"Is AbitibiBowater irrelevant? Are we all in the pulp and paper industry?"

Note: Emails are organized in the order received, with first received at the top.


Regarding your commentary on the lack of coverage of the Abitibi Bowater bankruptcy filing, I have to respectfully disagree. As a company with a vested interest in the successful re-organization of Abitibi Bowater, I have been following closely the downward spiral of Abitibi Bowater into Chapter 11 protection in the US and its equivalent in Canada. Through the use of Google Alerts, I have received on-going news regarding Abitibi Bowater, and on April 16, I received notice of articles from Bloomberg News, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Toronto Globe and Mail and numerous local papers in the regional areas where Abitibi Bowater has facilities, particularly the at-risk sites in Canada.

That being said, I generally enjoy your commentary.

Best Regards,

Alex Vegega
Pennsylvania, USA

---

I don't think I made myself clear, Alex. Yes, if you were looking for this information, it was quite easy to find. But for the general public, it never appeared on their radar.

Jim

***

Don't buy coastal property... you may end up with dry land, miles from the beach...

The "mainstream media" missed the latest results that Antarctic Ice is actually INCREASING. That will lower water levels.

http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=3766

Larry Wells
Atlanta, Georgia USA

***

USA today is not the place for real news. NY Times or Wall Street ---
before they close down.

Regards,

Allan Wong
Westmount, Quebec, Canada

***

Dear Jim,

Your statement, "now....is probably not a good time to be innovating...", summarizes the whole problem with the pulp and paper industry - no innovation when they were making money, no innovation when they're broke! Over the last four years, PureVision Technology, Inc. approached many of the largest North American pulp and paper companies...In spite of successful demonstration[s], there was no interest or appetite on pursuing new pulping platforms. As we can see/learn with the bankruptcy of AbitibiBowater, recognition of the need for innovation was lacking. Dinosaurs died out because they couldn't adapt. Today's pulp and paper industry will and should share the same fate if they take your advice.

Carl Lehrburger, Founder & COO
PureVision Technology, Inc.
Fort Lupton, Colorado, USA

***

Carl, I think you took me out of context in the big picture. Over a very long period of time, I have ranted and railed about the lack of innovation in our industry. Please take a look at the PM40 to see what I mean. The industry's peak performance in this cycle was in August 2007.

Jim

***

Hi Jim,

You are totally right. Paper Industry is non-existent in general public even not in the minds of the people. Forest sector is ranked second at Austria's foreign trade balance - but nobody within Austria is aware of this fact - sometime you might have the feeling even not the sectors its selves...

Markus Sommerauer
Baeckerberg, Austria

###

Have a comment? Send your email to jthompson@taii.com. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will assume we can use your name if we publish your letter.

A convenient shortcut: