8000 ton/yr tissue paper mill in Byczyna, southern Poland. News from RISI(www.risiinfo.com)

RUSSIA
SCA launches line for Tork ZZ-towel

On 31 March a new production line for ZZ-towels was successfully launched at SCA's Kamennogorsk mill. Locally produced ZZtowels are among the most popular Tork products in Russia.

Maxim Barkov, commercial director AFH Russia and CIS (Ukraine, Kazakhstan andBelorussia), and Andrey Dolgirev, productiondirector Russia,officially opened the new lineby cutting the red ribbon.

"With this new machine our production in Russia has reached a new quality level, and we can offer our clients local products of European quality. The launch of such an up-to-date localproduction proves the trend for the successful development of SCA in Region East and for strengthening our position in Russia and CIS," said Maxim Barkov.

The new machine will allow Tork to increase the local production capacities by several times. The machine runs up-to-date technology, while most of the operations are automatically run, thus increasing the production flow and product quality as well.

Currently, the new machine is producing only one-ply ZZ products, but two-ply production will be launched in May 2009 which will further diversify the local assortment of Russian Tork products.

FINLAND
Pöyry changes group's operating model

In response to the changed market situation, Pöyry has announced it is to change the Forest Industry business group's organization and operating model. Further capacity reductions will also be implemented.>

The aim of the measures is to concentrate competences, improve the efficiency of operations and to cut costs. The cost saving target for fixed expenses is about €30 million compared with the 2008 cost base. The cost saving target related to project activities will be defined in line with changes in the demand situation. The current target for capacity cuts and cost savings is estimated at about 12% excluding one-off restructuring expenses. Investment demand, especially for new pulp and paper projects in the Forest Industry business group, has remained weak in the first quarter. Chemical industry projects are also on hold. Investment decisions are being postponed or cancelled, and the implementation of approved projects remains uncertain. Investment activity is not expected to recover during 2009.

The operations of the Forest Industry business group will be improved by> consolidating the core competences in the Vantaa office in Finland. Process, technology, project management, basic engineering and quality assurance will serve the forest industry and chemical process industries worldwide out of Vantaa.

To improve its cost-competitiveness, the business group's detail engineering services will be gradually consolidated in the offices at Kouvola in Finland, Sao Paulo in Brazil, Lodz in Poland and Jinan in China. The objective of the new operating model is to offer clients effective integrated services, combining technology and process know-how with cost-efficient project implementation.

The Forest Industry business group's operating profit in 2009 is estimated to be slightly negative including non-recurring costs. The non-recurring costs related to the capacity reduction in Finland will be defined in detail as negotiations proceed.

The President and CEO of Pöyry PLC, Heikki Malinen, took over as of 24 April 2009 and until further notice the duties of the president of the Forest Industry business group beside his own position. At the same time the previous holder of the position, John Lindahl, has been appointed senior vice president, key account management of the Forest Industry business group. The search for a new president of the Forest Industry business group has been initiated.

RISI opens new office in Helsinki

RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, has announced it is opening a new office in Helsinki, Finland. The office will serve as an information base for RISI's Nordic clients as well as complement RISI's suite of global forest industry information products. Matt Graves, VP of International Sales said: "Finland has one of the strongest forest clusters in the world: many of the decisions that shape the global industry are made in Helsinki and in the surrounding Nordic region - RISI wants to be close to our valued clients in the region, supporting them with our market intelligence and information services. More than this, some of the world's best forest industry brains are located in or near to Finland and RISI is seeking to take advantage of this by creating a center of analytical excellence here in Helsinki, by drawing on that expertise."

RISI produces a wide range of news and analytical products covering European markets. These include the PPI Europe Newsletter, which provides industry news and prices; forecast services for both European Graphic Papers and Paper Packaging; and detailed mill cost benchmarking studies.

