OMET EXPANDS INTO SWEDEN AND ESTONIA
Offlex OY, which already represents Omet in Finland,
has been officially appointed as the new distributor
for Sweden and Estonia. The company will represent
the sales and service interests of the Italian press
manufacturer’s range of machinery for the converting
and tissue sectors.
The decision to extend Offlex OY’s territory was
based on the positive results that the Finnish distributor
has achieved in its domestic market.
BIM CREATES COMPANY IN SPAIN
BIM, the surface treatments to the pulp and paper industry,
has continued its expansion in Europe
with a creation of a new local operation, BIM Spain SL
in Barcelona.
“A Spanish company will make it easier for us to
serve our current and future customers in Spain from
a local base”, says Carlos Rodrigues,
MD BIM Spain SL.
“This set up perfectly fits BIM’s expansion
strategy in Continental Europe and will provide our Spanish
customers with a support from the entire BIM. This is
also in line with our strategy to be a customer-intimate
company, close to our customer with a highly motivated,
innovative and market driven organization”, says
Luc Gruner, MD BIM Kemi AB.
With this new company BIM has European local operations
in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, UK, Belgium, Portugal,
Czech Republic, France and Spain.
DOW CORNING LAB DEDICATED TO RECYCLING INNOVATION
Dow Corning has opened its Recycled Fiber (RCF) Lab in
Barry, Wales, UK. Dedicated to innovative recycling technologies
and products, the facility is expected to help processors
meet tightening environmental regulations, contain costs,
and improve product quality. Functioning primarily in
a screening role, the new laboratory will help Dow Corning
quickly identify the best potential new product candidates
for extensive production-scale trials and commercialization. “In
this lab setting, we can conduct very efficient initial
testing on a wide range of potential product formulations,
under varying conditions,” observed John Francis,
Dow Corning Pulp & Paper application engineer and
RCF technical leader. “We can accurately simulate
many different applications, such as newspapers and lower-grade
writing papers, which are a primary market for recycled
fiber.”
METSO PAPER TO ESTABLISH NEW SERVICE CENTER IN GUANGZHOU,
CHINA.....
Metso Paper will establish its second Service Center
in China. The center, which will be located in Guangzhou,
Guangdong province, will provide advanced machinery maintenance and
process development services to the pulp and paper making
industry in southern China. The value of the investment
is close to Euro 10 million.
The new greenfield Service Center will be operational
in 2008. In the beginning, the center will employ 40
service professionals - recruiting of personnel is ongoing.
The Guangzhou Center will feature a fully equipped roll
service workshop providing rolls, roll covers as well
as mechanical roll maintenance for all makes and sizes
of pulp and paper machines. In addition, the center will
offer a full scope of spare part and mill site services.
Establishment of the new Guangzhou Service Center is
a natural continuation to Metso's commitment to serve
the Chinese pulp and paper industry locally, said the
company. In line with this, Metso Paper is also strengthening
its existing service operations in China. The Wuxi Service
Center that was opened in Jiangsu province in 2001 will
double its roll service capacity by opening an extension
in October 2007.
....AND OPENS ROLL SERVICE
CENTER FOR IBERIA
Metso Paper has opened a Roll Service Center in Zaragoza,
Spain. The new roll service center is a joint venture
between Metso Paper and SAICA (S.A. Industrias Celulosa
Aragonesa) and will serve pulp, paper, tissue and boardmakers
in the Iberian Peninsula. An inauguration ceremony took
place in Zaragoza on February, 26.
The maintenance cooperation between Metso Paper and SAICA
started in March 2005, when the two companies founded
the joint venture company Scandinavian Mill Service S.L.
(SMS S.L.). SMS S.L. has a long term agreement with SAICA
to provide maintenance for their two paper mills in the
Zaragoza area. SMS S.L. belongs to Scandinavian Mill
Service group, which is a Metso Paper subsidiary and
specializes in operating and developing mill maintenance
in the pulp and paper industry.
The new roll service
center is a strategic investment for Metso Paper. From
the start of the joint venture, it was agreed that, in
addition to SAICA, service offerings would also be directed
to other customers in the Iberian Peninsula. Metso Paper
currently employs almost 200 people in Zaragoza and has
invested in new state-of-the-art equipment. Metso Paper
has also strengthened its local aftermarket sales organization
in Spain and Portugal.
Until now the joint venture offering has included mill
maintenance, e.g. mechanical, electrical and automation
maintenance capabilities and workshop services, such
as servicing paper machine components. The new roll service
center adds roll grinding and scheduled maintenance as
an important extension to this scope.
SAICA describes itself as Spain’s leading manufacturer
and seller of paper for corrugating with five production
centers in Spain and France and an annual production
capacity of 2 million tons. SAICA is a family owned company
employing some 6,500 people.
W+D SETS UP IN MALAYSIA
Winkler+Dünnebier AG in Neuwied, manufacturer of
envelope and handkerchief machines, has opened a subsidiary
enterprise in Malaysia. The company operates under the
name of W+D Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd. and offers new machines
and services for Asian customers.
“Thus we respond to our customers’ needs
and can better benefit from the region’s potential
of growth,” said Dietmar Kurz, chairman of the
board of executives of Winkler+Dünnebier. Kian Hu
Ong, former agent for this area, will manage the new
wholly owned subsidiary enterprise. “With Mr. Ong
as expert we have got the best preconditions to also
reach the upcoming markets in the complete Asian region”,
concluded Kurz. On the very first day the chairman of
the board of executives got in touch with the customers
to invite them to an Open House Event in the new business
premises to demonstrate the newly developed basic machine
W+D 320. Kurz welcomed a large number of visitors from
the region and emphasized once again that besides new
machines, W+D is dedicated to services such as training
courses, service and spare parts.
NALCO AND DEGUSSA ENTER STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP FOR TISSUE
MAKERS
Nalco Company and Degussa GmbH's Goldschmidt Industrial
Specialties have entered into an agreement for Nalco
to be the exclusive distributor of Degussa’s tissue
additives in Europe and exclusive agent in the NAFTA
region.
Degussa additives include softeners and debonders. Nalco’s
SMART Solutions®'ae for Softness provide an integrated
matrix of mechanical, operational and chemical solutions
to help tissue manufacturers achieve their desired degree
of tissue softness and meet production goals.
Stuart Passantino, global strategic business leader for
Tissue and Towel Grades for Nalco said: “With Degussa’s
products in our offering bundle, we have expanded the
chemical programs we can offer to our customers along
with our process and paper machine expertise.” Yvonne
Deac, global marketing manager Textile/Tissue, Goldschmidt
Industrial Specialties from Degussa added, “This
strategic relationship is a unique combination of powerful
chemical, mechanical and operational background; innovation
and mill service that enables two strategic partners
to deliver the best solutions to customers in line with
the challenging needs of the tissue market worldwide.
Tissue producers and mills can benefit from our globally
available specialty product range, including our well-known
tissue wet-end and topical softener and softener/debonder
brands, complemented with Nalco’s mechanical, operational
and chemical approach.”
