Uncoated Paper Prices on the Rise
Several mills have announced price increases in recent weeks, with most in the 5-7% range and beginning in April. The mills include Navigator, Boise Paper, Lecta, Mondi, Burgo, Sylvamo, Finch, Domtar, Sappi Europe, Pixelle, Phoenix Paper, and Sustana. Mills cite elevated input costs and unsustainable profitability levels for the increases.
CJK Group Acquires Kodi Collective from LSC Communications
CJK acquired Kodi Collective, formerly LSC’s Magazine & Catalog group. Kodi Collective is comprised of five offset print facilities, three digital print facilities and a Marketing Execution Services business. CJK Group represents one of the largest printing and publishing services organizations in the United States, continuing to grow both organically and through acquisitions. Just last September CJK Group acquired the business of Worzalla in Stevens Point, WI. The Worzalla acquisition brings additional capacity to CJK’s Sheridan printing operations and the facility has been renamed Sheridan Worzalla.
Lakeside Book to Shut Down Three Facilities
Lakeside Book Co. will permanently close its print production facility in Menasha, WI “due to changing market conditions.” In addition to Menasha, the company will also shut down facilities in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and Cumberland, Rhode Island by the end of the year, as part of Lakeside’s plans to consolidate its manufacturing footprint. Operations at these plants will transition to other Lakeside
Book facilities.
Domtar Shuts Ashdown Mill
Domtar, owned by Paper Excellence, announced that it will "indefinitely curtail paper operations" at the Ashdown, AR, mill. One paper machine, the A62, at the Ashdown mill "will be idled by the end of June, reducing Domtar’s annual uncoated freesheet (UFS) capacity by 216,000 short tons," Domtar said. The company stopped making UFS at the Ashdown mill in April 2020 due to weak demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it restarted production in January 2021 as demand for UFS was recovering. North American UFS demand dropped 20.7% or 1.4 million tons last year from 6.7 million tons in 2022, to 5.3 million tons in 2023, according to the Pulp and Paper Products Council.
Demand and Operating Rate Forecasts (RISI)
U.S. Economy and Paper End-Us Indicators
N.A. Coated Paper Demand and Shipments | N.A. P&W Paper Producer Inventories
