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Forest Products News

Mondi expects earings to fall

By: Esmarie Iannucci 28th July 2009 JSE-listed paper producer Mondi on Tuesday warned shareholders that earnings a share for the six months ended June would drop sharply, sending shares 2,6% lower. The company expects earnings to be between €0,05 and €0,10 a share, compared with the €0,24 a share reported in the corresponding... →

Sappi to raise $800m in bond issue

By: Chanel de Bruyn 27th July 2009 Paper and pulp producer Sappi announced on Monday that it had successfully priced its bond offering to raise about $800-million of new senior secured notes, due in 2014. This followed a July 20 announcement that it would offer $500-million worth of senior secured notes, which would be issued by... →

Tongaat Hulett sees big jump in interim profit

By: Creamer Media Reporter 22nd July 2009 Agroprocessing firm Tongaat Hulett on Wednesday said it expected its headline earnings for the first six months of the 2009 financial year to increase by 74% to R440-million, compared with R252-million the year before. Headline earnings a share for the six months ended June 30, 2009, would... →

Price of sugar, maize could rise as El Niño looms

By: Terence Creamer 17th July 2009 The development of El Niño weather conditions later this year, as is currently being forecast by a number of weather services, is likely to raise the price of a range of agricultural commodities, Investec Asset Management's soft commodities analyst Dawid Heyl says. Over the past few weeks' the... →

Tribunal approves €750m Sappi-M-Real merger

By: Chanel de Bruyn 8th July 2009 The Competition Tribunal on Wednesday unconditionally approved the merger of paper manufacturer Sappi and the M-Real Corporation. Sappi had concluded the €750-million acquisition of M-Real’s coated graphic paper unit at the end of 2008, saying that this would increase its European graphic-paper... →

Paper group to team up with  street collectors for recycling cause

By: Leandi Kolver 12th June 2009 It is estimated that approximately 1,9-million tons of recovered fibre is available for collection and recycling in South Africa every year. Every box that is recycled reduces wastepaper going to landfill sites and, at the same time, creates jobs. →

York to shut timber mills as slowdown bites, 500 jobs may be cut

By: Terence Creamer 9th June 2009 JSE-listed forest products producer York Timber said on Tuesday that it might shut three of its eight processing plants, two permanently, as part of a series of remedial actions designed to take account of difficult economic conditions. CEO Piet van Zyl told Engineering News Online that the... →

Forestry firm completes feasibility study for 20MW cogen plant

By: Chanel de Bruyn 29th May 2009 A feasibility study into the South African Forestry Company’s (Safcol’s) proposed 20-MW cogeneration project has been completed, with management and cofunders now expected to decide on the way forward for the project. In October, Safcol had shortlisted three candidates to undertake the... →

Nampak interim profit declines sharply to R395m

By: Esmarie Iannucci 21st May 2009 JSE-listed packaging specialist Nampak on Thursday reported a sharp drop in interim profit, falling to R395,2-million from R645,9-million. Headline earnings a share were down to 66,9c a share in the six months ended March 31, compared with the 109,9c a share in same period in 2008. The trading... →

York appoints new finance chief

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th May 2009 Solid wood products group York Timbers has appointed Duncan Erskine as its new CFO and executive director, the company announced on Monday. Erskine, a qualified chartered accountant, has taken over the position from acting CFO Koot van der Walt, who had replaced former CFO John Lehman in March. →

SA subject to two new antidumping measures

By: Creamer Media Reporter 7th May 2009 Products exported from South Africa were subject to two new antidumping measures that were implemented by other nations in the second half of 2008, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said on Thursday. The organisation revealed that 138 new final antidumping measures had been implemented during... →

European order books starting to improve – Mondi

By: Chanel de Bruyn 7th May 2009 Paper and packaging group Mondi CEO David Hathorn on Thursday warned that despite there being encouraging signs of a gradual improvement in many of its European order books, the high levels of global economic uncertainty would continue to create challenges for the remainder of the year. He noted... →

Sappi swings to loss, sees better Q3

By: Chanel de Bruyn 5th May 2009 While there was still little visibility in terms of market conditions, paper and pulp producer Sappi was confident that it would improve its profitability in the third quarter of the 2009 financial year, owing to a number of internal measures it has been implementing. Reporting on the group’s... →

Process-roller supplier undergoes far-reaching reorganisation

By: Leandi Kolver 1st May 2009 Roller covering and coating technology group H&M Rollers Technologies is undergoing restructuring by focusing on future developments, expansions and capital investments in its core business divisions. →

EU defends approval of M-real, Sappi deal

By: Creamer Media Reporter 24th April 2009 The European Commission defended on Friday its decision to approve the sale of the graphic paper business of Finland's M-real Oyj to South Africa's Sappi Ltd following complaints. The Chamber of Workers and Employees in Salzburg, Austria has said the deal put Sappi in a dominant position in the... →

Mondi in R38,7m land claim settlement

By: Creamer Media Reporter 17th April 2009 Paper and packaging group Mondi has settled its second set of land claims, worth about R38,7-million, with black communities in KwaZulu-Natal, the group announced on Friday. Mondi joint chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa signed the agreement with Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana. →

York appoints new CEO, Cooper moves to marketing position

By: Chanel de Bruyn 9th April 2009 A new CEO has been appointed at solid wood products group York Timbers to “steer York through the changing economic environment”, the group announced on Thursday. Pieter (Piet) van Zyl, who was MD at Hans Merensky Timber until January, would take over as CEO from Lance Cooper on April 8. →

