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Forest Products News

Sappi producing specialised cellulose to secure future growth, profitability

By: Creamer Media Reporter 10th July 2014 Paper and pulp manufacturer Sappi recently started producing specialised cellulose at its Ngodwana mill, in Mpumalanga, in line with its strategy of facilitating growth in high-margin products. →

Ngodwana cellulose plant to reach full capacity by year end

By: Leandi Kolver 18th June 2014 The newly constructed Fibre Line 3 specialised cellulose plant at pulp and paper manufacturer Sappi’s Ngodwana mill, would ramp up to full capacity of 200 000 t/y by the end of this calendar year, Sappi Southern Africa CEO Alex Thiel told Engineering News Online on Wednesday following the... →

Sappi Ngodwana GM SW Engelbrecht and Sappi Southern Africa CEO Alex Thiel speak at the opening of Fibre Line 3. Camerawork & editing: Nicholas Boyd. Recorded: 18/06/2014.

Sappi sells Nijmegen mill

By: Leandi Kolver 17th June 2014 Paper and packaging group Sappi has sold its Nijmegen mill, in the Netherlands, to an affiliate of American Industrial Acquisition Corporation. In September last year, the group announced that it had generated a loss in its European activities as a result of the continued market decline and... →

Sappi emerging as world player in specialised-cellulose market

By: Sashnee Moodley 6th June 2014 Paper and packaging group Sappi Southern Africa has diversified its operations to include the export of specialised cellulose, a grade of pulp which it produces and from which it generates a revenue of about $800-million a year. →

Sappi Southern Africa CFO Colin Mowatt discusses Sappi’s operation diversification at the inaugural Manufacturing Indaba, in Ekurhuleni, last month. Camerawork: Nicholas Boyd. Editing: Shane Williams. Recorded: 19.05.14

Vietnam, South Africa seek to bolster bilateral trade and investment

By: Keith Campbell 30th May 2014 Vietnam is hoping that it will be able to increase its exports of certain agricultural products to South Africa. In particular, it is seeking to increase its exports of coffee, tea, rice and peppers. In parallel, South Africa is also hoping to increase its exports to the South East Asian country,... →

Mondi Q1 operating profit up 13%

By: Leandi Kolver 14th May 2014 Dual-listed Mondi increased its underlying operating profit by 13% year-on-year and 14% quarter-on-quarter to €183-million during the three months ended March 31 the company announced on Wednesday, stating that this performance was in line with management expectations. Sales volumes during the... →

Sappi continues financial bounce-back

By: Natasha Odendaal 12th May 2014 Paper and packaging group Sappi maintained an improving trend in its operating performance during the three months to March 2014, after bouncing back into the black during the first quarter of the year. The improving operating performance during the second quarter of the year – despite tough... →

Ralph Boettger

Association upbeat about stressed industries

By: Ilan Solomons 28th March 2014 If the weak rand persists during this year, producers of paper, pulp and board will register stronger returns, particularly from bleached hardwood pulp and chemical cellulose exports, Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa) executive director Jane Molony tells Engineering News.... →

JANE MOLONY The paper, pulp and board sectors employ 146 000 people who are involved in every process, from planting the trees to making the paper

Air motors ideal for use in paper, pulp and board industy

By: Ilan Solomons 28th March 2014 Industrial products supplier Dowson & Dobson assembly technology manager Herman Parsons says air motors are generally well suited to the preparation of materials in the harsh operating conditions of the paper, pulp and board industries. “These industries’ operating environments are usually... →

DEPRAG AIR MOTOR Dowson & Dobson stocks a range of Deprag air motors which are made entirely from stainless steel

R20m invested in packager’s product line

By: Ilan Solomons 28th March 2014 Local moulded fibre packaging manufacturer Huhtamaki South Africa’s Finnish parent company, Huhtamaki Oyj, is investing R20-million in the installation of a new Leotech pulp-moulding machine to enhance the range of products that the company can manufacture. Leotech equipment is used to produce... →

HUHTAMAKI SOUTH AFRICA MANAGEMENT National sales and marketing manager Henry Nel, Atlantis plant manager Athool Lakhoo and GM Wil Rigby

Paper remains important in the digital age, despite criticism

By: Ilan Solomons 28th March 2014 While the paper industry is facing significant challenges, owing to the increasing use of digital online platforms and the convenience of receiving documents electronically, the electronic distribution of information should not be touted as being more environmentally friendly than distributing... →

Photo by Paper Recycling Association of South Africa
PAPER AND BOARD RECYCLING Paper is not only biodegradable but also recyclable

Company empowers rural communities to grow trees for timber use

By: Ilan Solomons 28th March 2014 Paper and packaging group Sappi Southern Africa’s Project Grow programme is supporting emerging historically disadvantaged tree growers to produce timber for the local paper, pulp and board industries. Sappi Southern Africa CEO Alex Thiel tells Engineering News that the programme forms the... →

