Trendspotting

  Two recent events gave corrugated pros, suppliers, converters, and box plant executives a look at what’s new in the containerboard industry. Here are a few field notes. JAN BOTTIGLIERI From TAPPI’S SuperCorrExpo With nearly 150,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, SuperCorrExpo 2016 gave more than 5000 attendees an up-close look at some of the newest technologies available in the ...

The industry’s top analysts convened in San Diego for RISI’s 31st Annual North American Conference. Here is their expert forecast for 2017. GRAEME RODDEN For the first time, RISI scheduled a tissue seminar as a prelude to its North American forest products outlook conference held in October, and delegates were not disappointed. In a rare occurrence for a conference such ...

An interview with Berry Wiersum, CEO, Sappi Europe MARK RUSHTON RISI recently announced that Berry Wiersum, chief executive officer of Sappi Europe SA, has been named RISI’s 2017 European CEO of the Year. The award is nominated by a group of investment analysts, industry consultants, and commentators covering the European and global pulp and paper industry. According to nominators, “Wiersum ...

JAN BOTTIGLIERI What are the factors sparking modern developments in paper chemistry? Where might these innovations lead us? We’ve all heard that “necessity is the mother of invention.” In other words, innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it is sparked by demand. Perhaps, then, it’s fortunate that papermakers are beset by demands from all sides. End users who want improved ...

MARK RUSHTON, GRAEME RODDEN Welcome to the 10th Top 50 Power List. Looking back through the archives to that first list all those years ago, it seems that in some ways the industry has hardly changed at all when it comes to the leading movers and shakers. In 2008, Teguh Wijaya, chairman of APP, was in the top spot, with ...

JOHN VOZNIAK, ET. AL. In North America, truck-trailers transport approximately 70 percent of the goods on highways and roads, but not all trailers can haul paper rolls. The structural features of dry freight van trailers are designed by the trailer manufacturers to meet the requirements of each fleet’s operating environment. These requirements vary widely depending on the type of freight ...

BNSF has invested billions to make sure that rail remains a vital part of the pulp and paper industry’s transport picture. GRAEME RODDEN Rail traffic is closely tied to the US economy. Delegates at the recent TAPPI Shipping Receiving & Warehousing (SRW) Conference heard Michael Wade, AVP, industrial products, BNSF Railway, extol the virtues of rail traffic. BNSF Railway is ...

Preventing roll damage is critical for mills and the printers who depend on them. Here’s a look at some causes of damage and the effects. GRAEME RODDEN At the TAPPI Shipping, Receiving & Warehousing (SRW) Conference in April 2017, delegates received a printer’s view on damage from Julie Furbee, materials supervisor, LSC Communications. LSC was transitioned from well-known printer RR ...

Euroports will expand its hub and spoke system through southern China. GRAEME RODDEN Having established itself in China 20 years ago, Euroports is on the verge of significantly expanding its operations in the country. It will develop its hub and spoke system in central China by creating a secondary hub in Chongqing. The city is China’s largest, with 34 million ...

This comprehensive list of the global pulp and paper industry’s major players—formerly only available in PPI Magazine—has been a favorite resource for PPI readers. We present it here for the first time in Paper360°. This year, WestRock makes its Top 100 debut at No. 4. MARK RUSHTON, GRAEME RODDEN Following the merger of RockTenn and MWV to create WestRock, as ...