Week of 6 July 2026: Housekeeping Month

I was asked to go to upstate New York many years ago and evaluate a couple of old mills seeking a second tier of financing. I arrived at the appointed day and time. From the looks of the place, you would have thought that I was three weeks early. I say three weeks for I believe it would have taken at least three weeks to get the place to a minimum level of acceptable housekeeping. Mills are dirty for many reasons...

Life is Short

Live, love, be kind to others. Remember, life is too short and fragile to not do that.

Taking Out the Trash: Housekeeping as a Competitive Advantage

Most people know about honeybees and how a beehive operates. There's the queen that rules the hive. There's worker bees that go out and gather resources during the summer, and store up the honey for the winter. Then over the winter, the colony hunkers down. But what you may not know is that beekeepers watch their hives on the first warm day after winter, to learn if a hive has survived, because honeybees are meticulous housekeepers. Honeybees take out the (hive) trash on the first warm day to keep their hive perfectly spotless. Housekeeping is always top priority for honeybees. And today we will examine why housekeeping should be among your top priority for your mill as well.

Digital Dementia

We're all susceptible to Digital Dementia. Even NASA couldn't remember how they got to the moon on 4 kilobytes of RAM. At least that's what I heard. For the Boomers, GenX, and Millennials...remember when we all used to maintain a physical address/phone book decades ago? We still do, in a sense, maintain those databases of contacts, but we're digital now. It's just as important to do so now as then, however, it so much easier.

The Nucleus of Industry 4.0

The human race has been in an eternal search for the laws of nature. There came a time when the idea of the atom originated. People like Becquerel, Rutherford, Chadwick, Curie, Einstein, and others studied and tested to better understand the atom until the time came that we knew enough about it that we can use it, for better or worse. The result of this yielded capabilities such as the following...

[Adv.] Essco Incorporated - Doctor Blade Manufacturing & Expertise

(Adv.) SAP offers you an easy direct link to their breaking developments

FSEA Announces 33rd Annual FSEA Gold Leaf Award Honorees

Winners Celebrated at 2026 Print Embellishment Conference

Two Sides North America Launches Redesigned Love Paper Website, Inviting Everyone to Discover, Create, and Fall in Love with Paper

The updated website is a celebration of paper's past, its present, and the countless ways it shows up in everyday life.

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Fiber Processing

Steam and Condensate Chronicles

Where is Jim this week?

As I travel, I am always looking for someone to go to dinner with, share a barbeque sandwich lunch and so forth.

Miami student receives Paperitalo Publications endowed scholarship

Katie Bielecki, right, is shown receiving the Paperitalo Publications endowed scholarship from Steve Sena at the Miami University Paper Science & Engineering Foundation Meeting in 2026. Katie is a rising Junior, Chemical Engineering student. She participated in the SASI workshop during J-term (winter semester) and is interning with Smurfit Westrock in Evadale, Texas, this summer.

Tiger Group Offers OCC Pulp Mill Packed with Late-Model Equipment

Sale by Tiger and partner Can-Am Machinery features pulping, drying, baling and other assets from a fiber-processing and pulp-production plant in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Forklift operator suffers medical emergency; hazmat response triggered by odor at Nippon Dynawave facility in Longview

One person was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning, July 1, after what initially appeared to be a hazardous materials incident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company facility in Longview, the site of a deadly chemical tank implosion in May.

Washington AG's office will probe if criminal activity led to Nippon Dynawave Longview paper mill tragedy

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown's office has been granted authority to help investigate whether any criminal activity contributed to last month's deadly disaster at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging paper mill in Longview.

Gresham House Completes Acquisition of Majority Interest in Molpus Woodlands Group

Completion of the acquisition brings Molpus Woodlands Group into Gresham House's global forestry platform, creating one of the world's largest timberland investment managers

Suzano and Kimberly-Clark launch Arbex, a new global leader in tissue and hygiene

$3.4 billion joint venture between Suzano and Kimberly-Clark launches independent operations and reveals key corporate details

Mercer International extends Mercer Rosenthal maintenance shutdown to all of September 2026

Mercer International Inc., a global forest products company with operations in Germany, the U.S., and Canada, announces that its German pulp mill, Mercer Rosenthal, will extend its maintenance shu

Södra increases the share of recycled material in packaging to 70 percent

Södra is taking the next step towards more circular flows in timber packaging. By switching to a new plastic solution, the share of recycled material increases from 50% to 70%, while strengthening the supply chains.

Explosion sparks fire at ARAUCO facility in Arkansas; no injuries reported

When crews arrived, they found heavy fires burning in the "bag house" silos outside the building and immediately began attacking the blaze. As additional personnel arrived, firefighters entered the facility and located fire in the plant's sander machine.

Stora Enso and ByggPartner collaborate to aim for carbon emission reductions

Stora Enso's first global project with fully electric truck deliveries of Sylva™ cross-laminated timber (CLT) elements has been taken place in Sweden.

International Paper to close four North America facilities

The company plans to cease its preprint operations at its Richwood, KY facility, and close its Aurora, IL sheet plant and converting plants in Elk Grove, CA and Barrington, NJ by the end of the third quarter 2026.

The Saica Group is accelerating the decarbonisation of its Nogent-sur-Seine site with the commissioning of a new biomass boiler

Representing an investment of €86 million, this new facility, designed to produce green energy, replaces the old natural gas boilers, enabling a drastic reduction in the site's carbon footprint.

Former Graphic Packaging CEO Mike Doss to lead International Paper spinout

The appointment of Mike Doss as CEO of Global Cellulose Fibers comes as a class action lawsuit questions his actions during his final year at the helm of Graphic Packaging International.

Södra has appointed Cecilia Karlsson as new Chief Financial Officer

Cecilia has extensive experience in the finance area. She most recently held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Öresundskraft and has previously held similar roles at IKEA and Findus, as well as having many years of experience at McKinsey. She holds a Master of Science in Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology.

Beech Island, South Carolina crews battle fire at Kimberly-Clark facility

Beech Island fire crews responded to a confirmed fire at the Kimberly-Clark facility in Beech Island Thursday afternoon, June 25,according to officials.

UFP Industries: Deckorators Opens Its First Northeast Manufacturing Plant

Lackawanna, New York, facility adds 50 new jobs and doubles production capacity for the brand's Surestone technology decking products

Rayonier Advanced Materials Completes Previously Announced Employment Inducement Award for President and Chief Executive Officer

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. announced the completion of the grant of the employment enducement award to Daniel M. Krawczyk, President and Chief Executive Officer, as previously disclosed in the Company's current report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on June 22, 2026.

What the Suzano-Kimberly-Clark Joint Venture Means for the Market

Suzano and Kimberly-Clark, a global leader in the consumer staples industry, announced in early June the creation of a US$3.4 billion joint venture focused on the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of consumer and professional tissue products, such as toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, and facial tissues, in over 70 countries. Suzano will acquire a 51% interest in the new entity, with Kimberly-Clark holding a 49% interest.

Tiger Group Offers OCC Pulp Mill Packed with Late-Model Equipment

Sale by Tiger and partner Can-Am Machinery features pulping, drying, baling and other assets from a fiber-processing and pulp-production plant in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Nippon Dynawave Longview paper mill implosion: What 3 investigations are examining

Federal investigators have embarked on the monthslong probe into the fatal disaster at Nippon Dynawave Packaging, interviewing workers and reviewing company records as they seek to answer why a 900,000-gallon tank containing a caustic chemical failed so catastrophically.

Mativ Announces Appointment of Seasoned Finance Executive to its Board of Directors

Hausmann is currently the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Interface, Inc.

UPM achieves a Platinum rating from EcoVadis and an A score from CDP for its supplier engagement

Among more than 150,000 companies assessed, only the top one percent achieved Platinum status.

Brands face growing demands on packaging - Metsä Board rethinks packaging development with a new design studio in Milan

Metsä Board opens a new packaging design studio in Milan, Italy, on 2 July to accelerate packaging development with customers, especially in its key European markets.

Graphic Packaging Releases 2025 Impact Report, Highlighting 880 Million Plastic Packages Replaced With Paperboard Innovations in 2025

Company reports nearly 1.9 billion plastic packages replaced over two years and continued progress toward Better by 2030 goals.

Amcor partners with Kelpi to advance next-generation barrier materials for fiber packaging

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has announced a collaboration with U.K.-based startup Kelpi to explore next-generation coating technologies designed to enhance the performance and sustainability of packaging materials

Forbes again names Smurfit Westrock as one of the world's most successful companies

The prestigious ranking measures global impact and financial strength and is determined by criteria including sales, assets and market value.

Fibre-based food packaging set to lead by 2045 as barrier innovations accelerate and regulation tightens, new study reveals

A new study from UPM Specialty Materials and global consultancy Smithers points to changing dynamics in the food packaging landscape, with fibre-based materials taking the leading share by 2045, recycling rates climbing toward 37%, and a regulatory landscape where sustainability becomes a strict government mandate.