EMPOWERING RURAL COMMUNITIES Project Grow comprises more than 4 500 tree growers, from small individual growers to larger community projects, farming on about 19 250 ha

Photo by Duane Daws
EMPOWERING RURAL COMMUNITIES Project Grow comprises more than 4 500 tree growers, from small individual growers to larger community projects, farming on about 19 250 ha

Company contributes to job creation through paper recycling

By: Ilan Solomons 28th March 2014 The pulp and paper industry is one of the largest employers in South Africa, making a significant yearly contribution to the economy of about R35.26-billion, says the Paper and Recycling Association of South Africa (Prasa). Paper and plastic packaging manufacturer Mpact plays a significant part... →

PILING IT ON Piet Matentshi has been running a successful business for more than ten years, collecting recovered paper and delivering it to Mpact’s paper mills

Cellulose production provides new opportunities

By: Ilan Solomons 28th March 2014 Paper and packaging group Sappi Southern Africa CEO Alex Thiel is confident that the company will be successful this year, as it aims to diversify some aspects of its operations and streamline others. He says that following the global downturn in 2008, there has been less demand for graphic paper... →

WET SPECIALISED CELLULOSE Sappi has a 20% global share in all special cellulose production, which generates about R7-billion in yearly revenues for South Africa

Sappi Southern Africa CEO Alex Thiel discusses the company's current operations and its future prospects.

Amid technical and financial concerns, SA moves ahead with biofuels strategy

By: Schalk Burger 21st March 2014 While the food-versus-fuel dilemma remains, South Africa is moving ahead with the roll-out of its much debated biofuels strategy, which even received a mention in President Jacob Zuma's February State of the Nation address, when he confirmed that biofuels manufacturers had been selected and had... →

Sappi appoints new CFO

By: Leandi Kolver 17th March 2014 Paper and packaging group Sappi on Monday announced the appointment of Sappi Europe and Southern Africa CFO Glen Pearce as group CFO and executive director, with effect from July 1. Pearce would be replacing current Sappi group CFO Steve Binnie, who would be succeeding Ralph Boëttger as CEO on... →

Renttech concludes Sappi Ngodwana project

By: Leandi Kolver 17th March 2014 Welding and construction-related equipment supplier Renttech has concluded a turnkey project for paper and packaging group Sappi’s Ngodwana mill GoCell Project. The GoCell Project comprised the establishment of a new fibre line for the manufacturing of specialised cellulose as well as upgrading... →

Sappi Ngodwana operation

Mondi yields positive results owing to low-cost asset investment, support strategy

By: Leandi Kolver 28th February 2014 Dual-listed Mondi’s record financial performance during the year ended December 31 reflected the consequences of the company’s strategy of supporting and investing in low-cost assets, with sustainable margin benefits and exposure to high growth products and regions, which had been in place for... →

Mondi Group CEO David Hathorn

Mondi expecting higher 2013 HEPS, operating profit

By: Leandi Kolver 19th February 2014 Dual-listed Mondi on Wednesday announced that it expected headline earnings a share for the year ended December 31 of between €0.88 and €0.93 as opposed to €0.629 during the prior year. Basic earnings a share were expected to be higher at between €0.77 and €0.82, with underlying operating profit... →

Sappi appoints new CEO

By: Sapa 10th February 2014 Sappi CFO Steve Binnie will succeed Ralph Boettger as CEO of pulp and paper producer Sappi later this year, the paper company said on Monday. Boettger resigned after seven years as CEO and director of Sappi. →

Sappi CEO Ralph Boettger

Sappi CEO to step down owing to ill health

By: Creamer Media Reporter 15th January 2014 Global pulp and paper company Sappi announced on Wednesday that its CEO of almost seven years, Ralph Boëttger, would be relinquishing his position as CEO and director on June 30 as he had been diagnosed with a serious illness. Sappi board chairperson Dr Danie Cronjé said: “I personally and on... →

Sappi continues turnaround as weak European market persists

By: Natasha Odendaal 7th November 2013 Paper and packaging group Sappi continued efforts to reposition itself as a profitable business in a market with lower demand after reporting lower earnings for the year ended September. Sappi, which fell into the red with a loss of $162-million for the financial year, compared with a profit of... →

Sappi CEO Ralph Boëttger

Mondi Q3 underlying operating profit up 25%

By: Natasha Odendaal 6th November 2013 Improved market conditions in the packaging and South African businesses, as well as the emerging benefits of last year’s acquistions, had offset the impact of the planned third-quarter shutdowns of a number of dual-listed Mondi’s larger operations worldwide. Mondi on Wednesday reported a 25%... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Mondi CEO David Hathorn

