Apex North America has been granted its first US patent for its Genetic Transfer Technology (GTT). The GTT Anilox technologies have been recently introduced into the niche towel, tissue and napkin market. The company has also appointed newcomers David Root, David McBeth, Mark Sherk and Douglas Burich to spearhead its American business. Root concentrates on the towel, tissue and napkin sector. He told TW: “GTT was developed as a viable solution from the standard conventional cell anilox geometry.”
Södra has raised the price of its softwood pulp to US$ 890 in Europe. The increase took effect as of 1 May. In a statement, the company said: “The market balance has been improved during the first quarter 2013, which has resulted in lower global market pulp stock levels for softwood pulp.” The company declined to comment further at this time. Fibria has raised the price of its bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) pulp prices worldwide. The company has increased prices by $30/tonne in all markets as of 1 May. This takes the prices in North America to $900/ tonne, in Europe to $850/tonne and in Asia to $750/tonne. The last price increase announced by Fibria was for March volumes.
Metso has received an order for a complete tissue production line for Syktyvkar Tissue Group in Russia. The new tissue machine will be installed at the company’s new site in Semibratovo, located some 220 km from Moscow. The start-up of the machine is scheduled for mid 2014. The value of the order was undisclosed. The order follows the previous Metso installation of an Advantage DCT 100 tissue machine in 2007 and a major tissue machine rebuild during 2012.
Realcarta has boosted its production capacity after it inaugurated an Amica Matrix converting line for industrial products at its production site in Perugia. The line is dedicated to the converting of tissue products for professional, industrial and sanitary use. The new line was installed alongside a start-stop line already in production, an IR 505 with industrial log saw LS 33 also supplied by PCMC.
Cascades has announced that its chief operating officer Mario Plourde has succeeded Alain Lemaire to become president of the company. The transfer took place on 9 May following a two-year transition period. Since his arrival at Cascades in 1985, Plourde has occupied various positions including controller, plant manager and general manager.
APP China has started up two large tissue paper machines at its Haikou mill on China’s southernmost island of Hainan, with a combined capacity of 120,000tpy. The two identical crescent formers, dubbed PM 21 and PM 22, came online on February 21 and March 20 respectively, said a company spokesman. The two PMs were supplied by A Celli, each having a width of 5.63m and a design speed of 2,400m/min, with a capacity of 60,000tpy.