The new office is in Ruoholahti, at Tallberginkatu 2 A, 00180 Helsinki, Finland; telephone +358 9 348 9344. It is already staffed by an experienced paper industry analyst and engineer team: Sampo Timonen (graphic papers); Ville Henttonen (cost benchmarking); Jukka Kuntonen ( benchmarking). For more information, www.risiinfo.com.

ITALY
Open house at Futura and Toscotec





SCA to close mill and cut jobs
In line with SCA's overall goal to increase the efficiency in its supply chain and lower costs, SCA has announced a new supply chain structure for its tissue operations in Italy, including the closure of the Pratovecchio mill. Measures are also being taken at the company's plant in Orléans, France, which will improve efficiency.

After an extensive evaluation of SCA's Italian supply chain operation, a new structure has been developed to improve performance. As a result, all finished product manufacturing for Italy, including the production for folded products, rolled products and coloured mother reels, will be consolidated in the Lucca area. The closure of Pratovecchio mill, located inthe Arezzo area and equipped with one paper machine and nine converting lines, affects 128 permanent employees in Italy. In late 2007, SCA announced a restructuring program withthe aim of reducing some 100,000 tons of capacity in total by 2010.

In addition to the new supply chain set-up for Italy, SCA will restructure its Orléans mill located in France to improve competitiveness. As a result, 44 positions are affected.

UK

Clowning around at Spooner Industries It's a far cry from the celebrity jaunts organized by US majors, but Spooner Industries head office staff raised £315 in support of Comic Relief as they took time out to celebrate Red Nose Day on Friday 13 March. Highlight of the day was when two of the directors were put in the stocks for a soaking by staff throwing wet sponges. In the run up to Red Nose Day, employees had been asked to vote for the director they would most like to see soaked by putting donations in nominated jars. Sales and marketing director, Steve Newell, was the clear favourite, with over £169 in his jar, but gallant managing director, Mike Brook, who came a poor second with only £36, offered to join Steve in the stocks for an extra £25 collection from the crowd.

Fourstones orders £200,000 rebuild
Manchester-based engineering company, Parsons Reiss, has been commissioned to complete a £200k rebuild of a tissue machine for the Fourstones Paper Mill in Hexham, Northumberland. The investment by the 245 year-old mill will include the installation of a re-engineered cantilevered fourdrinier section, originally built in 1997 by Parsons Reiss, and a new press felt transfer section.

The mill produces a range of creped papers including highly absorbent cellulose wadding, tissue and towelling grades for the away-fromhome market, wet-wipe base paper, interleaving papers, filter papers as well as a range of heavily creped packaging papers. The single paper machine, with an untrimmed width of 2.34 m, produces creped paper of 17-140 g/m2 with MD stretch values ranging from 10% to 100%. Peter Duxbury Fourstones Paper Mill's managing director, said the rebuild would yield "major benefits in terms of product quality and machine efficiencies and the design of the machine frames will allow much easier and faster clothing changes, giving not only financial benefits, but also improving the safety of our employees during felt and wire changes."


New CEO appointed at LPC Group
The LPC Group has appointed Peter Spencer as its new CEO. Amin Tejani from the founding family that owns LPC says Spencer "will be looking into reviewing and improving the systems and processes at LPC so that we can build on our already impressive international capabilities and meet the increasing demands from our customers."

Spencer's previous positions include group president of Teleflex Automotive (sold to Kongsberg Automotive in 2008), managing director of Scotsman Beverage Systems, chief executive of electro-mechanical manufacturer Howard Anderson Group and eight years at Ford Motor Company.

SLOVENIA
Paloma aims to raise share capital

Slovenian tissue company Paloma Sladkogorska has decided to invite participaton to an increase in its capital needed "to improve the operational and financial position of the company, ensure the company's future growth and development of its brand."

It is offering the possibility of a controlling stake in the company to the successful bidder. Interested parties should submit a statement on their willingness to participate in the increase in share capital of Paloma by midday Friday 15 May 2009, it says.