York Timbers calls for reform of affordable housing tender process

By: Natalie Greve 30th September 2013 The existing tender process for the awarding of construction contracts in the affordable housing and social housing sectors requires extensive reform to mitigate the prevalence of substandard work and enable government to reach its delivery targets, asserts York Timbers CEO Pieter van Zyl.... →

Sappi NYSE delisting finalised, starts consultations on Netherlands mill

By: Creamer Media Reporter 30th September 2013 Paper and packaging group Sappi’s delisting of its American depository shares from the New York Stock Exchange was finalised on Monday. The company’s American depository receipts (ADRs) will now be traded in the US through a Level 1 over-the-counter ADR programme. →

Afgri moving to mitigate the effects of weak SA poultry market

By: Schalk Burger 27th September 2013 A good early harvest of yellow maize in the eastern parts of South Africa did not remove the sting from poor performances in a difficult poultry industry, says JSE-listed agricultural services and processing business Afgri CEO Chris Venter. Drought in the western part of the country meant a poor... →

Afgri CEO Chris Venter discusses the company's performance amid severe poultry industry conditions. Camerawork: Nicholas Boyd. Editing: Darlene Creamer.

Sappi to delist from NYSE to reduce costs

By: Natalie Greve 9th September 2013 South Africa-based paper and packaging group Sappi on Monday announced its intention to voluntary delist from the NYSE, citing low trading volumes of its shares, as well as high costs and administrative complexity associated with maintaining its listing and registration in the US. For the 12... →

York to post lower headline earnings a share

By: Creamer Media Reporter 6th September 2013 Forestry and forest products group York Timbers on Friday said its headline earnings a share (Heps) for the 2013 financial year would be between 19% and 24% lower than that recorded in the previous financial year. The group expected to report Heps of between 32c and 34c for the year, compared... →

Pulp-drying machine with energy-saving dryer section

9th August 2013 Voith Paper a division German engineering company Voith of has announced that it now offers complete pulp-drying machines, from headbox to the cross cutter and bale packing, with new vertical arrangement of the rolls in the dryer section. →

Thebe buys 70% stake in mining supplies group Trimrite

By: Creamer Media Reporter 8th August 2013 Thebe Investment Corporation has bought a 70% stake in Realite Trimrite, a supplier of timber-based support products to South Africa’s deep-level mining industry. The group acquired the stake through its subsidiary Thebe Mining Resources (TMR), which focuses on investments in the mining value-chain. →

Mondi reports strong profit growth in SA business

By: Idéle Esterhuizen 8th August 2013 International packaging and paper group Mondi has reported strong performance in its South Africa division, which achieved an underlying operating profit of €44-million in the six months ended June, a 52% increase on the comparable prior year period, boosted by higher domestic selling prices,... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Mondi group CEO David Hathorn

York Timbers appoints CFO

By: Natalie Greve 5th August 2013 JSE-listed York Timbers has announced the appointment of chartered accountant and chartered management accountant Pieter van Buuren as CFO, with effect from October 1. He would replace acting CFO Sean Pretorius, who would take up the position of chief commercial officer. →

Sappi Southern Africa Q3 profit falls as weak European market persists

By: Idéle Esterhuizen 2nd August 2013 JSE-listed paper, pulp and packaging group Sappi’s Southern African arm recorded an operating profit, excluding special items, of R183-million for the third quarter ending June, down from an operating profit of R255-million in the corresponding period in 2012. The lower profit was attributed to... →

Sappi Southern Africa CEO Alex Thiel

Iliad gets nod for timber business sale to York

By: Natalie Greve 26th July 2013 The Competition Commission has unconditionally approved the sale of Iliad Africa’s wholesale timber business to York Timbers for R45.5-million, following a decision by the building materials provider to streamline its portfolio. The transaction, which will become effective on August 1, would see... →

Sappi offloads Usutu subsidiary for R1bn

By: Natalie Greve 1st July 2013 Paper, pulp and packaging group Sappi will sell its Usutu Forest Products subsidiary to timber products provider Montigny Investments for R1-billion in cash. The proceeds from the sale of Usutu, which controlled some 67 000 ha of softwood plantations and a decommissioned pulp mill, in Swaziland,... →

Plan to bolster farm-supporting infrastructure starting to take shape

By: Joanne Taylor 28th June 2013 South Africa’s agriculture sector faces a number of serious challenges and constraints. The spatial-zoning policies enforced before and during apartheid resulted in the extreme marginalisation of black farmers and foresters. →

Phaswana appointed joint Mondi chair

By: Creamer Media Reporter 21st May 2013 International packaging and paper group Mondi has appointed Fred Phaswana as joint chairperson with effect from June 1. Phaswana, who was currently chairperson of Standard Bank Group, Standard Bank of South Africa, the South African Institute of International Affairs and nonexecutive director of... →

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