York names acting CFO after Lehman resigns

By: Creamer Media Reporter 17th March 2009 Solid wood products group York Timbers has appointed Koot van der Walt has acting CFO, following the resignation of John Lehman. Van der Walt joined the group in January and was formerly the CFO and financial director for Komatiland Forests. He had also held a number financial and operational... →

Mill expansion project under way

By: Loni Prinsloo 6th March 2009 Africa’s largest packaging group Nampak is currently rolling out its R600-million expansion project at its corrugated paper mill in Rosslyn, Pretoria. →

Packaging group anticipates demand drop

By: Loni Prinsloo 6th March 2009 Diversified packaging group Nampak states that the paper and board packaging industry has moved into a period of lower demand owing to falling global and local consumer demand. →

Instrument specialist supplies paper industry

By: Loni Prinsloo 6th March 2009 Instrument specialist Endress+Hauser supplied all the process instrumentation equipment for paper and packaging group Mondi’s RB720 expansion and its Merebank mill upgrade.   →

New papermaking concept released

6th March 2009 Paper manufacturer Metso Paper has released its improved concept for uncoated wood-free production (WFU). The new concept is based on standardised solutions and is designed for a yearly production of up to 250 000 t. →

Paper industry remains competitive despite economic pressure

By: Loni Prinsloo 6th March 2009 Like many other manufacturing sectors in the country, the paper manufacturing industry is experiencing increased pressure as a result of the current economic crunch, states the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa). →

Plans in place to develop local forestry industry

By: Loni Prinsloo 6th March 2009 The South African State-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is working with the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (Dwaf) and local growers to develop South Africa's forestry industry. →

Printer acquires new press

By: Loni Prinsloo 6th March 2009 Printer of books, magazines, newspapers and commercial print in South Africa, CTP Printers has installed a new 48-plus page long hybrid Lithoman printing press from MAN Roland, with the latest technology, the first of its kind in the country. →

Increased focus on energy  efficient projects

By: Loni Prinsloo 6th March 2009 South Africa’s State-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) envisages an increase in more energy-efficient investments in the wood, paper and board industry during the course of the year. →

York Timbers suspends acquisition programme

By: Chanel de Bruyn 4th March 2009 Solid wood products group York Timbers has shifted its operational focus in a different direction than six months ago and has suspended its acquisitions programme and slowed down its replanting programme, CEO Lance Cooper announced in a presentation to shareholders on Wednesday. Just six months... →

Sappi closes North American paper mill, expects operating loss

By: Chanel de Bruyn 2nd March 2009 As global markets continued to deteriorate, paper and pulp producer Sappi on Monday warned that it had experienced lower demand and weaker pricing in some markets post the release of its first-quarter results in February, prompting it to suspend operations at a North American paper mill.... →

Mondi plans to save €180m in ‘challenging’ 2009

By: Esmarie Iannucci 26th February 2009 Paper and pulp producer Mondi planned to cut an estimated €180-million in cost during the 2009 financial year, said group CEO David Hathorn on Thursday. Mondi, which is listed on the Johannesburg and London bourses, is closing mills in the UK and various European countries as paper producers in... →

Lower timber demand to knock York’s interim earnings

By: Creamer Media Reporter 23rd February 2009 JSE-listed forestry company York Timbers expects its headline earnings a share (HEPS) to drop by between 60% and 80% for the six months ended December 31, 2008, it announced on Monday. This was compared to the pro forma results for the six months ended December 2007, as the company had changed... →

William Tell profit margins to remain under pressure

By: Chanel de Bruyn 20th February 2009 The profit margins of wood-based panel (WBP) manufacturer William Tell, which saw an 84% drop in net profit for the half-year ended December 31, 2008, was expected to remain under pressure in the year ahead. Despite four of its competitors’ WBP manufacturing plants having shut down in the past... →

Mondi’s 2008 earnings to fall sharply

By: Creamer Media Reporter 16th February 2009 Paper and packaging group Mondi on Monday announced that it expected its headline earnings a share for the year ended December 31, 2008, to be between 42% and 52% lower than the €0,39 a share for the year ended December 2007. Underlying earnings a share were expected to have declined by between... →

Sappi outlook uncertain as Q1 demand slumps

By: Chanel de Bruyn 2nd February 2009 The prospects for paper and pulp producer Sappi remained uncertain beyond the first half of the 2009 financial year, while demand for its products would remain weak in the second quarter. Sappi CEO Ralph Boëttger told Engineering News Online on Monday that it was very difficult to forecast what... →

Production starts at new particle-board plant after delay

By: Chanel de Bruyn 30th January 2009 Production at wood-based panel (WBP) manufacturer William Tell’s second particle-board plant, in Chamdor, in Krugersdorp, which would give it greater self-sufficiency, would finally start, the company announced last week. The start-up of the plant was scheduled for January 31. →

William Tell starts production at new particle-board plant

By: Chanel de Bruyn 20th January 2009 Production at wood-based panel (WBP) manufacturer William Tell's second particle-board plant, in Chamdor, in Krugersdorp, which would give it greater self-sufficiency, would finally start, the company announced on Tuesday. The start-up of the plant was scheduled for January 31. The manufacturer... →

Sappi closes M-real acquisition

By: Liezel Hill 2nd January 2009 Paper manufacturer Sappi has completed the acquisition of M-real Corp's coated graphic paper unit, the company announced this week. All the conditions to the deal had been met and the transaction closed on December 31, Sappi said in a regulatory announcement. →

Sappi to submit cogen bids to Eskom despite capex review

By: Terence Creamer 6th November 2008 Paper and pulp producer Sappi, which expected demand for its products to fall in the near term and for margins to remain under pressure, has reviewed its capital expenditure plans and expects the timelines on some projects to be extended. CEO Ralph Boëttger told Engineering News Online in an... →

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