Detailed information and conditions of participating in the increase in share capital of Paloma were published in daily Slovene newspaper Dnevnik on 10 April 2009 and are on the company's website www.paloma.si. The company describes itself as a "provider of high quality hygienic paper products that improve the quality of everyday life in the consumer and AfH segment. Paloma has a strong foothold with well-known brands in Eastern Europe and is known as a reliable and flexible partner to the customers all over the Europe. The market success of its products is built by maintaining complete control over quality and by focusing on its customers and business partners.

"Our quality can be proven through the certificates: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. A key element of the company's reputation is its high recognition of the needs of the society in which it operates. Paloma became the recipient of the European Daisy, which European Union gives to products with decreased negative effects on the environment and contribute to the responsible use of energy resources. Concern for global environment has driven it even further, this is to market the products which consist of FSC certificatedraw materials.

"Paloma's mission in brief is to offer a wide spectrum of high quality products with minimal impacts on the environment and to increase long-term value for the owners, while ensuring the employees creative and highly motivating working atmosphere. Our vision is to be a significant regional producer with the leading brand name in the eastern part of Europe and reliable supplier in the private label segment."

SWEDEN
Metso reduces workforce by 45 people

Metso has concluded employee negotiations regarding reduction of personnel at Metso Paper Karlstad, Sweden. As a result the company will reduce its workforce by 45 persons. The company's operations are part of Metso's Tissue business line and Paper business line.

The reduction is part of the capacity adjustments and relocating of operations initiated within Metso's Paper and Fiber Technology segment. The primary reason for the rearrangements is the weakening of the global market situation. Operations must be downsized and made more flexible to handle changes in the market.

The personnel negotiations started on 19 January and concluded on 23 March. The reductions will start by 19 May and will be finalized by the end of 2009. The one time costs related to these arrangements are not expected to be material for Metso.

Metso Paper Karlstad currently employs close to 500 people in Karlstad. The unit supplies technology and services for the global tissue making industry and for the Scandinavian paper and board industry. Altogether Metso employs more than 3100 people in Sweden.

SPAIN
Gomá-Camps buys stakein AMS-Paper

Spanish company Gomá-Camps has bought a stake in Portuguese tissue paper producer AMS-Paper Mill and Converting. The size of the stake was not disclosed.

AMS-Paper Mill and Converting increased its capital toward the end of last year and Gomá- Camps bought the extra shares for an undisclosed amount. AMS-Paper Mill and Converting now has three main shareholders: Gomá-Camps, Grupo Mateus and Simao Rocha. The firm has renamed itself AMS Gomá-Camps following the transaction. Gomá-Camps is a Spanish family-run integrated tissue paper manufacturer with two production sites in Spain and converting facilities in Spain, Portugal and France. "We will benefit from the knowledge from Gomá-Camps in this field,"

AMS Gomá-Camps's general manager Jose Miranda told RISI. "We will get stronger and we will get much more competitive in our approach to the market." AMS Gomá-Camps is forging ahead with its plans to build a new €50 million tissue mill at its greenfield site in Vila Velha de Ródão, Portugal. The firm is currently building the facility that will house the 110 ton/day PM. "We are now preparing the civil works and we will start to install the paper machine at the beginning of April," Miranda said. Start-up is scheduled for August.

Toscotec is supplying most of the equipment, including the 2.82 m wide tissue PM, which will have a speed of 2000 m/min, as well as a stock preparation line for virgin pulp.

The pulp will be supplied by Altri's Empresa de Celulose do Tejo (Celtejo) mill. The machine will also be able to operate with recovered paper.

The plant will produce both jumbo reels for local converters as well as finished products and provide the Iberian and North African markets with a wide range of products including facial tissue, napkins, toilet tissue and towels. The mill will also supply Portuguese-speaking African countries.

AMS Gomá-Camps will be active both in the consumer market and in the away-fromhome sector. The firm has already selected the suppliers for the converting lines, but their names are confidential for the time being. AMS Gomá-Camps is a recently established company. This will be its first venture into tissue production. News from RISI(www.risiinfo.com)