Metsä Group to deploy next-generation AI for tissue converting and wood procurement

Metsä Group will deploy next-generation artificial intelligence across its mills and wood procurement operations, focusing initially on productivity in tissue converting lines and on optimising the routing and use of wood from forest to mill.

Pulp and Paperworkers' Resource Council workers visit Capitol Hill to discuss policies

Approximately 85 American workers employed in the U.S. forest products industry descended on Washington, D.C., this week and made more than 539 visits with members of Congress and administration officials. Their goal was to educate elected officials on the impacts of legislative and regulatory decisions on the environment and on the families and communities that depend on forest products manufacturing for their livelihood.

Workers at Mill Rock Packaging vote to join Teamsters Local 117

Workers at Mill Rock Packaging have voted unanimously to join Teamsters Local 117. The material handlers will join an existing bargaining unit of press and assistant press operators, floor help, pre-press, plate makers, and sheeter operators at Mill Rock who previously joined the union.

Ahlstrom continues to support UNICEF's education work through Ahlström Collective Impact

Ahlstrom, a global leader in fiber-based specialty materials, reinforces their support of Ahlström Collective Impact, a unique collaboration model bringing together an Ahlström network of companies, foundations, and family members to expand access to education and advance children's rights.

Pregis Opens Customer Experience Centers in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Creating More Access to Customers Nationwide

While Pregis IQ® remains at the core of the engineering-backed design and testing service offered by Pregis, the new Customer Experience Centers give customers across the East, Midwest and West a place to see much of the company's portfolio in person, participate in hands on product demonstrations and evaluate new ideas.

Student Spotlight: Junior Naomi Halphen of Georgia Tech

Paperitalo Publications interviewed Naomi Halphen, and we asked her a few questions about her experiences at Georgia Tech.

Student Spotlight: Graduating senior Kelsey Mosqueda of the University of Washington

Kelsey Mosqueda is a senior in the UW program. Kelsey is graduating this spring with her Bioresource Science & Engineering degree and will be working at International Paper in Springfield, Oregon. We asked her about her experiences at the University of Washington.

Interview with University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Paper Science and Engineering Graduating Senior Ethan Fisher

Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with Ethan Fisher, a graduating senior in the program, and we asked him a few questions about his experiences at UWSP.

Student Spotlight: Graduating senior Aimee Lambert of Western Michigan

The Western Michigan University Paper Technology Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporation founded by industry leaders in 1958. The mission of the corporation has been and continues to be to support the Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering at Western Michigan University. Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with Aimee Lambert, who is a graduating senior in the program. We asked her a few questions about her experiences at Western Michigan.

Student Spotlight: Senior Avery Hendl of Miami University

The Paper Science & Engineering Foundation at Miami University was founded in 1960 through the donations of several local paper mills and corporations who wanted to ensure the education of future paper engineers. The foundation continues to actively work with students in the paper science and engineering program at Miami University. Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with senior Avery Hendl. We asked her a few questions about her experiences at Miami.

Student Spotlight: Interview with N.C. State Paper Science and Engineering junior Abby Hickman

Abby Hickman shares her experiences at N.C. State.

Interview with University of Maine senior Kenzie Karpinski

The University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation leads a partnership between the University of Maine, the Pulp and Paper industry and aspiring engineering students. Its role is to recruit, support and prepare talented engineering students to become the next great leaders in the pulp and paper industry, while also helping to meet the workforce needs of the industry, specifically in chemical, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering. Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with senior Kenzie Karpinski. We asked her a few questions about her experiences at UMaine.

Student Spotlight: Cameron Borner of Minnesota, graduating in Spring 2026

At the University of Minnesota, the Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering (BBE) program prepares students to solve real-world problems with practical, sustainable solutions. It brings together biological sciences, engineering principles, and technology to address society's growing demands for material, food, and energy using renewable resources. Cameron Borner is a student in the program, and he shares some of his experiences at Minnesota.

The Light Green Machine Institute

Ideas you can use now.

Capital Arguments for June 2026

Check out TALOtech groups on LinkedIn

The purpose of the TALOtech groups on LinkedIn is to provide a convenient forum for people working within the manufacturing part of this industry to share technical and operating related dialog to promote safe and competitive operations.

Energy & the Environment News

Your contributions are welcome in this department, regardless of point of view. A few criteria--if you send us a copyrighted piece, also provide a permission to publish statement from the owner. We will not publish overtly political pieces or anonymous pieces.

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Volatility in the OCC/wastepaper market, trends in the recovered fiber and sustainable packaging markets

We welcome Myles Cohen, founder of Circular Ventures, LLC, to discuss the volatility in the OCC/wastepaper market, plus trends in the recovered fiber and sustainable packaging markets.